Author: sick skills

Turtle Beach’s original Rematch Wireless is what I’d call a decent and dependable budget pad, and around what you’d expect for your money. It looked and felt surprisingly premium in its buttons, its responsive D-Pad, and in its many different designs.

Now, Turtle Beach is back with the cunningly-named ‘Turtle Beach Rematch Wireless Controller For Switch 2’, which brings pretty much exactly the same fully-licensed controller back to the table. Except! This time it’s got a flashy new design featuring Mario (never heard of him) and some flash semi-translucent grips. Oh yes. Much more importantly, though, it’s also got itself a ‘C’ button. Yes, that weird little button that I’ve never used. It has one of those!

I jest, of course. I’m sure lots of people are having a great time with the chat functions and whatnot on Switch 2, and this revamp gives us a controller, still in the same budget ballpark (£54.99), that feels like a nice alternative to the more expensive official Pro Controller 2 from Nintendo if £75 is out of your price range.

I alternated between the Switch 2 Pro Controller and this new Rematch for my review of Mario Tennis Fever (as they are the only C-button-wielding pads I own, and that’s how you do science, you see) and obviously the big difference here is that lack of rumble support. It’s one of those things I really struggle to do without nowadays, especially when you can feel the difference in shots and power. But taking this omission as a given, I’ve been mostly impressed by the rest of both the build quality and the overall feel of this pad.

It’s got stiffer face buttons than the Pro Controller which feel good in their own way – very responsive and firm, there’s no mistake in pressing them and no mushiness. They’re a nice match for a robust D-pad that sits up nicely from the controller face and clicks through its points more noticeably than the more expensive Pro. It’s personal preference with a lot of this stuff, but I do appreciate being able to feel every point being reached so I don’t ever have to check my bearings as I play, especially in fighting games.

In terms of weight, as this is a USB-C-charged affair with no removable battery, and given the lack of rumble tech in there, it feels very light. Again, I’m actually a big fan because my wrists are made of haunted dust, but it does feel slightly ‘cheaper’ (because it is?) than the Pro.

Speaking of the battery, the official details tell me you get 40 hours on a single charge, and being that I’ve played an entire review game with it and just one other pad, and with no recharges required, I’m gonna go ahead and say I definitely got 30+ hours out of that single charge thus far.

The TMR sticks feel great, as expected, the home and screenshot buttons are well-placed just above your menu buttons, and that all-important ‘C’ button takes centre stage, because why wouldn’t it? I should also mention that I love the big red clacky extra buttons on the back. They feel a little less primo than the dinky little hidden ones on the Pro Controller, but they are much easier to find and to tell that you’ve pressed on them at all. The Pro is a little mushy in this regard.

In your hands, the Rematch is bigger on its rear side and slightly flatter on the front than the Pro, which makes for a better grip overall for me, and between the two I also have to give this pad the nod for its triggers. I love the shape of these, as they flick upwards rather than tailing off like the ones on the Pro, making them easier to find blind and, well, they just feel more ‘trigger-y’, meaning your finger stays on there and doesn’t start sliding when things get intense in Stardew Valley or what have you.

Other things of note. You can use this controller with your OG Switch. There’s no 3.5mm jack. Boo! But there are motion controls smuggled in to sweeten the deal. Hooray! Well. Sort of hooray.

My biggest issue with this thoroughly decent controller, you see, is that for just a little bit extra cash, you could nab something better. If you’re on a super-duper strict budget, or simply must have this design in your collection, things are different, but considering this one is retailing at £54.99 on the official site and I could pick up the excellent 8BitDo Pro 3 for less with a little searching, it gets complicated fast. The Pro 3 gives you TMR sticks, Hall-Effect Triggers, and rumble support. You see the issue. Even if you don’t like the Dualshock-apeing style of the Pro 3, there’s also the Ultimate Wireless/Bluetooth 2 to consider, which again I can find online for similar money right now.

This controller can’t wake up the console, and it also has no rumble/amiibo-scanner to boot. So, whilst you get a nice licensed pad that feels great, looks great, plays great, and has got that C-button, it’s possible to get alternatives with other bells and whistles for cheaper.

If you love the livery or if that C-button is a must for your amazingly social gaming lifestyle, then this is a very solid pad, so long as you can make do with the omissions I’ve noted.

Ah, love is in the air, folks. Yes, it’s the weekend, and we’re gazing at our stack of games with wistful longing. We can’t let them go unplayed, can we?

Before we dive into what we’re booting up, however, let’s take a look at the last week. Our headline review was Mario Tennis Fever, but we also checked out Yakuza Kiwami 3 and Reanimal. In terms of news, we basically got another mini Direct with PlayStation’s State of Play.

Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 2 was confirmed alongside Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, with a ridiculously cool trailer released for the upcoming Resident Evil Requiem. Man, it looks so good…

It’s also been announced that the incredibly average Jurassic Park: Classic Games Collection will be delisted soon, so if you’re eager to play, then you best get it downloaded soon.

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

I was greedy and wrapped up Undertale way quicker than I was expecting last weekend, so I am officially Between Games TM at the moment. I’ve been enjoying working my way through some Mario’s Super Picross on the NSO library to chill out, and I imagine this weekend will bring more of the same!

While I can’t really believe that I’m saying it, I’m also quite keen to check out some Overwatch this weekend. I missed the boat when it first launched, but all of this new content has me intrigued.

Kate Gray, Contributor

This week, I have jetlag. I tried to play games that required even a little bit of brain, and it did not go well (it was The Outer Worlds 2, for the record. Not even a particularly cerebral game! I’m just very tired).

I’ve been making my way through The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, as I will be for the rest of my life, and now I’m somewhere around 25 endings. Maybe more. Also, Titanium Court, which is not out yet, but I have an early code because I’m a jammy lad, and it’s VERY good, so look forward to that one (although… I’m not sure if it’s due out on Switch. Sorry). Also, some Cobalt Core (which IS out on Switch, and you should play it) and watching my partner play through 1000xRESIST, after a year of me going PLAY IT PLAY IT PLAY IT. So that’s very fun.

But I’m looking for something meaty to play after finishing Final Fantasy VI. Another JRPG, perhap? Recommendations always welcome.

Mai Ladyman, Video Producer

I’ve not had much time to play this week as I’ve been under the weather, however I predict this weekend will be spent gaming in bed. It’s only fitting with it being Valentine’s Day on Saturday that my fiancee and I replay Reanimal together.

Saying that, I’m still on the mission of becoming less of a wimp and with the recent Silent Hill: Townfall trailer, I might just jump into a horror game from my backlog. I’m sure I can dust off something from my collection. Perhaps Resident Evil 4 on Wii? Wish me luck…I think motion controls are scarier than Las Plagas!

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

I’m still completely addicted to Pikmin 4 at the moment, though I did briefly test out Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 after its recent update, and I can confirm that MGS2 and 3 now run like a dream on the Switch 2.

So yes, it’s likely that I’ll be spending a bit of time with Solid and Naked Snake this weekend, playing their two best adventures as intended. It took a while, but Konami finally pulled through.

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That’s our plans for the coming weekend. Now it’s your turn to tell us yours, so make sure to get busy with our poll, and let us know all about your weekend gaming plans in the comments!

Apart from a new trailer for Resident Evil Requiem, Capcom’s new IP Pragmata also made an appearance at PlayStation’s ‘State of Play’ this week.

The brand new trailer titled ‘World View’ gives us another glimpse at a recreation of New York, and also adds some backstory about the game’s protagonist Hugh. This trailer ends on a bit of a shocking note, with Hugh and his android companion Diana being chased by an enemy threat.

“Hugh and Diana as they traverse a 3D printed Times Square-like area, dominated by massive structures. What mysteries await them in this twisted lunar cityscape?”

If you haven’t already tried it out, there’s a demo for Pragmata on the Switch 2 eShop that you can download right now. Capcom also announced earlier this week that this same demo has now reached one million “combined” downloads across all platforms.

This new hacking and shooting game will arrive on the Switch 2 on 24th April 2026. Will you be picking it up on release? Have you tried out the demo yet? Let us know in the comments.

As part of Pokémon’s 30th anniversary celebrations, Stern Pinball has now officially revealed its new Pokémon pinball machine.

It’s available right now in “pro”, “premium” and “limited edition” models. The limited edition is “limited” to 750 units globally, and prices range between $6,999 – $12,999, depending on the model. If you’re interested, or happen to be a business owner, you can contact Stern on its website to find out about the availability of these machines and more details.

This machine promises to take trainers on an “unforgettable journey” across four distinct habitats as they battle their way through rival trainers and Team Rocket. It also integrates video clips from the original animated series, including the official theme song.

The game begins with the player entering a random biome: forest, water, mountain, or desert. By hitting the ball at the proper targets on the board, you’ll discover, catch, and train new Pokémon partners. Occasionally, you’ll encounter the troublesome Team Rocket, and you’ll need to prevent them from capturing Pokémon during a frantic multiball sequence.

Once you’ve scored enough points and completed specific activities in a biome, you’ll be able to take on a Gym Battle against a rival party of Pokémon. Complete all the biomes’ Gym Battles, and you’ll enter the Pokémon Arena. There’s even an opportunity to face off against Team Rocket’s boss, Giovanni, but only the most skilled pinball wizards are likely to make it that far.

The premium and limited edition versions of the machine also feature an interactive electromagnet that “adds chaos” to the battle arena.

As part of the whole experience, trainers can use Stern’s app to document the Pokémon they catch. Here’s a bit about this:

“Utilizing Stern Pinball’s award-winning Insider Connected, Pokémon by Stern Pinball elevates the experience by connecting Trainers and their adventures across machines and locations. When Trainers play Pokémon by Stern Pinball signed in with their Stern Insider Connected Account, the Pokémon they CATCH will be added to their Insider Connected Pokémon Collection, which can be viewed in the Insider Connect.

If you’re curious to see it in action, YouTube channel The Pinball Company has gone hands on with the new Pokémon machine. The YouTube channel Foxcitiespinball has also uploaded a video of the Stern team explaining the new machine and the design.

What do you think of this Pokémon pinball machine? Would you be interested in something like this? Tell us in the comments.

Ahead of the release of The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in cinemas this April, Fandango’s streaming service in the US is currently allowing local residents to watch the original Super Mario Bros. Movie for free!

Yes, leading up to the new movie, the first one is now completely “free to watch”. There’s no subscription or membership required, but there are ads. If you haven’t already watched it, here’s what we had to say when the Mario Movie originally debuted in cinemas in 2023:

“Directors Horvath and Jelenic have managed to bring the Mushroom Kingdom to life in ways 8-bit Super Mario veterans never could have imagined, even if the vision does get a little overstuffed in the process. That being said, the cast of familiar faces, Tyler’s clued-in score, and the sheer amount happening in every frame were enough to keep us engaged from start to finish and we are curious to see what lap two inevitably brings.”

So then, if you’ve a spare hour and a half to watch this movie or just want to rewatch it before the second one arrives, now is your chance!

Have you seen the original Mario Movie yet? Will you be watching the second movie in cinemas? Let us know in the comments.

SEGA Sammy has published its Q3 2025/26 financial report, and it’s a pretty mixed bag for the multimedia giant, with losses reported in multiple different areas.

But perhaps the biggest piece of news comes from Rovio’s side of the business. Sega acquired the Angry Bird developer in 2023 Sega reports has fallen “significantly short of initial forecast due to rapid changes in the market environment and other factors”.

The company has reported an impairment loss of ¥30.4 billion ($198.6 million), citing increased competition and the rapid deterioration of user bases. This meant that “Rovio found it difficult to advance its initially planned business development”.

A number of titles haven’t met Sega’s own internal targets, with development delays and cancellations also a factor. Sonic Rumble, the mobile game which Rovio co-developed, also fell short of expectations, particularly around customer acquisition.

It’s not just with Rovio, though — while net sales remain steady and are 4% up year-on-year, operating income and ordinary income are both down, 54.6% and 51.8% respectively. Entertainment Contents has also dropped 31%.

Sega only reports two full game releases for the third quarter: Persona 3 Reload on Switch 2, and Football Manager 26, the latter of which needed “a series of updates to address post-launch bugs, etc. and improved the gameplay environment”. And in general, full game titles have reported “stagnant growth”.

It’s not all bad news, though: Sega is planning to release “four major new titles for mainstay IPs” next financial year, with a continued focus on expanding the trans-media business (movies, TV shows, merch, etc.). Daniel Svärd, once King’s head of live game studios, will be appointed as Rovio’s COO.

All in all, not a great showing for the company, and Sega has revised its net sales expectations to rise slightly — ¥490 billion / $3.2 billion, up from ¥475 billion / $3.1 billion — while operating income expectations have been lowered to ¥40 billion / $261.5 million, from ¥53 billion / $346.6 million.

Of course, Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties has just launched, and that will be included in the final report for the fiscal year ending March 2026. So that may help turn the tides a little. And 2026 marks the 35th anniversary for the Sonic series, so the future should be blue — in a good way.

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Let us know what you think of Sega’s acquisition of Rovio, and its quieter Q3, in the comments.

Hamster Corporation is on something of a winning streak, with the fantastic Arcade Archives series continually dusting off and polishing hundreds of notable games from the annals of history. Well, those wizards are back with the fresh Console Archives brand, and the now 30-year-old ‘radical’ PlayStation sports game Cool Boarders is one of the first. Yes, 1996, three whole years before anything Tony Hawk-related would reach consoles.

Much like the difference between skateboarding and snowboarding, in Cool Boarders, your character feels heavy, and your movements must be slow and deliberate if you want to pull off tricks. All this while carving fresh powder to avoid hitting trees or plummeting to a mountainous death. ‘B’ lets you jump, which will build speed and help you initiate tricks when leaping off heights. Meanwhile, ‘Y’ works as the Drift button, letting you quickly change direction and better handle corners.

Ultimately, you are aiming to either get the highest trick score or the best time on each of the courses. You’ll start out meagrely, shrugging yourself off a ledge and maybe pulling off a 180, but there’s a high skill ceiling waiting to be found. When you ready a jump, the amount of time you press and hold a directional button before you leap dictates how fast you spin. Combine this with a Grab by holding ‘R’, and with a bit of patience, you’ll be hurtling down courses while pulling off sick 900 Nosegrabs.

Thankfully, the stubborn gameplay is accentuated with great and suitably audacious ’90s music, and some silly but nostalgic sound effects and narration. But, compared to its favourably reviewed peer, 1080 Snowboarding, Cool Boarders doesn’t quite compete in either the pure fun of the gameplay or the amount of content.

Hamster has preserved the visuals beautifully, glitches and all. Here, the PS1 original’s 240p pixels are polished and presented faithfully, especially compared to the smooth anti-aliasing sheen found in the 2024 PS5 version, but anyone hoping for any upscaling options is out of luck. You can play around with the aspect ratio, either to fill the screen or condense it to perfect-pixel parity, but there’s not much in the way of borders or other presentation options. However, the emulation seems to run perfectly, with no noticeable drops in frame rate or frame pacing, and thankfully, the CRT filters are gorgeous.

One issue is that while there is Quick Save and Quick Load, I would have just preferred a rewind option, or something as wild as the ability to slow the game’s speed. I mapped the Save/Load buttons to the controller, but it still got things muddled up. Rewind would feel better, especially in a game where one mistake can ruin a run.

Neither the visuals nor the gameplay has aged as gracefully as 1080, but Hamster has done good work in presenting the snowy vistas and demanding gameplay for the modern day. Cool Boarders is a blast to play for short sessions, especially if you loved it back in the ’90s, and while a couple of extra options might have been nice, this is the best way to play this beloved early entry in the ‘extreme’ sports genre.

News that Konami is following up the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 with a Master Collection Vol. 2 was very welcome, but hardly the most surprising reveal of the year. Still, seeing MGS4 available for a system other than a PlayStation 3 feels weird, at least for gamers of a certain vintage.

It’s not quite a Sonic-on-Nintendo-level event; it’s more like when Wipeout came to N64. A brilliant game, a very pleasant surprise, but…is this legal!?

Beyond wondering how this PS3-jailbroken version will handle all the Sony-specific references, we were also struck by Game Boy Color’s Metal Gear Solid coming as part of the package. That tidbit got a little buried, which is understandable but also odd given that it’s the third game in this slim ‘collection’. Odder still, it’s classed as a “bonus” that you only get by purchasing the MGS4 and Peace Walker pair.

Both of those will be available separately for $30 a pop, but $50 gets you the full trio including Metal Gear: Ghost Babel, as it was known in Japan (and which we’ll call it from now on to save confusion).

Metal Gear and Snake’s Revenge for NES were bonus games in Vol. 1, of course, but neither is held in as high regard as 2000’s Ghost Babel, a non-canon, alt-timeline mission that (confusingly, given the MGS name) doesn’t port the PS1 game to GBC but takes the top-down view of the original MG and augments it with newer ideas from the Solid series.

Well, we say ‘series’, but this came out a year before MGS2, so the original and VR Missions were the only entries beforehand. According to Hideo Kojima, the game came about after a request from Konami’s European branch enquiring about a Game Boy version. Co-developed between Konami and TOSE, Kojima himself was on producing duties only for this one, with Shinta Nojiri directing (who would go on to direct Metal Gear Acid 1 and 2 on the PSP).

As the first handheld game in the stealth series, anybody coming to it from the 3D games should temper their expectations appropriately. However, this still stands as a remarkable 8-bit distillation of the Solid series, and one of the very best games you’ll find on Game Boy Color. Take a looksie here if you’ve never seen it in action:

With the Game Boy Advance just around the corner, and excitement focused on the ‘mainline’ PS2 sequel, Ghost Babel didn’t get the attention it deserved despite being a much more than solid (pun, as always, intended) entry.

“The perspective may have shifted back to its 1987 roots, but Metal Gear Solid on Game Boy Color is very much a game of the new millennium,” wrote Jon Wahlgren in our 2012 retro review, where he awarded it 9/10.

“It’s quite incredible just how faithful this portable title is to both the 2D games of the MSX/NES and the later polygonal PlayStation entries in terms of gameplay, tone, and aesthetic. Lengthy, challenging, and rewarding, Metal Gear Solid is far and away one of the best carts you can buy for your Game Boy Color, and a title we can only hope hits the 3DS Virtual Console sooner rather than later.”

It never did come to VC, unfortunately. At the time of writing, Ghost Babel is sitting at #11 on our reader-ranked Best GBC Games list, and at #4 on our Best Metal Gear Games on Nintendo Systems.

Granted, it’ll likely drop down on the latter once Vol. 2 comes out in August, but wherever it places in your personal ranking, it’s good to see it coming back on Switch – “bonus” game or otherwise.

And if you never played it, well, your chance is coming.

The marketing train for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie has well and truly left that station, and today, Illumination has revealed a new poster to keep excitement levels high.

As shared on the movie’s official socials, the poster shows Nintendo’s prized plumber in his iconic Galaxy ‘spin’ pose. A heap of enemies soar through the clouds behind him, with Spike, Piranha Plant, Koopa Paratroopers, Lakitu and even Sledge Bro making an appearance.

“Same hero, new adventure. Mario returns in The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, only in theaters April 1,” the accompanying caption reads — hey, it’s always nice to have a reminder about that release date moving forward.

We last got an extended look at The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in last month’s dedicated Direct presentation, where we were officially introduced to Yoshi. A handful of smaller ‘teaser’ trailers have since been released, showcasing a little more Yoshi and giving us another look at that Odyssey dinosaur.

What do you make of this new poster? Is it your favourite yet? Let us know in the comments.

27th February marks the anniversary of Pokémon Red and Green in Japan, but this year’s event is an extra special one: the Pokémon series is turning 30 years old.

Yes, that little RPG about catching cute and not-so-cute monsters and doing battle with your pals has been going for three entire decades. In that time, it’s evolved from mere gaming phenomenon that rejuvenated interest in Nintendo’s Game Boy seven years after it launched to the world’s biggest media property.

‘If in doubt, stick a Pikachu in/on it’ probably isn’t a mantra at The Pokémon Company, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it is, given the proliferation of that particular ‘mon across every facet of the franchise. The series’ success, though, goes well beyond the near-universal appeal of the electric yellow mega mouse who became its mascot.

Anyone who’s ever been a Pokémon fan has a story that sticks in their mind; a particular Pocket Monster you caught and named, a story moment that stuck with you, a tense, skin-of-your-teeth battle you triumphed in, or a more personal memory about where you were in your own life’s story while playing Pokémon.

Or maybe something outside the games entirely! With the anime, TCG, and the wider world of Pikachu and co., it’s become so much more than just the games.

With the anniversary approaching, we’re asking you to send in your Pokémon memories for a special feature we’ll publish in a few weeks. Over 30 years, we’re positive you’ve got hundreds of memories you hold near and dear, and we’d love to highlight them on the site.

Now, Red/Green/Blue/Yellow recollections are more than welcome, but we want to hear from you whenever you jumped on the Pokéwagon, whether you were there with your DMG-01 Day One, hopped aboard with a dual-screen console, got into the series more recently on Switch, or anywhere in between.

If you’d like to contribute and be in with a chance of having your memory shared, check out the submission instructions below. Remember, short and sweet is the name of the game! (Actually, Pokémon Short & Sweet… y’know, that’s not bad.)

Nintendo Life Pokémon Memories submission guidelines

• 100 words, maximum – We’d like to feature as many as possible in the finished article, so please keep things concise! (Remember, 100 is the max – it can be shorter!)
• Don’t go crazy with multiple submissions – You’ve likely got many, many memories from playing this series, but please just pick the best one.
• Remember, we can’t pick ’em all! – We imagine we’ll have a lot to choose from, so please understand if yours doesn’t feature in the finished article. We will be reading ’em all, though!
• Submissions close on Friday 20th February 2026 – Make sure to get your message sent before the weekend arrives!

How to send a Pokémon Memory

• Head to Nintendo Life’s Contact page and select the subject “Pokémon Memories” from the drop-down menu (it’s already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted submission into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you’re done!

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We’re looking forward to reading about your memories. We’ve got lots of things planned leading up to ‘Pokémon Day 2026’, so keep an eye out for Pokémoaaar soon.