Tag: Nintendo - Page 9
Feature Zelda's Forgotten Steward - Who Is Hidemaro Fujibayashi?
The man, the myth, the legend
Since his outstanding work on The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, director and producer Eiji Aonuma has cemented himself as the driving force behind one of Nintendo’s most celebrated, enduring, and lucrative franchises. For many Zelda fans, he holds just about as much prestige in the ranks of Nintendo as Shigeru...
News Splatoon 3 Splatfest "Sneak Peek" And Voting Now Live, Includes Free Goodies
FrostyFest starts next week
The "sneak peek" of the Splatoon 3 FrostyFest is now officially underway. The theme, as previously revealed, is "Who do you spend holidays with?" and the choices are friends, family or "solo". The pledge box is now available in the plaza, so you can cast your vote. As highlighted by Nintendo: "Each time you level up your...
News Nintendo Shares 'Most Played' Switch Games In 2023 (Europe)
The usual suspects
Nintendo recently shared a list via the Switch news channel featuring the system's 'most played' games in Europe last year. This same list has also been on the Switch's Australia and New Zealand news feeds. As you might have already guessed, a lot of major first-party releases are included along with some of the biggest...
News 'Switch 2' Will Be An Iterative Evolution And Will Cost $400, Predicts Analyst
Game prices may increase, too
An analyst has predicted that Nintendo's next console will be an iterative evolution on the current Switch and will cost $400 at launch. Oh, and it's apparently also coming this year. Speaking via a predictions round-up over on GamesIndustry.biz, Dr. Serkan Toto, CEO of game industry consultancy firm Kantan Games, has...
UK Charts Mario Wonder Takes Silver, But Nabs The Single-Format Xmas No. 1
Nabb'dit
The first breakdown of physical sales in the UK for 2024 is here, with Hogwarts Legacy taking the top spot just ahead of Super Mario Bros. Wonder in the final week of 2023. According to GfK (thanks, GamesIndustry), the former is also the biggest boxed game of 2023, supplanting EA's footballing juggernaut for the first time in a decade. You...
News Mario's New Voice Actor Reflects On 2023, Thanks Fans For Their Support
"I have lived a lifetime's worth of dreams"
One of the biggest reveals last year was the new voice of Mario. In case you missed it - it's Kevin Afghani, who has now officially replaced Charles Martinet and is also voicing other characters in the series like Luigi and Wario. At the time, Kevin thanked Nintendo, and now to wrap up the previous year,...
Talking Point Our 2024 Nintendo Gaming Predictions
More Mario? Surely not!?
Welcome to the future. You, dear reader, are reading these words in the far-off, distant, sci-fi future year that is 2024. While the hoverboards, flying vehicles, and inside-out trousers have all apparently been delayed in this branch of the timeline due to some spacetime-related cock up, at least Skynet is coming along...
News Plans Are Reportedly In Place To Celebrate Earthbound's 30th Anniversary
We all know what we want, though
This year marks the 30th anniversary of EarthBound (known in Japan as Mother 2) and, according to the official X (formerly Twitter) page, plans are in place to celebrate the hefty milestone (thanks, My Nintendo News). What these plans are, exactly, is up in the air at the moment, but we're not expecting anything...
Reminder 103 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Hits For The Holidays' Sale (US)
Every Switch game on sale that we scored 9/10
Update: Just a reminder that this North American sale is wrapping up last thing on Wednesday 3rd January 2024, so there's still time to pick up anything you fancied with a nice discount. In Europe, Nintendo went and launched a separate New Year 2024 sale that runs until mid-January — we're not sure if...
Random Mario Wonder Prototyped Yoshi's Egg-Throwing Mechanic
Unfortunately, it was too "hard to control"
Super Mario Bros. Wonder contains all sorts of hidden secrets and surprises, but there were also a lot of ideas left on the cutting room floor. As highlighted by producer Takashi Tezuka during a chat with Famitsu last week, there was a point during the game's development when the team considered Yoshi's...
News Shigeru Miyamoto Isn't Really Thinking About Retiring
His focus is on Nintendo's future
Japanese video game creator Shigeru Miyamoto isn't getting any younger, so what exactly are his plans regarding retirement? The Guardian recently asked the Nintendo legend if he was "ever tempted" to call time on his outstanding career and although he's been at the company since its arcade era, he's apparently got...
Feature 'The Art Of Nintendo Power' Exhibit - A Guided Tour
"The whole mission is to share the work"
Have you ever seen an original Contra up close? What about an original Mario Kart? For Stephan Reese, organizer and showrunner for the non-profit Interactive Art Collection (and a Senior Producer at video game developer Bungie when he’s not busy doing that), it’s his life’s mission that you might have...
Feature A Look Inside Seattle's Real-Life Animal Crossing Aquarium
Seattle creatures
Eager to compare Critterpedias, Caitlin Johnson recently headed down to Seattle Aquarium to check out its new Nintendo collaboration... If you ever wanted to have Animal Crossing’s long-time museum curator Blathers teach you about marine life in reality, now is your chance. Nintendo and the Seattle Aquarium announced last month...
Soapbox FOMO Nearly Ruined Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom For Me
Too much background noise?
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 looks back on how Tears of the Kingdom's launch hype on social media may have affected his own enjoyment of the game... On May 12th, 2023, I, like countless other...
Memory Pak Making Contact With The "Ungoogleable" Game I Couldn't Quite Remember
What's that one with the plumber and the mushrooms again?
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today, Jim is reflecting on a years-long dilemma he faced over an oft-forgotten DS game, and wonders how we deal with "video...
Soapbox Charles Martinet Made Gaming's Greatest Accident A Real Character
Star power
[video: Ryan met Charles. Good times! Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Gavin reflects on how Charles Martinet helped craft a character that, somehow, isn't the most irritating stereotype imaginable... How many times...
Feature Meet The Virtual Boy Fan Making New Tech And Games For Nintendo's Console Curio
"I thought, 'Hey, I can probably do that'"
As the reputed black sheep of the Nintendo console family, one might think 1995’s Virtual Boy to be the last piece of hardware capable of garnering an enthusiast following today. Discontinued after less than a year on the market and never released in Europe, the elusive red-and-black headset is remembered...
Feature What Video Game Consultants Actually Do, And Why ‘Kit & Krysta’ Are Doing It
Never A Minute consultants assess our killer game idea
I have an idea for a video game. Actually, I’ve been making it for about six months now. My video game is a rhythm-based game. It’s also an American football game. To play it, you choose between plays, just like any sports game … but your play only succeeds if you push the buttons in...
Talking Point What Was The Best Switch Moment Of 2023?
It's been a bumper year
It's no understatement to say that 2023 has been stacked with memorable video gaming moments. Yes, the past 12 months might not have brought us new Nintendo hardware, but many of the games and announcements have been among the Switch's best — maybe even Nintendo's best. With three bumper edition Directs, surprise drops,...
Feature Digital Doppelgangers - Home Vs. Handheld Adaptations In The 2000s
To Urbz is human
When I was working on my MFA in Game Design, I referenced Urbz: Sims in the City in a meeting with my thesis advisor, and he asked if I had played the console or the handheld version. I was confident that I’d played the console version growing up. I could recall the memory quite clearly—sitting against a study pillow on my...
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...
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...
Feature Donkey Kong Cymru: The Extremely Brief History Of Welshness In Nintendo Games
Hiraeth of Hyrule
It’s a uniquely Welsh experience. I’ve never been Scottish, or Irish, or Latvian, but those that have inform me when you tell someone where you’re from, the response typically isn’t “What’s that?”. For the Welsh, that basic icebreaker question from anyone outside the UK usually prompts a deep breath and, regardless...
News Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Rated For Switch By ESRB
Returning in 2024
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door will be making a return on the Switch next year and while we've already seen some ratings pop up online, it's now also been rated by the ESRB. It's received a rating of 'E' for "Everyone" and contains "mild fantasy violence" and "mild suggestive themes" with "no interactive elements". Here's the...
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...
Feature The One Thing Wii Did Much Better Than Switch
Point taken
The Sensor Bar. Flimsy little plastic box with the world's longest, spindliest cable. An irritation to every Wii owner who has ever had to move their console. What was it good for? There's not a lot to the Sensor Bar. A little device that emits some infrared light. If the Wii Remote is pointed at one, it recognises that's where the TV...
Guide 70 Switch Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's Festive Offers Sale (Europe)
Every Switch game on sale that got a 9/10 from us
Just a reminder that this Festive Offers Switch eShop sale finishes on Sunday 31st December (although the equivalent sale in North America continues until January 3rd), so make sure you've grabbed anything you wanted before it's over. Carry on! The festive season is finally upon us and Nintendo's...
Soapbox A Love Letter To My Favourite New Character In Zelda: TOTK
You have my full support
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim wants to spread the love for a certain Hylian in need of support... Before getting my hands on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for the first time, I had a...
UK Charts Super Mario Bros. Wonder Narrowly Misses Out On Christmas No. 1
Too bad!
After a short delay this week, the latest UK boxed charts are in, and it's a resounding success for EA Sports FC 24 over the Christmas week as it lands in the number one spot once again. Hot on its heels, however, is Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a game that has maintained strong sales since its launch back in October. Elsewhere, it's a pretty...
Soapbox It's Time For A Zelda 1 Remake, Please
Or a 'temporal localisation', if you like
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, as TOTK anticipation increases to dangerous levels, Gavin explores why it's time for Nintendo to go back to a very specific well... Look, I'm all for...
Video Alex Shares His Top Five Games Of 2023
What a wonder
Well folks, Felix has had his say, Zion has had his say, and now it's Alex's turn. Yep, we're back with one final 'top five Switch games of 2023' from our lovely video team, and as promised, this last list will feature five titles completely different from the previous two, because them's the rules. That means that since Zion and...
News Nintendo Releases Free Super Mario Bros. Movie 'Strategy Guide' (Japan)
Discover all the hidden secrets
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now rolling out on more streaming services around the globe, and to celebrate this, Nintendo has released a free "strategy guide" which shares all the hidden secrets and easter eggs in the movie. All you have to do is log in to Nintendo's Japanese website to access it. The catch is that...
Feature 8-Bit Wolf - Remembering The NES Game Teaching Kids To Conquer Wall Street
It’s all about bucks, kid
When you think back to being in middle school, staying up all night with your friends playing video games, what games are you playing? Is it Mass Effect? Maybe some iteration of Smash or Mario Kart? The big one when I was that age was Street Fighter II in all its iterations. But there's another game that brings back the...
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...
Video Zion Shares His Top Five Switch Games Of 2023
A sea of quality
Ready for another top-five list? Of course, you are. Recently, the stupendous Felix went through his top five Switch games of 2023, and now it's Zion's turn. If you remember what we said in our previous article, there will be no crossover between the lists presented by our wonderful video team, so Zion's list is going to be...
News Switch Online's 'Missions & Rewards' Adds Super Mario Bros. Wonder Icons
Update: The final wave has arrived
Update #2 [Thu 28th Dec, 2023 01:00 GMT]: The final set of Super Mario Bros. Wonder icons are now available to Switch Online members. This latest batch is available from now until 9th January 2024, so get them while you can. These new icons feature Luigi, Toadette, the singing Piranha Plants, and more. Here's a...
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...
Feature Which Zelda Game Has The Best Ganondorf? Every Design Ranked By You
From Ganondorf to Ganondoof
We've all had the weekend to sit and stew over the final pre-launch trailer for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (meaning, watching it another 100+ times) and it is fair to say that we are pretty jazzed for this game now. We're excited to see the changes made to Breath of the Wild's Hyrule, Link's new abilities,...
Video Felix Shares His Top Five Switch Games Of 2023
But what are yours?
It's been quite a year for Switch games, hasn't it? In fact, it's been a busy 2023 for video games full stop, and it'll likely go down as one of the greatest of all time. This makes choosing a 'top five' quite a difficult prospect, but alas, we must. So today, our lovely video producer Felix has sat down with Alex and Zion to...
Video Super Nintendo World Donkey Kong Country Expansion Commercials Released
Opening in Spring 2024
Earlier this month, Universal Studios revealed the Super Nintendo World 'Donkey Kong Country Expansion' would be opening in Japan in Spring 2024. At the time, there was a brief look at what to expect in an official teaser trailer featuring Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong. Now, in an update, a few commercials have surfaced online...
News Switch Online's 'Missions And Rewards' Brings Back Previous 2023 Icons
Get them while you can
Nintendo has offered Switch Online subscribers all sorts of new and exciting icon designs this year and to finish the year it's bringing back "icon parts" you might have missed throughout 2023. This will allow users to redeem icon parts with daily special rewards from now until 10th January 2023. This icon run includes ones...
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...
Feature Samus' Suits, Ranked - Every Metroid Box Art Suit Design, From Worst To Best
"Honey, where's my super suit?"
Metroid's protagonist, Samus Aran, has a rather unique privilege in the world of Nintendo. Unlike characters like Mario, Link, and Kirby, all of whom retain the same general look across their respective franchises (okay, Link is a little more varied than the other two, but still), Samus' basic design can be altered...
Quiz How Well Do You Remember 2023? Nintendo Life's End-Of-Year Gaming Quiz
So THAT was the Imquizioning War...
Out of nowhere, it appears that the end of 2023 has been shadow-dropped. Who saw this coming? It's, like, September now, isn't it? Apparently not. Since it's the so-called "end of the year," we thought that it would be a good time to look back on how much we all remember — because it has been a rather packed...
News New 3DS And Wii U Users Can't Go Online In Games
Update: This particular issue has reportedly been resolved
Update [Wed 27th Dec, 2023 05:30 GMT]: Pretendo has provided a new update, confirming the issues occurring were "indeed unintentional". While not all issues have been resolved, it appears new users on both 3DS and Wii U can now connect to servers. "We noted in our last blog post that it...
Video Mario Wonder Features In Digital Foundry's 'Best Game Graphics Of 2023' Round Up
Metroid Prime gets an honourable mention
Nintendo has got a lot of mileage out of the Switch and graphically speaking it has also pushed the hybrid system to its absolute limits. It's not gone unnoticed this year, either. The tech experts at Digital Foundry have featured Super Mario Bros. Wonder in their "best game graphics of 2023" round up,...
News Zelda: Tears Of The Kingdom Wins Another 'Game Of The Year' Award
Congratulations, Nintendo
Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom has won all sorts of awards since its arrival earlier this year, and now to top it off it's taken out EDGE's 'Game of the Year' award. The outlet placed it ahead of games like Baldur's Gate 3 and Super Mario Bros. Wonder. Along with this, Tears of the Kingdom also took out best Nintendo game,...
News Super Smash Bros. Ultimate DLC amiibo Appear To Be Getting A Restock (US)
You can pre-order select amiibo now
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate celebrated its fifth anniversary earlier this month and now some of the game's amiibo based on the first wave of DLC are getting a restock in the US. As highlighted by Nintendo Everything, GameStop's amiibo webpage has recently listed Joker, Terry and Banjo-Kazooie for USD 15.99 each...
Soapbox In 2023, Mario Got Weird Again
The Year of Mario?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Richard looks back on a year when Nintendo let Mario get a little loose... If 2013 was the Year of Luigi, 2023 may as well have been the Year of Mario. Though only three new...
Guide Switch Guide: Ultimate Nintendo Switch Resource - Everything You Need To Know
A complete guide to the Nintendo Switch
The Nintendo Switch is one of the best-selling consoles of all time. The Switch launched worldwide on 3rd March 2017 and sported the unique ability to be used as both a home and handheld console — switching things up. Get it? Now approaching its eighth year on the market, whether you're a first-time...