Latest Soapbox
October2024
Opinion Hyrule Really Needs To Take A Look At Its Prison System
In the c(Link)
My first hour in The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom left me with a single, unshakeable thought: God, Hyrule's prisons are terrible. Yes, I was besotted with how traditional the whole thing felt and still somewhat in shock that I had a brand new Zelda game in my hands a mere 18 months after its predecessor. But all that went out of...
Opinion I Didn't Realise How Much I'd Missed 'Traditional' Zelda Dungeons
(Boss) Key to my heart
Last year, hot off the back of Tears of the Kingdom, I wrote a piece expressing my love for Zelda's 'Modern' dungeons. These puzzle-centric areas had been a little hit or miss, sure, but I found that there was a lot to like in each once I got past the general terminal-activation-ness of it all. I thought I was over Zelda's...
September2024
Soapbox Splatoon 3's 'Grand Festival' Was The Perfect Goodbye
Please wrap it up
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim's reliving Splatoon 3's epic climax... I was a latecomer to the Splatoon series. If you had asked me three years ago what my favourite Turf War stage is, the 45 minutes I had...
$699 is the new $599
Recently, we asked you if $499 would be too much to pay for a 'Switch 2'. 20% of respondees said 'nope', nearly 30% thought it would be too much, and the majority (rather sensibly) said that it would depend on how big of an upgrade Nintendo's next generation of hardware represented. Yesterday Sony pulled back the curtain on the...
Soapbox Switch Really Needs Third-Party Profile Icons - Here Are Our Top Picks
Icon-ic
We're not sure about you, but we've always loved tinkering with online avatars or profile icons. Whether it be a basic JPEG on an online forum, or a fully customised image on the Switch, PlayStation, or Xbox, profile icons are a wonderful way of expressing who you are and what kind of games you love to play. The Switch has been...
Soapbox The Next Pokémon Game Should Rework Old Critters, Not Just Add Dozens More
Gotta not forget 'em all
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Lowell considers how future Pokémon games could do justice to old Pocket Monsters who got lumped in with the also-rans... We’re still a little far out from Pokémon...
August2024
Soapbox The Trauma Of Giygas & Growing Up In EarthBound
EarthBound turns "adults into kids, and kids into adults"
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nile celebrates the innocence of youth, the pain of growing up, and the magic of a cult classic SNES RPG, which celebrates its 30th...
July2024
Soapbox Why I Love A Good Map, And That Time I Mapped Yoshi's Melons For Nintendo Power
Worth a thousand words
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nathan goes mapping the pixels... What is your greatest video game pet peeve? That one thing that, when present, ruins your experience, no matter how good the game is...
Soapbox 20 Years After His Last Mainline Appearance, Tingle Deserves A Comeback
Yes, TWENTY years
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is manifesting a comeback for Zelda's most iconic NPC... If you have made it past the headline, chances are you fall into one of the following camps. One: You believe that...
Soapbox New Roots - How Pikmin 4 Made My Move Abroad Bloom
Pik up your life
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on Pikmin 4's first anniversary, Alana thinks the half-plant, half-animal creatures known as Pikmin helped her move across the globe... I define many of the biggest moments in my...
Soapbox Metroid’s Mother Brain And The Rewind Dilemma
Mother pain
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nile deliberates whether or not the time has come to push the (rewind) button... Last month, Nintendo announced it was adding Metroid: Zero Mission to the Nintendo Switch Online...
Soapbox Has Nintendo Set A Precedent That 'Switch 2' Can't Hope To Match?
The highest of bars
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Gavin ponders what 'success' looks like for systems with impossibly popular predecessors... Looking back at Nintendo's home console hardware sales over the past four decades,...
Soapbox How Does Your Personality Affect Your Gaming?
Personality, passion, profession, play
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Nathan considers how his analytical mind and love of data influence his recreation time... I’m the oldest of four brothers. Over the past four years...
June2024
Soapbox 'Switch 2' Is Nintendo's Chance To Adopt The PC Feature It's Desperate To Take For A Spin
No need to reinvent the wheel
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Francisco considers a little Joy-Con addition that could help set the upcoming "Switch successor" apart... Nintendo can’t resist an enticing hardware innovation...
Soapbox Marvel Vs. Capcom Was The Unsung Hero Of The June Nintendo Direct
To me, my X-Men
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim shines a light on an already dazzling Direct drop... It took me a few hours to come down after the June Nintendo Direct. The showcase was stacked. In the moment, it felt like...
Soapbox Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Won't Be The Franchise's 'BOTW Moment', And That's Okay
Keeping expectations in check
When Nintendo closed out its latest Direct presentation with the full reveal of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, the world briefly got a little bit louder as fans celebrated the glorious return of one of the company’s most revered franchises. Finally, after its initial announcement back in 2017, Prime 4 is scheduled to launch...
Soapbox Game Boy Tetris' True Genius Was Teaching A Generation How To Play Video Games
Building gaming literacy one tetromino at a time
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Tim thinks back on 35 years of Tetris on the Game Boy and considers how it taught a generation — multiple generations, in fact — how to play...
Soapbox Nintendo Needs More Characters Like Paper Mario's Vivian
Viva la Vivian!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, it's time to celebrate Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door's Vivian, and Alana does it with Pride. Nintendo’s track record with LGBTQIA+ characters has been… mixed, to say the...
May2024
Soapbox The Erdrick Trilogy Is The Right 'Dragon Quest' For The HD-2D Treatment
Rumblings of an Elusive Age
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. And with Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake — or whatever it's meant to be now — finally re-emerging after three years, Alana's here to make a case as to why this is the RPG...
Soapbox After Restarting My Save File, I Finally 'Get' Hollow Knight
*sigh* Bapanada
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is finally seeing the Hollow light... Last year, I decided to take a break from Tears of the Kingdom and pick up a fun-looking, rarely discussed indie which was subject to a...
Soapbox Fire Emblem’s Future May Not Be In Turn-Based Combat
Fire Emblem’s fates
How would you feel if the next mainline Fire Emblem game was exclusively a social sim? While a change this drastic is almost certainly not in the cards, the identity crisis currently faced by Fire Emblem means that change must come. While Engage’s 1.61 million sales as of March 2023 is respectable for the franchise, it marks...
Soapbox Paper Mario's Ms. Mowz Taught Me How To Appreciate (And Steal) The Little Things
THIEF
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate discusses one of Mario's criminal — and criminally underrated — pals... Sometimes I suspect that, in another life before this one, I was a thief. In this life, I'm a relatively...
Soapbox Square Enix's "Extraordinary Losses" And This Whole Xbox Mess Have Me Scared For The Future
Who wants to be a gillionaire?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana fears for Square Enix's smaller-budget titles and is worried about the rest of the industry as a result. What on earth is going on with Square Enix? I asked...
Soapbox Are We Ready For A 3D Super Mario Maker?
Super Mario Maker 3(D)
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kevin wonders if Nintendo is ready to bring another dimension to its Maker series... If you can believe it, Super Mario Maker was released for the Wii U nearly nine years...
Soapbox 'Revenge Of The Sith' On DS Is Still Top-Tier Star Wars Gaming
Heart Palpatinetions
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim celebrates Revenge of the Fifth with a DS throwback... You felt it, didn't you? A disturbance in the Force. Over on Coruscant, Darth Sidious has called for the execution...
Soapbox During A Mental Health Crisis, It Wasn't Cosy Games That Helped
Get me behind the wheel
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and we'll be running several features focused on how video games of all types have helped us through periods when we were struggling with our mental health. Today, Richard shares how racing games helped restore him during a difficult period... I tense up whenever I take a corner in...
April2024
Soapbox 20 Years On, Pikmin 2's Waterwraith Remains Nintendo's Scariest Moment
H2Oh no
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is reliving a childhood trauma to mark Pikmin 2's 20th anniversary... To the casual observer, Pikmin must seem like a pretty relaxed experience. Everything is colourful. The characters...
Soapbox Where The Heck Is Fallout 3 On Switch?
Searching the Capital Wasteland
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, while flicking through Amazon Prime TV, a question popped into Ollie's head... "War. War never changes." If this quote sounds familiar to you, then chances are you...
Soapbox I Flew 3,000 Miles To Get My Arse Handed To Me In Mario Party
Or, how a game about betrayal brought me closer to my friends
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate reminisces about a memorable trip... to Loser Town! I can't believe I've been allowed to use the word "arse" in a title. I feel...
Soapbox I Thought I'd Clear My Backlog In 2024, But The Switch Had Other Ideas
Back(log) pain
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is finding 2024 to be a little more stacked than he expected... 2023 was a wild ride on Switch. In any given year, the likes of Fire Emblem Engage, Pikmin 4, Outer Wilds, Ghost...
Soapbox Vanillaware's Most Underrated Game Is More Than Just A Pretty Picture
Deserving of a Rebirth
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana is talking about a Vanillaware oldie — Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a Wii title that is celebrating its 15th anniversary. And, in the wake of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn...
Soapbox The Pokémon European International Championships Made Me Fall In Love With TCG
I choose you!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim lays his cards on the table after visiting the Pokémon European International Championships... Head into my brain. Take a left at 'Obscure Zelda Knowledge,' go past the door...
Soapbox The Games Industry Needs To Give Up On Exclamation Marks!
Let me exclaim
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim makes a punctuation point... Hey! Hey, you! Yes, you! Do you like games? Do you like talking about games? Of course you do! And yet, in all your time talking about games, you...
March2024
Soapbox 30 Years Later, Super Metroid's Foreboding Atmosphere Is Still Unmatched
Zeb-easily the best
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate Super Metroid's 30th anniversary, Ollie sings the praises of the game's enduring foreboding atmosphere... The Metroid series is perhaps best known for its...
Soapbox As Splatoon's Online Wraps Up Nearly 9 Years On, How Does It Compare To Splatoon 3?
Dye hard
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, as its online days draw to a close, Nile bids farewell to Splatoon on Wii U, a shining proof of concept... On 8th April 2024, Nintendo will be
Soapbox It's Time For Mario's Weird Minigames To Make A Comeback
The Mansion always wins
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim's after some more bitesize Mario weirdness, which he got his fix of on the DS... Super Mario Bros. Wonder was great. It had elephants, it had sweet little blobs of...
Soapbox Help! I Can't Stop Playing Card Games On Switch
Deal me in
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is laying all his cards on the table... It's early March and I am already filled with embarrassment at the thought of my 2024 Nintendo Year in Review. Last year's results were to be...
February2024
Soapbox With Switch Online, It's The Perfect Time To Bring Back These Wii U Gems
An absolute NES-cessity
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ethan looks back on a pair of Wii U games — and a 3DS sibling — which could help curious gamers navigate the Switch Online retro library if they were given a second...
Soapbox I Hated Metroid: Zero Mission At First, Until I Loved It
We all make mistakes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate Metroid: Zero Mission's 20th anniversary on 9th February 2024, Ollie looks back on his initial experience with the game, and why first impressions can't always be...
Soapbox An Ode To Marble Garden, Sonic The Hedgehog 3's Best Zone
Yasuhara's David
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog 3, Ollie sings the praises of the game's third zone, Marble Garden... I used to own a Sega Mega Drive when I was younger...
January2024
Soapbox Tricks Of The Trade-In - Chronicles Of An Ex-GAME Employee
Skylanders, disc burns, and lethal charity boxes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie reflects on just some of the eventful episodes from his days working in video game retail... When news hit that GAME, the UK’s last...
Soapbox After Years Of Lengthy RPG Tutorials, Golden Sun Feels Fresher Than Ever
You could say it's an Adept
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana reflects on playing Golden Sun in 2024, and how it allows players to figure things out for themselves rather than relying on tutorials. Warning — minor early game...
Soapbox Game Freak Could Actually Learn A Thing Or Two From Palworld
No, Pikachu doesn’t need an assault rifle
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Lowell locks and loads up the Pokémon-inspired game that's been the talk of the town since it launched on Steam and Xbox Game Pass last week... You...
Soapbox As A 'Slay The Spire' Addict, I Can't Believe I Almost Missed This 2023 Gem
Houston, we have a new obsession
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate looks back on a 2023 game from Rocket Rat that very nearly slipped through our net... Hey, you. If I've pitched this title correctly, you're here because,...
Soapbox The 'Recharged' Series Proves Atari Is No Longer A Spent Force
A look at Atari's lineup of neo-retro revivals
Before there was Nintendo, there was Atari. Once the dominant player in the gaming industry, its story is one of a dramatic rise and fall. For years, Atari had done little more than sell licensed T-shirts and low-quality plug-and-play consoles. But since coming under new management in 2021, Atari looks...
Soapbox "Go Outside, Get Some Fresh Air" - Why Won't Outmoded Gamer Stereotypes Die?
Step away from the stereotype
For anybody who plays video games on a regular basis, it's long been a joke that when the mainstream media discusses gaming in any capacity, they'll inevitably bring up how games are surprisingly popular, how it's not just socially-challenged dweebs in their bedrooms anymore, and how video games are big business. Did...
Soapbox FOMO Nearly Ruined Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom For Me
Too much background noise?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie looks back on how Tears of the Kingdom's launch hype on social media may have affected his own enjoyment of the game... On May 12th, 2023, I, like countless other...
Soapbox Red Dead Redemption Ignited My Enduring Love Of The Old West
"We die alone, but we live among men"
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ollie describes how Rockstar Games' seminal Western influenced his love for the American Frontier... Growing up, I knew what kind of genres I was interested...
December2023
Soapbox Charles Martinet Made Gaming's Greatest Accident A Real Character
Star power
[video: Ryan met Charles. Good times! Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Gavin reflects on how Charles Martinet helped craft a character that, somehow, isn't the most irritating stereotype imaginable... How many times...
Soapbox These Everyday Items Trigger Me Now, And I Blame Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom
Tears of life
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Evan explores the life-ruining properties of TOTK... It happened in Yellowstone National Park. Removed from society, cruelly separated from cell phone service, I’d embarked,...
Soapbox Fortnite On Switch Is Five Years Old, And I Have No Idea What It Is Anymore
Was that Ariana Grande shooting Spider-Man?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim returns to Fortnite to celebrate the Switch port's fifth anniversary, and he's not sure what he's dropped into... When Fortnite first made the jump...
Soapbox Switch Is Only A Classic Or Two From Being The Perfect PlayStation History Lesson
No Vita necessary
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ethan ruminates on how, over time, Switch has become an excellent teaching tool for Sony neophytes... Here’s a truth diehard proponents of the console wars won’t readily...
Soapbox How Zelda's Bad Economy Made Weapon Degradation Great Again
Inflation can be fixed with rotting swords!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate examines how Nintendo learned economic lessons from past Zelda games in Tears of the Kingdom... Much like me, Hyrule has always been bad with...
Soapbox Stardew Valley Was Surprisingly Good Prep For Living With My Partner IRL
Sow long, distance
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kevin remembers how Stardew Valley kept the spark alive and prepped him for living with his partner... Relationships can be hard. And when you add in long distance, that...
Soapbox A Love Letter To My Favourite New Character In Zelda: TOTK
You have my full support
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim wants to spread the love for a certain Hylian in need of support... Before getting my hands on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the first time, I had a...
Soapbox It's Time For A Zelda 1 Remake, Please
Or a 'temporal localisation', if you like
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, as TOTK anticipation increases to dangerous levels, Gavin explores why it's time for Nintendo to go back to a very specific well... Look, I'm all for...
Soapbox Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Straight Up Fails In Just One Respect: Accessibility
In 2023, we should expect better from Nintendo
The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has been a critical and commercial success, garnering glowing reviews across the board (including from this her
Soapbox 15 Years Ago, The Action Replay Ruined Pokémon For Me
Infinite Master Balls. Maxed out stats. Walking through walls.
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Ethan remembers a time when he flew too close to the sun... This is the power fantasy eight-year-old me dreamed of when I slotted an...
Soapbox Why I Love Deepnest, Hollow Knight's Most Divisive Area
Deeply in love
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana thinks back on a divisive part of a beloved game as she peers into the middle distance, rocking back and forth, mumbling 'Silksong, Silksong, Silkso—'... I'm a pretty...
Soapbox Cassette Beasts Is The Monster-Catching RPG For A Disillusioned Pokémon Fan
"We’re all in the same ship..."
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, in a year where Pokémon has let her down, another monster-catching game was there for Alana. Beware of story spoilers if you haven't played the game yet...
Soapbox Why Aren't There More Books About Games?
Seeking the novels of tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Michelle reads an incredible novel about games, and argues that books and games should get on the same page... Two kids pore over Super...
Soapbox 1080° Snowboarding Is The Coolest Nintendo Ever Got
Work your body, w-work your body
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on its 25th birthday, Gavin recalls an atypical Nintendo first-party game where the only goofy thing is your stance choice in the lodge at the start... Tuesday...
Soapbox I Scoffed At Switch Lite, Then I Backpacked Through South East Asia
Travelling Lite
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Rory details how Nintendo's smallest Switch finally won him over... “Yes sir, it’s definitely a sleeper train. Don’t worry.” The lady at the ticket office chuckled to...
Soapbox It Feels Like Everyone Forgot The Best Switch RPG Of The Year
Eight's not a crowd
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana is talking about her favourite RPG of 2023, one that everyone seems to have completely forgotten about... Eight travellers. Eight stories. These eight adventurers’...
Soapbox In 2023, Mario Got Weird Again
The Year of Mario?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Richard looks back on a year when Nintendo let Mario get a little loose... If 2013 was the Year of Luigi, 2023 may as well have been the Year of Mario. Though only three new...
Soapbox Kieran’s Hatred Of You In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's DLC Almost Makes It Good
Fumbled PokéBalls
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Lowell laments the Scarvi DLC, but finds a diamond in its rough. The following article contains story spoilers for The Teal Mask and The Indigo Disk... Pokémon stories suck...
Soapbox Chants Of Sennaar Is The GOTY Candidate That Nobody Is Talking About
Strange, for a game all about language...
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim sings (or should that be 'chants'?) the praises of one of his GOTY picks... Let me make something clear right from the jump: Chants of Sennaar is a...
Soapbox Mega Man X's Tutorial Is The Perfect Intro To Capcom's Sublime Sub-Series
Wall-to-wall perfection
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the launch of Mega Man X in Japan, Ollie dives into what makes its introductory stage so darn good... The original Mega Man series is...
Soapbox If You're Not Playing LEGO Fortnite, You're Missing One Of The Best Survival Games
One of this year's biggest surprises
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Kate delves into a new addition to a f2p indie minnow called 'Fortnite' that turns out to be one of 2023's best surprises... I've been playing Fortnite for the...
Soapbox Donkey Konga Introduced Me To One Of My Favourite Songs Ever
A mighty impression
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Donkey Konga in Japan, Ollie recounts how the game introduced him to a song that remains one of his all-time favourites... I used to love...
Soapbox This Year, The Game Awards Failed The Industry
Please Wrap It Up
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Zion speaks about his feelings after attending The Game Awards 2023, and why the show needs to do better at celebrating game developers. When you first hear the name of the...
Soapbox 20 Years Later, Why Do We Still Not Have A New Sonic Battle?
Bare Knuckles
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on the 20th anniversary of Sonic's last fighting game, Paul looks back and wonders why Sonic hasn't in two decades... In the early- to mid-2000s, Nintendo handhelds were home to many...
Soapbox Zelda II: The Adventure Of Link Taught Me The Value Of Perseverance
And save states
Originally published back in February 2021 as part of our Legend of Zelda 35th anniversary celebration series, we're republishing this feature in honour of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link's 35th birthday (in North America — in Japan it launched in January 1987 on Famicom Disk System). Here, Gavin looks back at the first sequel in...
November2023
Soapbox Ocarina Of Time's Deku Tree Dungeon Is Still My All-Time Top Gaming Moment
Oh my Gohma
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. In this final feature, we're closing with an opener as Jim explains why the game's first...
Soapbox Ganondorf's Villainous Intro In Ocarina Of Time Is One Of Gaming's Best
Less is more
November 21st, 2023 marked the 25th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time's Japanese launch. To celebrate this historic Hyrulean occasion, we're running articles throughout the week dedicated to the game, our memories, and its legacy. Today, Ollie recalls how Ganondorf's mysterious introduction is one of the very best in...
