Author: sick skills

Fashionably late to the party, Nintendo has finally arrived on the Year in Review scene, humbling us all by sharing our gaming stats from the entirety of 2025.

In case you missed it, the ‘Switch Wrapped’ site is now live, providing a rundown of every game you played this year, the three that you spent the most time with, and a pie-chart examination of your genre habits. There’s also a nice little bonus feature this time, which details your stats from all the way back in 2017.

To get in on the fun and see your playtime, just head over to the official Nintendo website that we’ve linked below and sign in — easy peasy!

As you might imagine, there have been quite a few big titles for us to sink our teeth into over the last 12 months (a console launch will do that to you), so read on to find out which games captured team NL for the longest.

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

Most played games of 2025:

Okay, I was expecting to see two of these, but how the hell did I spend 34 hours in the NSO Game Boy library? I played a lot of Mario’s Picross last year (what can I say? It makes me happy!), but surely not that much. Hey ho, welcome to the podium, little guy.

68 hours in Mario Kart World doesn’t completely surprise me, given how long I spent searching for those damn P-Switches, Peach Medallions and ? Panels. Maybe one day I’ll be able to come back to it with an open mind and an open heart… but I’ll leave it another couple of months.

And finally, the least surprising of them all: Donkey Kong Bananza. It turns out that reviewing and guiding a game like this one takes quite a bit of time, and I poured 112 hours into this bad boy to make sure that it was 100% wrapped up. An absolutely sublime reintroduction into the 3D platforming space for the prized primate.

All in all, a somewhat meatier year — though one where I still racked up triple figures on my PS5 with some tasty releases that haven’t come our way yet. I put 456 hours into 51 games, with Silksong and Pokémon Legends: Z-A just missing out on a top-three ranking. Bring on 2026 and another ~500 hours of gaming!

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

Most played games of 2025:

Is it really any surprise that my most played game of 2025 is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond? Having written our review for Retro Studios’ latest, along with a 100% completion guide campaign, yes, Beyond managed to completely dominate my life for a good few weeks there.

The Hundred Line – Last Defense Academy isn’t too far behind, mind you. This is still my favourite game of 2025, and to be honest, even with all of the time I put into Prime 4, I’m kinda shocked The Hundred Line didn’t bag the top spot. I’m really tempted to play through it again from scratch in 2026, so we’ll have to see if it winds up on my top three again this time next year.

Finally, I’ve been dipping in and out of Street Fighter 6 so often in 2025 that it’s just about managed to nab third place. I’ve been testing and reviewing a whole bunch of arcade controllers for the Switch 2 recently, and SF6 is the go-to game to really put them through their paces. More of the same this year, please!

I also feel compelled to mention that none other than Resident Evil 6 just missed out on the top three. Look, I love this game, and I spent so much time in The Mercenaries No Hope mode. I just can’t get enough.

Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor

Most played games of 2025:

…well, one of these is not like the others, eh? I’m not sure what happened at the beginning of the year, but I apparently couldn’t put down Hello Kitty and friends, which I played for *gulp* 173 hours. Was I okay for the first half of 2025? I think so?

Otherwise, my other two games I actually predicted would pop in my 2024 write-up — unsurprising given that Xenoblade Chronicles X is absolutely massive, and I rolled credits at the 112-hour mark. And between reviewing, the DLC, and guiding it, Pokémon Legends: Z-A clocked in at 94 hours. Woof. Some of that is donut farming, idling, and taking screenshots, of course.

Hollow Knight: Silksong was close to the top three at 83 hours, while Fantasy Life i is nipping at Hornet’s ankles at over 70 hours. Otherwise, Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons are all around 50 hours.

Overall, a darn good year! 2025 was a much busier year for my Nintendo consoles than 2024 was — I’ve clocked in 1029 hours between the Switch 1 and Switch 2. I have a feeling that’ll slip a little in 2026 for life reasons, but we’ll see!

Gavin Lane, Editor

Most played games of 2025:

I was mainly channelling the ‘Oh crap, I need to finish that before the sequel drops’ energy in 2025.

I’d escaped Hades several times before, naturally, I just hadn’t gotten to the surface the 10 times needed to get the proper ending. One thing led to another, and yep, another 28 hours on the clock. As for Hollow Knight, I bought it on sale years ago but never got to it. I’m now sitting on 86% completion with 35 hours on the clock, and I imagine the NS2 Edition will encourage me to push that higher.

And sandwiched between those two, there’s Bananza, a game I like a little less every time I return, but I’ve still managed 32 hours and counting. Probably time to call it a day, unless the kids badger me for more “Ooo, banana!” and the Zebra Bananza music.

Bubbling under that, it was a bitty year – 272 hours across 61 games, including a first-play of Metal Gear Solid and a big ol’ chunk of time with both Mario Kart World and that hot new 2025 release, Katamari Damacy REROLL. Give the kids what they want, I say. Naaa na-na na-na-na na-na…

Mai Ladyman, Video Producer

Most played games of 2025:

In all honesty, I didn’t do too much gaming in 2025 due to that age-old excuse of life (and work) getting in the way. Oh… and playing on other platforms, primarily PC (sorry!). 2025 began with me starting yet another Stardew save in an attempt to reach Perfection, and even though I’m nowhere near that milestone, it was a nice routine of mine before and after work.

Saying that, getting my hands on the Switch 2 gave me a kick up the bum to finally get some games from my backlog completed. I mostly sank my teeth into indies, cosy games and generally games with shorter runtimes. I often got lost in Night City (or found myself recklessly speeding in the outskirts) and creating a new ACNH island just for kicks, whilst abandoning my OG island on my old Switch. Although I’m over 850 hours on ACNH, I’m itching to up them even more now that the update is here.

Considering I played a bit of catch-up in December with Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Persona 5 Royal, I honestly thought they’d make the cut! I guess they must have been a wee bit behind, so here’s hope for next year’s review. I’m hoping now that I’ve joined the Nintendo Life team, I can get my hours back up and finally have time for games!

PJ O’Reilly, Staff Writer

Most played games of 2025:

I’m surprisingly happy with how my top three has ended up this year, as it pretty much reflects my actual faves overall for 2025. Just about.

Usually there’s a little bit of review time cross-contamination (and XCX is defo there for this reason), but these are all worthy of top three spots in terms of how much I love ’em, too. Hades 2, although I don’t adore it quite as much as the OG, is still a masterclass and head and shoulders above most examples of its genre in terms of overall quality of gameplay and narrative.

XCX, I’ve ranted and raved enough about by now, you can check out my 10/10 review if you don’t believe me, and The Ivalice Chronicles, well, besides being so far up my street it’s moved into my house, it’s a wonderfully well-realised and endlessly endearing thing.

What else was up top for me in terms of playtime? Bananza, Mario Kart World and Silksong are all in there, obviously, but so is Fast Fusion, Axiom Verge 2 (back on that replay vibe) and Divinity Original Sin 2, which is just one of those games that I’m forever and always mucking about in!

Those are our Years in Review most-played games, but what about yours? Vote in our poll below and let us know your favourite stats in the comments.

Update [Wed 14th Jan 2026, 1:30pm]: Well, would you look at that: ACNH’s big free update is out now, with a Nintendo Switch 2 Edition to follow. Who needs free time in 2026, hey?

We’re currently updating our New Horizons guides to reflect the new content and changes in due course. Keep your eyes peeled!

Original Story: Animal Crossing: New Horizons slowly but surely took over many of our lives when it launched in 2020, but if you’re at a loss for what to do next in the game, then you should check out the tips and hints we’ve outlined below.

So, sit back and relax as we’ll take away the stress of your new island. Let’s begin.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons Walkthrough

Getting started in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Given how much there is to do in New Horizons, just knowing where to begin is quite intimidating.

Not only do you have to deal with a seemingly deep question right at the beginning, but you also have to pick a spot to place your tent, acquire essential tools like the axe, shovel and ladder and unlock vital amenities like the Museum and upgraded Resident Services.

Then there’s the process of bringing villagers to your island and attracting key talent, like the one and only K.K. Slider. Fear not, for here we answer your most pressing early-game questions:

Best Tools and Best Gear

You’re not going to get very far in New Horizons unless you have the best gear and tools. You can buy tools from various sellers in the game using Bells but you can also craft them yourself using components scattered around the island.

Make sure you unlock the tool ring early on as it makes switching between tools a little bit easier, and be sure to upgrade your axe and shovel as soon as possible – the more advanced the tool, the longer you’ll be able to use it before it breaks.

Unlock And Upgrade Buildings And Amenities

There are several amenities and shops for island residents to unlock and upgrade as you play. To get the most out of your island getaway experience, you’ll want to add the following buildings and characters to your deserted island.

Manage Your Resources

Resources are essential in Animal Crossing: New Horizons when it comes to crafting and upgrading items, and pretty much anything you can pick up on the island can be sold for Bells.

However, items like wood, rocks, nuggets (both iron and gold) and clay are used in the construction of important items and structures. Make sure you have plenty of them in your pockets at all times!

• Balloon Spawn Rate, Hunting and Colour Guide
• Cherry Blossom Item List – What Do You Use Cherry Blossom Petals For?
• Collecting Hardwood, Softwood and Wood Explained
• Cooking Recipes – How to Cook, Full Recipe List
• Farming Iron Nuggets, Gold Nuggets and Ore
• Growing and Breeding Flowers, Hybrid Flowers and Gold Roses Explained
• How to Customize Fences
• How to Find Gyroid Fragments and Grow Gyroids
• How to Get 8 Things From Rocks – Iron Nuggets, Clay, Stones, Bells and Rock Respawns
• How to Get More Pearls
• How to Get the ABD / ATM In New Horizons
• How to Get the Froggy Chair
• How to Get and Use the Storage Shed
• How to Grow Tomatoes, Potatoes, Wheat, Sugarcane, and Carrots
• How to Get the Mermaid Furniture Set
• How to Get Pumpkins – DIY Pumpkin Patch Recipes Crafting Guide for Spooky Furniture
• How to Wish on a Shooting Star and Get Star Fragments
• Robot Hero – How to Farm Rusted Parts and Build the Gundam Robot Fast
• Shell Prices – How Much Do Shells Sell For?

Fishing, Bugs and Fossils

There’s a whole ecosystem of critters living inside New Horizons, and you’ll want to collect as many as possible to donate to Blathers in the island’s museum (which also accepts artwork donations, too). Some of these can only be acquired at certain times of the year, so you’ll need to keep checking back constantly!

Special Days and Events

Throughout the year special holidays and events take place in Animal Crossing: New Horizons to coincide with real-world festivals and holidays. Here they are in the order they occur throughout a calendar year.

• Festivale – Pavé, Rainbow Feathers, Reactions, Clothing and Valentine’s Day Gifts
• Bunny Day Date, Start Time, Egg Collecting and Crafting Explained
  
• Nature Day Event – Leif the Sloth, Bushes, Shrubs and Nature Day
• May Day Event – May Day Tours and a returning “Special Visitor”
• International Museum Day Event – The Stamp Rally and Event Rewards
• Wedding Season Event – Cyrus and Reese’s Wedding Rewards and Heart Crystals on Harv’s Island
• Bug-Off – Event Date, Start Time, Flick and Rewards Explained
• Fishing Tourney – Event Date, Start Time, C.J. and Rewards Explained
• Fireworks Show – Event Date, Start Time, Redd’s Raffle Items List and Custom Fireworks Explained
• Fall Update – Complete Autumn Events Guide
• Halloween Event Guide – How to Get Candy, Lollipops and Prizes from Jack
• Turkey Day – Franklin, Thanksgiving DIY Recipes, Secret Ingredients and Rewards
• Christmas Toy Day Event Guide – Jingle’s Magic Bag and Toy Day Set
• New Year’s Eve Guide – Tom Nook New Year’s Items List

Special Characters

Special characters — many recognisable to series fans from previous Animal Crossing games — periodically pop up around your island or even set up shop. These beloved characters invariably bring opportunities to expand your catalog with special items, so it’s well worth chatting with them when they turn up.

General Help, Tips, Advice, How-Tos, FAQs

Here are some general tips and tricks to make your life in New Horizons that little bit easier. From earning Bells quickly to making use of amiibo cards and figures, we’ve got you covered!

How to Time Travel – What Happens when you Time Travel

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Happy Home Paradise DLC Walkthrough

The Happy Home Paradise DLC — available for purchase separately or bundled as part of the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription — unlocks a whole range of possibilities in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, including various expanded decoration abilities, new furniture, new and returning characters, the ability to change the time of day and the season and much more.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons: 3.0 Update & Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – NEW

On 14th January 2026, Animal Crossing: New Horizons got a brand new update to coincide with the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition‘s launch, which is out on 15th January.

There are a ton of new features available via the update, so we’ll cover all of these here, such as the brand new Hotel, Resetti’s services, and Luna’s brand new Slumber Isle.

Where to buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons

If you are completely new to the series, you might want to give our Animal Crossing: New Horizons review a read, where we concluded that the game is an “accessible and addictive masterpiece – 10/10.” Alternatively, find out everything that’s in the Happy Home Paradise DLC.

If you don’t currently own the game, check out Where To Buy Animal Crossing: New Horizons On Nintendo Switch and How To Buy The Happy Home Paradise DLC.

Thanks for reading! That concludes our walkthrough guide for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. We’ll continue to update this page and all our other articles on the game.

Digital Eclipse has done some pretty stellar compilations over the years, but one of its most overlooked efforts came in 2017 with The Disney Afternoon Collection.

Originally available on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, the compilation has now been rated by the ESRB for the Switch and Switch 2, though when we can expect to see it launch is anybody’s guess. The rating itself is attached to Atari which, as you’ll no doubt be aware at this point, wholly owns Digital Eclipse as a subsidiary.

The Disney Afternoon Collection contains a total of six titles from the NES (so why it’s taken this long to come to Switch is beyond us), including:

Our pals over at Push Square gave the compilation a score of 8/10 back in 2017, stating that “the production values and accuracy of these emulations are second-to-none” while noting that rewind features and art galleries make it an essential purchase.

Would you be happy to finally see The Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch and Switch 2? Let us know your thoughts with a comment in the usual place.

Well, that’s a nice surprise! In what is likely a move to align all regions with New Zealand (where it’s now gone 1am on the 15th), Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ 3.0 update is available for download.

You might need to manually apply the update – in which case you simply press ‘+’ on the game’s icon and select ‘Software Update’ – but otherwise, you should be good to go.

There are no official patch notes at the time of writing as we can see, but if you’ve been eagerly anticipating this new update, then you’ll likely already know the gist. Version 3.0 contains the following:

• Resort Hotel
• Island Speciality Requests
• Slumber Island
• Resetti’s Reset Service
• Collaborations (LEGO and The Legend of Zelda amiibo)

To be crystal clear, the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game is not yet live. This is available to purchase separately or via an Upgrade Pack. If you’ve pre-ordered the Upgrade Pack, you may see the ‘Nintendo Switch 2 Edition’ icon on your home screen, but the original Switch 1 version will boot up when you open it.

Have you already downloaded the 3.0 update for New Horizons? Or is that on your to-do list for today? Let us know with a comment.

After many years of waiting, fans of the Inazuma Eleven series were beginning to question if Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road would ever see the light of day. Fortunately, Level-5 dug deep and was able to finally release the title on the Switch and Switch 2 in November last year.

It’s already getting some updates (with more to come), but that’s not all – with the Level-5 president and CEO Akihiro Hino mentioning how he’s already started writing the scenario for a “sequel” to Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road. Yep, you read that correctly! We’ve even got a little detail about it.

Here’s the rundown from the latest Ina-Dai broadcast via Gematsu:

Akihiro Hino: “As for the sequel to Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road, I have already started writing the scenario. As a ‘new Inazuma Eleven‘ that begins in the Reiwa era, I will do my best to deliver surprise and excitement to everyone once again. Please look forward to future announcements.”

The source also notes how “despite its recent release, Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road was announced in July 2016-during the Heisei era. The Reiwa era began on May 1, 2019”.

It’s worth noting how the Level-5 CEO previously mentioned how a “potential sequel” would support the “Player Bank” data from this current release. Of course, this “sequel” could still be years out, and it isn’t exactly uncommon for developers within the games industry to jump straight into the next title like this (or even have some sort of overlap between projects).

Still, we’re almost exhausted just hearing this, as it took so long for Victory Road to arrive on the Switch – with multiple name changes and revisions along the way (with the latest one taking place in 2022), and the game also launching on the Switch 2 in the end.

For now, fans of the current release (that’s Victory Road) can look forward to the second major free update, which will roll out on 28th January 2026. You can find out a little more about this in our previous story here on Nintendo Life.

What would you like to see from a new entry in the Inazuma Eleven series? Tell us below.

A week after we heard about Ubisoft’s closure of its mobile game-focused studio Ubisoft Halifax, news has now surfaced about the third-party publisher laying off people at two other teams as part of ongoing cost-cutting measures.

According to a report from IGN, Ubisoft “expects 55 jobs” to be impacted at the Swedish Studios Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm following a voluntary leave program in fall 2025 that apparently fell short of its target.

Massive is known for The Division and Ubisoft Stockholm has been working on an unannounced (and new) IP as well as cloud computing technology.

Here’s the lengthy statement from Ubisoft, highlighting these studio restructuring measures:

Ubisoft: Earlier today, we informed all employees in our Swedish studios (Massive Entertainment and Ubisoft Stockholm) about a proposed organizational restructure that may affect approximately 55 roles across Malmö and Stockholm.

This restructure follows the completion of the Voluntary Leave Program launched during the fall of 2025, a finalized long-term roadmap, and a completed staffing and appointment process, which together have provided clearer visibility into the structure and capacity required to support the two studios’ work and sustainably over time.

These proposed changes are forward-looking and structural, they are not related to individual performance, recent deliveries, or the quality of the work produced by the teams.

The long-term direction for the studios remains unchanged, and we will continue to serve as the global home and lead for to The Division franchise, move forward with an unannounced innovative tech project with a refined team setup, and play a central role in the development of Snowdrop and Ubisoft Connect.

The proposed restructuring will begin with a focus on individual agreements and impacted employees are being informed directly and supported with care and respect inline with local regulations.

Development on The Division series is still expected to continue “as a matter of priority”, and as noted, the “long-term direction” for both of these studios “remains unchanged”.

The Malmö-based developer Massive also happens to be behind the Snowdrop engine, which powered Star Wars Outlaws – a game released on Switch 2 last year.

Once again, our thoughts go out to all the people impacted by this, and if we hear any updates, we’ll let you know.

Electronic Arts has been in the headlines for all sorts of reasons over the years, but Hazelight Studios founder and director Josef Fares (who is known for expressing his honest opinion) can’t help but feel the third-party video game giant is still “getting more s**t” than it deserves.

His team’s award-winning games (including It Takes Two and more recently Split Fiction) have been backed by EA and during the same interview with Christopher Dring at The Game Business, Fares took a moment to defend the company – acknowledging how it’s actually been a “super good collaboration” between the two parties, even if it hasn’t been completely perfect at all times.

He goes on to state how every publisher has its moments, while calling out Nintendo and the other two major players in the console industry:

Josef Fares: “Let’s be honest, there’s not a publisher in the world that hasn’t f*****d up now and then. Sometimes I feel that EA is getting more s**t than they deserve. I mean, come on, Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony, everybody’s done something that’s not good. But for some reason, EA has become this bad guy.”

Despite EA being labelled a “bad guy”, Fares insists there are still “a lot of great people at EA” and they know how Hazelight operates and respects this. He adds how he’s “surrounded” by people at EA who “love games” and it doesn’t feel like he’s with a bunch of corporate suits. And if the situation does ever change, Fares says he’s got no worries because Hazelight will always do “what it wants”.

If you want to read more about the Hazelight founder’s thoughts, he’s also shared his opinion on the future of AI in games. And as for his work, his studio’s latest release Split Fiction was one of the Switch 2’s launch titles last year.

Would you say this is a fair take from Fares? How would you compare EA’s track record to certain other industry giants? Give us your thoughts in the comments.

Following the surprise release of Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition for the Switch and Switch 2 last November, Aspyr said it would continue to update the Nintendo versions with patches over time to provide the “best possible experience for all players”.

With this in mind, it seems an update has been recently released, bumping the game from Version 1.0.1 up to Version 1.0.2 (thanks for the heads up Nintendo Life user canaryfarmer). The official patch notes don’t appear to be available just yet, but this hasn’t stopped fans from investigating what’s changed.

Based on early impressions (and as you might expect), there are at least some tweaks and adjustments to improve the overall experience on Nintendo’s platforms. Players have also apparently uncovered a few other details, claiming there are adjustments to “shadows” and “foliage”, but other fan reports suggest gyroscope controls and certain other control methods still aren’t working with the game.

Again, when we get the official patch notes from Aspyr, we’ll provide an update about what exactly has changed, but for now you can at least update your game and hopefully experience an improved version.

When this title shadow dropped on the Switch 2 last year, we thought the overall experience on the Switch 2 was “great” (awarding it 8 out of 10 stars), even if it’s not quite as ‘Definitive’ as the name suggests. Thankfully, the core gameplay experience is still a thrilling action romp:

“Crystal Dynamics’ 2013 reinvention of Lara Croft just might be the best entry in this decades-old franchise, and for the asking price, you’re getting a thrilling action romp that’ll keep you hooked until the credits.”

Have you downloaded this latest update for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition yet? How are you finding it so far? Let us know in the comments.

Level-5 has continued to roll out updates for Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and the latest one is now officially available.

It bumps the game up to Version 2.0.4 on the Switch, Switch 2 and multiple other platforms. This includes some fixes specific to Nintendo’s hybrid platforms (which had already been fixed on other platforms). Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of Level-5’s support page:

Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time – Version 2.0.4 (13th Jan 2026)

Feature Additions/ Adjustments

Adjusted Remake Settings for Armor

• Adjusted Version 2.0.0 armor items exchangeable at Don’s Dreamy Deals to allow Remake.

Bug Fixes

• Fixed an issue in Snoozaland where controls could become unresponsive if the player touched a gatherable item at the moment the effect ended during the “Bam Headbang Dream,” which is triggered by interacting with a Drowsy Mimic.

Only for Switch 2 | Switch (These issues has already been fixed in the PS5® / PS4® / Xbox / Steam versions):

• Fixed an issue where items would sometimes not appear in multiplayer on Snoozaland when flying with Skelegon to an Alchemy Robot after alchemy was completed.

• Fixed an issue in multiplayer on Snoozaland where guest players could not move to the boss area during the mission “Trimming the Divine Beard” when the party attempted to enter it together, if the host had acquired the Woodcutter Life.

• Fixed an issue in the Snoozaland tutorial where, if the time of day changed before the Tropic Toads in the first area was defeated, players were unable to proceed to the next area afterward.

• Fixed an issue in the Snoozaland tutorial where, if a field enemy’s attack hit the player immediately after opening the supply box, event progression could become blocked.

• Fixed an issue where crafting could sometimes start without switching Lives upon returning to Base Camp after collecting gatherable items in the “Bam Headbang Dream” triggered by touching a Drowsy Mimic in Snoozaland.

• Fixed an issue where the Snoozaland unlock tutorial could be started during multiplayer through a specific sequence of actions. Ending multiplayer in that state could save progress and prevent further progression in Snoozaland.

This follows last week’s announcement that Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time would be receiving another major update in February. The previous major update The Sinister Broker Bazario’s Schemes update, was released in December 2025. You can find out more about this content update in our previous post:

How has your experience been with Fantasy Life on the Switch and Switch 2 so far? Let us know in the comments.