The forever war against cheaters.
Author: sick skills
UK Charts: Mario Tennis Fever Gets Lobbed By Old Favourites
Our latest look at the UK charts has arrived, and Nintendo’s latest has taken a bit of a tumble since its silver-medal debut last week.
Yes, Mario Tennis Fever now finds itself down in seventh after two weeks on the market, overtaken by the likes of EA SPORTS FC 26, Mario Kart World, Pokémon Legends: Z-A, and Minecraft — come on, when are these series not doing well?
Tarsier Studios’ wonderfully creepy Reanimal has managed to jump up a spot in its second week, and now finds itself in third place with 20% of its sales coming from Switch 2. And look at Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition making an almighty leap back into the top 10, with Switch 2 as its top platform seller!
Here’s the full top 40, with platform breakdowns for games available on Switch, Switch 2, and other consoles:
| Last Week | This Week | Game | Platform Split |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | EA Sports FC 26 | PS5 47%, Switch 24%, PS4 18%, Switch 2 6% |
|
3 |
2 | Mario Kart World | |
|
4 |
3 |
Reanimal |
PS5 67%, Switch 2 20%, Xbox Series 13%, PC 1% |
|
7 |
4 | Pokémon Legends: Z-A | Switch 51%, Switch 2 49% |
|
9 |
5 | Minecraft | |
|
14 |
6 |
Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 |
|
|
2 |
7 | Mario Tennis Fever | |
|
8 |
8 | Animal Crossing: New Horizons | Switch 76%, Switch 2 24% |
|
20 |
9 | Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition | Switch 2 53%, PC 33%, PS5 11%, Xbox Series 2% |
|
– |
10 | Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate | PS5 60%, PS4 39%, Switch 1%, Xbox Series 0% |
|
13 |
11 | Grand Theft Auto V | |
|
– |
12 | Sonic Racing CrossWorlds | Switch 37%, PS5 31%, PS4 17%, Xbox Series 14% |
|
31 |
13 | Mortal Kombat 1 | PS5 99%, Xbox Series 1%, Switch 0% |
|
12 |
14 | Battlefield 6 | |
|
28 |
15 | LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga | PS5 37%, PS4 30%, Xbox Series 17%, Switch 16% |
|
– |
16 |
Hogwarts Legacy |
Switch 40%, PS5 36%, Switch 2 18%, PS4 5% |
|
18 |
17 | Mario Kart 8 Deluxe | |
|
10 |
18 | Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon | |
|
16 |
19 | Donkey Kong Bananza | |
|
23 |
20 | Nintendo Switch Sports | |
|
39 |
21 | Assassin’s Creed Shadows | PS5 50%, Switch 2 31%, Xbox Series 19% |
|
21 |
22 | Super Mario Party Jamboree | Switch 64%, Switch 2 36% |
|
– |
23 | Star Wars Outlaws | PS5 53%, Switch 2 36%, Xbox Series 11% |
|
22 |
24 | Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 | |
|
24 |
25 | Monster Hunter Wilds | |
|
– |
26 |
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond |
Switch 62%, Switch 2 38% |
|
35 |
27 | It Takes Two | Switch 78%, PS4 22% |
|
32 |
28 | Tekken 8 | |
|
11 |
29 | Split Fiction | PS5 71%, Switch 2 26%, Xbox Series 3% |
|
33 |
30 | Just Dance 2026 Edition | |
|
34 |
31 | Resident Evil 2 | |
|
37 |
32 | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | Switch 2 62%, Switch 38% |
|
25 |
33 | Ghost of Yotei | |
|
15 |
34 |
Nioh 3 |
|
|
– |
35 | Resident Evil 3 | |
|
30 |
36 | Super Mario Bros. Wonder | |
|
– |
37 | LEGO City Undercover | PS4 78%, Switch 22 |
|
17 |
38 | Dragon Quest VII Reimagined | Switch 33%, PS5 33%, Switch 2 32%, Xbox Series 2% |
|
– |
39 | EA Sports UFC 5 | |
|
– |
40 |
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – From the Ashes |
[Compiled by GfK]
That’s it for this week’s physical UK charts! Any surprises? Did you pick any of these games up? Let us know in the comments.
Resident Evil Requiem Leakers Deserve “A Thousand Deaths”, Says Hideki Kamiya
Resident Evil Requiem has, unfortunately, leaked ahead of its release later this week on 27th February 2026.
Capcom itself has already posted a message on social media urging fans to refrain from sharing any potential spoilers, but now game developer Hideki Kamiya has also offered his own two cents on the matter. Kamiya, as you’ll no doubt know, served as director on the original Resident Evil 2 back in the day, and so knows a thing or two about having his work leak ahead of schedule.
His message is, shall we say, quite extreme. There may well be some inaccuracies with the machine translation here, but the general sentiment is that he wishes “a thousand deaths” upon those who purposefully leak games.
“I’m sure the final developments of Resident Evil 2 were also exposed in a weekly photo magazine… For your own selfish satisfaction, you trampled on the feelings of the users who were looking forward to the game, as well as the feelings of the creators who put all their effort into making it.
“It’s a despicable act that destroys the happiness of everyone, and deserves a thousand deaths… May you be cursed to never be able to play games again…”
We’re not going to support the idea that leakers deserve death, but this is a clear indication of the frustration that developers feel when their work is maliciously put out into the world before the planned release date, potentially ruining the experience for players excited to dive in.
Needless to say, be careful out there, folks. Requiem is mere days away at this point, so be sure to mute any appropriate words on social media and perhaps even adjust your YouTube settings to only show your subscriptions. It’s the wild west out there.
What do you make of Kamiya’s comments here? Are you excited to dive into Requiem later this week? Let us know.
Join Us for Fedora Hatch at SCaLE 23x!
Fedora is heading back to sunny Southern California! As we gear up for SCaLE 23x, we are thrilled to announce a special edition of Fedora Hatch. This is taking place on Friday, March 6 as an embedded track at SCALE.
Whether you’re a long-time contributor, a curious user, or someone looking to make your very first pull request, Fedora Hatch is designed for you. This is our way of bringing the experience of Flock (our annual contributor conference) to a local level. It focuses on connection, collaboration, and community growth.
What’s Happening?
This year, Fedora has secured a dedicated track on Friday at SCALE. We’ve curated a line-up that balances technical deep dives with essential community initiatives.
When: Friday, March 6, 2026
Where: Room 208, Pasadena Convention Center
Who: You! (And a bunch of friendly Fedorans)
The Schedule Highlights
We have a packed morning featuring five talks and a hands-on workshop:
- Getting Started in Open Source and Fedora (Amy Marrich): Are you new to the world of open source? Or are you looking to make your first contribution? This session will provide a guide for beginners interested in contributing to open source projects. It will focus on the Fedora project. We’ll cover a variety of topics, like finding suitable projects, making your first pull request, and navigating community interactions. Attendees will leave with practical tips, resources, and the confidence to embark on their open source journey.
- Fedora Docs Revamp Initiative (Shaun McCance): The Fedora Council recently approved an initiative to revamp the Fedora docs. The initiative aims to establish a support team to maintain a productive environment for writing docs. It will establish subteams with subject matter expertise to develop docs in specific areas of interest. We’ll describe some of the challenges the Fedora docs have faced, and present the progress so far in improving the docs. You’ll also learn how you can help Fedora have better docs.
- A Brief Tour of the Age of Atomic (Laura Santamaria): Ever wished to try a number of different desktop experiences quickly in your homelab? Maybe it’s time to explore Fedora Atomic or Universal Blue! The tour starts with what makes these experiences special. It will then review the options including Silverblue, Cosmic, Bluefin and Bazzite (yes, the gaming OS). We’ll briefly get under the hood to explore bootc, the technology powering Atomic. Finally, we’ll explore how you can contribute to the future of Fedora Atomic.
- Accelerating CentOS with Fedora (Davide Cavalca): This talk will explore how CentOS SIGs are able to leverage the work happening in Fedora to improve the quality and velocity of packages in CentOS Stream. We’ll cover how the CentOS Hyperscale SIG is able to deliver faster-moving updates for select packages, and how the CentOS Proposed Updates SIG integrates bugfixes and improves the contribution process to the distribution.
- Agentic Workloads on Linux: Btrfs + Service Accounts Architecture (David Duncan): As AI agents become more prevalent in enterprise environments, Linux systems need architectural patterns that provide isolation, security, and efficient resource management. This session explores an approach, using BTRFS subvolumes combined with dedicated service accounts, to build secure, isolated environments for autonomous AI agents in enterprise deployment.
- RPM Packaging Workshop (Carl George): While universal package formats like Flatpak, Snap, and AppImage have gained popularity for their cross-distro support, native system packages remain a cornerstone of Linux distributions. These native formats offer numerous benefits. Understanding them is essential for those who want to contribute to the Linux ecosystem at a deeper level. In this hands-on workshop, we’ll explore RPM, the native package format used by Fedora, CentOS, and RHEL. RPM is a powerful and flexible tool. It plays a vital role in the management and distribution of software for these operating systems.
Don’t forget to swing by the Fedora Booth in the Expo Hall! Our team will be there all weekend (March 6–8) with live demonstrations of Fedora Linux 43, GNOME 49 improvements, and plenty of fresh swag to go around.
Registration Details
To join us at the Hatch, you’ll need a SCaLE 23x pass.
- Location: Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E Green St, Pasadena, CA.
- Tickets: Available at the official SCaLE website.
We can’t wait to see you there. Let’s make SCaLE 23x the best one yet!
Guide: Every Nintendo Switch Online Virtual Boy Game Ranked
Of all of Nintendo’s consoles, the Virtual Boy is one of the most fascinating due to being a rare hardware flop in the company’s storied history. It might be the worst-selling Nintendo system ever (and it never even launched in Europe), but there’s some great software and intriguing curios in the VB library.
With just 22 games released worldwide — and several completed but never released — it’s great to have access to them on Switch 1 and 2, if you subscribe at the ‘Expansion Pack’ tier of Nintendo Switch Online.
But which Virtual Boy games on NSO are the best? Well, here’s a ranked list of every VB game on Switch to answer just that question, courtesy of NL readers.
So, grab any accessories you need and let’s dive into every VB playable on Switch…
Nintendo Switch Virtual Boy games – From Worst to Best
7. Golf (VB)
Perhaps it’s our affection for sports games with plain, unadorned titles, or perhaps it’s tough to make a bad golf game, but we quite like Golf.
Its lack of multiplayer and ability to save your progress hurts (although the latter is solved with save states on NSO), not to mention its single course and inevitably repetitive nature, but the base gameplay here is solid, and you could do a lot worse. We give this three headaches out of five.
6. Teleroboxer (VB)
Teleroboxer is one of the entries in the Virtual Boy catalogue that could be legitimately, consistently labelled as ‘fun’. Unfortunately, the experience is extremely short-lived, but while it lasts, this first-person robot fighter isn’t half-bad.
Hardly a sterling recommendation, we know, but we’ll take what we can get. Teleroboxer is worth a look.
5. Innsmouth no Yakata (VB)
A first-person horror game that suffers from similar issues of repetition as many of the console’s other titles, but at least it tried something different.
It all feels a little old-hat by modern standards, but as a curio in the Virtual Boy catalogue, Innsmouth no Yakata — or The Mansion Of Innsmouth as the title is officially localised on NSO — may be worth investigating if you’re into old-school 3D dungeon exploration games.
4. 3D Tetris (VB)
A North American exclusive, 3D Tetris shook up the standard formula by having you look down into the well as the blocks fall away from you. Having to fill in layers rather than make lines feels different to standard Tetris and this features 30 different block types, but the spirit of the game you know and love survives very well.
Let’s face it, the proliferation of more easily accessible Tetris titles would make buying a Virtual Boy to play regular old Tetris a bit silly, no? 3D Tetris, though, is definitely worth investigating. Maybe not worth buying a VB for, but still very good – probably worth getting the cardboard goggles for the Switch Online app.
3. Red Alarm (VB)
A wireframe, on-rails shooter, Red Alarm‘s visuals may be crude, but the 3D effect works very well and there’s plenty of variety in enemies you’ll encounter throughout the game.
Throw in some tight controls and some forgiving mechanics (solid walls — which you may be difficult to discern thanks to the wireframe visuals — don’t cause damage when you bump into them), and you’ve got an impressive little game that’s a must-own if you’ve got a VB.
2. Galactic Pinball (VB)
Galactic Pinball probably isn’t something you’ll be going back to time and again, but that counts for the entire VB library. As pinball titles go, though, this is a decent one, with controls and physics which work well, and if you fancy yourself as a wizard of the pinball variety, this is your first, last, and only port of call on Virtual Boy.
Fortunately, it’s a pretty good one. It’s not worth hunting down an original system to play, but one to seek out on NSO, that’s for sure.
1. Virtual Boy Wario Land (VB)
Arguably the only truly indispensable title on the console, this platformer featuring Mario’s greedy counterpart boasts fabulous visuals and audio to match, and plays much like Wario Land on the Game Boy. It’s easily the system’s best game and one you have almost certainly played already if you are a proud Virtual Boy owner.
While it’s tough to recommend buying any console just for one game — especially at current prices — this is a fine, fine outing for the anti-Mario and, although we don’t endorse stealing, Virtual Boy Wario Land is worth begging or borrowing a Virtual Boy to experience.
Failing that? It’s on NSO now, if you’ve got the requisite accessories. Happy days.
Not a bad boy, huh?
Virtual Boy Nintendo Switch Online FAQ
Finally, we’ve answered some common NSO-related questions elsewhere (yes, Labo VR fans, you can use your goggles with the VB app), but here we’ll answer a few more common questions Nintendo Life readers have about the Virtual Boy games on Switch.
What other games were released for Virtual Boy?
In addition to the selection above, we have the Best Virtual Boy Games listed here, including every title released worldwide for the system (that’s just 22 in total!).
Hudson’s Panic Bomber, Coconuts’ Space Squash, and Nintendo’s own Nester’s Funky Bowling are among notable games not (yet) announced for NSO.
What other Virtual Boy Games are coming to NSO?
At the time of writing, Nintendo has announced a further nine VB games coming to Nintendo Classics sometime in 2026, including two previously unreleased games and two Mario games:
It’s possible that more may come, but that remains to be seen. We’ll update this article as new games drop.
How can I change the ranking in this article?
This is a dynamic, real-time ranking of every available Virtual Boy game playable as part of a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription, compiled with the help of Nintendo Life readers.
You can add (or even change) your User Ratings for every game you’ve played at any time, even after publication. Try searching for your favourite NSO Virtual Boy games in the box below and rate them to influence the order.
If you’re wanting to pick up a Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership to play any or all of these games, grab a subscription here:
Let us know your thoughts below. New games added to the service will appear here, too, so check back in the future and rank them as well. You know, if you like.
And if you’re after a full list of every Nintendo Switch Online retro game currently available, we’re happy to oblige.
Further reading:
Poll: What’s Your Favourite Gen 9 Pokémon?
Phew, we’re finally at the last (for now) generation! Pokémon turns 30 on 27th February, and in honour of this momentous anniversary, we’ve run a series of polls leading up to the big day, asking you to vote for your favourite Pokémon from each generation. The nine winners will then go head-to-head in a final poll at the end of the month.
We’ve covered a generation a day, with each poll open for five days. And now we’re at number nine, number nine, number nine, number nine…
Before we get the poll including candidates from Pokémon Scarlet & Violet and their DLC, voting, let’s see what Team NL thinks of the monsters from this final (for the moment) generation…
So, for the last time before the grand finale. we’ve got 120 Pokémon listed in National Dex order (use the search bar to quickly find a specific one). And remember, you can only choose one!
Thanks for voting! That’s the last of the Gens, but keep an eye out for the final showdown between the nine winners in a week or so’s time.
And if you missed Gens 5, 6, 7, or 8, those polls are still live:
Expect at least five announcements during Apple’s March launch week
Apple’s early March string of announcements will include at least five product launches capped off by its triple-location event on March 4, with the budget MacBook and iPhone 17e tipped to appear.
An “Apple Experience” is being held on March 4, which is widely expected to include multiple product launches. While no-one knows definitively what will be promoted by the company, it will consist of quite a few product introductions.
In Sunday’s “Power On” newsletter for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman writes that Apple is planning three days of announcements. They will take place on Monday, March 2, until Wednesday, March 4.
That last day will be the “Experience” held in New York, London, and Shanghai, and will provide press and influencers with hands-on time with the launches.
He also claims at least five products will be launched over the period. The launches won’t be tied down to just hardware products, as they can also include chip launches and software updates.
Gurman has a good track record for accuracy when it comes to Apple rumors in general. In this case, his claims line up with other reports, including AppleInsider’s expectations of the week.
Top candidates
The top two items Apple could launch that week are the iPhone 17e and the budget MacBook.
The iPhone 17e, based on rumors, will be a spec-bump update to the A19 processor used in the iPhone 17. Packing a 6.1-inch OLED screen, it is set to also gain MagSafe charging and the Dynamic Island.
The A-series MacBook, which will use A15 or A18 Pro chip instead of M-series Apple Silicon, will be a budget-focused model. With a 13-inch display, it will cost around $699 to $750, and have downgraded specifications to match.
It will also arrive in a variety of colors, and retain the signature aluminum casing that Apple’s MacBook lineup is known to use.
A refresh of other Macs is also anticipated, with the M5 Pro and M5 Max chips due to arrive soon, based on the release schedules of previous generations. An iPad Air and iPad refresh is also due.
On the software side, the most obvious thing Apple could launch that warrants some hands-on time is its long-awaited update to Siri. It was expected to arrive as part of iOS 26.4, but didn’t appear in the initial beta.
The event could give a sneak peek to attendees of the new context-aware digital assistant, aided by Google Gemini, before it reaches a wider audience in a future iOS 26.5 beta.
Poll: Will You Be Getting Pokémon FireRed Or LeafGreen On Switch?
After years of waiting, we are finally getting some classic Pokémon on Switch! Nintendo and TPC surprised us all with the announcement that FireRed and LeafGreen will arrive on the Switch eShop immediately after the annual Pokémon Presents on 27th February (with a swanky Special Edition coming to Japan).
We’re ecstatic, of course, though it does leave us with an almighty large decision to make, almost as hard as choosing our starter: which version are we going to buy?
For lifelong Pokémon fans out there, it’s a decision that you have literally made before, probably some 20 years ago in front of a store shelf, but that doesn’t mean that it’s any less pressing this time around. Some people will pick up both versions just because they can, but for many of us, this is a one-and-done deal.
With this in mind, we thought it was only fair that we remind you of the versions’ Pokédex differences here, so you can make an informed decision when they finally drop.
As ever, the games’ biggest distinguishing feature is which Pokémon are/aren’t available to find in the wild, so here’s a list of version exclusives (in Pokédex order), to jog your memory:
FireRed Version-Exclusive Pokémon
- Ekans
- Arbok
- Oddish
- Gloom
- Vileplume
- Psyduck
- Golduck
- Growlithe
- Arcanine
- Shellder
- Cloyster
- Scyther
- Electabuzz
- Bellossom
- Wooper
- Quagsire
- Murkrow
- Qwilfish
- Scizor
- Delibird
- Scarmory
- Elekid
- Deoxys (Attack Forme)
LeafGreen Version-Exclusive Pokémon
- Sandshrew
- Sandslash
- Vulpix
- Ninetales
- Bellsprout
- Weepinbell
- Victreebel
- Slowpoke
- Slowbro
- Staryu
- Starmie
- Magmar
- Pinsir
- Marill
- Azumarill
- Slowking
- Misdreavus
- Sneasel
- Remoraid
- Octillery
- Mantine
- Magby
- Azurill
- Deoxys (Defence Forme)
Of course, all of the above can be obtained in either version with a Trade at the Pokémon Wireless Club in the Pokémon Center. The Switch versions of FireRed and LeafGreen will support this feature via local wireless connection and not via WiFi, so if you don’t have a nearby pal with all the missing monsters you’re after, the wrong version decision might keep you from one of your favourites for a while.
So, with the exclusives fresh in your head, which version will you be getting on Switch? You can share your pick with us in the following poll.
Which version got your vote and why? Let us know in the comments.
Mailbox: A Good Switch 2 Console Pairing, Fun With Strangers, Sterility – Nintendo Life Letters
Welcome back, lovely people, to the Nintendo Life Mailbox.
This month’s been a surprisingly busy one for games, and we’re all on tenterhooks, waiting to see if RE9 is any good. Perhaps all that excitement was too distracting, as correspondence (and, indeed, correspondents) have been few and far between. So, prepare yourself for a slight, ‘Lite’ edition of our monthly letters page feature!
Got something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.
So let’s open it up, poke around the bills, and see what the postie’s brought us this month…
Nintendo Life Mailbox – February 2026
“thrives when parallel” (***STAR LETTER***)
Hello, Nintendolife!
This letter in particular is probably gonna be a bit different, since it’s less focused on Nintendo and more on a different console.
As I mentioned the last time I wrote here, recently, through this website’s recommendation, I got into the Trails series. I’ve been really enjoying it, but after Sky 1st, there was a break of a few games in between the next game playable on Switch 2, since at the time, Zero and Azure weren’t fully functional. So, I decided to pick up a Steam Deck to play the series.
Now that the groundwork and backstory has been laid, let me just say that I have come to realize that the Steam Deck and the Switch 2 complement each other perfectly. If there’s a subpar Switch port, you can play it on Deck. If the game needs just a bit more processing power, you can play it on Switch 2. Need to just boot into a game? Switch. Want to overcustomize and use mods? Steam Deck. Got a group and just want to play some party games? Switch 2 all the way, baby.
Whenever the Deck came out, I was hesitant to buy one. The only discourse about it you heard was “oh, its the Switch killer!” But through using it on my own, I’ve come to realize that it thrives when parallel with the Switch, not competing with it.
I feel like sometimes we tend to forget in the gaming community that every console has its place. Nintendo focuses in on larger, higher-budget games, and without it I wouldn’t have found Octopath, Ace Attorney, or Trails. But Steam gives so many really small indie games so much more visibility. Without it, I wouldn’t have found 100% Orange Juice (which I really hope arrives on Switch soon, it’d be a perfect fit!), Super Ledgehop, Sora, or all the other really small games I play.
In short, I love both my Steam Deck and Switch 2 and hope we can see them appreciated on their own merits. Next letter might be a 1000 word rumination on Trails and asking Alana for her personal opinions on each, we’ll see.
Bluelink
Happy to hear you’re enjoying Trails! The Steam Deck is a fine machine. I imagine that for many the barrier to entry is justifying two fairly pricey portable systems, so it’ll be fascinating to see how the Steam Machine fits into the hardware landscape. If Sony continues closing its best studios and Microsoft keeps stepping on rake after rake, could Switch 2 and a Steam Machine become this generation’s ‘Wii60’?
(I spent longer than I care to admit trying to crush ‘Switch 2’ and ‘Steam Machine’ into a snappy portmanteau. See what you can do in the comments, lovely people.) – Ed.
“if only”
Dear Nintendo Life,
With the revealing of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I have to ask…What is the point of an online multiplayer mode that you can only play with friends? I thought that the whole point of online multiplayer was that you’re like me and you don’t have any friends, let alone friends who actually play video games! If I can go online to race against strangers in Mario Kart, why can’t I go online to race against strangers in Super Mario Bros. Wonder? It’s a shame because the competitive multiplayer modes in Super Mario Bros. Wonder look like they could be fun, if only they were playable.
Person With No Friends But Still Has Self-Worth
It feels like the brief for this particular NS2 Edition was ‘We need a Mario game on shelves when the Galaxy Movie comes out,’ and whacking Rosalina in Wonder did the job.
We’ve all had fun with strangers online. We’ve all had fun playing video games with strangers online, but I wonder (heh) if these minigames will have real longevity. As with a lot of S2 upgrades, for me they’ve been an excuse to revisit and 100% games I already played, not something I’m pumping dozens of hours – Animal Crossing notwithstanding. – Ed.
“sterile experience”
Nostalgic for 8th Gen Nintendo
As a Nintendo Fan my whole life, I feel like the WiiU/3DS era was the time where Nintendo was the most fun. Customizable themes on the 3DS, rotating eshop music on the WiiU, checking Club Nintendo every month for the new rewards…it’s these little things that made the Nintendo experience have so much whimsy and charm in contrast to the sterile experience we get nowadays. Even the excitement of getting a new console, the Switch 2, is diminished slightly because you boot it up and it’s the exact same experience as the Switch. Maybe they don’t prioritize the “little” things anymore, but I sure miss it.
Dave Driver
A splash of colour on the Home screen wouldn’t go amiss, and those Club Nintendo bonuses were neat, although My Nintendo Store does get bits and pieces. I agree, the Switches aren’t quite as homely.
Nintendo is best when it gets weird, and given that Switch 2 is so familiar and we’re seeing so many enhanced versions of old games, I’m hoping for some big software swings this gen. Rhythm Heaven is coming soon, although even that is familiar. Fingers crossed for some more personality and…, erm, what’s the opposite of ‘sterility’? Fertility? Filth?…
Ahem. Well, I’ve got myself all worked up now. – Ed.
Bonus Letters
“May I share a detailed report of these issues along with our pricing?” – Lucy
Nah, you’re alright, Lucy. – Ed.
That’s all for Feb! Thanks to those who wrote in, and get those keyboards tapping if you want more priceless bants next month.
Got something you’d like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can’t contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.
Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelines
- Letters, not essays, please – Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn’t likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you’re after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)
- Don’t go crazy with multiple correspondences – Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!
- Don’t be disheartened if your letter doesn’t appear in the monthly article – We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we’ll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn’t chosen for the article, please don’t get disheartened!
How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life Mailbox
- Head to Nintendo Life’s Contact page and select the subject “Reader Letters” from the drop-down menu (it’s already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you’re done!
Poll: Box Art Brawl: Duel – The Legend Of Zelda: Link’s Awakening
HYYAAGGHH! *cough*, Sorry about that. Hello there, folks! Welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl!
That little Hylian slip-up might be a hint of things to come, but first, let’s take a look at what happened last time, when a trio of covers for the Game Boy Color’s Rayman went head-to-head (to-head). The votes were pretty evenly split, but it was the red European cover that walked away with 49% and the win. The green North American variant followed behind with 31%, while Japan brought up the rear with 21%.
With The Legend of Zelda series celebrating its 40th anniversary this weekend, we’re taking a look at the only BAB contender we haven’t touched on before: Link’s Awakening. Now yes, BAB fans, we did look at the GBC’s DX version back in 2019, but the OG release came with regional covers of its own, don’t you know.
Europe and North America went down the same route this time, so we’ve got a duel between East and West. Let’s crack this egg open!
North America / Europe
We’ll admit, this design is very similar to what you’ll find for the GBC version in North America, but it’s worth checking out again, all the same. It’s a classic format for the series, with the title and sword/shield symbol pasted against a gold-y beige backdrop. Perhaps not the most stunning design out there, but it has become somewhat synonymous with Zelda over the years.
Japan
Much like the DX version, the Japanese variant for the original GB release swaps in original art of Link, Marin and Tarin against the backdrop of Koholint Island. Link’s springing into action in this one, leaping through the air with his sword held aloft, while the other pair lounge around behind. It’s bright, fun, and colourful — an almighty departure from the Western cover, no?
Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time for another Box Art Brawl.