Latest Reviews of Konami Games
Review Castlevania Dominus Collection (Switch) - The Strongest Konami Compilation Yet
Glyph I could turn back time ♫
Konami has been making waves this year with its upcoming duo of high-budget remakes of Silent Hill 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. For Castlevania fans, however, it’s been a bit of a quiet one, with seemingly no sign of any new entry in the long-running gothic franchise. Despite this, the publisher has been...
Unsung hero
‘Underrated’ is a term too often applied recklessly, but for Rocket Knight Adventures, a series that struggled to reach global stardom despite Konami’s three-pronged stab, it’s appropriate. Its initial entry resides in the upper echelons of everything 16-bit and is one of the finest titles on the Mega Drive. Yet, Sparkster,...
Review Felix The Cat (Switch) - A Cute But Costly Clowder
Retro charm aplenty but no purring
As one of the earliest animated characters dating back to the silent film era, Felix the Cat’s popularity has waxed and waned over the decades. His charm, though, continues to endure beyond his centenary. He may be the only cartoon mascot older than Mickey Mouse to have also tried their hand at the Super Mario...
Review Contra: Operation Galuga (Switch) - Does The Series Proud, But Best Played Elsewhere
Aggressively attacked
With Konami seemingly devoid of both in-house developers and any kind of passion to revive their beloved IPs, WayForward, predominately a licence mule during the '00s, is by far the best option for a new Contra entry. Its work on 2007’s brutally hardcore Contra 4 cemented the developer's prowess, allowing the player to...
Mini Review Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater - Still Outstanding On Switch
What a thrill
Originally released in 2004, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is widely considered to be the finest entry in Hideo Kojima’s Magnum Opus. And almost 20 years later, it’s still easy to see why, even though some aspects of the game haven’t aged particularly gracefully. For Switch owners who have never delved into the Metal Gear...
Mini Review Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons Of Liberty - A Solid Switch Port, But Fans Deserve Better
I need scissors! 61!
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty has long been considered one of the weaker entries in Hideo Kojima’s stealth franchise, nestled between the iconic PS1 original and the critically acclaimed prequel, Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater. Yet playing the game in 2023 is, quite frankly, a revelatory experience. The story once...
Mini Review Metal Gear Solid - A Faithful Switch Debut For An All-Time Great
Kept you waiting, huh?
Going back to Metal Gear Solid in 2023, it’s undoubtedly clear why the game created so much fuss when it originally launched on the PS1 back in 1998. What’s also obvious, however, is how much the title has aged in the decades since. For its release on the Switch, Konami has opted to retain as much of the original’s...
Review Castlevania Legends - A 'Vania So Poor It Got Booted From Canon
Tainted bloodline
This review was originally published in October 2012. We're updating and republishing it to mark the game's arrival in the Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library. The odds were stacked against Castlevania Legends almost from the start. When it was released towards the end of the '90s, it had the near-impossible task of following
A legend returns
Editor's Note: If you're looking for our thoughts on the individual releases within the Collection, then check out our reviews on Metal Gear Solid, Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, and Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater, which you can buy individually on the Switch eShop. For Nintendo fans, the Metal Gear franchis
Review Super Bomberman R 2 (Switch) - A Feature-Rich Return With A Cracking New 'Castle' Mode
"Time to make a comeback!"
Those of you who picked up the Switch during its launch period in the distant early days of 2017 may remember that, believe it or not, there were other games available at launch besides Breath of the Wild. One of those games was Super Bomberman R, which at the time was the title that broke the longest dry spell (nearly a...
Latest Konami Articles
News Alucard And Richter Create A Symphony In New 'Castlevania: Nocturne' Trailer
Season 2 lands January 2025
Netflix has announced that Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne will premiere in January 2025. This news comes via a brand-new trailer (thanks, Gizmodo) which gives us a tantalising glimpse at what we can expect to see from the acclaimed animated adaptation. Crucially, it looks like legendary characters Richter Belmont and...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Contra 4
A duel of dual spirits
Hello folks, we're back once again for another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we get started, let's take a look back at how things played out last week. We checked out the GameCube classic Pokémon Colosseum, originally released in Japan in 2003 before making its way West in 2004. All three covers were admittedly pretty...
News Castlevania Dominus Collection Physical Pre-Orders Are Now Open
'Classic' and 'Ultimate' editions detailed
Limited Run Games has announced that pre-orders for Castlevania Dominus Collection are now open if you're in the market for a physical edition of Konami's latest compilation. Much like previous Castlevania releases, the options here include a Standard Edition, a Classic Edition, and an Ultimate Edition...
News Konami Doesn't Want To Rush Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2
"We just have to ask for everyone to give us time"
Konami has reiterated its plans for a second volume of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection but admits it doesn't want to rush development after "all the issues" it had with the first collection. This update was shared during the 'Q&A' segment of the latest 'Metal Gear Production Hotline'...
Random It Looks Like Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow's 'Julius Mode' Is Even Harder On Switch
The floor is larva
We've been having a great time with Castlevania Dominus Collection since it shadow-dropped onto Switch last month, regaining our muscle memory as we whip back through Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. Though those who have seen the first of these titles right to the end, the real end, might notice that the...
News Konami Reveals More Game Boy Titles For Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection
Coming to Switch in 2024
In case you missed it, earlier this year Konami announced the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection for the Nintendo Switch. At the start of this month, it also launched a new social media account for this collection and other Yu-Gi-Oh! themed 'retro games'. Now in another update, Konami has revealed more of the games coming to...
News Yu-Gi-Oh! Launches Retro Games Social Media Account For 'Early Days Collection'
It will also cover other "retro themed products"
Yu-Gi-Oh! is reviving its past with an official 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Retro Games' account launching on the social media platform 'X' today. This account will cover all things related to retro Yu-Gi-Oh! including the long-running trading card game as well as the upcoming Early Days Collection, which has been...
Guide Best Castlevania Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Consoles
Far from a miserable pile
To celebrate the release of the excellent Castlevania Dominus Collection, we're republishing this ranked list of every Castlevania game to appear on Nintendo systems. Remember, this is a reader-ranked list governed by each game's User Rating on our games database. As such, it is subject to real-time change as the ratings...
News Castlevania Dominus Collection Physical Release Confirmed, Pre-Orders Open Next Month
Collector's Edition is on the way too
Hot off the back of yesterday's surprise announcement and shadow drop for the Castlevania Dominus Collection, Limited Run Games has today confirmed that a physical release is on the way. The collection, which comprises Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, will be available to pre-order from...
News Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Brings Konami's JRPG Classics To Switch Next Year
After all this time
It has been a couple of years since the announcement of Konami's Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (or Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, to give it its official catchy little title), but we now finally know that the RPG classics will be coming to Switch on 6th March 2025. The new look at the...
News 'Castlevania Dominus Collection' Brings Three DS Classics To Switch Today
Plus Haunted Castle
Ready for more Castlevania? Three of the series' DS entries are coming to Nintendo Switch later on today in the all-new Castlevania Dominus Collection. Yes, you read that right: it's launching today! This one pulls together Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia in one neat bundle, and there's even the "arcade...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Contra: Hard Corps / Probotector
Lock n' load
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another edition Box Art Brawl! We had a doozy of a brawl last week as we looked at The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords for the GBA. You folks really surprised us with this one, though: we weren't too keen on the Japanese box art for this, deemed it to be fairly busy in comparison...
Random Player Discovers Hilarious Method To Knock Out Guards In Metal Gear Solid 2
Heads up!
If you're anything like us, then chances are you've been replaying Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on and off for nearly 25 years. Yet despite this, it seems that new things are still being discovered in Hideo Kojima's 2001 stealth masterpiece. Take those pesky guards, for instance. MGS2 offers up a smorgasbord of options to avoid or...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
BAT!
Welcome back to another edition Box Art Brawl! Last week, we matched up two covers from Capcom's Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness and oof, it was a close one! Japan's action-packed cartoony take just about walked away with the win, taking 53% of the vote and leaving Europe and North America's shared design with the remaining 47%. We're...
Every TMNT game on Nintendo consoles, ranked by you
Updated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Remember, this is a reader-ranked list based on each game's User Rating in our database, which means it's subject to real-time change, even now. if you've played Wrath of the Mutants, or any other Turtles game below, you can rate it from...
Random Hideo Kojima Highlights The 21st Anniversary Of 'Boktai' On GBA
No sunlight that day, apparently
It's been a whopping 21 years since Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand launched in Japan on 17th July 2003, and one person commemorating the anniversary is none other than producer and designer Hideo Kojima. Posting on social media, the auteur recalled that it was "raining hard" on the game's release day. This might be...
News Konami's Metal Gear Producer Would Love To Work With Hideo Kojima
"If that could happen, it would be the dream."
The famous Konami series Metal Gear Solid is now being guided by producer Noriaki Okamura, and apparently "the dream" for him would be to work with the original team including industry legend Hideo Kojima. During an official Metal Gear livestream this week, Okamura admitted he's not in the position to...
News Konami Promises To Continue Improving Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
"We're very sorry that the game wasn't up to standards"
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection didn't get off to the best start when it arrived on the Switch last year, but Konami has been slowly improving the overall experience with regular updates. In a new video update, Konami producer Noriaki Okamura has touched this, admitting the team got "a...
Random Sakurai Likens Boss Battles In Nintendo Games To Tutorials
"I think I'd prefer it if I had the freedom to choose how I fight"
In his latest YouTube video, Masahiro Sakurai highlights boss battles in Nintendo games as being similar to tutorials, noting that he prefers games that offer up more strategic freedom. Aptly titled Madatory Strategy and Strategic Balance, the video dives into the difference between...
News Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked Crashes Onto Switch In June
Blast-off
Konami has revealed that Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked will be launching on Nintendo Switch and other consoles on 11th June 2024. In just over a month's time, Konami's opossum knight will be making his grand return. Re-Sparked is a collection of all three of Sparkster's games — Rocket Knight Adventures, Sparkster: Rocket Knight...
News New Contra: Operation Galuga Update Is Finally Available On Switch, Here Are The Patch Notes
Update: Switch catches up with the other platforms
Update [Wed 1st May, 2024 11:45 BST]: After being released on other platforms last week, Konami and WayForward have revealed that the latest update for Contra: Operation Galuga is now available on Switch too. Notice of the Switch's inclusion was shared by the official Contra Twitter account. You...
Random 25 Years On, Fans Find New Konami Code In Castlevania: Legacy Of Darkness
Where were(wolf) you hiding?
Believe it or not, it has been 25 years since Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness launched on the Nintendo 64. It has been even longer since the iconic Konami Code first appeared in 1986's Gradius. Basically, you would be forgiven for thinking that we have discovered just about everything there is to know relating to both...
News Contra: Operation Galuga Limited Run Classic & Ultimate Edition Revealed, Pre-Orders Live
Update: Pre-orders end soon
Update [Sun 14th Apr, 2024 23:30 BST]: Pre-orders for the Contra: Operation Galuga physical Switch release will close very soon - so this is your last chance to get hold of standalone copies and collector's editions. Original article [Fri 1st Mar, 2024 03:00 GMT]: Back in December last year we heard how Konami and...
News Vampire Survivors Gets Contra Crossover DLC Next Month
A Konami collab? Castlevania when...
Vampire Survivors is getting even more DLC on 9th May, but this one's particularly exciting, as it's teaming up with legendary Konami franchise Contra. In Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns, you'll be rescuing the President’s cousin’s sister’s dog from Red Falcon. Many classic Contra characters (even Brad...
News Konami Celebrates 60 Million Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Downloads With Free Gems & Card Packs
A "limited-time" offer for the F2P title
Konami's free-to-play title Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has reached another milestone, with over 60 million downloads since its arrival on the Switch eShop and multiple other platforms in 2022. To celebrate this latest achievement, Konami will be offering 1,000 free Gems to players who log into the title before...
News Alucard And Richter Create A Symphony In New 'Castlevania: Nocturne' Trailer
Season 2 lands January 2025
Netflix has announced that Season 2 of Castlevania: Nocturne will premiere in January 2025. This news comes via a brand-new trailer (thanks, Gizmodo) which gives us a tantalising glimpse at what we can expect to see from the acclaimed animated adaptation. Crucially, it looks like legendary characters Richter Belmont and...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Contra 4
A duel of dual spirits
Hello folks, we're back once again for another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we get started, let's take a look back at how things played out last week. We checked out the GameCube classic Pokémon Colosseum, originally released in Japan in 2003 before making its way West in 2004. All three covers were admittedly pretty...
News Castlevania Dominus Collection Physical Pre-Orders Are Now Open
'Classic' and 'Ultimate' editions detailed
Limited Run Games has announced that pre-orders for Castlevania Dominus Collection are now open if you're in the market for a physical edition of Konami's latest compilation. Much like previous Castlevania releases, the options here include a Standard Edition, a Classic Edition, and an Ultimate Edition...
News Konami Doesn't Want To Rush Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2
"We just have to ask for everyone to give us time"
Konami has reiterated its plans for a second volume of the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection but admits it doesn't want to rush development after "all the issues" it had with the first collection. This update was shared during the 'Q&A' segment of the latest 'Metal Gear Production Hotline'...
Random It Looks Like Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow's 'Julius Mode' Is Even Harder On Switch
The floor is larva
We've been having a great time with Castlevania Dominus Collection since it shadow-dropped onto Switch last month, regaining our muscle memory as we whip back through Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin, and Order of Ecclesia. Though those who have seen the first of these titles right to the end, the real end, might notice that the...
News Konami Reveals More Game Boy Titles For Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection
Coming to Switch in 2024
In case you missed it, earlier this year Konami announced the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection for the Nintendo Switch. At the start of this month, it also launched a new social media account for this collection and other Yu-Gi-Oh! themed 'retro games'. Now in another update, Konami has revealed more of the games coming to...
News Yu-Gi-Oh! Launches Retro Games Social Media Account For 'Early Days Collection'
It will also cover other "retro themed products"
Yu-Gi-Oh! is reviving its past with an official 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Retro Games' account launching on the social media platform 'X' today. This account will cover all things related to retro Yu-Gi-Oh! including the long-running trading card game as well as the upcoming Early Days Collection, which has been...
Guide Best Castlevania Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Consoles
Far from a miserable pile
To celebrate the release of the excellent Castlevania Dominus Collection, we're republishing this ranked list of every Castlevania game to appear on Nintendo systems. Remember, this is a reader-ranked list governed by each game's User Rating on our games database. As such, it is subject to real-time change as the ratings...
News Castlevania Dominus Collection Physical Release Confirmed, Pre-Orders Open Next Month
Collector's Edition is on the way too
Hot off the back of yesterday's surprise announcement and shadow drop for the Castlevania Dominus Collection, Limited Run Games has today confirmed that a physical release is on the way. The collection, which comprises Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia, will be available to pre-order from...
News Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Brings Konami's JRPG Classics To Switch Next Year
After all this time
It has been a couple of years since the announcement of Konami's Suikoden I & II HD Remaster (or Suikoden I & II HD Remaster Gate Rune and Dunan Unification Wars, to give it its official catchy little title), but we now finally know that the RPG classics will be coming to Switch on 6th March 2025. The new look at the...
News 'Castlevania Dominus Collection' Brings Three DS Classics To Switch Today
Plus Haunted Castle
Ready for more Castlevania? Three of the series' DS entries are coming to Nintendo Switch later on today in the all-new Castlevania Dominus Collection. Yes, you read that right: it's launching today! This one pulls together Dawn of Sorrow, Portrait of Ruin and Order of Ecclesia in one neat bundle, and there's even the "arcade...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Contra: Hard Corps / Probotector
Lock n' load
Hello everyone, and welcome back to another edition Box Art Brawl! We had a doozy of a brawl last week as we looked at The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords for the GBA. You folks really surprised us with this one, though: we weren't too keen on the Japanese box art for this, deemed it to be fairly busy in comparison...
Random Player Discovers Hilarious Method To Knock Out Guards In Metal Gear Solid 2
Heads up!
If you're anything like us, then chances are you've been replaying Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty on and off for nearly 25 years. Yet despite this, it seems that new things are still being discovered in Hideo Kojima's 2001 stealth masterpiece. Take those pesky guards, for instance. MGS2 offers up a smorgasbord of options to avoid or...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Duel - Castlevania: Dawn Of Sorrow
BAT!
Welcome back to another edition Box Art Brawl! Last week, we matched up two covers from Capcom's Gargoyle's Quest II: The Demon Darkness and oof, it was a close one! Japan's action-packed cartoony take just about walked away with the win, taking 53% of the vote and leaving Europe and North America's shared design with the remaining 47%. We're...
Every TMNT game on Nintendo consoles, ranked by you
Updated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate. Remember, this is a reader-ranked list based on each game's User Rating in our database, which means it's subject to real-time change, even now. if you've played Wrath of the Mutants, or any other Turtles game below, you can rate it from...
Random Hideo Kojima Highlights The 21st Anniversary Of 'Boktai' On GBA
No sunlight that day, apparently
It's been a whopping 21 years since Boktai: The Sun is in Your Hand launched in Japan on 17th July 2003, and one person commemorating the anniversary is none other than producer and designer Hideo Kojima. Posting on social media, the auteur recalled that it was "raining hard" on the game's release day. This might be...
News Konami's Metal Gear Producer Would Love To Work With Hideo Kojima
"If that could happen, it would be the dream."
The famous Konami series Metal Gear Solid is now being guided by producer Noriaki Okamura, and apparently "the dream" for him would be to work with the original team including industry legend Hideo Kojima. During an official Metal Gear livestream this week, Okamura admitted he's not in the position to...
News Konami Promises To Continue Improving Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1
"We're very sorry that the game wasn't up to standards"
The Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection didn't get off to the best start when it arrived on the Switch last year, but Konami has been slowly improving the overall experience with regular updates. In a new video update, Konami producer Noriaki Okamura has touched this, admitting the team got "a...
Random Sakurai Likens Boss Battles In Nintendo Games To Tutorials
"I think I'd prefer it if I had the freedom to choose how I fight"
In his latest YouTube video, Masahiro Sakurai highlights boss battles in Nintendo games as being similar to tutorials, noting that he prefers games that offer up more strategic freedom. Aptly titled Madatory Strategy and Strategic Balance, the video dives into the difference between...
News Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked Crashes Onto Switch In June
Blast-off
Konami has revealed that Rocket Knight Adventures: Re-Sparked will be launching on Nintendo Switch and other consoles on 11th June 2024. In just over a month's time, Konami's opossum knight will be making his grand return. Re-Sparked is a collection of all three of Sparkster's games — Rocket Knight Adventures, Sparkster: Rocket Knight...
News New Contra: Operation Galuga Update Is Finally Available On Switch, Here Are The Patch Notes
Update: Switch catches up with the other platforms
Update [Wed 1st May, 2024 11:45 BST]: After being released on other platforms last week, Konami and WayForward have revealed that the latest update for Contra: Operation Galuga is now available on Switch too. Notice of the Switch's inclusion was shared by the official Contra Twitter account. You...
Random 25 Years On, Fans Find New Konami Code In Castlevania: Legacy Of Darkness
Where were(wolf) you hiding?
Believe it or not, it has been 25 years since Castlevania: Legacy of Darkness launched on the Nintendo 64. It has been even longer since the iconic Konami Code first appeared in 1986's Gradius. Basically, you would be forgiven for thinking that we have discovered just about everything there is to know relating to both...
News Contra: Operation Galuga Limited Run Classic & Ultimate Edition Revealed, Pre-Orders Live
Update: Pre-orders end soon
Update [Sun 14th Apr, 2024 23:30 BST]: Pre-orders for the Contra: Operation Galuga physical Switch release will close very soon - so this is your last chance to get hold of standalone copies and collector's editions. Original article [Fri 1st Mar, 2024 03:00 GMT]: Back in December last year we heard how Konami and...
News Vampire Survivors Gets Contra Crossover DLC Next Month
A Konami collab? Castlevania when...
Vampire Survivors is getting even more DLC on 9th May, but this one's particularly exciting, as it's teaming up with legendary Konami franchise Contra. In Vampire Survivors: Operation Guns, you'll be rescuing the President’s cousin’s sister’s dog from Red Falcon. Many classic Contra characters (even Brad...
News Konami Celebrates 60 Million Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel Downloads With Free Gems & Card Packs
A "limited-time" offer for the F2P title
Konami's free-to-play title Yu-Gi-Oh! Master Duel has reached another milestone, with over 60 million downloads since its arrival on the Switch eShop and multiple other platforms in 2022. To celebrate this latest achievement, Konami will be offering 1,000 free Gems to players who log into the title before...