Category: Nintendo News

On 27th February, Pokémon turns 30, and in honour of this momentous anniversary, we’re running a series of polls leading up to the big day, asking you to vote for your favourite Pokémon from each generation. The nine winners will then go head-to-head in a final poll at the end of the month.

We’ll be covering a generation every day until we’ve covered all nine, leading up to the ultimate showdown. Each poll will be open for five days.

Today it’s Gold and Silver‘s turn, but if you missed the Gen 1 poll…well, you haven’t! You can still cast your vote for your favourite Kanto Pokémon until Thursday 19th February:

Before we turn things over to you for Gen 2, let’s see if there are any non-immediately-obvious Pocket Monsters Team NL are pondering before choosing just one ‘mon…

Okay, let’s crack on with all 100 Pokémon that could first be caught in Gen 2. As before, they’re listed in National Dex order, but use the search bar to quickly find a particular Pokémon. And remember, you can only choose one!

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Thanks for voting! Keep an eye out for further generations in the coming days as we cruise towards Pokémon’s 30th anniversary.

Escape from Ever After is the heir apparent to the Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door throne. Sleepy Castle Studio released it on 23rd January to all major platforms with a simple promise – deliver Paper Mario fans the game they’ve been clamouring for ever since Nintendo chose to shift the series away from its RPG roots.

Other games have tried. Born of Bread and Bug Fables come to mind as two examples that accomplish some of their goals, but overall come down as lukewarm clones of the nostalgic blast of joy that TTYD delivers.

The Thousand-Year Door was the second instalment in the Paper Mario series, and it’s the game that fans still hold up as the pinnacle. Originally released as a GameCube exclusive on 11th October 2004, it remained unrivalled in its humorous joy, graphical whimsy, and surprisingly elegant mechanical depth for well over 20 years…until Escape from Ever After came on the scene.

You play as Flynt Buckler, a valiant knight from a children’s fantasy story who is heading out for another face-off against his sworn rival, Tinder the Dragon. However, when Flynt reaches the dragon’s castle, he is met with the corporate headquarters of his story’s “new owners.”

A jovial middle manager named Mr. Moon offers Flynt a job at the corporation, but he declines and is thrown in jail where he meets Tinder, who has been shrunken down to size by Ever After Incorporated’s advanced technology. From there, knight and dragon set out on a journey to take down the company from the inside.

Trading Paper Punches: Round 1

It’s time to pit these two great games against one another. Since The Thousand-Year Door has nearly double the chapters of Escape from Ever After, I’m going to break up the two games into thematic sequences and discuss them in turn. I’ll start with the prologues and beginning chunks.

Warning: This section contains plot points and spoilers for both games. If you haven’t yet, go play them first!

The Thousand-Year Door has an iconic opening, with Mario waking up in a first-person cutscene on a ship bound for Rogueport, a sordid town full of salty scoundrels. Throughout the prologue, we’re introduced to the game’s off-kilter world and lore, including the first of Paper Luigi’s many long-winded anecdotes. This is but one example of TTYD’s distinctly weird and wonderful tone.

From there, Mario embarks on the first of his adventures to face a dragon in a castle. This is the exact type of fairytale trope that Escape from Ever After plays with in its dynamic between Flynt and Tinder.

Paper Mario’s second chapter, The Great Boggly Tree, is a mystical exploration of a puzzle-filled tree of life. There are some herding-based head scratchers included here that I think mar the flow of the game to a degree. Still, the chapter ends with an introduction to Madame Flurrie, TTYD’s most eccentric companion, ending the game’s first chunk on a high note and delivering a haymaker to its spiritual sequel right out of the starting gates.

Escape from Ever After, for its part, starts off strong with Flynt’s disorienting orientation to the capitalist tentacles of Ever After Inc. Flynt and Tinder’s dialogue strikes a nice balance between snarky banter and efficient tutorial.

Then, they embark on their first adventure in the Three Little Pigs storybook, a level that sets the tone for the game as one that mixes humour with commentary about the role art has to play in a society built on capitalist moneymongering.

In spite of the opening’s clever puzzles, funny dialogue, and competent boss fight, it can’t quite hold a candle to the plumber’s barrage of clever hubworld introduction and iconic companions. Mario takes round one.

Spooky Town Tango: Round 2

The Thousand-Year Door’s middle section includes the most iconic stage in the game: Glitzville, home of the Glitz Pit, which is essentially the Mario-fied version of the WWE.

The gameplay becomes almost roguelite, with increasingly difficult battles broken up by opportunities to rest and re-spec. The story and humour in this section are spot-on and entirely emblematic of the reasons this particular Paper Mario is beloved across fan communities.

Next, Mario and friends travel to Twilight Town to retrieve a Crystal Star from Creepy Steeple, a place where every time the bell at the top of the steeple rings, one of the people in town transforms into a pig. Despite the spooky yet comic themes of this world being right up my alley, the Twilight Town chapter reads to me as one of the weaker entries in the game. The combat feels similar to the chapters before it, and the overall environmental gameplay doesn’t do enough to distinguish itself from other chapters.

The game brings back the heat in its following quest for the pirate lair after the Creepy Steeple mystery is solved, and its dramatic irony is pumped up yet again by Lord Crump disguising himself and sailing along with Mario for this section. It would be a near-perfect howitzer if not for the drag in its spooky tale.

Escape from Ever After punches back in a big way by reaching tonal perfection in a horror story of its own.

First, Flynt and his band infiltrate the forbidden section of the castle library to find their next storybook to travel to. It’s called The Shadow Over Innsbeak, a mash-up of classic Lovecraftian monsters, Sherlock Holmes mysteries, and…birds?

As you can imagine, this strange concoction leads to unmatched weirdness, imaginative turns, and outright hilarity. All that needs to be said is that Sherlock Holmes himself ends up falling in love with Cthulhu. I’ve never been more grateful for the public domain in my entire life.

Escape from Ever After follows this unlikely love story up with a very solid pirate arc. One that counterpunches Paper Mario blow for blow, cementing an undeniable conclusion for this round: Escape from Ever After emerges victorious!

Final Fight: Round 3

That brings us to our final round, with the two games trading strikes like prize fighters.

The Thousand-Year Door brings its band of heroes to a ritzy town. Then to a frosty outpost full of well-rendered Bob-ombs, each with their own stories to tell. Then to…the moon?! And it’s all complete with playable Peach scenes and twists that will bring a smile to even the most surly trope-hunters.

For its part, Escape from Ever After races through its finale, with a charming sci-fi romp on a snowy, Hoth-adjacent planet before the characters have to dip into Mr. Moon’s storybook for a confrontation with their middle manager. The game’s writing absolutely shines at this juncture, propelling the characters toward their confrontation with Ever After Inc.’s CEO in the “Real World.”

Escape from Ever After is a special game, made all the more impressive by sticking the landing required by its ending. It has a lot to say about art, authorship, love, and the power of stories.

Still, The Thousand-Year Door is a classic for a reason. My love of the grizzled Admiral Bobbery and the charmingly forward Ms. Mowz is the reason why the original edges out Escape from Ever After in this final round. Yes, we can conclusively raise the fist of the reigning champion, yet again. All hail The Thousand Year Door, the undefeated winner.

Finally, A Worthy Heir

Still, the fact that Escape from Ever After ranks alongside the undisputed champion is a huge accomplishment.

The reason this new game gets the job done where similar attempts have failed is in its writing and characterisation. Tinder, Wolfgang, Eva, and Patches are each zany, funny, and heartfelt in turns, and – though they aren’t quite as batty as TTYD’s cast of weirdos – they have even more to say about the “Real World” that they’re questing for. These companions’ interactions with Flynt and the characters they meet along the way have given me hope in a new year that hasn’t had a whole lot of good in it to date.

This is Escape from Ever After’s magic trick. The writing, alongside its tight combat and fine-tuned environmental puzzles, strikes that elusive balance that made The Thousand-Year Door a classic. Great for kids and adults alike. Taking itself just seriously enough to drive its message home. Full of laughter but still with so very much to say.

From start to finish, Escape from Ever After is a love letter to the idea that good games made with care still have a place in our broken world. It strives to convince us that beauty, art, and humour can be a balm to the darkness we see all around us. It tells us that, even though all stories are bound to come to an end, there is so much value in finding joy in what we love and the folks we choose to spend our time with. And if that’s not a thesis for why I play games in the first place, then I don’t know what is.

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Howdy partners! It’s time for this week’s Box Art Brawl!

Last time, it was a one-on-one match-up for the SNES’ Super Bomberman 2 to celebrate its arrival in the Super Bomberman Collection, and it was a pretty tight contest. The Japanese cover just came out on top, in the end, winning 56% of the vote and leaving the Western variant with the remaining 44%.

This week, with another collection on our minds, we’re taking a look at Rayman for the Game Boy Color. While it was a mighty hop, skip, and jump away from its PlayStation counterpart, we have some fond memories of this 2000 platformer. You just know that we’ll be diving into it all over again when Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition lands on Switch this week.

There are three covers to choose between this week, so let’s check ’em out.

North America

The North American cover is a pretty standard Rayman affair. Our limbless hero takes centre stage, swinging through a green backdrop on a vine. It’s simple and to the point, but it’s difficult to knock.

Europe

The European design dares ask the question, ‘What if the North American cover was… red?’ The result is, well, redder.

Japan

Now here’s something different. The singular Rayman is here replaced by a whopping five Raymans (Raymen?), each in a different pose. The backdrop is a little bland, by comparison, but it’s always nice to see more going on.

Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time for another Box Art Brawl.

The Switch 2 is getting another strategy RPG, with NIS America this week announcing it’s teamed up with Happinet to publish Brigandine: Abyss – a “brand-new entry” in the storied franchise.

It’s due out at some point in 2026 and features a completely unique world that both new and experienced players can dive right into. Here’s a bit more about it from the official PR, and you can check out the announcement trailer above:

“Hundreds of years ago, the Abyssloa Empire was stopped by the power of the arcane Brigandine. Now, a new Abyssloa Empire rises from the ashes, ready to conquer the world. Confront the dark as you manage resources, rally your monsters, and stand against the empire in one of six different story campaigns.”

For a more classic Brigandine experience, turn to Mission Mode, which lets you take the role of one of 24 different factions, each with their own win conditions!

Whether you want to challenge your tactical acumen or take it easy, you’ll find hundreds of hours of fun in Brigandine: Abyss! Whether you choose to play through the story or Mission Mode, gameplay will take place over two phases. Organize your troops and resources during the Organization phase, then take to the field during the Attack Phase! Brigandine: Abyss maintains the series’ unique hexagonal-grid-based strategy gameplay and gives players plenty to think about.

You’ll need to consider your skills, elemental attributes, and the development of your armies if you hope to find success on the battlefield!

Confront the Dark: The Abyssloa Empire rises again, and it’s up to you to stop them. Choose from one of six different story campaigns to find out the truth – or keep it hidden.
Victory Is in the Details: Spreading your influence won’t be easy. Manage your resources, maneuver your troops, and bind your fates with monsters to make sure you can stand up to anyone. Then, take to the field and reap the rewards!
Fight for Your Faction: In Mission Mode, play as one of 24 different factions, each with their own unique win condition. Play one or play them all in this endlessly replayable strategy RPG!

Would you be interested in this upcoming release? Let us know in the comments.

Although 007 First Light was delayed recently, his new mission is now back on track with a 27th May 2026 release.

With the target date in his sights, IO Interactive has now treated fans of Bond to a new trailer. This video originally popped up during this week’s PlayStation ‘State of Play’ broadcast and focuses on the story of this “re-imagined origin story” where Bond must “earn the number” in the 00 Programme.

“Discover a re-imagined origin story as James Bond enters the 00 Programme as a promising young recruit. Despite his occasional recklessness, Bond’s intuition, charm, and skill will push him to #earnthenumber within His Majesty’s Secret Service.”

As you can see in the action-packed trailer above, as Bond, you’ll encounter plenty of friendly and not-so-friendly faces on your mission.

This new “thrilling espionage action-adventure game” is once again made by the developer behind the latest Hitman outing, which made its debut on the Switch 2 last June and also got a special mission featuring a 007 First Light unlock.

Will you be investigating Bond’s latest mission when it arrives on Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.

Alongside the release of Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition on the Switch eShop and multiple other digital platforms this week, Ubisoft and Atari have also confirmed a physical Switch release is on the way.

Pre-orders are now live on the Atari website for $29.99 (or your regional equivalent) and it’s due out on 26th June 2026.

The physical edition comes with a vinyl sticker sheet, reprints of original Rayman postcards, a reversible cover and a double-sided poster. Most importantly, it’s confirmed the Switch game “comes on a full game cartridge”.

In case you missed the announcement post, Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition comes with five versions of the original game including a “never-before-playable” SNES prototype.

There’s also “never-before-seen” concept art, early sketches, design documents and over 50 minutes of brand-new interviews with the original development team.

You can find out more about what’s included in Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition in our original announcement story.

Will you be picking up a physical copy of this title on the Switch? Let us know in the comments.

On 27th February, Pokémon turns 30. That’s three whole decades of exploring many and various regions to find monsters, battle monsters, and pocket monsters – and we’ve all got our personal favourites.

And they’re not always just our starter, either! Sure, you build up a special relationship with your first Pokémon each generation, but there are usually a half-dozen winners who work their way into your good books as well as your team – and maybe even your heart, assuming you’re not a cold Rock-type (and they can be awesome, too!).

In honour of this momentous anniversary, we’ll be running a series of polls leading up to the big day where we get your votes for your favourite Pokémon from each generation. Then, we’ll pit the winners against each other in a final nine-generation showdown to find out Nintendo Life readers’ very favourite Pokémon from the 7 million 1,025 discovered thus far.

We’ll be covering a generation every day for the next nine, leading up to the ultimate showdown between the top ‘mons at the end of the month. Each poll will be open for five days after going live.

We’ve looked at starters before, and they’re bound to poll well. We hear Pikachu’s pretty popular, too?

While the choice is yours and we certainly don’t wish to influence your decision, we feel a duty to remind you of some less obvious picks from each gen. So let’s quickly ask Team NL for some underdog candidates they’ll consider before casting their vote. Team?

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Okay, that’s more than enough ado – here’s the poll featuring all 151 Gen 1 Pokémon in National Dex order. Remember, you can only choose one, so pick wisely!

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Thanks for voting! Keep an eye out for further generations in the coming days as we cruise towards Pokémon’s 30th anniversary at the end of February!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

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

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

Kate Gray, Contributor

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

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

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

Mai Ladyman, Video Producer

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

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

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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