Timeline
Tuesday18th Mar 2025
News Dark Visual Novel Pulled For Japanese Age Rating Revision Just Four Days After eShop Launch
Currently sits at PEGI 18 in the UK
The visual novel The Hungry Lamb: Traveling in the Late Ming Dynasty launched on Steam last April, and it was a hit — like, one million copies sold, 40,000+ 'Overwhelmingly Positive' reviews kind of a hit. Those who had been waiting for the title to come to Switch had their wishes answered last week when it...
News Sakurai Says Japanese Developers Should Avoid Trying To Appeal To Western Tastes
"I think that they seek the uniqueness and fun of Japanese games"
Super Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai was recently awarded the Art Encouragement Prize from the Japanese government’s Agency for Cultural Affairs for his remarkable achievement with the 'Masahiro Sakurai on Creating Games' YouTube channel. As part of that, he conducted an...
News Pocketpair Recalls "Depressing Day" Nintendo Announced Its Palworld Lawsuit
Global community manager speaks out
Although many had previously commented on the similarities between Palworld and Pokémon, it was nevertheless a huge surprise when Nintendo announced its patent lawsuit against developer Pocketpair. According to Pocketpair's global community manager, however, none were quite as surprised as the team itself. In...
Video New Yooka-Replaylee Gameplay Revealed In Deep Dive "Explainer" Trailer
"IT IS coming in 2025"
Playtonic's upcoming 3D platformer Yooka-Replaylee (aka the "remastered, remade, remixed version" of Yooka-Laylee) has officially been confirmed for a 2025 launch. It's also been revealed the game will be co-published by PM Studios. “As a fan of collectathons like Yooka-Laylee and Banjo-Kazooie before that, it’s a...
News Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Acknowledges Closed Network Test Player Feedback
"We've read through your comments"
Following the full reveal in February, Sega's upcoming release Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds held a special closed network test exclusively for the PlayStation 5. While part of the focus was on the stability of online matchmaking, there was also a lot of feedback from the community about the gameplay and how the...
News Double Dragon Gaiden Doubles The Fun With A "Free DLC" Update Next Month
Beat 'em up this April
If you love beat 'em ups on the Switch and haven't tried out Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons just yet, now might be the time to finally give it a go. Maximum Entertainment has announced there's some new "free DLC" on the way in the form of two new fighters Jeff and Abore. These two characters will be joining this...
News Nintendo Music Drops Three More Albums, Here's Every Song Included
A celebration of classic puzzle games
It's a new week and that means a new update for the Switch Online Nintendo Music mobile application. This time Nintendo has added not one but three - yes, three - soundtracks to the service. This includes the Game Boy hit Tetris, its NES counterpart, and the NES version of Dr. Mario. Dr. Mario for Game Boy is...
Monday17th Mar 2025
News Atari Is Bringing Back 'Missile Command' But With A Brand New Twist
"Delta? Come in Delta..."
Atari cannot stop reviving its classic arcade titles at the moment, and we keep lapping them up. This time around, the legendary developer and publisher has teamed up with Canadian studios Mighty Yell and 13AM Games to bring back the 1980 shoot 'em up Missile Command. Missile Command Delta is a brand new, turn-based...
UK Charts WWE And Monster Hunter Hold Strong In Quiet Week For Nintendo
EA Sports FC 25 is the only Switch game in the top 5
The onslaught of new releases on other platforms continues to dominate the UK physical game charts this week, as yet another PS5 and Xbox Series game clinches the top spot. WWE 2K25 slams into first place, knocking last week's number one Split Fiction comfortably down to fourth. We don't think...
News Jeff Minter's 'I, Robot' Reimagining Is A Blast From The Past This April
"Defy the eye"
Atari and Llamasoft have announced that I, Robot will be coming to Switch on 17th April 2025. Following on from the pair's previous retro reimagining Akka Arrh, I, Robot is a psychedelic update of a classic 1984 arcade shooter. Renowned and celebrated for being the first commercially produced arcade game rendered in , flat-shaded,...
Rumour Latest Switch 2 Theory Suggests Release Date Might Be Right Around The Corner
Salt, pinched
While we're all patiently waiting for 2nd April and the next round of official Switch 2 news from Nintendo, some fans are pulling out the cork boards and red string to try and glean any more information about the upcoming console launch. We assume that word of a release date is right around the corner, but until then, this recent...
News Chances Are You've Never Heard Of Nightdive Studio's Latest Switch Rerelease
Or perhaps you have..!
Nightdive Studios, famed for its remarkably comprehensive remasters and ports of classics and curios alike, has announced that it is bringing I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream to the Nintendo Switch on 27th March 2025. Originally released in 1995 by Cyberdreams and The Dreamers Guild, rights to the game were subsequently...
News Pokémon Center Singapore Sticks Its Middle Finger Up To TCG Scalpers
Store will remove plastic wrapping at point of sale
For as long as Pokémon TCG (Trading Card Game) has been a thing, scalping has been an ongoing issue. If you're somehow unaware at this point as to what the practice entails, it essentially sees certain consumers purchasing products at retail price before selling them on at huge mark-ups. It's not...
News Retailer EB Games' New Retro Service Offers Some Unsurprisingly Rough Trade-In Prices
For Mario Land 2 that'll be... six golden coins
Australian retailer EB Games announced last week that it would be expanding its trade-in service to include retro games and consoles. It sounds like a good concept on paper (we retro game fans relish the idea of seeing more classics out in the wild), but in practice, the prices offered by the retailer...
Talking Point Will Metroid Prime 4 Get A Switch 2 Release?
Beyond the realm
It's been 84 years since Nintendo first announced that the next chapter in the Metroid Prime series was in development. Then, in 1957, an apology was issued as the platform holder took things back to the drawing board, restarting development and shifting production from partner dev Bandai Namco back to Prime series founders Retro...
Random This Robot's Wii Bowling Skills Put Our Best Efforts To Shame
Spare time
We challenge any one of you to admit that at some point in the mid-2000s, you didn't try to get a perfect game in Wii Sports bowling. Of course you did! The console's pack-in title had all of us swinging, punching and putting like there was no tomorrow, and the bowling mode might have been the most approachable of the bunch, making that...
News Nintendo Museum Launches Keychains That Play Your Favourite Console Jingle
Portable nostalgia
We've all got a favourite Nintendo console jingle, right? Y'know, the start-up tune that would play whenever you boot up the system. Much like the consoles themselves, they represent a moment in time; a nugget of nostalgia that effortlessly brings back cosy memories in just a few short seconds. Now, Nintendo is looking to provide...
Rumour Metroid Prime 4 Will Apparently Make Quite The Splash At The Switch 2 Direct
Beyond expectations
If you can believe it, we are a little over two weeks out from the Nintendo Switch 2 Direct. While we're all ready and waiting for more news from Nintendo's next console, some folks believe they already have an inkling of one of the showcase's key players (thanks for the heads up, Notebook Check). Reece Reilly, the host of the...
News AI Upscaling On Nintendo Switch 2 Is Basically Real Thanks To Updated Patent
What a resolution
A newly updated patent published on 13th March 2025 provides further details to Nintendo's proposed AI resolution upscaling solution for the upcoming Switch 2 (thanks, Game Rant). Though the idea of AI upscaling for the new console is not a new one – with a
Sunday16th Mar 2025
Mailbox Switch 2 FOMO, Spark Games, Pancakes & BOTW - Nintendo Life Letters
Issue #22 - March 2025
Oh, hello there! You must be here for our monthly rummage through the Nintendo Life Mailbox. Pull up a chair! Got something you want to get off your chest? We're ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription...
Review On Your Tail (Switch) - A Charming Detective Story Stumbles On Switch
A tail of mystery
In this charming indie, an aspiring writer gets lost in a scenic coastal destination while searching for inspiration. Diana Caproni wanders Borga Marina, making friends and solving mysteries in this low-intensity detective story. Italian developer Memorable Games has crafted a gorgeous setting that serves as an ode to Ligurian...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Mario's Picross
Ticking a lot of boxes
We are back with another edition of Box Art Brawl and things are about to get puzzley. Before we dive into this week's match-up, however, let's take a look at what went down last time when we put the NES' Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom under the microscope. Despite what we thought were two pretty sweet covers, it...
News Gundam Breaker 4 Receives "Free March Update", Here's What's Included
New Mobile Suits and more
Bandai Namco is still showing support for last year's release Gundam Breaker 4 and to get the new year underway it's released a "free March update". This allows you to acquire the 'GQuuuuuux' and 'Gundam EX' from the shop with in-game currency. In addition to these new mobile suits, there are also additional builder parts,...
News First 4 Figures Teases New Banjo-Kazooie Statue, Pre-Orders Open Next Week
Update: Here's a look at the Definitive Edition
There hasn't been a new Banjo-Kazooie game for many years now, but there are still plenty of fans out there eager for more. Although it's not a game, First 4 Figures has shared a sneak peek of its new statue - Banjo's sister Tooty, who is captured by Gruntilda in Rare's original Nintendo 64 adventure...
News Emio - The Smiling Man Wins Best Adventure Game At Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards 2024
Pokémon's next entry also got a win
Emio - The Smiling Man: Famicom Detective Club has won the best "adventure" game award at the Famitsu Dengeki Game Awards for 2024. Apart from this, the upcoming Switch release Pokémon Legends: Z-A took out the most anticipated title, the "hand-drawn 2D action-platformer" Nine Sols won best indie game, and...
Saturday15th Mar 2025
Random Switch 2's Joy-Con Could Really Benefit From Nintendo Alarmo's Tech
Will stick drift be a thing of the past?
Joy-Con drift has been a major talking point throughout the Switch's lifecycle and if you're worried about it making an unwanted return next-generation, there might be some good news on the horizon. The tech experts at iFixit recently did a teardown of Nintendo's sound clock 'Alarmo' and it appears to be...
News The Inventors Of Nintendo's Switch Online Playtest Appear To Have Been Revealed
A creative mix
Nintendo's Switch Online Playtest Program struggled to contain leaks when it went live last year and it looks like the inventors behind this concept have now been revealed. According to a new patent doing the rounds, the creative talent leading this playtest includes Yusuke Amano, Tsubasa Sakaguchi, Masaki Wada, and Shinya Yano. As...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (15th March)
Wahoo!
One minute, you're revelling in the celebrations of MAR10 Day, the next, it's the weekend. Where does the time go? While not quite as big as last year's affair, MAR10 Day 2025 brought us some eShop savings, a new Alarmo theme, and a first look at a sweet 18+ Mario
News Switch 2 GameCube Controller Rumours Resurface Following New Nintendo Filing
Don't call it a comeback...
The GameCube generation ended years ago, but the controller for this system is still a popular choice for many Nintendo enthusiast when it comes to select titles. If you are hoping to see support for this particular gamepad on the Switch 2 in some way or form, you might be in luck. A new FCC filing by Nintendo for a...
Friday14th Mar 2025
News Star Wars: Hunters Servers To Close Later This Year
Forced out
Zynga has announced that it will be shutting down servers for the free-to-play shooter Star Wars: Hunters on 1st October 2025. In a blog post shared on the official website, the developer shared that "We understand this news may be disappointing and want to assure you that this decision was not made lightly. Your passion and dedication...
News 'Operation Night Strikers' Brings Four Action-Packed Arcade Classics To Switch This Year
Update: Confirmed for August
Developer M2 and publisher Taito have today announced that the '80s arcade compilation title Operation Night Strikers will also receive a Switch release at some point this year. This one was initially announced for Steam back in November, but a blog post on the Taito website confirmed that the Nintendo hybrid will also...
Opinion Against All Odds - Why Does RPG RNG Hate Me?
Drop it like it's not
Ah, yes, hello. Here I am, yet again, wandering around the same part of the world map over and over. I’m surprised I haven’t managed to cull the White Tiger population near the city of Muse in Suikoden II, because I've been here for almost an hour and I’ve probably killed over 200 of these things. All for one darn rune...
News We're Really Digging This New Range Of Shovel Knight Clothing
Knight and pay
If you're anything like us, then you probably have a rather large soft spot for Shovel Knight, Yacht Club Games' delightful series of throwback platformers. If you're even more like us, then that'll probably mean that you'll really dig this new range of Shovel Knight clothing. The new collection from Insert Coin Clothing is now...
News Nintendo's MAR10 Day eShop Sale Welcomes A Handful Of Sweet Savings (North America)
Let's-a save!
Nintendo's MAR10 Day eShop sale is wrapping up in North America this weekend (16th March). So, if there are any titles starring Mario & friends that you have been meaning to check out, this is your friendly reminder to get in there and make the most of the savings while they're still around! It wouldn't be MAR10 Day without an...
News Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters Land New Update As Series Passes 200 Million Sales
Here are the full patch notes
Square Enix has announced that the Final Fantasy series has surpassed a whopping 200 million sales worldwide, five million of which have come from 2023's Pixel Remasters. To mark the occasion, the studio has released a new patch for all six games in the collection, bringing the Switch editions up to ver. 1.2.0. The...
A new day dawns
Atelier has always been one of the more niche JRPG franchises out there, but it started to gain much more widespread appeal with the significant success of the Ryza trilogy over the past few years. Now that Gust has closed the book on Ryza’s adventures (for now, anyway…), it’s come time to see if they can maintain that momentum...
News The Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4 Soundtrack Sounds Expectedly Rockin'
Let's rock, let's rock today
While it was rumoured for more months than we care to remember, the wait for Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3 + 4's 11th July release date still feels like a long one. Fortunately, Spotify is here to make things a little bit easier. The streaming service has given us our first look at the upcoming bundle's soundtrack, and it...
PSA Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition Has Reportedly Leaked Online
Spoiler shields, activate!
We are mere days away from the official release of Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition on 20th March and now, as has been the case with so many first-party releases during the Switch generation, the game has reportedly leaked online. That's according to a new moderator post on the XCX
Rumour Nintendo May Have Already Shipped A Boatload Of Switch 2 Units To North America
Fingers crossed for an early summer release
All eyes are on Nintendo's 2nd April Direct for more official news of Switch 2, but until then, the rumour mill is working overtime to gather as much information as it can about the upcoming console launch. The latest chatter comes from Famiiboards member LiC (also shared to the
News Pokémon TCG Pocket Update To Remove Trade Tokens Following Player Feedback
"More accessible and enjoyable"
Earlier this year, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket rolled out its trading feature and certain aspects didn't exactly go down well with the playerbase. This feedback was taken on board, and the development team has now returned with information on how exactly this experience will be changed. Most notably, is the...
News Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes Second Story Expansion DLC Now Available
"The Chapter of Seign"
Following the arrival of Marisa's story at the end of last month, Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes has now rolled out "The Chapter of Seign". This is the second chapter and will set you back $7.99 / £5.99 (or your regional equivalent). Once again you'll need the main game to access this new prequel story content. This DLC...
News Vampire Survivors Teases New Free Update, "Probably" The Biggest One Ever
Cross-save is also expected, but Switch owners have to wait
The addictive must-play roguelike Vampire Survivors has received all sorts of updates since its arrival on the Switch eShop and this trend is set to continue in 2025. With thid in mind he creator Poncle is already teasing the next free update (Version 1.13) as "probably the biggest free...
News Splatoon 3 Version 9.3.0 Out Now, Here Are The Full Patch Notes
The first update of 2025
Nintendo has announced it will be rolling out Splatoon 3's first update of the year this week - bumping the game up to Version 9.3.0. This update will include adjustments to weapons, Splatfest changes, and all sorts of bug fixes. You can see the official patch notes courtesy of Nintendo's support page below. Nintendo has...
News Switch 2 Predicted To Cost "$400 Or More"
It could also be the "biggest console launch ever"
Switch 2 is on the horizon and analysts are predicting it to be the "biggest-ever console launch" in the industry's history as well as the "pricest" Nintendo machine to date. Bloomberg has spoken to multiple analysts who "regularly communicate the company" and its "software and hardware partners"...
Thursday13th Mar 2025
News M2 Is Working On A Brand New 'Night Striker' Game
And we've got some footage
M2, the emulation wizards who are responsible for multiple Sega Ages titles, Virtual Console ports, and the excellent Castlevania Advance and Dominus Collections, has shared a brand new trailer for its upcoming game, Night Striker Gear, which is coming to Switch in 2025. The clip was shared on Bluesky by ohfivepro (via
News We Really Want To See This Turn-Based TMNT Game Come To Switch
Totally Tactical!
We're almost three months in, and we haven't had a single Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game lined up for Switch in 2025 — which, after the trio we got last year, feels like a long time. One that we'd expect to see make its way over at some point, however, is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, an upcoming turn-based...
Poll What's The Best Xenoblade Game? Rate Your Favourite For Our Upcoming Ranking
Including all ports and DLC
The upcoming 'Definitive' Switch version of Xenoblade Chronicles X has gotten us all excited about not just the Wii U gem coming in from the cold, but about the wider series in general. Tetsuya Takahashi's baby has grown and flourished throughout the Switch generation to such an extent that 'Operation Rainfall', the...
Nintendo Download 13th March (North America)
Expelled! On Your Tail! MLB The Show!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy! Switch eShop - Highlights: On Your Tail (Humble Games, 13th Mar,...
News PowerWash Simulator 2 Is Real, And It's Reportedly Heading To Switch 2
Though FutureLab's denying the rumours
After years of content updates and DLC, developer FuturLab has today revealed PowerWash Simulator 2. If that wasn't news to scrub up for, it seems like it'll be cleaning its way onto Switch 2. As the name suggests, this is a full-blown sequel to the 2022 clean 'em up (is that a thing?), which will see you...
Exclusive Mega Man X-Style Roguelite 'Elsie' Gets A Digital Soundtrack With Bonus Tracks
42 tracks, including six bonuses
Knight Shift Games' Elsie is getting a digital soundtrack release and it's available... now! The roguelite action-platformer in the Mega Man X mould released back in 2024 with Playtonic on publishing duties and Eric Benaim's soundtrack was one of the highlights noted in our 8/10 review. Ollie called it "killer", in...
