Latest Interviews
July2023
Feature A Brief History Of Romance Of The Three Kingdoms, The Series That Spawned Dynasty Warriors
Sangokushi, from NES to Switch
It is the third century AD and war rages across the region that would one day become China. To the north, the Cao Wei state has been founded, led by Cao Pi after the death of his father. In the west, Shu Han’s founder, Liu Bei, considers himself the rightful ruler of all of China in the wake of the Han Dynasty’s...
Feature From Banjo To Mario - Grant Kirkhope Talks Big Huge Troubles And Composing For Massive IPs
Part Two: "How the f*** am I going to write music for a Mario game!?"
Last week, in celebration of Banjo-Kazooie's 25th anniversary, we published the first part of our career-spanning interview with Mr. Grant Kirkhope, composer extraordinaire and the man responsible for some of our favourite music ever, video game or otherwise. Part One covered his...
June2023
Feature From Bon Jovi To Banjo - Grant Kirkhope On The "Complete Fluke" Of His Rare Musical Journey
Part One: Mr. Banjongles
Grant Kirkhope is an interviewer's dream, and not just because he's responsible for some all-time great video game soundtracks. He’s great company — frank, funny, and loquacious. We spoke to him most recently for our Nintendo Life VGM Fest back in 2021 and only ended up publishing a small fraction of our chat in our...
"To some extent, all of the characters in the game reflect the theme"
Nintendo's 2023 started off with a bang. Fire Emblem Engage launched in January and brought the series back to its combat-focused roots, forgoing the relationship-sim elements that had worked so well in its predecessor, Three Houses, for a game where the action came thick and...
Feature A Kou Shibusawa Production - Changing History With Koei Tecmo's OG Strategy Studio
“The more we learn…the more it fuels our creativity”
History fans love to ask a good 'what if?' question. A completely hypothetical situation to explore how small changes could impact the course of world events. Video games that explore these kinds of questions usually fall into the grand strategy genre, putting players at the head of a...
Feature Head Of Gust On 'Atelier Marie Remake' And Returning To Series' Alchemical Roots
Alchemical Origins
The Atelier series has, believe it or not, been with us since 1997 back when Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg was first released on the original PlayStation in Japan. In the years since, we've seen a pretty staggering number of additions to the franchise, with 25 mainline entries alongside a smattering of spin-offs. There's...
Feature How Super Mario World Became An Award-Winning Book Of Verse
“Super Mario World has one of my most difficult experiences wound through its code"
Most of us have some childhood memory of games – be it Pokémon Blue, Tetris, or Super Mario Bros. When we dust off those old consoles, the games often trigger memories of our lives outside the screen too. In his heart-wrenching series of poems, If All the World...
Vatar you going to do about it?
If you're of a certain vintage you may just about remember being thoroughly impressed with the graphical prowess of Starbreeze Studios' Enclave when it first released on the original Xbox all the way back in 2002. Starbreeze was about to have a great big Vin Diesel-shaped success in the form of The Chronicles of...
May2023
Feature A Visit To '84 Hashi', Tokyo's Secret Nintendo Staff Bar Now Open To You
Eiji Aonuma? “Drinking buddy.” Shigeru Miyamoto?...
There’s no shortage of fascinating Nintendo-related places to visit in Tokyo. You could explore shops for boxed Famicom games, sit down and eat a Kirby burger, or play Punch-Out!! in its original cabinet at a retro arcade. Yet one attraction was hidden from Nintendo diehards for years. A...
Feature "What If The Celebrated Detective Was Actually A Bit Of A Bumbling Fool?"
How lockdown led to comedy-mystery 'Loco Motive'
Creating an engaging and humorous point-and-click adventure can be a hefty challenge at the best of times, but for developer Robust Games, the endeavour provided a much-needed release from the isolation that the nationwide lockdowns spawned during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. Since its initial...
Feature How Metroidvania 'Afterimage' Crafts A Gorgeous Visual Identity In A Crowded Genre
"It has to be the cats!"
We've gushed plenty of times over the stunning-looking Metroidvania Afterimage by developer Aurogon Shanghai. From its beautiful animation style to stunning watercolour backgrounds and hand-drawn characters and world, amidst the bustling genre of Metroidvania, it stands out in the best possible way. The blend of colourful...
April2023
Feature Cassette Beasts Dev On Doing What Pokémon Doesn't In A Zelda-Inspired Overworld
"We wanted to do something with a bit more maturity"
“How can two people make a monster-collecting game that does stuff that Pokémon doesn’t do?” This question was at the forefront of Jay Baylis and Tom Coxon’s early discussions on what would later become Cassette Beasts, a creature-collecting RPG with an emphasis on good tunes that...
Feature Paranormasight Devs On Urban Legend, CRT TVs, And Potential Sequels
"We’re looking at a completely blank slate in terms of future developments"
Square Enix's stuffed slate of releases over the past year has given us some stellar titles, but among some of their biggest releases, this year's Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo should not be overlooked. Revealed during a Japanese Nintendo Direct in February...
Feature Nintendo Players UK - A Decade Of The UK's Biggest Nintendo Fan Community
Celebrating 10 years of meetups this August
In the gaming industry, Nintendo sets itself apart not just with the quality of its games and its evergreen catalogue of classic characters, but also a focus on community. Whether through software that brings people of all ages together, hardware features like StreetPass, or the local multiplayer...
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...
March2023
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
February2023
Feature Super Nintendo World's Show Producer And Head Chef Shed Light On The New Park's Development
"Chef Toad is always working on something new"
Super Nintendo World is now open to the public, and our lovely Video Producer Zion got to go over and check out the new park for himself. As part of his visit, he managed to speak with two key figures from the park: Julia Thrash, the Head Chef at Toadstool Cafe, and Abbye Finnan, the Show Producer for...
January2023
Feature Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider's JoyMasher On Dev Nightmares And Changing Direction
"It was originally supposed to be more linear, like Dracula X"
Publisher The Arcade Crew and developer Joymasher have just launched their latest retro-inspired title Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, an homage to classic 16-bit action platformers like Shinobi III and Hagane: The Final Conflict. The game is a remarkably authentic retro experience that...
Feature "Arcade Games Are Poetry" - 'Strider' Director On The Return Of 'Cannon Dancer'
"Now you can enjoy the miracle of a timeless classic of the past"
One of 2023's biggest surprises is the return of Cannon Dancer - Osman. Developed by Mitchell Corporation and released in arcades in 1996, thanks to a limited run of arcade machines for the game in the west, this side-scrolling gem was once lost to time. But very soon — 9th March...
Feature Mecha And Memories - How 16-Bit Nostalgia Influenced SNES-Style JRPG 'Chained Echoes'
"Xenoblade Chronicles 3 nearly caused a delay"
A world where dragons exist and people pilot mechs? Not the most common of combinations — despite both elements often appearing in RPGs frequently over the years — but for SNES and PS1-inspired JRPG Chained Echoes, this is completely the norm. Revealed back in 2019, the game blasted through its...
Feature "No Man's Sky Will Never Run On That" - Sean Murray Talks Defying The Odds On Switch
"I have a good history of being right sometimes and totally wrong other times"
Anyone who has played or has even been remotely interested in No Man's Sky over the past six years will most likely have heard of Sean Murray. The founder of development studio Hello Games and creator of No Man's Sky's ever-expanding universe, Murray's name sits above the...
December2022
Feature Why Is Splatoon So Popular In Japan?
Nintendo is squids in
It happened almost overnight. One day in May 2015, Splatoon merch appeared everywhere in Japan. Baby inklings dangled from kids’ backpacks. Squid-girl stickers adorned pencil cases. Convenience stores advertised raffles for figurines, coffee cups, and Splatoon-branded bags. This explosion of Splat-swag was perhaps more of a...
Noir goes lucid
One of the biggest surprises and standouts during the 13th September Nintendo Direct was the reveal of Master Detective Archives: RAIN CODE, a brand new mystery game from Kazutaka Kodaka, the creator of the Danganronpa series. Set in a rainy city full of bright lights, and embracing a more dark fantasy style compared to the pink...
Feature "Unfinished Business" - Why Gilbert & Grossman Returned To Monkey Island
Working with Disney, Devolver, and fans
Does Guybrush Threepwood still want to be a pirate? This, after all, was the Monkey Island protagonist’s very first proclamation 32 years ago: “My name is Guybrush Threepwood, and I want to be a pirate!” But given the fact that he’s only set sail in five previous Monkey Island adventures sprinkled...
Feature "Shovel Knight Feels Like Our 'Mario', But We Kept Wondering What Our 'Zelda' Might Be"
Yacht Club Games discusses the creative process for Mina the Hollower
Yacht Club Games is a company that needs little introduction, particularly thanks to the huge success and acclaim for Shovel Knight, a title that had multiple major expansions and campaigns over a number of years. The company has been busy beyond that too; last year it published...
Feature WayForward On Expanding The 'River City Girls' Universe, And Future Plans
"Hopefully players are interested in us expanding this further"
The Kunio-kun spin-off River City Girls returned earlier this month with the release of River City Girls 2, and Nintendo Life was lucky enough to catch up recently with game director Bannon Rudis as well as WayForward's director of business development, Adam Tierney. Before we dive in,...
Feature Cuphead Creators On The Perfect Physical Edition, Animation, And Working With Netflix
"Partnering with the team at iam8bit was right for us"
It's kind of amazing to think that, before this month, Cuphead had never had a physical launch. This seminal run-and-gun indie, visually inspired by the rubber hose animation from the 1930s and the Jazz age, made a huge splash in 2017 on Xbox and Windows, and with a Switch port finally...
November2022
Feature "We Received Many Requests To Bring Back The Puzzle Bobble Series"
Puzzle Bobble Everybubble's director on Bub and Bob's upcoming return
We're big fans of Taito's Bubble Bobble spin-off series Puzzle Bobble around these parts. We used to know it as Bust-A-Move in the West, and news that a new entry in the series was coming to Switch next year courtesy of publisher ININ got us rather excited. Puzzle Bobble...
Feature From 'Retro Bowl' To 'Retro Goal' - How New Star Games Returned To Its Grass Roots
"it’s not just a quick and simple port over from mobile"
Earlier this year we became enamoured by Retro Bowl, a simple, addictive American football game inspired by '90s arcade classics from the team behind the hugely popular 'New Star' mobile series. While it may have been New Star Soccer which brought the team at New Star Games to our attention...
Feature "We Had A Lot To Learn" - Sloclap Talks Bringing 'Sifu' To Switch
"There’s always doubt regarding the reception of a game"
Having launched earlier this year on a couple of non-Switch platforms (yeah, apparently they exist!), Sloclap's Sifu has garnered much praise in the months since. A punishing 3D beat 'em up with roguelike elements and other genre ingredients, it struck a chord with PC and PlayStation-owning...
Feature It Takes Two Devs "Confident" The Switch Port Will Exceed Expectations
"At the time when we signed on, it wasn’t a GOTY title"
When developer Hazelight Studios launched It Takes Two back in March 2021 in partnership with Electronic Arts, it's safe to say that the co-op action-adventure title took everybody by surprise. By combining split-screen gameplay with a narrative that's both hilarious and poignant in equal...
October2022
Random Hideki Kamiya Echoes Every Nintendo Fan's Wishes For The Switch Successor
We feel you, Kamiya
The wait for Bayonetta 3 is once again bringing PlatinumGames to the forefront of our minds, and a recent VGC interview with some of the studio's lead board members (including Takao Yamane, Atsushi Inaba and Hideki Kamiya) is showing that even the top-dogs of game design have got their hopes for the next Nintendo console. In a...
September2022
Feature We Take The Fan-Created 'Super Mario Bros. 5' For A Spin
Spoilers: It's a blast
Although Nintendo seems to have largely forgotten about it, Super Mario Maker 2 still has its fans. Indeed, so it should; it's a remarkably accessible creative tool for users to turn the Mario levels of their dreams into a reality with an incredibly intuitive UI and toolkit that built on the foundation of the remarkable Wii U...
August2022
Making worlds, characters, and memories in 'I Was a Teenage Exocolonist'
Revealed for Switch back in July, publisher Finji is bringing Northway Games' I Was a Teenage Exocolonist to Nintendo's console (and others) on 25th August. A narrative RPG with card-based battles, it sees you growing up in an off-world colony, with all the hardship that brings...
Lamb do the slaughter
Devolver Digital's latest game in their stables of gory, bizarre, and irreverent releases is Massive Monster's Cult of the Lamb, a game so perfectly-pitched to the Devolver crowd that it's hard to believe it wasn't an in-house project. It's a cult simulator, but with cute li'l woodland animals instead of bloodthirsty...
July2022
Feature Dynamax Ain’t That Bad - Pokemon’s Recent Battle Mechanics Ranked
VGC pro Wolfe Glick talks Mega Evolutions, Z-Moves, and Dynamax
From Generation III onward, Game Freak has altered Pokémon’s core battle mechanics in some way or another. Double Battles and the Physical/Special move split fundamentally changed the way people play Pokémon both casually and competitively, but it’s the latter three — Mega...
Exclusive "The Farming Genre Is A Bit Tired" - How SunnySide Aims To Refresh The Farm Sim
"In order to have a Sunny Side, there has to be a dark side…"
It is a truth, universally acknowledged, that farming games all have a lot in common. Crops, livestock, and dateable townsfolk are the staples of the genre, and if you've played one, you've likely experienced what a lot of them have to offer — and that's not even necessarily a bad...
Feature "A Story Without Antagonism Or Violence" - How Blanc Tells The Story Of Two Unlikely Friends
A chat with Casus Ludi
During June's Nintendo Direct Mini, you may have seen a game that looked a little bit like heartbreaking Disney flick The Fox And The Hound — except instead of a fox, it's a wolf, and instead of a hound, it's a deer. This was Blanc, a gorgeous, monochrome, hand-drawn game from French studio Casus Ludi, coming to the Switch...
Feature Is Pokémon Unite Ready For Its Moment At The Pokémon World Championships?
The Pokémon MOBA showcases its competitive chops in August
Before last year, a Pokémon spin-off in the style of League Of Legends felt like an obscure offshoot, even for a franchise that’s pitched Pikachu as a coffee-swilling detective. In many ways, a Pokémon MOBA makes considerable sense – as a world filled with hundreds of unique monsters...
Exclusive Dogs, Death, And Fantasy Life - An Interview With The Creators Of Potion Permit
(Yes, you can pet the dog. No, the dog doesn't die)
There's a slew of charming life sim-type games on the slate for the Nintendo Switch in 2022 and 2023, and Potion Permit is one of the ones we're most intrigued about. Published by PQube, with a release date of September 22nd, 2022, Potion Permit is all about tending to the ailments to the people...
Feature What It Takes To Be A Zelda: Breath Of The Wild World Record Speedrunner
BOTW's best 'runners talk tricks and clips
It’s 1 AM and you have just spent the past 12 hours replaying the same segment of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In your mind, there is no stopping until perfection is achieved – or the more likely option – you pass out from sleep deprivation. For the next few weeks, you continue to hone...
June2022
Feature Spidersaurs Lands On Switch In July, WayForward Talks Saturday Cartoons And Contra
Everybody walk the spidersaur
Over the past 30 years, WayForward, makers of the Shantae series, has made a name for itself by crafting retro-flavoured gems that combine the best of modern gaming with an unashamedly old-school aesthetic and game feel. Whether it's baked into their own projects (such as the Mighty series or the aforementioned Shantae...
Feature Takashi Iizuka, Head Of Sonic Team, Speaks About Sonic Origins, Sprites, And Future Plans
"Sonic Adventure will always remain very dear to me"
Sonic the Hedgehog fans have had plenty to talk about of late. The staggered gameplay reveals and initial reactions to Sonic Frontiers have been one of the big talking points throughout this not-E3 2022 period, but we've also had the impending release of Sonic Origins to look forward to. While the...
Exclusive Zelda-Meets-Stardew In 'Moonstone Island', The Game That Has It All
Farming, Fighting, And Fishbo
Disclosure notice: In the time since the publication of this article, Nintendo Life staffer Kate Gray has contributed writing to Moonstone Island. She has had no involvement in our coverage since joining the project, and we won't be reviewing the game. Moonstone Island is one of the games we're most excited about this...
Feature Temtem Dev On The Difficulties Of Bringing The Pokémon Rival To Switch
"There were a lot of sacrifices and a lot of difficulties"
First announced back in 2018 before dropping onto Steam Early Access in 2020 and later PS5, Temtem garnered a lot of well-deserved attention as a worthy challenger to Pokémon’s tried-and-true formula, with a focus on developing the online social and competitive elements of Game Freak's...
Feature How The Quintessential Essence Of Pokémon Games Inspires Gen After Gen
Insight from Pokémon World Champions and Temtem’s Director
In 1998 my Canadian elementary school banned everything to do with Pokémon. The games, the trading cards, and discussions about the anime – all of it was off-limits as Pocket Monster fever swept through North America like a swarm of Rattata, distracting us from our in-class reading of...
May2022
Hands On Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge - The Ultimate 'Retro Throwback'?
We chat to Dotemu and Tribute Games about the road from 1987 to 2022
It feels like an age ago now, but when Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge was announced it triggered excitement among gamers of all ages. For sure, some of the reaction came from players of a certain vintage that remember the original show and the TMNT arcade game,...
Feature Save Me, Mr. Tako! Dev On Japan, 'Franglais', And Parting Ways With Nicalis
"Since it was delisted and not transferred, I can’t legally use the original version"
It's a year to the day since Save Me Mr Tako: Definitive Edition arrived on Switch eShop, and with an anniversary update and physical version now available to pre-order, we thought it was a great time to revisit this interview with the game's creator. Enjoy! In...
April2022
Feature 'AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative' Director Talks New Gameplay Features
We delve into the Somnium of Akira Okada
As we approach the summer release of AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative, we've been introduced to a new protagonist, new gameplay elements, and a brand new mystery. The blend of character interaction and unusual detective elements from the predecessor look like they'll be amped up to eleven in the...
Feature How Limited Run's New Engine Respects The Legacy Of Classic Games
"If we’re going to make a change that sweeping, the original needs to be there as well"
The world of physical media in brick-and-mortar stores has dwindled in recent years due to the proliferation of digital storefronts readily and conveniently available on modern platforms. While some would never think to pay the same (or more) on a digital game...
March2022
Feature How Audio Description Can Make Trailers And Video Gaming More Accessible
We chatted to AD experts, Descriptive Video Works
Accessibility in games is an important topic that has been receiving a lot more well-deserved attention over the past few years, in large part thanks to accessibility advocates and large companies taking up the mantle. But we still have a long way to go — as recent discussions over the difficulty...
Feature We Talked To The Godzilla-Obsessed Devs Of Kaiju Co-Op Beat-'Em-up, Dawn Of The Monsters
Like a Mothra to a flame
Do you hate kaiju? Yeah! So do we. Godzilla needs to be taken down a peg or two, if you ask us, which you didn't. Well, now you can live the kaiju-fighting punch-a-thon of your dreams in Dawn of the Monsters, the latest game from Runbow developers 13AM and publisher WayForward, who themselves made Contra 4 and River City...
Feature So, One Horse-Sized Duck Or Ten Duck-Sized Horses? Yoko Taro Answers The Big Question
Voice of Cards: The Forsaken Maiden devs answer some quick Qs
Game development these days regularly involves multiple dozens of people — sometimes hundreds or thousands — and typically games take many years of gestation before arriving. Even smaller releases from indie studios might be years in the making, which is just one of the things that...
"I guess architecture and cave paintings win this race"
While many of us treasure the broad range of games that modern gaming brings us through download stores, we're regularly reminded that these platforms — and the creations they host — are finite. That came into focus recently when Nintendo announced the timeline for closing both the Wii U...
February2022
Feature "I Think Studio Saizensen And I Will Make A Second Cotton Rock 'N' Roll”
Cotton Fantasy devs on building a new entry for the iconic cute-’em-up series
Over the decades Success Corporation has crafted a great many shmups that are distinct and captivating in equal measure. Games like the sublime Psyvariar, with its remarkable bullet grazing system and adaptive difficulty, or the curious, vibrant-yet-gritty...
Feature From Zelda Fangames To The Real Deal, We Talk To The Ocean's Heart Developer
"I’ve always viewed Zelda: Minish Cap as the height of pixel art"
The list of games overtly inspired by Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda franchise isn't small, but it's nevertheless impressive to see what some of the smallest development teams, in particular, can achieve. Ocean's Heart is a recent example on the Switch eShop, a game that's been...
Feature Kit & Krysta: "We Both Consider Ourselves To Be Disciples Of Reggie"
Kit & Krysta on post-Nintendo plans, bickering, and Nintendo execs
News that Nintendo Minute hosts Kit and Krysta were leaving Nintendo signalled the end of an era for many fans who have followed their careers with the company through years of the fun video series. However, the pair soon revealed plans for their own podcast and it seems they'll be...
Feature Brownies President Talks 'Egglia Rebirth' And Working On 'Mother 3'
"Itoi-san replaced all the placeholder text... and it just completely changed the tone"
Assembled by a team of former Mana series veterans at Brownies and released on 10th February, Egglia Rebirth is a cracking good RPG on Switch that began life on mobile devices. Egglia, in its initial incarnation, was one of the company's first projects after...
Feature Atelier Series Producer On Popularity Polls, Seamless Battles, And Returning To Sophie
"We looked over the reactions we received on social media"
2022 is the 25th anniversary year of Koei Tecmo and Gust Co.'s Atelier RPG series. It debuted in 1997 back on PlayStation with Atelier Marie: The Alchemist of Salburg, and Switch owners have several entries in its library to choose from, including the very successful Atelier Ryza and
Feature Infernax Devs Discuss Gross-Out Pixel Gore And Calling It A 'Zeldavania'
"many of the [Metroidvania] elements are mostly inspired by the second Zelda"
If you're into modern games with retro style, you've got no shortage of options on Switch. For years now talented younger developers have been channelling nostalgia and affection for the games of their youth into new titles that update classic mechanics and genres with...
Feature The Last Worker Promises To Be "Memorable, Heartfelt" And "Chunkiest" On Switch
"I adore the Switch"
The Last Worker is a title that, with each passing month, is attracting more attention and curiosity. It's a project led by Jörg Tittel, whose career has seen him work across the arts in TV, film and games. Revealed last year with an enigmatic trailer, it also achieved the notable landmark of being showcased at the 78th Venice...
January2022
Feature Zero Escape Creator Talks 'AI: The Somnium Files - nirvanA Initiative'
Kotaro Uchikoshi discusses the upcoming sequel
Detective adventure AI: The Somnium Files released on Switch back in September 2019, one of a wave of excellent adventure games and visual novels to come to the system over the last few years. Written and directed by Kotaro Uchikoshi, creator of the excellent Zero Escape series, the game put you to work...
Feature These Incredible Game Boy Mods Are All By The Same Guy
He is the 'Game Boy' Boy
Some people are blessed with all the talent, and one of those people is Andy Sexton, who's not only content with being the Creative Director at Hi-Rez Studios (Smite, Paladins) — he's also a very good Game Boy modder in his free time. We can't be too mad, though, because he also takes wonderful photos of those mods and...
Feature The Man Making Brand New NES Games In 2021
Alastair Low explains 8-bit love and how he's making games more dyslexia-friendly
Alastair Low hadn’t even been born when the NES was originally released in the UK. But he spent much of his childhood joyously playing on Nintendo’s 8-bit wonder machine after picking one up for a pittance at a car boot sale in the mid-1990s. “I remember getting...
Feature "The eShop Is Just Way Too Slow" - Deku Deals Creator On Nintendo's Switch Storefront
The best way to search for Switch deals sure ain't on Switch
Most fans would agree that Nintendo’s current eShop for Switch could use some work. Sure, it serves its purpose well from a purely transactional standpoint, but there are some glaring issues at the heart of it. The layout makes it difficult to just casually browse and find interesting...
December2021
Feature Where Does Competitive Pokémon Go From Here?
Aaron “Cybertron” Zheng on what the future holds
Two years have passed since Pokémon Sword and Shield inaugurated the eighth generation of Pokémon games. With it came indignation from some fans, though most agreed Sword and Shield didn’t flounder when it came to its competitive scene. Pokémon tournaments are played under the Video Game...
Feature Steven Spohn On Strides In Accessibility For Gaming, And Nintendo's Room For Improvement
"Back in the day Nintendo was at the forefront of accessibility, at some point they just stopped"
Earlier this year Steven Spohn hit an incredible fundraising landmark prior to his 40th Birthday; in forming alliances with a lot of creators and gamers globally, along with some welcome support from influential figures, he raised over one million...
"I think what they're gonna see is a nice live-feeling and chaotic show"
Listen, Rob's not messing around here. He knows his games As we reported just a few days ago, Scottish comedian, writer, poet and self-professed "God of Games" Robert Florence has been announced as host of the upcoming reboot of Channel 4's iconic GamesMaster. Alongside...
Feature What Is The Zelda 'Formula'? We Break Down The Secret Recipe
12 ingredients that make a game feel like Zelda
Have you ever played a game and thought, “This feels a bit like Zelda?” Only the other week, we described the excellent Eastward as “quite a bit like a 2D Zelda game”, and the PC/Xbox game Death's Door — a title that our sister site Pure Xbox called "a 2021 GOTY contender" when awarding it a...
Lena Raine talks Chrono Trigger and wanting to write "a really rowdy anime opening"
Lena Raine's meteoric rise over the past few years has taken her from working in Quality Assurance at ArenaNet, all the way to being nominated for a BAFTA and an award for Best Music at The Game Awards — pretty impressive for someone who's technically only nine...
"Leave it to the big companies to overwhelm the players... let's do what only we can do!"
Here at Nintendo Life we're huge fans of Ancient, the company set up by composer Yuzo Koshiro and his family which has worked on some absolute brilliant games over the last three decades — including Mega Drive classics Streets of Rage 2 and Beyond Oasis, and...