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Is creating a book still worth it in 2026?

What are some of the benefits of writing your own book? Let’s recap the basics, starting with more non-fiction oriented benefits and moving into higher-level fiction writing benefits later in this article.

Benefit 1: Career Prospects 🚀 and Authority

Not everybody respects book authors. Yet – most do:

“Publishing a book is still a powerful authority signal: one survey found that 75% of people view professionals as more qualified thought leaders when they have authored a book, while broader B2B research shows that 73% of buyers trust thought leadership more than traditional marketing when judging expertise.” – ChatGPT Deep Research

Publishing an authority book can be viewed as rocket fuel for your career – especially if book writing is not your main job but you’re doing it on the side.

It’s a classic positive expected-value activity:

  • Some will respect you more for having written a book on the side.
  • Some will respect you much more.
  • And the rest will respect you the same. 

Nobody will respect you less.

Now you may ask: How can it help me in my specific career?

Well, it might help you get a better job or get respected more in your current job/business.

Story: A friend of mine one day decided to coauthor a technical authority book about an engineering-related topic he was interested in (on the side). At the time, he was working a job in the social sector. The book was the key trust element that got him the exact dream job position at the company creating the engineering tool he was writing about. He loves his new job more and earns twice the income. The book was a major element of this success story – he may not have gotten the job without the book. 

For example, say you publish books in your area of expertise, build authority, and ultimately lift your income by only 20% as a first- or second-order consequence. The average salary in the US is roughly $60k, so +20% creates an additional +$12k per year. Investing that additional +$12k/y into an index fund yielding 9% p.a. results in a nice additional nest egg of $613k after 20 years.

The compounding effects of book writing can be magical! Of course this carries a few assumptions but nothing too unrealistic: 9% annual yield, a one-time 20% salary boost by building authority in your field, that’s about it.

And also please note that I didn’t even mention the immediate first-order cash flow your book might generate passively on Amazon KDP, for instance.

How can you publish a book – or multiple books – in your area of expertise? 

Well, just get started writing a draft with a non-fiction engine.

You can edit the book in a Word document and include your own stories, so it becomes yours.

I know you will find that the quality of your generated book is surprisingly high. Paying the equivalent of a coffee at Starbucks to become a (published) author is not too heavy a burden.

✨ You could be a published author this week!

Benefit 2: Personal Development + Learning

If you want to master any subject, write about it. Not enough time? The next best thing is to prompt AI to write about it – then read what it wrote. 

This way, you can generate books about your weird fringe interests to learn about hyper-individualized subjects such as:

  • How to Get Yourself to Bed as a Mom (33) When Nighttime Is the Only Time You Feel Free
  • How to Run a Household Where Everyone Eats Differently Without Cooking Four Dinners
  • How to Become Socially Fluent When You’re Already Smart but Somehow Weird in Groups
  • How to Prepare for a Nuclear Conflict in Stockholm/Sweden
  • Tailor-Made Diet Recommendations for 36-Year-Old Men with IBS and Skin Problems

You get the point, it could become even more specific like ‘Understanding Thermodynamics as a 43-Year-Old Working in Elderly Care’.

These books don’t exist but you can write them easily – one or even all of them – and own the rights to publish or consume them. Producing such a highly personalized book with ImagineYourBook might be even cheaper than ordering it on Amazon!

Benefit 3: Bragging Rights

I didn’t want to leave this unnamed.

Yeah, it’s not super sophisticated but I know that many people will publish books just so they can identify as authors.

While I didn’t build a first-class book-writing engine to fulfill people’s needs for external validation, I still know that many will use it exactly for that reason. 

I will not judge you for maximizing your well-deserved bragging rights.

Benefit 4: Self-Actualization, Fiction, and Travel

Let’s not go there too deeply – but what if your basic needs are already satisfied? What if you already have money, status, and you don’t need to learn new random stuff or monetize books?

In that case, you’re probably an avid fiction reader yourself. You might even have some novel ideas or need to read certain types of fiction books that you may not easily find on Amazon.

For example, I’ve always loved “The Talented Mr. Ripley”-style stories. I love the Mediterranean and go there regularly with my family. With ImagineYourBook, I can now generate exactly the fiction book I want, set in the vacation area I’m currently visiting. For instance, I can learn local history, culture, and what great places to visit by reading a crime novel set in a small village on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.

 👉 Write your travel guide fiction book with our engine

Benefit 5: Fun and Play

Last but not least, the best thing about AI is that it allows us to produce fun little things quickly and fool around.

You can write stories with your loved ones as protagonists and their specific character traits. You can write what-if stories changing physical laws such as gravity. You can write stories about your own childhood. You can invent stories that play like live games as you read through them.

Your imagination is now the only limit.

Imagine Your Book!

The post Is creating a book still worth it in 2026? appeared first on Be on the Right Side of Change.

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“A Big Miscalculation On My Part” – Hideki Kamiya On Leaving Bayonetta 3 Up To Interpretation

Bayonetta 3
Image: Nintendo

Though many folks loved Bayonetta 3 (we awarded it a 10/10 upon release), many fans have understandable concerns regarding the game’s multiverse setting and the events of its ending. Spoiler alert right from the start with this one, we’ll be diving into some pretty hefty stuff here.

So to explain further, Bayonetta 3 included a multiverse narrative in which our heroine was simply one of many Bayonettas, each of which found herself in grave peril. This in itself felt like a pretty drastic departure from the narratives of the first two games, but according to creator Hideki Kamiya in his latest book The World of Hideki Kamiya (thanks, Nintendo Everything), he actually dropped hints long before Bayonetta 3.

“We often hear that said, but actually the existence of a multiverse was depicted from the first Bayonetta. Since it was displayed in a low-key way perhaps it didn’t fully convey the idea.

“So in Bayonetta there is a scene directly after you battle Balder right? In that, you rescue Cereza, a young child who had been absorbed into Balder’s body, and then send Cereza to the past, and it’s here that the timeline splits.

“After sending Cereza to the past, there is a scene where Bayonetta returns to the present and approaches Luka, and the background is doubled-up and blurred. That is a depiction of the real universe and another, diverged universe layering over each other. It’s a display of two worlds existing in parallel.”

He goes on to encourage those who believe that the multiverse idea came out of nowhere to go back and play the first two games, though he also concedes that “the explanations were not sufficient”.

Moving onto the ending of the game, in which many had assumed concluded with the death of Bayonetta and the introduction of Viola as the new main protagonist, Kamiya also states that hints are dropped to imply that Bayonetta is actually alive and well.

“But in Bayonetta 3, some amongst the players imagined the situation quite negatively, and just accepted that ‘Bayonetta is dead.’ That was a big miscalculation on my part, and I understood the difficulty of thinking about how much space players should have left open for interpretation.

“To say it clearly, the ending of Bayonetta 3 does imply that Bayonetta is still alive. There’s a menu where you choose your destination with a dart, that is a bit like Viola’s room right? As you clear stages, things you gathered during Viola’s journey such as photographs and keepsakes start getting added there too. After clearing the final chapter in the menu there will be a single new photo of Viola added, and in that photo you can clearly see Luka from behind. If Luka is there in this world, perhaps somewhere Bayonetta is too…”

We’re not entirely convinced these explanations will be sufficient for some fans, but it does all make sense, at least. However, we sincerely doubt we’ll see anything from the Bayonetta franchise anytime soon now that Kamiya has left PlatinumGames. The company still exists, to be sure, but a lot of the core creators have now moved on.

Kamiya is currently hard at work with his new studio Clovers on a direct sequel to the acclaimed adventure Okami, though its release window and target platforms are currently unknown.

Do you think Kamiya’s explanations are sufficient here? Share your thoughts with a comment in the usual place.

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Pragmata Has Already Shot Past Its First Major Sales Milestone

Pragmata
Image: Capcom

Capcom’s latest sci-fi adventure, Pragmata, launched to high praise last week, but as an original IP with no recognisable faces to its name, would audiences be quick to latch onto it? Yes, yes they would.

The studio has today announced that Pragmata’s worldwide sales have already surpassed one million units sold — and that’s from just two days of sales data!

In a press release on the Capcom Investor Relations site, the studio specifically calls out the game’s free demo and its arrival on Switch 2 as strategies that “generated significant momentum” for Pragmata from the jump and appealed to as big an audience as possible.

“We are truly delighted that so many players around the world have enjoyed the game, enabling us to reach this milestone of one million units sold,” the dev team says, “Moving forward, we will continue making every effort to deliver the appeal of PRAGMATA to an even broader audience”.

We had a great time with Pragmata on Switch 2, calling it “the full package” and “another excellent Switch 2 port from Capcom” in our review. Let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of this newbie, eh?

Have you checked out Pragmata yet? Let us know your thoughts on it so far in the comments below.

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UK Charts: Tomodachi Life Is Living The Dream In Its Debut Week

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
Image: Nintendo

We had to give our eyes a little rub and pull a double-take as we opened this week’s UK charts data this morning. Is that… Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream in the top spot?

Yes, despite the series selling rather well on 3DS, there was a part of us that thought the gap until Living the Dream might have dampened enthusiasm a little, but no! The Switch life sim has immediately grabbed the gold in its debut week, even beating Capcom’s multi-platform original, Pragmata (for which only 13% of sales came from Switch 2).

These newbies mean that Resident Evil Requiem has slipped down to third, while Pokémon Pokopia has dropped all the way down to sixth. Hey, at least Marvel Cosmic Invasion has pulled in some fans after the physical finally launched last week!

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

NEW

1

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

NEW

2 Pragmata PS5 81%, Switch 2 13%, Xbox Series 6%

1

3

Resident Evil Requiem

PC 62%, PS5 33%, Switch 2 4%, Xbox Series 2%

25

4 Tekken 8

32

5 Elden Ring

2

6

Pokémon Pokopia

4

7

Mortal Kombat 11 Ultimate

PS4 68%, PS5 32%, Switch 0%

7

8 Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2

5

9 Mario Kart World

10

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon

8

11 Pokémon Legends: Z-A Switch 58%, Switch 2 42%

17

12 Resident Evil 4

38

13 The Witcher III: Wild Hunt Complete Edition

NEW

14 Marvel Cosmic Invasion PS5 40%, Switch 2 35%, Switch 20%, Xbox Series 5%

3

15 Starfield

16

16

Super Mario Bros. Wonder

Switch 56%, Switch 2 44%

15

17 Animal Crossing: New Horizons Switch 70%, Switch 2 30%

9

18 Donkey Kong Bananza

20

19 Minecraft

21

20

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

24

21 Nioh 3

13

22

Mad Max

11

23 Crimson Desert

23

24 Super Mario Party Jamboree Switch 63%, Switch 2 37%

29

25 Grand Theft Auto V

27

26

Resident Evil 2

27 WWE 2K26 PS5 75%, Xbox Series 15%, Switch 2 10%

37

28

Nintendo Switch Sports

19

29 Resident Evil 3

30 Little Nightmares: Complete Edition Switch 100%, PS4 0%

26

31 Dragon’s Dogma II

32

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Switch 2 55%, Switch 45%

30

33 Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Gold Edition

18

34

EA Sports FC 26

PS5 59%, Switch 17%, Switch 2 11%, Xbox Series 7%

35 Super Mario Odyssey

36 Lego Jurassic World PS4 86%, Switch 14%

37 Call of Duty: WWII

31

38 Mortal Kombat X

39

39 Dark Souls Trilogy

40

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Switch 2 56%, Switch 44%

[Compiled by GfK]

< Last week’s charts


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.

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We Might Have Just Got Our Best Look At Link In The Legend Of Zelda Movie

Link
Image: Nintendo

With principal photography now wrapped on The Legend of Zelda movie, it’s likely that Nintendo and Columbia Pictures will want to start the hype train engine ahead of its release on 7th May 2027.

The movie’s Director of Photography, Gyula Pados, may have jumped the gun slightly, though. In a now-deleted post on Instagram (thanks, Wario64), he showcased a clipboard to presumably commemorate the completion of principal photography.

The key image on the clipboard depicts Link standing next to the Triforce. Meanwhile, the word ‘Umami’ is displayed prominently on the right, with ‘Director – Wes Ball’ and ‘Camera – Gyula Pados’ just underneath.

So, is this our best look at Link so far? Well, possibly. One thing that immediately stands out is the fact that the character in the image looks nothing like Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, the 17-year-old actor cast to play the lead role.

So it seems likely, then, that this is merely some concept art. Even if that’s the case, it’s clearly an incredibly faithful depiction of Link that seems to be leaning into the aesthetics from Twilight Princess. Y’know, if you ignore the giant cape he seems to be rocking.

So we’ll have to wait and see just how accurate this image really is. There’s no denying its authenticity given it came directly from Gyula Pados, but whether the final portrayal of Link comes even close to the image remains to be seen.

What do you make of this image from Gyula Pados? Reckon it’s our best look at Link so far? Let us know with a comment.

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Mailbox: The Wii U’s Legacy, Mii Singing, Hippos – Nintendo Life Letters

Nintendo Life Mailbox
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

Guess who’s back, back again? NL Mailbox‘s back, tell a friend.

Yes, it’s once again time to recline in a comfy chair with your favourite beverage by your side, as we rifle through our monthly mailbag. 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.

It’s a fairly light month, but let’s not prevaricate about the bush, let’s dive right into things…

Nintendo Life Mailbox – April 2026

“it is fun to bounce off them” (***STAR LETTER***)

Hello,

I am wondering what your favourite Nintendo hippo is. The highest-profile ones currently are probably the Hoppos from Mario Wonder along with their appearance as one of the Wonder Effects in Mario Tennis Fever.

The Mario universe also has several others such as the tree-climbing Bopapodamuses from Donkey Kong Country Returns, High-Octane Hippo from WarioWare Move It, the big-eared Hippopo enemies from Super Mario RPG, Scoff from Donkey Kong 64 and the bubble-blowing Hippo from Super Mario Land 2, along with a level in that game with multiple names including the ‘Hippo Zone’.

Outside of the Mario universe, we have ten Animal Crossing villagers who are hippos (Bertha, Biff, Bitty, Bubbles, Clara, Harry, Hippeux, Lulu, Rocco and Rollo). Fun fact: hippo is the only land animal to have had a total of one villager in an Animal Crossing game, with only one hippo villager in Wild World.

There is also the Ground-type Pokemon Hippopotas and its evolution Hippowdon. Zelda: Link’s Awakening has a hippo model in the Animal Village posing for a painting. And while he is not actually a hippo, we can consider King Hippo from Punch-Out too. My favourite is probably Hoppos because it is fun to bounce off them. I would love a Hoppo amiibo!
eXtremeHippo

With all the stuff going on right now, I just enjoyed this one. Hippos. What’s not to like?

Oh, and favourite hippos? Easy. It’s the fruit-eating Kablasta hippos from Labo VR. – Ed.

Kablasta Nintendo Switch
Hungry, hungry hippos — Image: Nintendo Life

“Skipping to the good bits”

Hey, guys! Avid reader here.
Skipping to the good bits, I was wondering how you feel about the Wii U’s legacy now that practically its entire library is on switch.
It came to my attention when I was gushing to my friend about the Wii U, and he retorted saying that it’s redundant given the present ports, and I’ll confess I have no rebuttal to that, haha.

I ultimately do appreciate the Wii U for what it left behind (though I kinda wish the Yakuza and Zelda remasters would get ported already). I still own a Wii U pro controller even if I haven’t found a way to connect it to my steam deck.

Cheers!
Yousef

The Wii U walked so the Switch run and jump and wahoo into the stratosphere. It’s still the best place to play Mario Maker, Nintendo Land was an underrated winner, and I still love being able to whack a golf ball from my GamePad into the telly. I liked the Wii U and it’s curvy discs then, and I like them now.

There are still a handful of exclusives, but Wii U will never be truly gone all the while it holds Affordable Space Adventures in its cold, dead hand. – Ed.

Wii U Pro Controller
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life

“make my Mii sing”

Dear Nintendo Life staff

I wonder who has the most creativity when playing games like Tomodachi Life 3DS and ACNH. I have tried to make my Mii sing with “Indonesian” language by typing certain words with English accent that sounds like Indonesian pronounciation. For example, I typed Ke Chow Wuck to make my Mii say “Kecoak” (Cockroach).
Also, from ACNH I did a lot of photoshoots at Harv Island to make random narrative photoshoots such as a WICKED scene, my Halloween story, ACNH anniversary, Holidays, etc.
Well, that’s how I enjoy both of those games.
From: Anti-Matter

I take any opportunity to crowbar my Star Trek uniforms into our ACNH coverage, and I smell an opportunity right now.

Therefore, t’is I, my dear Anti-Matter, who has the most creativity with games like these. Marvel at my creative genius in the pic below, as I wear my First Contact/latter-era DS9 Mister Worf get-up while relaxing in my Captain Picard Ready Room. – Ed.

Animal Crossing
Then again, it’s taken me 370 hours to do this. Time well spent…right? — Image: Nintendo Life

“a pun master”

Hi there,
Do you guys have a pun division, or is every author a pun master? Even if the topic of an article doesn’t interest me, I always check what pun you came up with. Excellent work!
xmkbest

Very kind. We’ve all studied punnery to varying degrees, and Jim is currently writing his pun master’s thesis. I would write one here, but that would be a bit crass, no? There’s a sensitivity to the art, to the craft of pun. You can’t just jam one in anywhere willy-nilly.

Plus, it’s Friday evening and I can’t think of one. – Ed.

Bonus Letters

“Hello everyone I want to give this to Mr. Miamoto” – Super Mario

If you can’t get face time with him, we’re never getting that interview. – Ed.

Could you please provide more information about New Nintendo 3DS?” – Alivhuna

The non-XL New one is the best. And I’ve got 19 pink and white striped faceplates for it in my basement. Will that do? – Ed.

New 3DS Monster Hunter
Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo Life

That’s all for this month! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.

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!

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Poll: Box Art Brawl: Professor Layton And Pandora’s Box

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box - BAB
Image: Nintendo Life

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!

Europe

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box - EU
Image: Nintendo / Launchbox

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?

North America

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box - NA
Image: Nintendo / Launchbox

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.

Japan

Professor Layton and Pandora's Box - JP
Image: Level-5 / Launchbox

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.

Thank you for voting! We’ll see you next week for another edition of Box Art Brawl!

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“A New Mission Awaits” – SNK Celebrates 30 Years Of Metal Slug, Teases Exciting Future

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.

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Metroid Prime Remastered Studio ‘Iron Galaxy’ Announces More Layoffs

Metroid Prime Remastered
Image: Nintendo Life

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.

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Community: 31 Switch Games We Missed, As Recommended By You

Switch Games We Missed Part 12
Image: Nintendo Life

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.

Next up, Polvasti wants to highlight Arcade Spirits: The New Challengers:

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.

Brett Price stumbled across 2020’s Depth of Extinction this past year:

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.


Next up, page two takes us from F to G…