Latest Features - Page 5
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects & Readers' Choice (November 2024)
Our picks for the best eShop games in November
What do you do on the 1st of December? Put up the Christmas tree? Open the first door of your Advent Calendar? Or have a browse at the most recent eShop Selects? Of course, it's the latter! We're looking back at November before we hit the holidays, and while those in North America may be recovering...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate (3DS)
Hunting on the go
We are back with another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, it was a one-on-one match-up for the GBA's Kirby: Nightmare in Dream Land and after a few weeks of close calls, we had a pretty definitive winner in this one. It was the darker European and North American variant that walked away with a comfortable win, taking 64% of...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th November)
Monkeying around
The weekend is here, which means it's time to relax and dive into a few games after what has no doubt been another busy, busy week. Before we do, however, let's recap some of the week's biggest stories. First up, it was revealed that Tencent would be bringing an end to online services for the Nintendo Switch in China in 2026. Just...
Guide 133 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Cyber Deals' Switch eShop Sale (North America)
Every game we scored 9/10 or higher
The Black Friday sales are here. The European eShop got its wave of tasty discounts last week and now it's North America's turn. The 'Cyber Deals' eShop sale is now live, with a boatload of titles getting a price cut until 2nd December at 11
Feature 9 Things Nintendo Could Add To Switch 2 So It's Not 'Just Another Switch'
The same but different
So here we all are, waiting. For all the rumours — all the supposed prototype casings and talk of electromagnets and back buttons — the only things we can say for certain about 'Switch 2' are that it'll be revealed sometime in the next 123 days (before the end of the fiscal year on 31st March 2025) and that
Opinion Raise A Glass To The Nintendo DS' Peculiar Peripherals
Let there be cartridge
I've been noodling with my old DS in the last week. Whether it was to celebrate its 20th anniversary, reaffirm it as my favourite system of all time, or simply help me forget that it has been two decades since I first played Nintendogs, I can't be sure. But what I do know, is that I've been having a blast. Naturally, I went...
Talking Point Where The Heck Are Those Metroid Prime 2 And 3 Remasters?
We're wait-Ing
So... where is it? When Metroid Prime Remastered launched on 9th February 2023, we were utterly convinced that its sequels, Prime 2: Echoes and Prime 3: Corruption, would follow suit sometime after. Now that 2025 is fast approaching, our certainty has waned, yet we remain confident that Nintendo will complete the saga on Switch...
Book Review An Unendorsed Anthology Of Club Nintendo - A Terrific Tribute Tome
Join the club
The My Nintendo loyalty program is pretty good, right? If you head on over to the rewards section of the service right now, you’ll find a host of interesting goodies to claim should you possess the required number of coins. These include a Nintendo Switch Online 2025 Calendar, a set of
"Cats are amazing animals"
Stray caught everyone a little by surprise when it first leapt onto PlayStation consoles back in 2022. A cyberpunk platformer where you play as a cute kitty sure looked sweet, but it was surprisingly heartfelt? Surprisingly fun to play? And (un)surprisingly drove any real-world cats in its vicinity wild? We weren't...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Kirby: Nightmare In Dream Land (GBA)
When light faces dark
Another week, another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we dive into this week's battle, let's see how things panned out last time. We looked at Double Dragon for the NES, and it was yet another close call. After over 1,600 votes from our dear readers, it was the Western design that took home the win with 53% of the vote. Well...
Talking Point What Would Be The Ideal Way To Play DS Games On 'Switch 2'?
Dual-screen dilemma
This week saw the Nintendo DS turn 20. Naturally, such an anniversary has got us thinking about the unstoppable passage of time delightful dual-screen once again, and more than a few of us have dusted off our old clamshells for a quick blast through some of our favourites. But, being the needy gamers that we are, ever desperate...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd November)
No luck Questing those Dragons, then?
The weekend is finally upon us, so it's time to share what we gamers are all up to in our downtime. Before we get into it, though, let's take a look at what went down this week. The big news this week was the 20th anniversary of the Nintendo DS. Yes, twenty. To celebrate, we asked you for your top five DS...
Opinion Chrono Trigger Isn't The Only Great Time-Travel RPG On DS
Chronologically perfect
No less than an hour into Radiant Historia, Stocke – a special agent in Astiel’s Special Intelligence Unit and the game’s main protagonist – is on the brink of death. His mission to rescue a spy who has infiltrated the Granorg army has failed, and his subordinates Raynie and Marco have been killed. But it’s not...
Poll Was The Nintendo DS Prototype Really So Ugly?
Or just misunderstood?
It's hard to believe that it's been 20 years since the Nintendo DS launched, yet here we are. It's been even longer since it was revealed too, with the newly-appointed VP of sales and marketing Reggie Fils-Aimé taking to the stage at E3 2004 to showcase Nintendo's vision for the future of handheld gaming. We know now, of...
Feature It's 20 Years Since The Launch Of Nintendo's Most Important Console
The rise to heaven
One of the joys of Nintendo's Switch is how it marries the company's home console heritage with its equally prestigious handheld line. Ask anybody over the age of 30 to name a handheld system and "Game Boy" will likely still be the first answer; that system became synonymous with portable gaming in the same way as all home...
Soapbox How Nintendo Unexpectedly Taught Me To Love Gacha Games
From Nah-cha to Got-cha
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, how Tim learned to love the lottery... When I first played Xenoblade Chronicles 2 upon its launch, I was ecstatic to once again bond with memorable characters and explore...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give LEGO Horizon Adventures?
Is everything REALLY awesome?
Well, here's a sentence that we never thought we'd be writing: we spent the weekend playing the latest Horizon entry on Switch. Yes, LEGO Horizon Adventures has let Aloy and co. out of the Sony playground and onto Nintendo systems for the first time, and now it's your chance to let us know what you make of it. The game...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake?
Quest for the best
Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake finally adventured onto Nintendo Switch last week and we'd imagine that many of you have spent the weekend diving into this swanky new take on the JRPG classic. Well, if you have been playing along, now's your chance to let us know what you make of it so far. Square Enix's latest remaster is a...
"If you've got a cool idea for a game, you can pitch your cool idea for a game."
Raise your hand if you haven’t played a Jackbox game… okay, trust us, if this were a real room, this would have created a pretty solid visual for how prolific the Jackbox party games have become over the years. Almost everyone has played one, and this week, believe...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Double Dragon (NES)
Double trouble
We are back, back, back with another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we matched up two Game Boy covers for the weird Tetris sequel, Hatris, and oh boy was it a close contest! The colourful Japanese design just about clinched it in the end, taking 51% of the vote over North America's 49%. Talk about a photo finish! For a change...
"If the original fans aren’t satisfied, the remake will ultimately be considered a failure"
Booting up Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake and hearing the Overture — known as Loto / Erdrick's Theme in Dragon Quest III — played by the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra for the first time, it's hard not to be washed over by a wave of warmth...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th November)
How you dew-ing?
Another week has come and (nearly) gone, which means it's time to see what we've all got planned for our weekends. First, let's see what's been cracking off this week. It's been a reasonably quiet one for news, but we did at least get a Nintendo Direct; perhaps not the one we're all hoping for, but it was delightful nonetheless...
Anniversary 20 Years On, Metroid Prime 2 Represents The Franchise At Its Experimental Best
Crossing worlds
Following up on Metroid Prime was never going to be easy. Although many (this writer included) were sceptical of Retro Studios’ abilities to move Metroid into the 3D, first-person realm, the team not only managed to put its own spin on an established Nintendo franchise successfully, but it also created one of the greatest games of...
Talking Point Will Xenoblade Chronicles X Finally Tie Into The Wider Series On Switch?
It's Uncontrollable
“This story never truly ends…” We’ve been waiting almost 10 years to understand what the final words of Xenoblade Chronicles X mean. We’re used to earth-shattering plot reveals from Monolith Soft at this point, but even for Tetsuya Takahashi, the final sequence of Xenoblade Chronicles X drops a metric ton of them,...
Opinion No, Zelda: The Minish Cap's Worst Sidequest Isn't The Kinstones
Go figure
I've banged the Minish Cap drum so many times by this point that my adoration for Link's littlest adventure is old news. With today marking 20 years since this GBA gem landed in Europe, it felt too easy to sit down at my desk and gush over the tight six-dungeon structure, the brilliant puzzle design or the somehow still under-discussed...
Talking Point With 'Switch 2' Coming, Will Switch Get A Price Cut?
Nintendon'teventhinkaboutit
With the Switch successor's long-awaited reveal planned for sometime before the clock strikes midnight on 31st March 2025, the current Switch is getting another holiday season to itself. As part of Nintendo's six-month financial results presentation, company president Shuntaro Furukawa revealed that the upcoming console...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Mario & Luigi: Brothership?
Five by five
After the demise of AlphaDream, it seemed like a new entry in the Mario & Luigi saga became nothing more than a mere pipe dream. Thankfully, however, a new collaboration between Nintendo and Acquire has resulted in Mario & Luigi: Brothership, a game that stands as not only the first brand-new entry in the franchise in nearly a...
Scarf out loud
Sonic Boom was one of the most ambitious projects Sega has ever undertaken with Sonic the Hedgehog. It was a full-throttle attempt at creating a brand-new sub-franchise for the blue blur, complete with new world, radically different character designs, and an accompanying animated series. Nintendo fans certainly had a lot to be...
Feature Nintendo's Long-Lost Advent Calendar Game Comes Home For Christmas On Switch
Mission in Snowdriftland returns, a perfect winter tradition
The idea is a winner: You get a flat, holiday-themed box, and once a day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas, you get to open one of the little doors on the front. Here's where it unravels: Behind the door — at least in most cheap, modern Advent calendars — is a piece of...
You 'Ware it well
Welcome once again to Catch-up Crew, where Nintendo Life staffers assemble for a mission to explore an old classic, with veterans leading new recruits into the unknown. Last time we examined Rareware's Donkey Kong Country on the SNES. For today's mission, we're taking a look at WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!, or
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Hatris
Hats off
Welcome one and all, to another edition of Box Art Brawl (hey, that rhymes)! Last week, we looked at a brand-new release with Sonic X Shadow Generations, Sega's latest (and greatest) 3D Sonic title for the Switch. North America and Europe went against Japan for this one, and it was the latter that came out on top with 60% of the vote. A...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (9th November)
Ship shape
Another week with a sliver of official 'Switch 2' news? Gosh, Nintendo, you really do know how to spoil us! Yes, accompanying Nintendo's quarterly financial report this week, company president Shuntaro Furukawa confirmed that the Switch successor will be backwards compatible and the Nintendo Switch Online service will carry over too. It...
Feature The Results Of Our 2024 Switch Summer Survey Are In
Switch On
A couple of months ago we reached out to Nintendo Life readers with our Switch Summer Survey, a chunky questionnaire designed (with your help) to assess the state of all things Nintendo and Switch as the console cruises through its eighth year - and as our thoughts inevitably turn to its successor. This 70-question blowout covered...
Reaction Rest Easy, Folks, Your Switch Backlog Ain't Going Anywhere
Backwards coming forwards
In a deft move of redirection, Nintendo has anticipated investor disappointment in its 'numbers are down' six-month financials and changed the conversation by revealing a tidbit about Switch 2: the Switch successor will be backwards compatible with current Switch software. Confirmed by company president Shuntaro Furukawa...
Talking Point Nintendo's Latest Financials Make One Thing Abundantly Clear
Echoes of Switchdom
Blimey, has it already been three months since the last lot? Yes, it's time for another round of Nintendo financial results, and we can soon expect the usual investor Q&A with Shuntaro Furukawa and co. deflecting questions about the Switch "successor" and then explaining how the Nintendo Music app is one example of the...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects & Readers' Choice (October 2024)
Our picks for the best eShop games in October
eShop Selects is back once again to tuck you in for the cosy autumnal weather! We can't believe there's only a few more months left until 2025. That doesn't feel right. And with a busy November ahead, it's only right we start stockpiling some video games. As always, our staff and contributors voted for...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Sonic X Shadow Generations
Live and learn
It's time for another clash of the covers as we dive into this week's Box Art Brawl! Before we meet our contemporary contenders, let's throw things back to last week when we matched up a trio of designs for the NES classic Kid Icarus. The votes were pretty evenly spread across our three options, but it was ultimately Japan's...
Feature The History Of SaGa, Square's Weirdest, Bravest RPG Series
A saga of SaGa
Final Fantasy. Kingdom Hearts. Mana. Dragon Quest. Chrono. Star Ocean. Valkyrie. Bravely. Square Enix has no shortage of RPG franchises under its belt, from those it's developed in-house to beloved classics that it's acquired over the years. But among all the space-faring
Guide 49 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's Halloween Switch eShop Sale (Europe)
Every game we scored 9/10 or higher
This spooky sale is almost over! Things wrap up on 3rd November, so make sure you've made the most of the following discounted delights while they're still available... Spooky season is almost upon us so Nintendo is celebrating the only way it knows how: a big old eShop sale. The creatively named 'Halloween...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (2nd November)
Wandering Kamurochō
The weekend is here folks, so it's time to wash away the stresses of the working week and relax with some gaming. Before we find out what we're up to this week, however, let's see what's been going on in the world of Nintendo. It's been a bit of a big week, and although we didn't get the 'Switch 2' reveal that many were perhaps...
Poll Is Next Week’s Investor Q&A Really Reason Enough For A 'Switch 2' Reveal?
Or will it be more 'no comments'?
Yesterday, Nintendo surprised us all when it announced that Xenoblade Chronicles X would be making its way over to Switch in a swanky new 'Definitive Edition' package. For a sweet couple of minutes, our minds were focused on the Switch's 2025 line-up and the sheer mass of Monolith Soft RPG goodness that we'll soon...
Reaction With Xenoblade Chronicles X On Switch, The Wii U's Demise Is Complete
Farewell, friend
Over the last several weeks, Nintendo fans have been absolutely itching for news on the upcoming Switch successor; news that, if today's announcement is anything to go by, likely won't be occurring until 2025. Alas, the blow has been significantly softened by the reveal that Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition will be making...
Feature What Review Score Would You Give Sonic X Shadow Generations?
The ultimate lifeform?
If you've been zooming around Green Hill, Radical Highway, and City Escape over the weekend, then chances are you've been familiarising yourself with the recently-released Sonic X Shadow Generations. Well, now's the time to let us know what you think of it. We've already provided our opinion with an enthusiastic 9/10 review,...
Feature The Man, The Mascot, The Moustache - The Many Faces Of Mario
It’s-a-him
The early days of video gaming saw the birth of so many iconic characters, console stars that endure to this day. Amongst that early litany there is, of course, Super Mario. Mario Mario to his friends. Who would’ve thought 100-odd squares would one day become one of the most recognisable characters on the face of the Earth? He’s...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Kid Icarus (NES)
Angelic
Hey everyone, welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we get cracking with this week's battle, let's see how things panned out last time. We took a look at Balloon Fight for the NES, a bonafide Joust-inspired classic from legendary developers such as Satoru Iwata and Yoshio Sakamoto. It was a close call on this one, but...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (26th October)
Could spooky season be upon us?
Well, the working week has come to a close and it's time to kick back with a spot of gaming. Welcome to another edition of What Are You Playing! This week on Nintendo Life, we lamented Nintendo's attempts to keep its recent playtest under wraps, ran down some of the highlights in the latest North American and
Talking Point What Is Nintendo Thinking Trying To Keep The Lid On This Playtest Program?
Would you kindly not discuss the new Nintendo thing?
Good news, everyone! We've played the mysterious Nintendo Switch Online Playtest Program, an online-only experience that, according to Nintendo, is open to just 10,000 lucky participants. Oh yes. Team NL was ready and waiting earlier in October to rapidly register for this first-come-first-served...
Guide Every Game In The Switch eShop 'Screaming Deals' Sale (North America)
Horrifically tempting
Nintendo has another Switch eShop sale on the go with a bunch of scary (and not so scary) titles discounted for the Halloween season. This one runs until 1st November 2024 and features the likes of Animal Well, Balatro, Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance, Signalis, and many more. As normal, we've collated every game featured in...
Feature What Pokémon Could Learn From Zelda: Echoes Of Wisdom
Ekans of Wisdom
In my first few hours playing Echoes of Wisdom, every new enemy I stumbled across gave me a familiar thrill: Ooh, I haven’t seen that one yet! I can’t wait to have its power! I’d flick through my Echoes, discerning the best one to fight the newbie. A Spark defeated a Hydrozol, a team of Ignizols set a Mothula on fire. And when...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Super Mario Party Jamboree?
Nice or Dice?
If you've been spending your weekend rolling dice with Mario and the gang and have thoughts to share, you're in luck! It's time to let us know what you make of Super Mario Party Jamboree. This one promised the "biggest Mario Party yet" and it appears to have done just that. With seven playable boards, a couple of new characters...
