Latest Features
Feature 24 Indie Games We're Excited About On Switch In 2023
Make room on your SD card!
We've updated this list with lots of new entries for 2023, and included release dates on some long-awaited titles. Happy wishlisting! 2022 is dead, long live 2023. Let's hope this year is better and brighter than the last, eh? We've already rounded up our most-anticipated games for 2023, but that tends to cover the big...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Out Run
#21 - Passing breeze
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
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...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Pushmo / Pullblox
#20 - Push or Pull?
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Year Walk
#19 - Walk this way
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - My Nintendo Picross: The Legend Of Zelda: Twilight Princess
#18 - Picross your heart
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone...
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...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Pocket Card Jockey
#17 - Fine equine
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2
#16 - A sophomore with depth
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 11th)
Zelda? Mario? Metroid? Tell us
Ladies and gentlemen... The weekend. Yes, it's time to wrap up another week and find out what we're all planning to play over the weekend. But first, let's go over what's been going on in the world of Nintendo this week. First up, the excellent Metroid Fusion launched on the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Severed
#15 - Don't cut ties with this one
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will...
Feature 40 Years Of Weird And Wonderful (And Just Plain Wrong) Super Mario TV Commercials
"Clean is better than dirty"
It's MAR10 Day, the annual celebration of all things Super Mario. Nintendo itself is doing all sorts to mark the special occasion, including the introduction of a new Mario-themed Switch console bundle, a healthy dose of discounts from Mario games, and of course, a brand new trailer for the upcoming Super Mario Bros...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Colors! 3D
#14 - Don't erase this from existence
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library...
Feature Which Zelda Game Has The Best Link? - Every Link Ranked From Worst To Best
Link's Arankening
Across 19 mainline games and a handful of spinoffs, the Hero of Time has taken on a variety of forms. The changes between each have ranged from the subtle (Skyward Sword's eyeliner or A Link to the Past's pink hair) to the pretty "wait... what?" drastic (come on guys, he's literally turned into a wolf), but he's still the same old...
Round Up Everything Announced At The Level-5 Vision 2023 Showcase
Worldwide releases for all titles confirmed
Level-5 is back in a big, big way. The developer held its first-ever Level-5 Vision presentation earlier today and gave us five new trailers and a lot of little details to chew over, and we've got all of the trailers right here for you in case you missed them. The presentation focused on five titles from...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit Of Justice
#13 - Spirited away
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Remaster launches worldwide this week
15 years after the original launched on the Nintendo Wii, Fatal Frame: Mask of the Lunar Eclipse (carrying the series' Project Zero moniker in Europe) is finally making its way to the West in an official capacity on Switch. With revamped graphics and a host of new features, the game looks to recapture the...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - 3D Gunstar Heroes
#12 - A real treasure
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Feature 5 Pokémon Scarlet & Violet Quality Of Life Updates We Still Want To See
Before the DLC, please
The 1.2.0 update to Pokémon Scarlet & Violet brought a lot of nice little additions and improvements to Paldea. A handful of bug fixes — such as accurate reflection of damage done in Tera Raid battles and some quality of life updates for the in-game Pokémon PC boxes — certainly go a long way into taking the
Feature Meet The Rayman Veterans' Roguelike That Blends Animated Absurdism With The Office
Are you planning to Have A Nice Death?
The industry just loves games about death, doesn't it? We've seen the grim reaper take up the scythe in multiple games, from the expletive and squeaky in Conker's Bad Fur Day to the 'travel agent' Manny Calavera from Grim Fandango. And now, Magic Design Studios is taking up the black cloak with Have A Nice...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Affordable Space Adventures
#11 - One more hand for the Wii U's finest exclusive
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to...
Soapbox 3DS' Boundless Creativity Got Me, And Nintendo, Through Some Tough Times
A platform for change
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Andy McDonald celebrates and reminisces about a console that showcased Nintendo's off-the-wall creativity at its very best... With the 3DS’ days numbered as an active...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Octopath Traveler II?
What say you, traveler?
Octopath Traveler II, the long-awaited sequel to one of Team Asano's finest games, launched last week to positive reviews across the board, cementing it as a worthy successor to the 2018 original. In our own review of the game, we called it "a triumphant and confident follow-up to its predecessor, building on the established...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - February 2023
Our picks for the best Switch eShop games in February!
February has, somehow, already been and gone. It feels like we barely got acquainted, right? It was a busy month though, primarily due to the presence of the "traditional" February Nintendo Direct showcase, paving the way for the mighty Metroid Prime Remastered to finally show its face on the...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Rhythm Heaven Megamix
#10 - Neat on the beat
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for...
Feature Enjoying The Journey - How Square Enix Learned From The Past For Octopath Traveler II
"We aimed to evolve the formula rather than change it"
It has been five long years since the release of Square Enix's fantastic, multi-pronged RPG Octopath Traveler on Switch. Starting as a console exclusive on Switch before branching out onto other platforms, the game gave us eight different storylines to dive into, a range of protagonists to fall...
Feature 50 Years Of Landmark Video Games, One Per Year, All Playable On Nintendo Switch
Five decades of seminal software on Switch
Nintendo's Switch is now entering its seventh year, and while it's obvious that the company will be carefully planning the reveal of its next generation of hardware in the next year or two, Switch remains in uncommonly rude health for a console of its age. Since 2017, the system has attracted an enviable...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Dillon's Rolling Western
#9 - Before it rolls away
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 4th)
Tell us, pleeease
Welcome, one and all! It's been another reasonably busy week here at Nintendo LIfe. We started off with a Pokémon Presents showcase which, according to you fine people, wasn't all that good. The biggest highlight was undoubtedly the announcement of the Scarlet and Violet DLC, which will come in two parts and is officially called
Back Page Forget Pokémon Sleep, Here's 7 More Pokémon Lifestyle Apps We Definitely Need
APPlin
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to our...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Nano Assault EX
#8 - Na-no letting this one go
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be...
Poll Six Years On, Which Was Nintendo Switch's Best Year So Far?
Which brought you the most Joy(-Con)?
The Switch has been out for a whopping six years today! Can you believe it? We're not sure what the more mind-blowing fact is here, the idea that we haven't had anything new from Nintendo for over half a decade or the realisation that 2017 was six years ago... Either way, making it to a sixth birthday while...
Talking Point Which Is Your Favourite 3DS Theme?
Main theme
As we continue our trip down memory lane before the 3DS (and Wii U) eShops close up for new purchases, firing up our old consoles recently has reminded us just what a bounty of gaming joy 3DS presents every time you crack open that clamshell. What a wonderful little console! (Check out our 'Countdown' series if you're looking for eShop...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Mario Vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars
#7 - Let's-a go this way
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Dual Destinies
#6 - OBJECTION
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good...
Back Page Are Mario's Power-Up Mushrooms Suitable For Vegetarians?
Soul food
In the magazine business, the Back Page is where you'd find all the weird goofs that we couldn't fit in anywhere else. Some may call it "filler"; we prefer "a whole page to make terrible jokes that are tangentially related to the content of the mag". We don't have pages on the internet, but we still love terrible jokes — so welcome to...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Star Fox Guard
#5 - We need to guard this one
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be...
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...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - HarmoKnight
#4 - Tempo-tation
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good...
Talking Point Which Gaming Moments Made You Question Your Intelligence?
Uh... what... who..?
Human beings are smart. Really smart. We're the only species on earth with the brainpower to comprehend its own existence. We've landed on the moon, built great feats of engineering, constructed huge buildings that pierce the clouds in the sky, and made tremendous leaps in the fields of science and medicine. So yeah, we're a...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Crimson Shroud
#3 - Seeing red
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good...
Soapbox Alone In The Dark On GBC Is A Bizarre Relic You Should Play At Least Once
Be afraid?
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 sits down with the least loved entry in the current Nintendo Switch Online Game Boy library and finds an odd, twisted version of a game he loves... Alone in the Dark: The New...
Feature Hyrule Fields, Ranked - The Best Grassy Plains In The Zelda Franchise
Perfect for a picnic?
There's no greater feeling in a Legend of Zelda game than when you first step out onto Hyrule Field, is there? It's the moment when the games shake off the training wheels and let's you loose in the world of Hyrule, free to go in whichever direction you like. Where on earth do you start? What's that settlement over there? Oh...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Pushmo World
#2 - Pull or push?
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add these to your library will be gone for good...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 25th)
The good, the bad and the ugly
It's been a long six months since we last got a new Kirby game on Switch, but with this week's release of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe, we think it's safe to say that nature is finally healing. This week over on Nintendo Life we have been delving into the world of ports, asking why so many remasters are sub-par...
Poll Octopath Traveler II Is Out Now, Which Character Will You Start With?
Eighth time's a charm
It's time lose yourself in the lush world of HD-2D all over again — Octopath Traveler II is out today on Switch (and PS4, PS5, and PC of course). Announced only last September, this surprise sequel does everything a follow up should do — it improves on every single aspect of the original while also staying faithful to it...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Fire Emblem Fates
#1 - No fate but what we...quickly download off the eShop
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add...
Talking Point Why Are So Many Remasters Sub-Par At Launch?
Remastering the wheel
Remasters are fantastic, but they're also a little bit weird. They give us the chance to revisit some of our favourite games from our childhood, give new players the opportunity to share in our experiences, and sometimes they represent the first time a game is getting an international release. But why are they so inconsistent?...
Feature 'Professor Layton And The New World Of Steam' - Our Questions, Theories, And Speculation
Rampant speculayton
It's been a couple of weeks now since February's Nintendo Direct and you want to know the one thing that we are still not quite over? There's a new Professor Layton game coming our way! It almost doesn't sound right saying that out loud: "a new Professor Layton game". Not a remaster. Not a rerelease. Something new. So new, in...
Talking Point What Will Be Announced On Pokémon Day 2023?
Who's that reveal?
27th February is fast approaching, and you know what that means? Pokémon Day is almost here! Every single year since 2016, which happened to be the franchise's 20th anniversary, The Pokémon Company has shared a number of announcements on this day to celebrate Pokémon, usually in the form of a Nintendo Direct-style Pokémon...
