Tag: Talking Point
Talking Point After A September No-Show, Will There Be An October Nintendo Direct?
No Nintendo 'nnouncements?
We're now one full week into October following the first September since 2016 without a really big Nintendo Direct. Looking back at our Nintendo Direct broadcast history guide, it's all there in black and white (well, red and white). 2020's Direct might have been a Super Mario-focused job themed around that series' 35th...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (5th October)
Is there an echo in here? in here..? in here......?
Well folks, another week and come and (almost) gone, and it's been another fun-filled one in the world of Nintendo. First up, our preview for Super Mario Party Jamboree went live and we think it's looking absolutely fabulous so far. We also got a look at a rather fetching
Talking Point How Would You Fix Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom's Most Frustrating Feature?
Natural selection
We've been playing The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom pretty consistently over the past week and it's safe to say we're really rather fond of it. Sure, the frame rate could be improved (not that it bothers everybody) and the lock-on can be a little fiddly, but overall it's a jolly good time and a fine return for top-down Zelda...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (28th September)
The wise choice
Apparently there's a new Zelda game in town, so welcome, once again, to a rather predictable edition of What Are You Playing. Before we dive into our wide range of weekend gaming plans, let's quickly recap what went down in the world of Nintendo this week. The Level-5 Vision Showcase brought us a new trailer for Professor Layton and...
Talking Point So Then, Is This 'Switch 2' Leak Legit?
Is the Switch-ing hour upon us?
With all the rumours and speculation about Nintendo's next hardware over the last few weeks (who are we kidding — last few years), the recent 'leak' of prototype pictures has piqued the interest of even the most level-headed Nintendo fans. The images show renders and what appear to be prototype casings for the main...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (21st September)
Cap it off
Well folks, the weekend is here and it's capping off (heh) a pretty interesting week in the world of Nintendo. For starters, it's been a big one for the upcoming Switch successor. Many folks online thought that this would be 'the' week that Nintendo would finally reveal the new console, but alas, it wasn't to be. Instead, we got a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (14th September)
You're going to take ME for a ride?
It's finally the weekend, and we're ready to chill out with a spot of gaming. Before we get into our plans, however, let's take a look at what happened in the world of Nintendo this week. It was a big one for PlayStation news, weirdly, as we speculated on 'Switch 2' pricing after Sony revealed the £700 PS5 Pro...
Talking Point What Game Should Be 'Switch 2's 'Skyrim Moment'?
Margit of error
There were several moments in Nintendo's pre-launch Switch marketing that left us a little lost for words: the hybrid form factor, our first look at Breath of the Wild, the way that one guy went to "walk his dog" but spent the entire time sat on a bench. The reveal that Skyrim would be coming to the iddy biddy console was another...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (7th September)
We got crystals to find, mate
It's the weekend once again, so it's time to wash off the stresses of the work week and relax with a bit of gaming. But before we settle in, let's recap some of the bigger stories from this week. First up, it was a big week for 'Switch 2' rumours, with not one, but two making the rounds. The first was that the console...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (31st August)
'Vania mania
And just like that, we're at the end of August! A big month of releases is on the horizon, so let's see how everyone is preparing with another edition of What Are You Playing? It has been a cracking week in the world of Nintendo as we got a double bill of Direct news in the shape of an Indie World and Partner Showcase. While not quite...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (24th August)
All the water
Right, the weekend is here again, which means it's time to see what we're all going to be playing over the next couple of days. Before we do so, however, let's recap some of this week's more interesting goings on the in the world of Nintendo. First off, Nintendo held a new Direct broadcast, but perhaps not the one that many would...
Talking Point Would $499 Be Too Much For 'Switch 2'?
Money where your Meowth is
We know that the 'Switch 2' is real. We know an announcement is coming this fiscal year. We know "Switch successor" is the most accurate description of it. All of the other big details — what form it will take, how big it will be, whether it will finally give us that flipping Wind Waker port — are all up to speculation...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (17th August)
Lucky, lucky star
Wheeeeey, the weekend's here again, which means it's time to pop on our most comfortable slippers and get some gaming done. Looking back on this week, the most interesting piece of news (well, "interesting" in an oh-god-when-will-it-end kind of way) was that the 'Switch 2' likely won't be launching until after the current fiscal...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (10th August)
We're DOOM'd
Well folks, another week has come and gone, which means it's time to reveal what we're all going to be playing this weekend. Before we do, however, let's see what's been going on this week. First up, Monolith Soft is recruiting for what it simply describes as a "new RPG"; chances are it'll probably be a new Xenoblade title for...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (3rd August)
It's the weekend, thank goodness!
Good grief, is that August already? The passage of time may have left us spooked, but the promise of a more densely-packed Switch release schedule in the months to come is exciting! Anyway, back to this week. We saw a rather dry Nintendo financial report with declining year-on-year software and hardware sales after...
Poll Which Is Your Favourite Nintendo Game Cartridge Design?
Works of cart
We love video games in whatever form they're delivered. Give us a disc or a stick or a digital download - if the game's a good'un, we'll be happy whatever the format. However, around these parts, we're undeniably partial to the heft and clunk of a good old cartridge. Perhaps it's because we're gamers of, ahem, a certain vintage who...
Talking Point Will The Switch Ever Get A 'Nintendo Selects' Range?
Discounted delights
Before the June Direct came along, we were starting to think that 2024 would be the year of remakes and remasters on Switch. We had Another Code: Recollection, Mario vs. Donkey Kong, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Luigi's Mansion 2 HD already banked and that
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th July)
What a horrible night to have a curse
It's been a pretty quiet few days in the world of Nintendo, but as we're all gearing up for a another weekend of gaming, let's take a peek at some of the highlights of the week. First up, there's a new Nintendo Lego set incoming! Hooray! This one looks spectacular and is essentially a replica of the Mario &...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th July)
What are Yooka playing?
It's time to check out everyone's gaming plans as we dive into another edition What Are You Playing! This week in the world of Nintendo, we got the announcement of a suspicious new Joy-Con charging stand, we finally found out who Emio is (he's the start of the new
Talking Point Could Ganondorf Ever Be The Star Of A Zelda Game?
Gerudo or Gerudon't?
After decades of patiently explaining to elderly relatives, "No, Zelda is the princess", 2024 is going to be the year that Grandma is finally right. The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom is boldly going where no mainline series entry has gone before by putting the titular princess in the driver's seat. How shocking! How bold!...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th July)
Unbullievabull!
Can you believe we're basically in the middle of July already? Madness... Well anyway, days of the year be damned, it's time to play some games. It's been a relatively quiet one this week, arguably boosted by the strange and ominous 'Emio' trailer posted by Nintendo, indicating that the company may be dipping its toes back into the...
Talking Point The Switch eShop Could Be Great With These Few Tweaks
Get with the times
If you head onto the Switch eShop now, chances are you probably won’t have a good time. Unless you go into it knowing what you want to buy ahead of time, the significant slowdown and copious shovelware making up the majority of the ‘Recent Releases’ section will likely be enough to scare you off long before you discover...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th July)
To hell with it
The working week is over and it's time to settle in for the weekend. Welcome back to another edition of What Are You Playing! What's been going on in the world of Nintendo recently, then? Well, we got a boatload of NSO drops as Nintendo served up a whopping seven additions to the NES library including Donkey Kong Jr. Math, Urban...
Talking Point What Games Are You Nervous To Replay In Case They Don't Hold Up?
Past masters
We often use the word 'evergreen' to describe a game which never gets old. Despite the passage of time, there's a stratum of untouchables that still feel as vital in the hands as the day they were released. Personal preferences and nostalgia will always, always come into play, but games like Super Mario Bros. 3 or Super Mario World?...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (29th June)
M-M-M-Maaaaarioooooo
Right then folks, the weekend's here, which means it's time to shake off the stress accumulated by the working week and settle down for some sweet gaming. In the world of Nintendo, this week saw the launch of Luigi's Mansion 2 HD for the Switch; a game that has undoubtedly caused a bit of controversy surrounding its price...
Talking Point Is Shovel Knight Now A Retro Gaming Icon?
Let's dig in
Shovel Knight is the very definition of an indie darling. Bursting onto the scene in 2014, Yacht Club Games’ slick, throwback platformer caught the imagination of gamers both old and new. Its stunning aesthetic, tight controls, and humorous writing made it a must-play, while its ample secrets, tough but never punishing difficulty, and...
Talking Point Could Another Nintendo Series Take Over The 'Traditional' Zelda Template?
The next Link in the chain
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 the two-forks Zelda conundrum and wonders if another Nintendo series might take on the old-school Zelda mantle... Perhaps the most surprising...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (22nd June)
Getting primed
Summer's here, everyone! Except if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case, Winter's here, everyone! After a quiet month or so, it's been a busy week in Nintendo land thanks to the June Direct which delivered above and beyond what many of us expected to see three months into Switch's eighth year, with its successor waiting...
Reaction A Direct That Delivered, And Shows That Switch Still Has Plenty Of Pep
How would you rate it?
Well, well, that was a packed one, wasn't it? We've gotta be honest, expectations were sensibly low around these parts. For every wild card dream we had of a new Mario & Luigi or that 2D Zelda we've been hoping Grezzo would make as a follow-up to Link's Awakening, there was a wise voice in our ear warning us to be...
Talking Point What We Expect From The Upcoming June Nintendo Direct
Update: It's coming tomorrow!
Update: Well, there it is! The June 2024 Nintendo Direct has finally been confirmed for Tuesday 18th June. Read on to find out what Team NL expects/hopes to see, now with Alana's thoughts added thanks to her return from Summer Game Fest... <related ids="160754"> In a rather unusual move for Nintendo, company...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th June)
Praise the sun
It's the weekend once again folks, which means it's time to shake off the stress and responsibilities of the week and wind down with a bit of gaming. Bliss. Before we get cracking with what we're playing, however, let's just recap some of the top stories of the week, hm? First up, Summer Game Fest was a whole thing, and you can check...
Talking Point Is Summer Game Fest Really Missing Nintendo's Presence?
Nontendo
Let me get this out of the way – being at Summer Game Fest was amazing. The people were amazing. The variety of games, both big and small, were amazing. I was lucky enough to go to E3 twice back when I wrote for a different site, and I would take the laid-back vibes, the layout, and the ability to socialise at my own pace any day of the...
Talking Point amiibo Were First Revealed 10 Years Ago Today, And We Still Want More
Will they continue with 'Switch 2'?
10th June 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the reveal of Nintendo's toys-to-life line of figures at E3 2014. A stop-gap project for Nintendo to fill a void between the foundering Wii U and the company's next 'NX' hardware, it's hard to argue that the interactive potential of these little Near-Field...
Talking Point HD-2D Or 3D - How Should Square Enix Remake Chrono Trigger?
2D or not 2D
Chrono Trigger is still missing in action on Nintendo Switch. Suspiciously so, really. But people said the same thing about Super Mario RPG, and then bam: Nintendo dropped a remake on us. Fans have been asking for a Chrono Trigger remake for decades at this point, so now more than ever, with so many other revivals from Square like...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (8th June)
Wake up, Link
The weekend is finally upon us and it's time to play some games! There has been plenty to talk about this week in the world of Nintendo. Yet more 'Switch 2' rumours trickled in with a fresh batch of supposed codenames, Playtonic announced Yooka-Replaylee (maybe our favourite title of the year, so far) and
Talking Point Would You Want Quality And Performance Options For Nintendo's 'Switch 2' Games?
Smooth operator
Since the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One launched in 2013, gamers have increasingly been given the option to tweak their experiences based on whether they prefer higher image quality or smoother performance. Not all developers offer this, but now that we're more than three-and-a-half years into the lifespan of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox...
Talking Point How Do You Define 'Retro'?
10 years? 20? Anything older than two console generations?
If you're reading this, you're getting older. Right now, at this moment, you're older than you were when you started reading this sentence. And this one. No, you can't go back and read it again to get younger. Time marches on, so thank you for spending your precious seconds on this silly...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st June)
What are YoRHa doing?
Crikey, it's the weekend already..? Ah well, we'll take it! Looking back on this week, it's kinda felt like a bit of a quieter one, but we've still had some pretty sizeable news items drop. The top story this week was undoubtedly the reveal of the new Lego set based on the Legend of Zelda franchise's Deku Tree; it's an...
Poll Is $60 Too Much For Nintendo's Switch Re-Releases?
Remaking money
As Nintendo's internal software focus has switched to games for its as-yet-unannounced hardware, we've been enjoying a wave of lower-key ports, remakes, and remasters over the last year or so, in addition to the tentpole TOTKs and Mario Wonders of the world. The sun may be slowly setting on Switch, but quality revisits such as Metroid...
Talking Point What Other LEGO Zelda Sets Would You Like To See After The Deku Tree?
The seal is broken
The long-rumoured LEGO Zelda set has finally, officially been unveiled and, despite the cost of the adult-focused set causing many a Zelda fan to spit-take their Lon Lon Milk across the room, the 2-in-1 Great Deku Tree looks like a beauty. Of course, it absolutely should do for 300 bucks, but looking at the myriad details crammed...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th May)
Are you well?
Wait, it's Saturday already? Where does the time go? This week has been an exciting one for fans of the Big N. Not only did Nintendo announce the acquisition of Shiver Entertainment, but we finally got our hands on Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door on Switch (and we think it's a beauty)! Elsewhere on the site this week, we
Talking Point 'Remake' Vs. 'Remaster' - What's Your Definition?
Super 'master 'maker
With official word that a Nintendo Switch "successor" will be announced before April 2025, there's really no debating that Switch is in the twilight of its years. We're well into Year 8 now, and we're being served up a series of remakes and remasters of old favourites while Nintendo's premier teams focus on brand-new games for...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (18th May)
Well, well well
Oh, weekend! How we have missed thee! The past seven days might not have been the Switch successor-confirming news fest that we saw last week, but there has still been plenty of good stuff happening in Nintendo land. The NSO Game Boy library got a tasty boost with the addition of three new games, we got a first peek at Splatoon 3's
Talking Point Which Games Were Just The Perfect Length?
And which outstayed their welcome?
We've all watched films that could have stood to lose 30 minutes from their runtime. That whole last act of Bad Boys II? Should've been left on the cutting room floor, mate. It's the same with many a game. Alien: Isolation is fantastic, but how much better might it have been with a little tightening, to remove some...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (11th May)
Down in the well
Ah, the weekend. We've missed you, friend. Before we look at what we've got planned over the next couple of days, let's take a look back at this week, shall we? It's been a pretty big one, admittedly. For the first time, Nintendo itself has finally acknowledged the existence of the 'Switch 2' after the release of its latest...
Talking Point Will Nintendo Wring One More Holiday From Switch Before Revealing New Hardware?
The clock is ticking
Today, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa started a stopwatch that puts an official deadline on the reveal of the Switch successor — he says it's coming "this fiscal year," which means FY2025, which means between now and April 2025. It's important to remember that this specifically refers to the reveal of the upcoming...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (4th May)
May the Fourth be with you
Hello there. Happy Star Wars Day, folks! With a glass of blue milk in hand, let's kick off the weekend's celebrations with another edition of What Are You Playing. This week in the world of Nintendo, we heard yet more 'Switch 2' rumours and asked whether you'd like to see your Joy-Con carry over to the next model. We also...
Talking Point Would You Want To Reuse Your Joy-Con On 'Switch 2'?
Pros and 'Cons
Last week the Switch 2 beacons were lit once again as Spanish outlet Vandal reported to have more information regarding Nintendo's next hardware, specifically to do with a new, magnetic Joy-Con model. Another report just d
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (27th April)
Jump up, Superstar Saga
Another week is almost over, which means it's once again time to kick back, relax, and play some games. Before we do, however, let's just do a quick recap of some of the stories from this week. First up, Nintendo expanded the NSO service with two N64 games, which is always welcome in our book. We also got our first proper...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (20th April)
Totally rad(s)!
The weekend has rolled around once again and we are eager to play some games! Before we do that, however, let's take a look back at the week just gone. The big news this week was Nintendo's first Indie World of the year which didn't bring us that game but did provide plenty of goodies including Little Kitty, Big City, Teenage Mutant...
