Latest Features
Poll Breath Of The Wild Vs. Tears Of The Kingdom - Which Final Zelda Trailer Was Better?
The true Battle of Hyrule
With a little under four weeks remaining until the worldwide launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, it's still a little early to debate whether or not the game itself will be superior to its predecessor, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. You know, seeing as nobody's played it yet, an' all. We here at...
Talking Point Which Nintendo Franchise Should Illumination Tackle Next?
Gruigi time?
The box office for The Super Mario Bros. Movie is huge. Like, record-breaking huge. It feels like yesterday that cries of "the video game movie curse" filled the air whenever a new take on a game hit cinemas, but now we know that these adaptations can be both good and big. Really big. The Mario Movie's success at the box office will...
Feature Music Review: Fair Winds & Following Seas - An Ambitious Rendition Of A Zelda Masterpiece
The Wind Waker revisited by ZREO: Second Quest
The music of The Legend of Zelda is as much a part of the series’ identity as any of its characters, locations, and items. Though the specific arrangements change throughout the series, there are always familiar tracks and themes for fans to hear. This unique but similar philosophy to Zelda music...
Talking Point Should Link Have Voice Acting In The Next Zelda Game?
Fears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was revolutionary for the Zelda series in a number of ways. You can talk all day about the stunning open world, the tonal shift, the slew of characters and references, and the change in the overall structure of a Zelda game. But maybe the biggest surprise was that it was the first game in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 15th)
Vidya gaemz!
It's the weekeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeend *cough cough splutter*. We made it through another week, folks. Well done. It's been quite an interesting one, hasn't it? With only one month to go until the launch of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo graced us with the third and final trailer for the game, and boy, was it a good one!...
Feature Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Trailer #3 - Every New Detail Revealed
Epic doesn't even begin to cover it
With just under a month to go until the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Nintendo has dropped its third and final trailer for the game, and wow, what a trailer! This is undoubtedly one for the ages; a trailer to surely rival the Switch Presentation trailer for Breath of the Wild from 2017...
Talking Point Which Other Mega Man Games Could Come To Switch?
Mega Man Mop Up Collection, anyone?
With the release of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection for the Switch this week, it joins an already-impressive catalogue of Mega Man re-releases from the past several years. If you combine the titles from Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 & 2, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 & 2, and Mega Man Zero/ZX...
Talking Point With One Month 'Til TOTK, What's Left For You To Do In Zelda: Breath Of The Wild?
It's crunch time
The clock bell has tolled. Only one month remains before the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. One. Month. Suddenly, this game that we have been anticipating for the last six years is almost here and out of nowhere a realisation struck us, one powerful enough to send a cold chill down anyone's spine: we still...
Talking Point Just How Old Is Mario In The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
It's not a birthday, it's a 1-Up
Back when Mario was nothing more than an 8-bit sprite on our NES consoles, we were not all that concerned about age. After all, he's the jumpy mushroom guy, who cares how many birthdays he's seen? This is the kind of mentality that's been carried through into most of the subsequent games. Even as the character's...
Poll Did You Use Motion Controls In Mario Kart Wii?
Wii Wheel, Wii Wheel rock you!
Picture the scene: the year is 2008 and you, a massive Nintendo fan, are gearing up for the next instalment in the Mario Kart series after the incredible online experience of Mario Kart DS and having poured many, many hours into the former home console endeavours on Mario Kart: Double Dash!! But something is different...
Soapbox Can We Stop Pretending Switch Can't Run Call Of Duty?
Let's stop with the hyperbole, shall we?
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 looks at all the doubters, then at all the 'miracle' Switch ports, then back at the doubters, then back again to the... I don’t know who needs to...
Splitting hares
Happy Easter to those who celebrate, and a happy long weekend to all. We're sure you'll all be tucking into some chocolate, hot cross buns, or simnel cake as you sit down for your daily Nintendo Life browsing. And just like last year when we looked at the best eggs in video games, we'll be looking at something else we associate with...
Feature Call Of Duty On Nintendo Systems - A Brief History
Wii U ever come back?
Call of Duty is coming to Nintendo platforms. At least, that’s what Microsoft would have us believe. As part of their proposed buyout of Activision Blizzard, the American console maker has pledged to bring the franchise to Nintendo gamers in an effort to alleviate market regulators’ concerns of anti-competition and...
Talking Point The Super Mario Bros. Movie - What Are Your Favourite Moments?
A galaxy of possibilities
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is on everyone's lips right now. And why? Because it's a pretty darn big deal. We've talked about the movie at length, looking at its Easter eggs to simply just having a chat over a cuppa. But two Nintendo Life staffers still have stuff to get off of their chests, and this is their chance to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 8th)
Easter gaming
We did it, everyone! We made it through the opening week of The Super Mario Bros. Movie and still live to tell the tale. Yes, this week finally saw the release of the hotly anticipated Nintendo and Illumination co-production and was it worth the wait? Well, sort of. While we certainly had mixed feelings in our review, the stellar box...
Feature The Best References And Easter Eggs In The Super Mario Bros. Movie
It's-a tough one
Lots of us have already seen the long-awaited The Super Mario Bros. Movie and if there is one thing to take away from our initial viewing, it's that this thing is absolutely jam-packed with Yoshi Easter eggs and references. We sort of knew that this was going to be the case. Each trailer gave us a taste of what was to come, but...
Poll What Score Would You Give To The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
A super debut?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out now in several regions, bringing an end to months, if not years, of speculation and anticipation. We've provided our own thoughts in our review of the movie, along with a video discussion for your perusal, but what we'd really like to find out now is what you fine folks make of it. We've started...
Hands On Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp - Slicker, Shinier, Sassier Strategy
Modern warfare
After numerous delays to an initial proposed launch date of December 2021 due to real-world events that Nintendo evidently felt made launching a light-hearted warfare game problematic, Wayforward's Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is finally almost here. Featuring the classic Game Boy Advance campaigns from both Advance Wars and Advance...
Feature What's The Best Way To Play Super Mario Bros. In 2023?
Flag poll
We originally published this article back in 2020 as part of Super Mario Bros.' 35th anniversary year. With the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, we thought it was about time to revisit all the ways you can play the very first Super Mario game in 2023, taking into account the method we lost back in 2021. Ah, Mario 35, how we miss...
Ninterview Menko Cards And Niche Nintendo History - The Hunt For Mario's Rookie Card
A different kind of 'game card'
If you have ever read up on the history of Nintendo, you know that before it went into the video game business, the company began life by making cards and other novelties. The hanafuda and playing cards which Nintendo produced from its formation in 1889 took a back seat following the popularity of toys like the Ultra...
Feature Nintendo eShop Selects - March 2023
Our picks for the best eShop games in March
A previous version of this article included the February 2023 poll. We've since updated this list with the March 2023 poll. We apologise for the error. We're officially one-quarter of the way through 2023. Time really needs to slow down, because our backlog and wishlist are expanding at pretty much the...
Round Up It's April Fools' Day, Here Are The Best Gaming Gags We've Seen (2023)
A joke too far
It's that day of the year again. On the video game front, things are sometimes taken to another level when a joke turns out to be the real deal, and it seems to have happened once again this year, this time with Sega murdering Sonic the Hedgehog (seriously) and a few other amusing announcements. Of course, there have also been many...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Atelier Ryza 3?
Or is it a secret?
Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key launched recently just over a week ago, and fans of the series have had a good chunk of time to get familiar with Ryza's latest adventure in alchemy. In our review of the game, we called it "a heady mix of exploration, crafting and combat that benefits greatly from a...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (April 1st)
Flame on
One week ago today we were looking at the calendar and commenting on how things seemed pretty quiet for Nintendo to round out March and then out of nowhere — boom! — we're hit with our first proper look at The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom and everything changed. Yes, this was the week that we fell thoroughly back into the...
Poll Is This The Very End Of The Road For E3?
Pour one out. Again.
Yesterday the news came that E3 2023 is officially cancelled. The writing had been on the wall for a couple of months. Despite the ESA and ReedPop's stated intentions to "reunite the industry" with a new vision of the hallowed yet ailing industry event, hopes of a "return to form"
Feature Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Gameplay Trailer - Every New Detail Revealed
Updated with even more details!
We've updated the following list with even more details that we have noticed since the gameplay trailer dropped — and you can see them all in the video above courtesy of the lovely Alex-from-Nintendo-Life. For the big announcements and the blink-and-you'll-miss-it hints, this list has it all (or at least, all that...
Poll How Many 3DS Consoles Have You Owned?
1DS, 2DS, 3DS, more?
Call us nostalgic, but the closure of the 3DS eShop has us reminiscing about the many incredible years of portable gaming we've enjoyed with Nintendo's last dedicated handheld console and its wider family. Recently, we've been downloading various gems we missed over the years and it's given us a chance to take stock of our...
Countdown Here's A Recap Of Every 3DS & Wii U eShop Game We've Highlighted In The Last Month
And now, the end is near
For the month of March, we've been looking back daily and highlighting a 3DS or Wii U eShop game in our eShop Countdown series before those stores close for new purchases. Well, today — 27th March 2023 — is the end of the line. The stores will close for business in a matter of hours, so it's time to bid them adieu and...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - escapeVektor
#31 - Trace and survive
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 8 Switch Games We've Played At PAX East 2023 - Here's What We Thought
Hands-on impressions of the show's Switch offerings
PAX East 2023 is happening — right now, as you're reading this! — and Nintendo Life is there sampling lots of juicy upcoming Switch releases. The Boston event is running from Thursday 23rd to Sunday 26th March 2023 and in this feature we'll be recording our hands-on impressions of the various...
Hands On The Lord Of The Rings: Gollum Plays Like Small Taters
It was tricksy, precious. Very tricksy.
Lord of the Rings: Gollum has naturally garnered quite a bit of interest as its initial release date approaches on other platforms in May, with a planned Switch release later this year. Fans of LotR and J.R.R. Tolkien's work have been eager to see how developer Daedalic Entertainment would craft a game based...
Countdown Wii U eShop Spotlight - Dungeons & Dragons: Chronicles Of Mystara
#30 - A natural 20
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? (March 25th)
Sunsetting those eShops
Ahh... The weekend. It's been a bit of a quieter week in the world of Nintendo, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been a number of interesting stories to highlight. In confirmation of rumours circling the internet, Sega announced that it will be releasing Sonic Origins Plus in June, bringing Amy to the fold and adding...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Dragon Quest Wars
#29 - Dragon War-rior
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 - Attack Of The Friday Monsters!
#28 - Hold up, it's Thursday
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...
M2's Masanori Yagi talks Assault Suits Valken Declassified
The Assault Suits mecha action games arguably deserve a little more attention than they enjoy here in the West. Back in the 1990s, their distinct blend of platforming and run ‘n’ gun design did indeed see ports from their native Japan to the rest of the world – sometimes in a heavily...
Hands On LEGO 2K Drive Is A Wild Ride, But Will It Prove Too Much For Switch?
Building a new LEGOcy
If you cast your mind back to February 2022, you might remember word of a brand new partnership between 2K and LEGO, with the potential for a number of brick-built sports games on the horizon. Those with a good memory (or those who have quickly googled it since reading the last sentence) might recall rumours of a Lego-themed...
Talking Point What's The Best Year In Gaming?
Cream of the crop
Games are so good, right? Looking back over the years and decades, it's difficult to actually think of a year that's been objectively bad in terms of gaming output; generally speaking, with the wealth of consoles and developers out there, there's always been at least a handful of games every year that spoke to us in a meaningful...
Feature Atelier Ryza 3's Producer On Crafting The End And Shifting Away From Fanservice
"I always look forward to the Xenoblade series!"
It's almost time to say goodbye to Ryza. The third and final game in the Secret trilogy, Atelier Ryza 3: Alchemist of the End & the Secret Key, comes to Switch this Friday, and everyone's favourite tomboy alchemist — Reisalin Stout, or Ryza — will be once again donning her alchemist's staff to...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Aura-Aura Climber
#27 - You're a star
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 - Butterfly: Inchworm Animation II / KORG M01D
#26 - Toolin' around
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...
Hands On Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! - A Warm, Cuddly Return (Except For The Space Invaders)
It's a Taito blowout
It's hard to argue that Bub and Bob aren't the most adorable video game dinosaurs of all time (sorry, Yoshi), so we were delighted when the dynamic duo returned with the Switch-exclusive Bubble Bobble 4 Friends back in 2019. It was exactly as we remembered their pixels back in the dusty halls of the arcade growing up, just a...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - BOXBOY! Trilogy
#25 - BUYBOXBOY!
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 Wii U eShop Spotlight - Duck Hunt
#24 - Zappy days
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 - Nintendo Pocket Football Club
#23 - Don't be a benchwarmer
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 Makes A Really Good Demo?
Time is money
As the Switch eShop library continues to grow, so too does the number of available demos. And hey, demos are great! This convenient way to try before you buy has got us hooked on many a game that we may never have otherwise picked up, and with a number of demos offering the chance to carry your data over from the trial into the full...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (March 18th)
Searching for lost demons?
Hooray, the weekend is here! It's the weekend, everybody! Before we dive into what we're going to be playing, let's take a peek at what's been happening in the world of Nintendo this week. First up, Nintendo saw fit to add not one, not two, but four new titles to its Nintendo Switch Online service. We reckon that's...
Review Herman Miller X Logitech G Vantum Gaming Chair - Is It Worth It?
No slouch
There are certain pieces of advice we wish we could go back and give our early-20s selves. We're talking practical, preventative health tips borne of life experience; things that could have saved us physical discomfort — if not downright pain — and put our now-30-something bodies in better stead for the decades ahead. Tips like 'invest...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Flipnote Studio 3D
#22 - Flipping amazing
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 24 Indie Games We're Excited About On Switch In 2023
Make room on your SD card!
We've updated this list with some new announcements following Summer Game Fest and some of the showcases across the event, including the Wholesome Direct 2023, Future Games Show, and more! 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...