Hmm, this week’s Box Art Brawl reminds me of a puzzle…
Before we get to the answer, however, let’s recap what went down last time. It was a good old one-on-one for NSO newbie Mendel Palace, with North America facing off against Japan. While the contest was a close one, the Western design just cinched it, taking 53% of the vote and leaving Japan with 47%.
After last week’s updated look at the latest Layton, we thought it was about time to throw it back to the original DS trilogy, specifically, the second entry: Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box (or Diabolical Box, for those outside Europe). There are three designs to pick between this week, so let’s meet ’em!
There is a lot going on in the European design. The game’s new key art is relegated to the titular box in the centre, with six of its puzzles highlighted around the outside. A bright red background keeps everything perfectly eye-catching, but it’s perhaps a little busy, no?
The North American design is somewhat more pared back. The new key art takes centre stage, showcasing Layton and Luke, the titular box, and the Molentary Express, while Anton’s giant floating head looms in the background. The puzzles still make a cameo, but they’re relegated to a blue bar at the bottom, which takes up slightly more cover space than we’re happy with.
The Japanese design is much the same as its North American counterpart, though the puzzles are replaced by a written plot summary in the lower bar, weirdly. The title art is also shifted over to the right, giving a little more room for Anton’s aforementioned menacing head.
Which region got the best Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box box art? (1,049 votes)
Europe42%
North America27%
Japan31%
Thank you for voting! We’ll see you next week for another edition of Box Art Brawl!
SNK’s legendary run-and-gun series Metal Slug is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, and to mark this milestone, the company has today released a special retrospective video showcasing the franchise’s history.
It covers not only the past and present, but also taps into the series’ “ever-exciting future” with a teaser of what’s to come. At the very end of the video above, there’s an arcade cabinet that shows up on screen with the words “Mission Reboot”.
This is followed by the message “A New Mission Awaits”. Here are screenshots from this segment of the video:
SNK has also launched a Metal Slug anniversary website, which explains how it will reignite and reboot the series with a range of projects, including “new ventures in gaming”. The same page also provides some history about the series’ origins:
“To celebrate 30 years of Metal Slug action, we’re reigniting and rebooting the series with a wide range of exciting projects—including new ventures in gaming!”
“METAL SLUG’s detailed pixel art and charming, lighthearted visuals set it apart from the rest when it hit arcades in 1996. Players have been spellbound by the game’s vibrant graphics ever since—whether it be comically expressive soldiers and their nuanced movements, or giant war machines whose destruction shakes the entire screen. Coupled with its simple, intuitive controls and fast-paced gameplay, it’s little wonder this SNK classic garnered acclaim not just in the arcade but on home consoles as well. Even now, 30 years on, the Metal Slug series continues to evolve. Still running, still gunning—with no end in sight. Strap in and stay tuned for what lies on the horizon!”
If you want to experience Metal Slug right now, the series is available via Hamster’s ACA Neo Geo series on the eShop. SNK also notes on the same website how the Neo Geo+ AES Anniversary Edition includes an exclusive Metal Slug game cartridge.
When we find out what else is planned for the Metal Slug franchise for its big anniversary, we’ll provide an update.
What would you like to see from the Metal Slug series in the future? Let us know in the comments.
Iron Galaxy, an American developer known in the Nintendo space for assisting Retro Studios with Metroid Prime Remastered and the release of Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 last year, has this week announced more layoffs.
The studio confirmed this in a post on LinkedIn, revealing “a number of teammates and friends” would be losing their jobs as a result of a new company structure. The same announcement states it’s “impossible” for the company to sustain the team size it’s carried over the past year, even after the previous round of layoffs, which saw 66 employees depart.
Here’s the full announcement:
Today, Iron Galaxy Studios regrets to announce that we are reducing our company size.
A number of teammates and friends are losing their jobs as we adjust to a new company structure. We are terribly sorry to lose them as we take steps to adapt to the climate of the video game industry. It’s time for us to evolve again.
Since we first got started, we have taken on many different forms as a company. Throughout these different phases, we have changed our focus, our mission, and our size. We’ve worked with the best creators of interactive entertainment and made some games of our own. Along the way, we’ve seen the industry that we serve expand and contract in surprising ways.
Ever since 2020, when everything about making video games started to change, people have been waiting for business “to get back to normal.” These are the conversations we’ve had with colleagues and partners on our travels to the places where game creators gather. This year, we’re adopting a new posture to accept these current market conditions as permanent.
Players consume games in new ways. Publishers have different criteria for investing in the development of games. This new normal has impacted all our partners. As Iron Galaxy adapts, we must make painful decisions about what we can be as a company. It’s impossible for us to sustain the team size that we’ve carried this past year, even after our downsizing from last year.
We hate losing people. One of our core values is providing a wonderful experience for the talented folks who work for us. The best we can do for them today is to help them start writing the next chapter of their career. They are all welcome to introductions and referrals from us. If you need good people, please be on the lookout for them.
Thank you.
Iron Galaxy Studios
Apart from Metroid Prime Remastered, Iron Galaxy has worked on multiple other ports during the Switch generation, including titles such as The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Overwatch.
Outside of this space, it helped out with the Xbox version of Killer Instinct and developed the free-to-play battle royale brawler Rumbleverse, which was shut down six months after launch.
If details are shared about the exact number of employees impacted by these layoffs at Iron Galaxy, we’ll provide an update.
Welcome back to our ‘Games We Missed’ series, where Nintendo Life readers send in their picks of great games we weren’t able to cover with a review.
We’re up to Part 12 of this twice-yearly round up, and once again you’ve come up with some great-looking recommendations that have us scurrying to the eShop. This time we’ve got a couple of Switch 2 games, as well.
With so many games launching every week, it’s just not possible for us to cover everything – in an ideal world we’d have reviews for all of these and more. Fortunately, you lovely people are here round up some winners we couldn’t catch, and there are some particularly tasty-looking morsels in the net this time.
Thanks to everyone who sent their recommendations – there’s a poll at the bottom, so let us know if you’ve enjoyed any of these, too. In alphabetical order, let’s begin!
We begin with a recommendation from not just an NL reader but also an NL contributor, Nile Bowie, who’s a fan of A Dark Room:
With its minimalist black-and-white style that recalls old ASCII interfaces, A Dark Room has always stuck with me because it feels so sparsely haunting. It starts off as a post-apocalyptic clicker game that gradually introduces resource-management, settlement-building, exploration and light RPG systems. You begin tending a fire and gathering wood, and just when you think you understand what kind of game it is, it becomes something else. It leaves everything to your imagination, but the sound design and UI really lend to the atmosphere. It’s continually mysterious and absorbing once you get going.
Just like the first game, this one’s a visual novel set in an alternate universe where arcades are still the main place to play video games in, with the main characters being a diverse bunch of competitive arcade gamers. The story involves them taking part in an arcade tournament, and while there’s a heavy emphasis on a romance sideplot (you can skip this part if it’s not your thing), all in all it’s a surprisingly deep plot dealing with issues like depression and self-worth. Like its predecessor, it’s a well-rounded combination of serious drama, smart humour and romcom hijinks.
You don’t need to have played the first game to understand this sequel, as you get to create a new custom character, and all the other main characters are new as well. There are some cute little references to the previous game for returning players to enjoy, though. For example, if you have a save file of the original Arcade Spirits on your Switch, you get a cameo appearance of the previous player character, looking just like you customised them for the previous game, which is nice.
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Both TheWokesterGamer and busy_killer flagged Trincket Studios’ Battle Suit Aces as one to go back to:
BSA is a lighthearted story driven card battler by the same devs as Battle Chef Brigade. The art style is cute, and it has wonderful LGBT rep.
It’s an indie card battler with an amazing production value. Fully voice acted, endearing characters and gameplay that keeps evolving in engaging ways up to the big finale.
Next up, the amusingly monikered Shat has big love for Big Hops:
3D exploration platformer that isn’t quite as refined as a Mario game, but is incredibly innovative and seriously impressive for a smaller indie game.
Nile Bowie‘s back with a shoutout for Brotato (also on Switch 1):
This twin-stick, auto-fire shooter roguelite is like a stripped-down Vampire Survivors where you control a heavily armed potato as you blast through successive enemy waves. It’s brainless in the best way possible. Runs are short and punchy, and between them, you’ll spend your loot on weapons, stats, and items to build out synergies in completely different ways each time. The actual gameplay is very straightforward, all you do is run around and avoid enemies; the challenge lies in shaping your stats and making smart choices between rounds. Its loop epitomises “just one more try” gameplay that I find myself consistently returning to.
shonenjump86 is flying the flag for Sunsoft’s City Hunter from 1990, which got a re-release on Switch 1 and 2 back in February:
I would like to recommend City Hunter for a hidden gem. It is actually a port of the Turbo Grafx game based off the classic manga/anime. Released outside of Japan for the first time and fully translated in English.
Deadzone: Rogue is a recent Switch 2 release we haven’t managed to catch up on, but it’s tickling the fancy of both Alex (not that one) and SintasSays:
I almost passed on this gem until I read a random comment on NL praising it. I decided to check it out and I’ve spent A LOT of time with it. While it’s nothing like Halo, it gives me Halo vibes. Awesome gunplay, excellent teamwork with seamless voice chat, loads of weapons and perks, and a sci-fi setting with interesting and varied enemies. It’s basically a rogue-like that you can do solo or with friends or random people online. I pray in the future the devs will update with a mode that allows pvp team deathmatch, which would make this essential. As is, though, don’t let this one pass you by if you like first-person shooters, rogue-likes, or online multiplayers. This game needs attention!
It’s a fantastic roguelike FPS! It’s got slick visuals, satisfying gun play, an ominous sci-fi atmosphere, fantastic variety and enemy design, and an intriguing story! The masses must know of its greatness!
Another recent release that just slipped off our review schedule, Stockpot is screaming for Death Howl:
Death Howl has flown under the radar since its release earlier this year. It is a “soulslike” deck builder where you take a mother on a journey to rescue her son from the underworld. The lo-fi artstyle looks lovely in handheld mode on the Switch, and the core gameplay loop of building and upgrading your decks across the different “worlds” is very satisfying. The game is difficult, and some grinding is required to level up your decks, but it’s a very rewarding game with a powerful message about grief and loss at its core.
It is a shooter, turn-based, tactical RPG. What sets this game apart is the different rogue like elements you can assign to your squad members. The strategy involved in this was very well thought out. My only fault with the game is the graphical design leaves a little to be desired. Branching scenarios makes it very fun though!
Corvostudio’s Easy Red 2 from 2022 is Jorge‘s pick, although with a caveat:
Runs poorly on Switch, but on Switch 2 is a different story. Best WW2 shooter I’ve ever played, considering it’s a one man job. The game is so cheap that it could be wrongly suspected of shovelware status. But it ain’t.
Glasso is a Filmechanism fan, and we remember this one catching our eye back in 2021. Unfortunately, its mid-December launch left it a casualty of manic end-of-year prep:
My personal entry would be Filmechanism – a puzzle game that deserves more love. The central conceit of “recording” a picture state to go back to allows for almost infinite mind-bending puzzle setups. Good hint system also.
Okay, enough waffling, for goodness’ sake. This week saw the release of Pragmata from Capcom for the Switch 2, and though it should really come as no surprise, the action title is really darn good. We awarded it a score of 9/10.
We also received news that the Legend of Zelda movie has now officially wrapped filming, marking a significant milestone in its production. Fingers crossed it’s a good one. We also heard from Xbox’s creator Seamus Blackley regarding Project Helix, and how he firmly believes that whatever Nintendo is working on next is far more interesting.
In sadder news, Jock Blaney, the voice actor behind the voice of Star Fox 64 antagonist Wolf O’Donnell, has passed away. Many of you commented with some lovely sentiments, and he will no doubt be missed.
Gavin Lane, Editor
The more I hear about Pragmata, the more I need it. Capcom is on such a roll, and a satisfying 10-ish-hour jaunt to the Moon sounds like just the ticket.
However, it’s probably better to play one of the games I’ve got queued on the console already; I’ve just started Pentiment. What a gorgeous thing that is! Brilliant writing, exquisite execution and integration of the font mechanics, and just beautifully presented all-round. I’m only an hour in, but it’s one of those games I won’t be able to put aside until it’s dusted. HLTB puts it at roughly 15 hours, so I plan to get properly comfortable with that.
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
Putting my recent gaming PC upgrade to the test with some intense Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine II sessions (my Techmarine is level 22 of 25 at the time of writing). With Star Fox: Assault properly revisited, time to do the same for Star Fox 64. I’m also rather spoiled for choice on Switch 1 with the villains DLC for SHINOBI: Art of Vengeance and Raiden Fighters Remix Collection.
On Switch 2 and riding the wave of amazing Capcom offerings we got Pragmata’s moon mystery to solve and Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, a game so nice I bought it not twice but thrice on tree different Nintendo console generations (and if the released this on Switch 3, I will buy it again!).
Game (system) of the week is the NEO GEO AES. You know, that one console none of us could afford back in the day. We all had that friend with the uncle who had one at home and he played on it all weekend… but he was lying. They were all lying! The fact that later this year we are having a brand new 1:1 Neo Geo AES on the market is mind blowing. I was planing on retiring from video gaming and stop buying new hardware… just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in! Will have to dedicate some of this weekend coming to a decision if I jump on this. I know most folks dismiss it as just a R-Type clone, but Pulstar is so, so good…
Jim Norman, Features Editor
What a surprise! What horror! Jim’s playing Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream this weekend! I love my silly little Miis and their silly little lives. I’m still yet to really see how big of an upgrade it is from my beloved 3DS version, but it’s still bringing me the biggest of smiles — hey, you can’t argue with that!
Ollie Reynolds, Reviews Editor
I definitely plan on giving Yooka-Replaylee another go now that the 60fps update is live. It’s a lovely game and the smooth performance is really the cherry on top.
Otherwise, I’m very much addicted to Guilty Gear -Strive- on the PS5 following the recent 2.0 update. I’d love to play some more Invincible Vs, but alas, the beta is over. Ollie sad.
Mai Ladyman, Video Producer
I’ve been playing a lot of different games lately so it’s likely I’ll just go back to a couple of this week’s favourites. I really loved Pragmata and having completed the game for the review, I plan on playing it again for some collection hunting and possibly challenging myself to a higher difficulty level.
I’ve also been playing more Tomodachi Life so I think I’ll slot in a play session during the weekend to create more Miis and finally decorate my island a bit more. Aside from those games, I’ve also dived head first into Little Big Workshop. I love management games and this quirky bite sized workshop game has been a nice break where I can switch off my brain.
Those are 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!
Video game movies are all the rage nowadays, and it’s quickly led to Hollywood adapting every series it can get its hands on.
Now, to add to this, Paramount has officially confirmed during a presentation at CinemaCon that the “Call of Duty” movie will arrive in theatres on 30th June 2028.
Pete Berg will direct, with the script written by Taylor Sheridan. Here’s a bit more about what to expect from this film, according to Variety:
“Taylor and I are both deeply connected to the special ops community,” Berg said in a video message to the annual convention of movie theater owners. The “Deepwater Horizon” director said he and super-creator Sheridan are prioritizing authenticity among the group of elite soldiers “on a human level, but also bring amazing scale.”
No details about the plot or the film’s cast have been revealed at this early stage, but there’s a lot to live up to as it’s based on one of the biggest video game series of all time.
Microsoft is now officially in control of Activision and Call of Duty, with the tech giant previously confirming the series would be returning to Nintendo’s platforms. Of course, we’re yet to see anything come of this deal.
Would you watch a Call of Duty movie? What other video game movies would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.
According to a story by Insider Gaming Editor Tom Henderson, Resynced will be released on 9th July 2026.
Henderson further notes how the original reveal was planned for this week, but Ubisoft has delayed it until next week. Media and content creators have already reportedly received a “roughly 30-minute presentation” of the title.
While we won’t spoil what the game has in store, we can say it’s been completely reworked with a bunch of new content and updates, and honestly, it looks awesome. But one thing was made clear: despite the rumors and rumblings, Black Flag Resynced is not an RPG.
“This remains a solo adventure and character-driven experience. It is not an RPG,” the presentation revealed.
Ubisoft hasn’t revealed the platforms Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced is coming to at this stage, but it has shown strong support for the Switch 2 so far with titles such as Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Star Wars Outlaws.
In March, Ubisoft announced it would be winding down support for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, with its teams focus shifting towards what’s next for Assassin’s Creed.
When we hear more about this game, we’ll provide an update.
When Resident Evil Requiem arrived on Switch 2 in February, one thing we noticed missing was Mercenaries Mode.
The game director Koshi Nakanishi recently teased a minigame update for May, and ahead of this, a dataminer has made an interesting discovery.
‘MasyaSYRKOV’ on social media has been digging through Requiem’s game files and uncovered some music they believe could be linked to an extra mode, or possibly even Mercenaries:
“I was digging through Resident Evil Requiem files and found something that could be related to future extra mode / Mercenaries”
Track 4, which has been described as having a lot of “clock ticking”, has already convinced some fans that Mercenaries Mode is on the way. Of course, Capcom hasn’t revealed what exactly to expect from next month’s update just yet.
This recurring minigame in the series requires players to race against the clock as they fight waves of enemies and rack up a high score.
In March, Capcom released an update for Resident Evil Requiem adding a photo mode to the game. Apart from a minigame update, the director has also announced a story expansion, which will “delve deeper into the world of Requiem”.
Do you think we’ll see Mercenaries return? Have you played Requiem yet? Tell us in the comments.
Update []: IO Interactive has now shared the official title sequence for 007 First Light, featuring the song “First Light” written and composed by Lana Del Rey and David Arnold.
Original Story:
The talented American singer and songwriter Lana Del Rey has today released her theme song for 007 First Light.
As highlighted by Rolling Stone, First Light is a “grand and orchestral affair, embellished with motifs from the James Bond theme song”. The track has been composed and co-written by David Arnold, who has previously scored 007 movies such as Casino Royale and Tomorrow Never Dies.
David Arnold: “Having been part of that musical lineage, I understand how important it is to honor its heritage while allowing it to evolve. Lana brought an elegance and atmosphere to the song that felt perfectly suited to continuing that tradition while introducing something fresh for a new era.”
Lana Del Rey apparently wrote a song intended for Spectre, but it was British singer Sam Smith who went on to perform “Writing’s On The Wall” for this movie.
The theme song announcement follows news earlier this month that 007 First Light had been delayed for the Switch 2. Instead of launching on 27th May 2026 alongside other platforms, the Nintendo version is now scheduled for “later this summer”. Earlier this week, spoilers related to First Light also reportedly surfaced in a classification board leak.
Apart from Lana’s involvement in the theme song, the singer and musician Lenny Kravitz will appear in 007 First Light as a black-market dealer named Bawma.
So, what do you think of the theme song for 007 First Light? Let us know in the comments.
Following on from its launch late last year, Marvel Cosmic Invasion has today landed a sweet free demo on Switch 1 and 2.
You’ll find the demo on the eShop right now, letting you get a taste for the throwback fighter and all of its nostalgic charms. As a reminder, this is the latest beat ’em up from Tribute and Dotemu (the team that previously brought us Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge), so you know you’re in safe hands.
Naturally, the demo only gives you a taste of the full experience. If you like what you see, you can pick up the full game for £26.99 / $22.49 (note the discount in North America).
Despite some small issues, we had a great time with Cosmic Invasion on Switch last year, calling it “one of the best arcade Marvel games ever made” in our review.
Will you be checking out the Cosmic Invasion demo on Switch (2)? Let us know in the comments.
