Author: sick skills

Update [Sat 13th Jun 2026, 2:30am]: Here’s a reminder that this update has now gone live for Splatoon 3. Once it’s patched, your game should be running Version 11.2.0. You can see the patch notes in the original post below.

Original Story: [Wed 10th Jun, 2026 02:30 BST]: Nintendo has announced its team-based squid shooter Splatoon 3 will be getting an update this week, bumping the title up to Version 11.2.0.

Inklings and Octlings can expect fresh changes to the game’s multiplayer, including weapon adjustments and changes to X Battles.

The team has also revealed the next update is already in the works and will focus on changes to multiplayer balance. For now, here’s what you can expect from the latest update when it drops:

Splatoon 3: Ver. 11.2.0 (10th June 2026)

All changes apply to both Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch.

Changes to Multiplayer

• Reduced size of blasters’ explosion collision detection with opponents.
  • This change is intended to partially reverse the improvements introduced in Ver. 11.0.0, resulting in a size that falls somewhere between what it was before and after the improvements.
• Specifications for some main weapons have changed.
  

  Weapon	Change Details
  N-ZAP ’85 N-ZAP ’89	Ink splatter will now fall around the player’s feet more easily.
  L-3 Nozzlenose L-3 Nozzlenose D Glitterz L-3 Nozzlenose	Increased the speed of shots by approximately 5% and extended the flight distance.
  Luna Blaster Luna Blaster Neo Order Blaster Replica	Reduced the scatter of shots while jumping by approximately 8%.
  Clash Blaster Clash Blaster Neo	Reduced the scatter of shots while jumping by approximately 13%.
  Undercover Brella Undercover Sorella Brella Patternz Undercover Brella	Reduced the amount of ink consumed by approximately 8%.
  Blaster Custom Blaster Gleamz Blaster	Extended the time when movement is restricted after firing by approximately 1/60th of a second.
  Rapid Blaster Pro Rapid Blaster Pro Deco Rapid Blaster Pro WNT-R	Extended the amount of time it takes for ink to begin recovering after firing by about 1/6th of a second.
  Heavy Splatling Heavy Splatling Deco Order Splatling Replica	Decreased the radius inked by spray droplets from shots by approximately 8%. Decreased the radius of the ink splatter at the point of impact by approximately 8%.

• Specifications for some special weapons have changed.
  

  Special Weapon	Change Details
  Trizooka	Increased damage dealt to Big Bubblers by approximately 30%.
  Zipcaster	Reduced the amount of ink consumed when zipping by approximately 33%.
  Inkjet	Increased damage dealt to Big Bubblers by direct shots and explosions by approximately 30%.
  Booyah Bomb	Decreased damage taken from splatanas when the player has armor by approximately 30%.
  Splattercolor Screen	Increased the device’s range to enable it to be set up farther away than before.
  Crab Tank	Decreased the effective radius of the cannon’s explosions by approximately 14%.

• Points required for some special weapons have been changed.
  

  Weapon	Before	After
  New Squiffer	190	180
  Snipewriter 5B	210	200
  Slosher Deco	180	170
  Heavy Edit Splatling Nouveau	210	200
  Custom Wellstring V	200	190
  .52 Gal	200	210
  Luna Blaster Neo	190	200
  Dynamo Roller	200	210
  Gold Dynamo Roller	180	190
  Slosher Order Slosher Replica	210	220
  Dread Wringer	190	200

• Regarding the process where a player disconnecting immediately after the start of a battle triggers a no-contest result, shortened the period considered to be “immediately after the start of a battle” for Splat Zones, Tower Control, Rainmaker, and Clam Blitz modes.

Changes to X Battles

• Changed the systems for team division to reduce the likelihood of weapons with similar preferred ranges being concentrated on the same team.

This update focuses on making changes to multiplayer balance and matchmaking.

As for multiplayer balance, we made changes to soften some of the improvements we made in ver. 11.0.0 after analyzing the state of battles over a long period of time after the release of ver. 11.0.0.

We have also made changes to improve some weapons’ unique characteristics or make them easier to handle.

For matchmaking, we have adjusted team division to make it easier for the process introduced in ver. 11.1.0, which makes it so that players more frequently battle with weapons of similar preferred ranges, to be applied.

The next update will focus on changes to multiplayer balance.

In some other Splatoon news this week, Nintendo revealed the upcoming release Splatoon Raiders will be getting its own dedicated direct later this month on 30th June 2026. It’s also been revealed a new Joy-Con 2 set will release alongside this title on 23rd July 2026.

Will you be diving back into Splatoon 3 to try out this new update? Let us know in the comments.

Nintendo is back with another European eShop sale, and this one is all about multiplayer.

Yes, if you have been looking for something to play with your pals, then the fittingly-titled ‘Multiplayer Sale‘ is well worth checking out. The discounts are now live and will be sticking around until 21st June, so you still have a couple more weeks to make the most.

As ever, the sale is jam-packed with discounted delights, so we’ve waded through all the games included and presented the cream of the crop below. In this list, you’ll find every game in the multiplayer sale that we gave a 9/10 or higher, plus a personal pick that just fell outside this range.

As ever, if you’re looking to grab some eShop credit before diving in, we’ve got you covered with the following links from our store.

Switch 2 has been on shelves for over a year now – still early days if it lasts anything like as long as its predecessor. Compared to the popping colours of the Switch 1’s Joy-Con, though, the younger console launched with a more subdued hue.

Certainly, the hallmark red-blue stylings are present and correct, but concealed along the Joy-Con’s connections and ringed around the analogue sticks.

You may remember that the original Switch launched with a less colourful grey Joy-Con-ed variant, but it’s the red-blue version that’s become iconic in spite of the rainbow spectrum of Joy-Con options and Special Edition Switches which have launched since 2017.

Compared to all those, Switch 2’s black-grey (with a touch of sparkle, granted) is pretty dour. The recent announcement of Blue and Light Yellow Joy-Con options launching alongside Splatoon Raiders is welcome, but they’re just the same old controllers with subtly different highlights. Joining the default colours and the Light Purple and Light Green variants, it’s hard to get too excited – especially at those prices.

For some, the existing Switch 2 is perfect as is; business-like, classic, understated, and not something to cause embarrassment when you whip it out on the train.

Yet others will be pining for some indigo or orange to spice things up, or a Wii-white option to match their other hardware. I have family members still waiting to pull the trigger on a Switch 2 just in case a snazzy Animal Crossing one gets announced.

Not all the Switch 1 Special Editions transformed every inch of the system — some bore little more than a logo on the rear or the dock — but from now on you’d expect to start seeing Switch 2 variants of some kind. Firms like Dbrand make skins to wrap your console and controllers in, of course, but even the best skins lack the longevity of an official paint scheme.

Obviously, everyone on Team NL has a launch Switch 2 (in good-to-great shape) and is still happy with it, though a quick survey around the office garnered the following requests and responses:

• “Baffled there isn’t a Pokopia one tbh, but we’ll get a Winds & Waves one. I guess it’d have different-coloured Joy-Con (not just the inside or sticks, either) and the Legendaries. Pokopia could absolutely just be a full Ditto coloured Switch 2 with some artwork on the back. Or some Ditto eyes on the back. They’d never do it, but it would rule.” – Alana
• “Winds and Waves SE, with a beach scene along the front of the dock.” – Jim
• “An elegant gold console to go with the Ocarina of Time remake.” – Ollie

The possibilities are endless, but the real question is: Will we see new Switch 2 SKUs in the near future?

Given the cost of RAM, price hikes, and ‘uncertainty’ in the global economy, the safe money might be on ‘no’. Nintendo will be keeping a lid on any expenses it can right now, same as all hardware manufacturers. And while whipping up a new Switch 2 livery doesn’t involve internal component changes, it’s still an avoidable expense at a bad time.

And remember, there’s already a revised version of the console on the way to conform with EU regulations dictating that batteries must be user replaceable – that will have eaten R&D budget for new designs and tooling.

Then again, a new colourway is a fairly cost-effective way to reinvigorate interest when the hardware itself isn’t getting any upgrades – and Nintendo is no stranger to a natty new colourway. Surely we all recall that famous Miyamoto line: “If in doubt, bung a Triforce on it.”

Would you get excited about a new Switch 2 SKU? Would a cool Splatoon or Animal Crossing-themed one be enough for you to finally jump aboard? Let us know in the polls below.

Late at night, I’m huddled up in bed with my Switch 2 millimetres from my face, when suddenly it feels like I’m being slapped with a Ratatouille flashback. My mind is flung back in time to the days of late evenings fervently exploring Pokémon Black and White, to weekends huddled in front of my TV playing Xenoblade on Wii, and countless hours helping Tidus explore Spira.

While swimming in this nostalgic bliss, suddenly I’m yanked back to the present as I navigate infuriatingly slow menus, tackle manic controls, or spend another 30 mins lost, just wandering around different buildings. This is where LumenTale sits for me: a game so good at evoking nostalgic feelings, but then slamming the brakes on the experience with small, jarring issues.

LumenTale: Memories of Trey comes from developer Beehive Studios and publisher Team 17, and feels like a direct homage to the DS-era Pokémon. But it is also an RPG using smart mechanic choices and modern conveniences to bring that experience into the modern day.

With nearly 150 Animon to catch, a beautiful HD-2D-esque world to explore, and some obvious gameplay comparisons such as ‘Lost’ Animon instead of Shiny Pokémon, Beehive isn’t shy about its influences. For the most part, that is a good thing.

This monster-collecting RPG feels laser-targeted at a very specific type of Pokémon fan, all while taking some bold and interesting diversions. One of the clearest is right in the name, as you control protagonist Trey instead of a nameless child. LumenTale uses the ‘amnesiac protagonist’ cliché as a fairly good thrust for your adventure, and I found Trey a compelling character.

After waking up without your memories, you set out to become a Lumen (the Pokémon trainers of this world) and discover who you are. You must catch Animon, build your team, and explore to finally uncover the truth.

So far, so familiar, but LumenTale utilises an impressive attention to detail and some subtle worldbuilding to establish both the depth and tone of this universe, which you will soon discover is a lot darker than you might imagine.

For instance, having an actual character as the centre of your ‘monster-taming’ game, one that has great dialogue and also has to make crucial decisions, well, it is really refreshing. It took me back to fleshed-out characters like Tidus in FFX and their journey of self-discovery, even if on a much smaller scale.

I won’t talk much more about LumenTale’s story, but just to say I loved the supporting cast of characters, with Ales making a wonderful adventure buddy, the pair Mina and Bon offering one of the most gut-wrenching moments of the game, and Pitan becoming a clear standout immediately.

Amongst all of the Pokémon-pastiche — with Animon instead of Pokémon, Bilia instead of Poke Balls (and so on) — Lumentale has a strong sense of identity thanks to the strength of its writing, the staunch anti-AI message, and the exploration of moral ambiguity. How you approach its many difficult situations will shape both Trey and your ending, so I’d recommend taking your time and really enjoying the dilemmas and characters Beehive has built.

To get to said ending, however, you are going to be doing a lot of battling. This is one area where Lumentale often feels like the similarly pixellated adventure Octopath Traveler, with a unique twist on the PP system you would expect in Pokémon. Animon come in different types, with some familiar (Fire, Water, Grass), and some strange (such as Virus, Data, and Chakra). All of these feed nicely into their designs and the many strange evolutions.

Each Animon has a type, a hidden type, up to five spaces for moves, and a system very similar to IVs, which you can spread freely across stats almost identical to Pokémon. There are a few other direct comparisons, even down to Animon having abilities and the physical and special distinction between moves. But instead of PP for individual moves, your team shares SP, with each move depleting this energy.

So, while you might start with 8 SP and Pound might use up 1 SP, a sweeping move that attacks all your opponents like Infernal Wave might cost 4 SP. You can end up reaching other Animon in the turn order with no SP left, but you can also skip an Animon’s turn to reserve SP for another.

Next, you start each battle with your opponents’ weaknesses hidden, and you can either try your luck with your elemental attacks or take the time to scan them. This is another crucial element, as if you land enough super effective hits against the opposing Animon’s weakness, you earn a completely free move, regardless of your SP, and can choose from any Animon or move in your party, regardless of your turn order.

As someone with thousands upon thousands of hours of Pokémon battles under my belt, this system feels really engaging, and I love chipping away at the elemental weakness, much like in Octopath Traveler. There isn’t much of a challenge, however, and that rings true even much later into the game. Figuring out types and avoiding bad matchups is one thing, but a selection of Animon with good coverage will almost always get you through any situation.

Which is a shame, because LumenTale’s story does a good job of using massive and physically imposing Animon as bookends for each story’s chapter, instead of just a gym battle. I love the scale of these moments; I just wish the battles themselves offered a little more challenge.

While I loved battling, I did find actually capturing the monsters frustrating, because of two distinct systems. First, while exploring the overworld, you can simply aim your Bilia at a wild Animon, and then a quick QTE pops up, with specific button prompts as concentric circles shrink, meaning you have to hit the right button and at the correct time. Naturally, the tougher the Animon, the smaller the circle you are hoping to hit.

Personally, I cannot stand this system. I just never enjoyed having to frantically tap the right button at the right time. I think it should either be the button prompt or the shrinking circle, as both at once is punishing. Not to mention, other wild Animon can still rush you immediately after this, so you have to avoid them despite their ubiquity. I can’t imagine children finding this system easy, either.

This is also made difficult by the need to hold ‘R’ on the right Joy-Con and then use the right analogue stick to aim your Bilia in the overworld. The reticle seems to spin like it is possessed, and I missed so many throws at crucial moments. You even use your HM-like abilities this way, throwing out your ‘Holoken’ item with an Animon of a specific type in your party to interact with the world. The wild movement of the reticle, the cramp-inducing need to do both actions with your right hand, and the need to have Animon of a specific type in your party make this process annoying at best.

Otherwise, when catching, you can use your Bilia in battle, which is much more forgiving as it forgoes either the button prompt or the timed circle. But while you can buy enough Bilia to catch everything, there is also an empty crafting system, where you use resources to craft Bilia, Potions, and other items.

It is always nice to feel rewarded for exploring or completing battles, thanks to item drops and earning some cash. But when I could always just buy enough Potions and Bilia to get through, I simply ignored the crafting system, so it felt superfluous outside of the ability to use resources to improve your Animon’s moves.

On top of this, LumenTale seems to just assume a deep knowledge of Pokémon in the first place, as many elements are either not explained in full or skipped over entirely, with you having to either find out by exploring the many menus or searching online.

Thankfully, I had good reason to catch the many monsters, as I love the variety of designs. Cute basic Animon like Lampecko, Bonkey, and Chompuff are particular highlights. But often when evolving, they feel overdesigned or messy even, as the simplicity of those earlier forms gives way to an occasional overwhelming mixture of limbs, patterns, and additional accoutrement.

Ghorious is a good example of these creatures losing a distinctive silhouette and clear design philosophy, getting bogged down later with too many elements. But, overall, the Animon look great, and the Lost (Shiny) forms even offer physical differences on top of a palette swap, which I really appreciate.

In fact, almost every visual element of LumenTale really works for me. Alongside the Animon’s designs, I love the squash and stretch of them in battles, so reminiscent of Pokémon Black and White-era sprites. Then the way both the pixel Animon and your characters interact with a boxy polygonal world feels perfect.

It is all bolstered with great detail and colourful design language for each distinct area, helping to sell the personality of each region. I can honestly say it has been my dream to have a Pokémon game in something close to this style for years now.

But, while in some areas LumenTale feels like the game Pokémon fans dreamed of, there are obvious moments where the lack of polish intrudes on the experience. Playing on Switch 2, I had about six complete crashes, where I was booted back to the main screen and lost progress. Navigating menus is both needlessly complicated, thanks to some baffling UI choices, but also agonisingly slow, as the game chugs when loading each new element.

The same can be found when moving between areas, and especially when entering buildings, and these performance issues are only exacerbated by the pace of battles, which can often feel agonisingly slow. Please, either implement an auto-battle or let us adjust the speed of battles; in fact, gameplay options in general are astonishingly slim.

LumenTale does so many things really well, and there are plenty of other elements I could mention (good, like the addition of Animon’s Traits, and bad, like the lack of objective markers within buildings), but I think, importantly, its proximity to Pokémon works as a double-edged sword.

The times when LumenTale expands on existing elements in smart ways feel so refreshing, and the world and characters are consistently rewarding to discover. But frustrating elements are only amplified when held up against their Pocket Monster counterparts.

Ah, The Walking Dead… a franchise that, rather fittingly, just won’t die. As such, Odaclick Game Studio and Trailmark Games have announced a new 2D beat-em-up called The Walking Dead: Streets of Survival.

Coming to Switch and Switch 2, Streets of Survival is a similar endeavour to Odaclick’s previous effort The Karate Kid: Street Rumble, which actually wasn’t too bad. We awarded it a score of 7/10 back in 2024 and praised its visuals and combat.

This new jaunt looks to offer a similar experience, albeit with lots of zombies and Walking Dead characters like Rick Grimes, Daryl Dixon, and Michonne, with iconic villain Negan cropping up as a key enemy. Familiar environments will also appear, such as the Sanctuary, Hilltop, Alexandria, and more, so those looking to explore the world from creator Robert Kirkman will be well catered for.

Let’s check out the key features:

– Hard-Hitting Beat-’em-up Combat: Use brutal melee abilities, crowd-clearing ranged attacks, or a mix of the two in fast-paced skirmishes. Enjoy responsive, crisp, and satisfying fighting gameplay while surviving the apocalypse.

– Overwhelming Walker Swarms & Ruthless Enemies: Battle through creeping armies of the undead and dangerous gangs of Saviors that force you to fight for every inch of ground and adapt as new threats emerge.

– Face Iconic Bosses: Take on powerful, fan-favorite walkers like Winslow, the Well Walker, and more. The Saviors provide their own challenges as you throw down with Negan and Simon in intense, multi-phase boss battles that test your skill, strategy, and killer instincts.

– Replayable Arcade Challenge: Master each character’s moveset and tackle multiple difficulty levels in an experience built for repeat runs and escalating challenges. Or jump in with an optional Easy Mode for casual play.

Any thoughts on this one? Will you be picking it up? Let us know with a comment.

We’ve seen game releases doing everything they can to get out the way of GTA 6‘s November launch window, but what do you do when a major gaming event is announced with a mere 24-hour notice? There’s no way to avoid that unfortunate timing.

That’s the misfortune that befell Gentle Troll and the launch of its visual novel prequel, Tavern Talk Stories: Dreamwalker. The game launched earlier this week on 9th June — a day that, thanks to the Direct, left most of us distracted by the likes of Ocarina of Time and Kingdom Hearts IV — so we thought it was only fair to let it have a roll at the limelight again.

Much like 2024’s Tavern Talk, this D&D-inspired visual novel is all about mixing up drinks for your fantastical bar’s patrons, learning their likes and dislikes, and potentially altering their quests along the way. While set in the same world as its predecessor, Dreamwalker takes place 34 years in the past, opening room for a whole new cast of characters in need of a tipple.

Here’s a rundown of the game’s key features and a handful of screens:

– The Drowsy Dragon is home to a colourful cast of characters inspired by TTRPGs. Get to know their unique personalities, and help decide where their story goes.
– A new story within Asteria, set 36 years before the events of Tavern Talk
– Serve a menu of magical, fate-altering drinks to your patrons, but choose carefully, as there’s more than one solution!
– Gather rumours from the tavern-goers and use them to create quests for your adventurous guests.
– Have fun with a refinement of the drink mixing and quest-making mechanics to have a dash of a challenge.
– Discover 3 unique endings as you attempt to stop dreams from twisting into nightmares!
– Immersive reading experience of at least 10 hours on your first play-through.

The game is now available on the Switch eShop for £13.99 / $15.99 (with a 10% discount added for the launch period), or as a Bundle with Tavern Talk for £29.50 / $33.99.

Will this one be rolling its way onto your wishlist? Let us know in the comments.

Pokémon merch has extended to basically every facet of our lives by this point, but one section that’s remained relatively untouched is our beloved pets. How are we supposed to let everyone know that we’re the biggest Poké fan in the world when out on a doggy walk, eh? Fortunately, The Pokémon Company has found a solution.

The new ‘Pokémon Playful Partners’ collection is all about decking out your pet in merch. It runs the full gamut from bowls, harnesses and beds, to cat toys and treat pots, all adorned with adorable little ‘mon images from artist James Turner.

The entire range is now available on The Pokémon Center website, ranging in price from £7.99 / $9.99 silicone can covers, all the way up to the £179.99 / $229.99 Snorlax bed (which, despite the price, really is very sweet).

We’re split between Team Dog and Team Cat here at Nintendo Life, so in the interest of balance, here’s a range of the cutest little models we’ve ever seen from both sides, sporting some of the collection:

Surely there’s not a big market for scalping pet accessories… right?

Will you be catching any of the above for your furry friends? Let us know in the comments.