Category: Nintendo News

Super Mario Party Jamboree has received its first update of 2026, and it adds some general changes as well as other improvements.

Most notably, there’s now support for Thai and Polish, and apart from this, players can expect “several other adjustments and fixes” under the game’s general changes to improve the overall experience.

Along with this are some other adjustments and fixes. Here’s the full rundown, courtesy of Nintendo’s official support page:

Super Mario Party Jamboree – Ver. 2.3.0 (Released February 3, 2026)

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch 2:

General

• Support added for Thai and Polish.
• Several other adjustments and fixes have been made to improve the gameplay experience.

The following updates have been made when playing the game on Nintendo Switch:

General

• Several other adjustments and fixes have been made to improve the gameplay experience.

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You can find out more about the Switch 2 game update for Mario Party Jamboree in our review here on Nintendo Life. If you already own the original Switch version, you can also upgrade your existing copy. The Switch 2 version comes with additional minigames supporting Joy-Con 2 mouse controls, camera functionality and more.

Apart from this update for Mario Party Jamboree, Nintendo also updated the Switch 2 exclusive Drag x Drive today and expanded its digital Game Boy library.

Have you downloaded this update yet? Noticed anything else? Let us know in the comments.

As we enter February, Nintendo has today announced two more titles for the Switch Online’s Game Boy library.

Following the recent Super Mario Galaxy Movie Yoshi reveal, Nintendo seems to be continuing the Yoshi celebrations with the release of the 1991/92 puzzle-themed Game Boy title Yoshi. Alongside this, Nintendo has locally released the 1990/91 platformer Balloon Kid.

Here are the official Nintendo descriptions for both titles and you can check out the trailer above.

Yoshi™

Yoshi is an action/puzzle game starring Mario’s trusty buddy Yoshi, who has been imprisoned in an egg. Now it’s raining Goombas, Bloopers, and Boo Buddies, and you have to help Mario stop the airborne invasion. As the critters fall, catch them on trays. Stack two of a kind and they both disappear, or capture the whole bunch in between eggshells. When the eggshells match, out hatches Yoshi and up goes your score! The action heats up as the characters fall faster and faster. To save the day, switch and shuffle, and don’t let your piles get too high!

Balloon Kid™

In the little town of Pencilvania, there lived a brother and sister who loved to play with balloons. Alice and her younger brother Jim would spend countless days filling the skies with their balloons. One day, Jim filled all of his balloons and tied them together to make a beautiful balloon rainbow across the sky. But suddenly, a strong wind came and carried Jim away.

As Alice, you must save your brother from peril. Float through eight different stages as you follow Jim’s trail of balloons. Collect as many balloons as possible to earn bonuses. Test your piloting skills to avoid enemies, or let go of your balloons to face enemies on the ground. In BALLOON TRIP mode, compete for the highest score and move up the ranks. Take a big gulp of courage and give Alice a hand as she searches for her missing brother!

And in case you’re wondering, Japan is getting Yoshi and Balloon Fight GB this week. The second game, released exclusively in Japan in the year 2000, is a Game Boy Color version with some updates such as a world map and the ability to save. You can see it in action in the trailer below:

This title is an action game for the Game Boy Color released in 2000 on the Nintendo Power game rewriting system. You control Alice, who flies while holding on to a balloon, and chase after her younger brother who has been blown away by the wind. Clues to her brother’s whereabouts are balloons left all over the stage. You will progress while avoiding various obstacles, including birds with sharp beaks and flying fish that appear from the sea. Sometimes you can even let go of the balloon and explore on land. In “Balloon Trip” mode, you can challenge yourself to see how long you can fly without hitting an obstacle.

If you want to revisit these titles on Nintendo’s digital Game Boy library, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online subscription.

What do you think about the latest Game Boy releases for the Switch Online service? What other titles would you like to see added? Let us know in the comments.

Stardew Valley celebrates its 10th anniversary later this month. Yes, really. On 26th February 2026, ConcernedApe’s monumental farming sim will turn a decade old. It came to Switch in 2017 and, in the time since it’s release, has sold millions of copies and has consistently received a number of big free updates, with the next one — update 1.7 — on the horizons.

And, speaking to IGN ahead of the game’s big birthday, Eric ‘ConcernedApe’ Barone gave us a little tease of what to expect from the upcoming update, and they’re related to children and marriage.

Barone admitted he’s “trying to not reveal too much because I like for it to be a surprise”, but allowed himself to slip in a few little details into the chat: “Well, there is a popular fan request, which has to do with the children, trying to make the children a little more interesting.”

Right now, children don’t really have a function in the game — they’re key to getting the Full House achievement, and you get some extra dialogue with your spouse, but that’s about it. Perhaps we’ll be able to talk to them more or maybe they can help on the farm when they’re old enough. Who knows!

But long-time fans will also be excited to know that Barone is going to be “adding two more marriage candidates, but I’ll reveal who it is on the anniversary day.” There are currently 12 marriage candidates in-game, so this will bring up the list of eligible bachelors to 14. And of course, there are no gender restrictions here, either.

Of course, those aren’t the only two things coming with update 1.7, which Barone also teases: “…there’s a lot of other things in the update as well that no one’s really asked for, but I think people will appreciate it.”

Sounds like we’ll find out a little bit more — at least on the marriage candidates — on 26th February, then! Perhaps we’ll get an update on the Switch 2 Edition patch and European release, too.

Make sure you give the full interview a read for some lovely little tidbits about Barone’s time developing the game, including how he comes up with ideas, his love of David Lynch, and the fact there’s still a secret no one has discovered in-game.

Barone also mentions his next game, Haunted Chocolatier, which last week he had to calm fears about ‘abandoning” due to the long development time.

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Are you excited for Stardew Valley’s 1.7 update? Let us know in the comments.

We’re suckers for a good murder mystery game with a funky visual style, and The Posthumous Investigation looks like exactly that.

This is an upcoming noir thriller from developer Mother Gaia Studio and publisher CriticalLeap, where you’ll be trying to solve the murder of Brás Cubas in 1937 Rio de Janeiro. The catch is that you’re caught in a time loop, and will have just one day to get to the bottom of things before everything resets.

The thing that immediately caught our eye with this one is the black-and-white visual style, which lends the whole thing a certain Obra Dinn-esque noir flair that we can’t help but enjoy. And with 14 different suspects to follow around the loop, we’re anticipating more than a few “a-ha” moments to keep the dopamine levels high.

Here’s a quick rundown of the game’s key features and a handful of screens, courtesy of CriticalLeap:

The Client is the Victim: Investigate a murder where the only witness is the ghost who hired you.
Master the Loop: You have one day to solve the case, but infinite chances. Learn the routines of 14 distinct characters, shadow them through a stylized 1930s Rio, and use knowledge from previous loops to unlock new dialogue paths.
A Living Literary World: Inspired by the biting satire of “The Brazilian Shakespeare,” Machado de Assis, the game offers a witty, morally ambiguous narrative where no one—not even your client—is completely innocent.
True Deduction: No hand-holding. Use your “Thinking Board” to physically connect clues, reconstruct timelines, and identify the killer through pure logic.

This one arrives on PC at the end of March, and the dev has confirmed that a Switch version is “to follow”. Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long to see what it’s all about.

What do you make of The Posthumous Investigation? Does it look up your street? Let us know in the comments.

2026 marks 40 years of the Dragon Quest series, a staggering achievement for one of the RPG genre’s biggest and brightest. Known for its cosy atmosphere, warm character, humour, and iconic art, Dragon Quest is due a big year, and Square Enix is kicking things off with a brand new “reimagining” — Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined.

Bringing what is regarded as one of the longest RPGs of the PlayStation era to Switch 1 and Switch 2, Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined has attracted joy — and a few raised eyebrows — for streamlining events and making a few tweaks to the game. What was a 100+ hour experience (or 70-ish-hours on 3DS) is now much leaner. So, how to you retain the magic when you’re trying to appeal to new audiences, but make sure that old fans are satisfied?

We had a chance to ask the game’s producer, Takeshi Ichikawa, a few questions about the upcoming reimagining — which, for the record, we absolutely loved. Ichikawa has worked on the Dragon Quest series since 2018, starting out with Dragon Quest Builders 2 as an assistant producer.

As a long-time fan of the series, we asked him about his experience with the original PS version, what changes were difficult to make, and whether the team got to share their work with the series’ artist, the late Akira Toriyama.

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Nintendo Life: Before we dive into Reimagined, can you share with us the first time you experienced Dragon Quest VII, and what you thought of the game – PlayStation or 3DS version?

Takeshi Ichikawa, Producer of Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined: I was in the lower grades of elementary school when I first played the PlayStation version. I remember thinking at the very beginning, “When will the battles start?” and I don’t think I managed to clear the whole game back then.

When I played it again as an adult, I was able to complete it successfully, and I found the dark world filled with irrationality especially striking and modern.

There’s a lot of pressure to keep the traditions of Dragon Quest intact while modernising certain aspects. How do you juggle those expectations with a game like Dragon Quest VII Reimagined?

As a major title with a passionate fanbase, there was certainly pressure. However, the excitement of being able to deliver this beloved franchise in a way that feels fresh outweighed it, and I believe we were able to enjoy the development process.

I remember thinking at the very beginning, “When will the battles start?”

Having worked on previous Dragon Quest games before in various different ways, how different is it working on a remake like Reimagined to say, a mainline entry such as Dragon Quest XI or a spin-off like Dragon Quest Builders 2?

In a remake, we believe it’s essential not only to offer players a fresh experience but also to preserve the charm of the original version. Striking the right balance between these two is crucial.

Given that it’s a big year for Dragon Quest in 2026 with the 40th anniversary, why is this year the right time to return to Dragon Quest VII? And why kick off the celebrations with this one?

DRAGON QUEST VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past originally released in 2000 – so this year is its 26th Anniversary! Because of this, we felt it was the perfect time to bring its storytelling and unique atmosphere to a wider audience – especially now, in today’s world.

DRAGON QUEST VII Reimagined not only “reimagines” the story and emotional portrayal of its characters but also makes the game significantly more approachable and accessible. We believe this game will be enjoyable for both previous DRAGON QUEST VII players and newcomers alike!

What attracted you to the diorama style that’s used in Reimagined? Why did you decide to go with something completely different, as opposed to the HD-2D style used for Dragon Quest III and Dragon Quest I & II?

The original DRAGON QUEST VII was defined by Akira Toriyama’s designs, featuring charming, stylized characters. We considered how to convey that cuteness while still capturing the game’s unique atmosphere.

At the same time, we discovered that movies and games featuring doll motifs were well-received globally, which inspired us to combine this concept with DRAGON QUEST VII’s character designs. We felt this approach would create a visually appealing style, leading to the visual expression seen in the game.

Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to show this work to Toriyama. However, as mentioned earlier, we kept in mind throughout production that the visual style needed to match the charm of his adorable illustrations.

Dragon Quest is usually known for being lighthearted and charming – at least, it always feels very cozy to us! But Dragon Quest VII is often considered one of the darker entries. How do you balance this and do you make any changes in Reimagined to lean more one way rather than the other?

DRAGON QUEST VII is a work whose appeal lies in two aspects: the irrational and dark scenarios encountered throughout the journey, and the exciting coming-of-age story of an ordinary boy growing into the savior of the world. This title preserves that appeal while reimagining it.

You’ve talked about streamlining the game’s narrative and the discussions you had on which scenarios you wanted to keep, rather than get rid of. How tough was it to cut the sections you eventually settled on, and do you have a favourite that was a must-keep for the final game?

We felt that reimagining the scenario was necessary to create a more fast-paced and immersive narrative experience. Throughout the process, we consciously made adjustments to ensure that the original version’s unique atmosphere and core story remained intact.

If you were to sum up Dragon Quest VII Reimagined in one sentence (or one word if you want a challenge), what would it be?

Unfortunately, we never had the opportunity to show this work to Toriyama.

This title allows you to experience the irrational nature of the world and the exciting story of growth that lies beyond.

And finally, to wrap up this interview, what does Dragon Quest mean to you? And how will you be celebrating the 40th anniversary?

DRAGON QUEST VII is the story of the growth of a boy from humble beginnings, and I hope that, through developing this title, I too have grown. I would be delighted if this game could serve as the beginning of delivering a wonderful 40th anniversary celebration of DRAGON QUEST to everyone.

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This interview has been slightly edited for clarity and flow.

Thank you to Ichikawa-san and the team at Square Enix for making the time to speak to us.

Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined launches on Switch 1 and Switch 2 on 5th February 2026. Will this be your first time playing the game, or did you play it on PlayStation or 3DS? Let us know down below!

Nintendo’s latest financial report paints a positive picture for the Switch 2, with the console comfortably outpacing, well, pretty much everything that’s come before it. Since launching in June 2025, its now shifted an astonishing 17.37 million units, and is well on track to hit its forecasted target on 19 million for the fiscal year.

However, comments from Nintendo’s President, Shuntaro Furukawa, may raise a few eyebrows as we head towards the end of FY2026 and into FY2027 (thanks, Reuters). Naturally, with memory prices rises exponentially thanks to the advent of AI, questions regarding a potential price increase for the Switch 2 are lingering.

When asked about this, Furukawa provided the most corporate-laced answer imaginable; one that we’re certain won’t assuage fears anytime soon. He simply said that Nintendo would “carefully consider the matter while taking a comprehensive look at the state of adoption of the platform, current sales trends, costs, profitability, market environment, and other factors.”

So it could go either way, then.

As further covered by Nikkei, Furukawa also concedes that the rising memory prices may impact the company’s financial performance in the future, though there are no immediate risks for the remainder of the fiscal year. When discussing the upcoming financial year, Furukawa said “If prices continue to rise for a long period of time, it could put pressure on profits from the next fiscal year onwards”.

So despite the Switch 2 performing exceptionally well in its first year, the situation is undoubtedly more complex. It’s not just a case of “console sells well, money goes up”; there are many factors to consider, and it seems that memory prices may well have a pretty huge impact in the coming months and years.

We’ll keep a close eye on how Nintendo deals with the situation and provide further updates as soon as we hear more.

Are you concerned about memory prices? Do you think it might eventually lead to a price increase for the Switch 2? Let us know with a comment.

We are rapidly approaching launch day for Nintendo’s next first-party release, Mario Tennis Fever, and, following a series of hands-on sessions, the final previews are starting to roll in.

While we here at Nintendo Life don’t have a full written preview for Mario’s latest sporting shenanigans, the wonderful Ollie Reynolds sat down with equally wonderful Alex Olney to talk through his time with the game. “It’s more Mario Tennis,” Ollie said, “and if you like that sort of thing, you’re going to be absolutely thrilled”.

While Ollie’s time was mainly limited to brief multiplayer matches, he did sing the praises of the new Fever rackets and Wonder Flower-filled challenge courts. You’ll find his full conversation with Alex about all things Mario Tennis Fever (and NSO Virtual Boy, Mario Wonder – Switch 2 Edition, Pragmata, and Resident Evil Requiem) in the video below.

But we’re not the only ones who have stepped onto the Fever court today! Several other outlets have also shared their early opinions, and we’ve rounded up a bunch of them so you can get an idea of what everyone makes of it so far.

We’ll kick things off with GamingBible‘s preview, which seemed very positive about the whole experience, particularly the promise of varied gameplay:

Given the sheer number of Fever Rackets on offer though paired with an impressive teaser of what special matches add into the mix, I’m hopeful that this game has all of the right ingredients to deliver

Metro seemed similarly optimistic, praising the potential for chaos that the new mechanics and gimmicks bring:

It’s frantic, it’s daft, and it’s sure to be a fun family party game, even if it’s not a serious tennis sim

Likewise, Polygon felt that Fever might just be the best Mario sports title in years, and a worthy start to the Switch 2 generation:

While the full scope of its content suite is still a question mark, long-time developer Camelot is poised to deliver a strong serve for its Switch 2 debut. The fundamental play of a Mario sports game hasn’t felt this good in over a decade

IGN‘s preview sung many of the same praises outlined above, but it also gave a shoutout to the “fantastic” visuals:

It’s nice to see developer Camelot’s Switch 2 debut looking so clean, especially after 2021’s Mario Golf: Super Rush was downright ugly at times

Baby Waluigi’s presence made a headline appearance in The Gamer‘s coverage, which appreciated how you can bring the tennis back to basics, if you so choose:

Unfortunately, some of these abilities do take the actual skill out of tennis and can boil matches down to simply spamming fever shots and hoping the RNG of tornadoes and splashes will be enough to win the day. Thankfully, there is an option to turn off these gimmicks and play the old-fashioned way

And finally, GameSpot left the preview equally intrigued, hoping that the full game can keep up the variety and depth found in the hands-on section:

I can’t say whether it has course-corrected on the single-player, but the multiplayer is so chockablock with options and game-changing effects that I’m intrigued

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Well, there you have it! It sounds like Mario Tennis Fever is shaping up to be a rather interesting one when it launches on Switch 2 on 12th February.

If Ollie and Alex’s chat that we mentioned back at the start of this post has whetted your appetite for previews of the written variety, then you’ll find our hands-on thoughts of Super Mario Bros. Wonder – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition, Pragmata and the Virtual Boy NSO library below.

What’s your excitement level for Mario Tennis Fever looking like after reading these previews? Volley your thoughts in the comments below.

2018 is a long time ago. It feels like it happened in another dimension, in an alternate (and much nicer) timeline, or some other Marvel universe-typed nonsense. And it’s a timeline we can never get back to. It was also the year that Nintendo dropped its Labo sets, which is infinitely more important and interesting than my ongoing, and seemingly permanent, existential crisis. That’s right, I’m on a permo, kids.

Anyway. Yes. Labo. It was certainly a curveball, wasn’t it? Building things out of expensive bits of cardboard and string and stuff like that in your front room, all the while telling yourself it was normal, fine and good for an adult (go ahead, kids, you’re fine to pass) to be doing such things. Yes you did. And then – if you’re better at making things than me – you probably played with the resultant creation for a bit before binning it, or putting it in the same cupboard that stores your space hoppers, laser tag vests, hopes and dreams.

Regardless of how much you may or may not have enjoyed either the LABO concept, or the reality of the final product when you got it in your hands and started playing with it, we are about to witness the re-release of one of Nintendo’s other – and much older – weirdo experiments in the form of the Virtual Boy (of which I am a huge fan) which is coming to the Nintendo Switch Online library on Switch 1 and 2.

Why do I mention this? Well, you see, with this new Virtual Boy launch, you can choose to buy a Virtual Boy replica itself, which is a bit expensive, or you can pick up a cheaper cardboard version, which will also do the trick.

Or! There could be the possibility of using your old Labo VR kit, so that all you need pay for is your NSO subscription to access the Virtual Boy games. Now, although this hasn’t been confirmed — indeed there may be issues with lens compatibility (so we’ll need to wait for the online tinkerers to sort it out for us) — it has got me thinking…what if we need to go dig out our cardboard sets again?

Dear God. Some of us will need to start looking around in random sheds and bins, attics and outhouses, for our old sets in time for the Virtual Boy re-release, certainly if we hoped to save a bit of cash-cash-money. And so, since we’re on the topic and everything, I wanna know where all of your Labo is now. Did you even buy any, huh?! Yes, you see, I’m redirecting my guilt over unbuilt toys at you, fellow Nintendo fan.

In fact, I’m gonna go ask some of the folks here at Nintendo Life HQ first, so have a read of that, and then jump down the bottom to join in with the comments!

PJ O’ Reilly, Staff Writer – Boxed Away

I actually went mad when Labo came out (if you know me this isn’t a surprise at all) and I ended up buying quite a lot of the stuff. In fact, I’ve just gone looking for the unbuilt bits and pieces, expecting not too much shame…but alas there’s full packs of the stuff here! Ahem.

I did love building what I tried, though, I’m almost certain this leftover haul is a simply a case of me having had small children who weren’t into it, and so it got ditched, rather than me failing to enjoy it. I also distinctly remember being very proud of my steering wheel, in much the same way someone who can’t do anything is proud when they achieve something. Oh, and I was dead afraid of even starting the robot one, with all those bits of string and small toddlers in one room. No thanks.

Also, I didn’t even get as far as building the all-important VR set…which was probably the best one in retrospect. Although, considering I’ve already pre-ordered the new Virtual Boy, I think I’ll be fine without it, if indeed it turns out to be compatible at all.

Gavin Lane, Editor – It’s a Virtual Reality

I only ever got the base Labo VR set — no robots or elephants or cardboard houses — and I have actually gotten the blaster out recently for a round of the hippo-baiting, fruit-shooting swimming pool game. It’s a big hit with the kids.

Storage-wise, the blaster is a bit unwieldy, but it slides into an Ikea plastic tub with some random Lego just fine, along with the VR ‘goggles’. Assuming the VB app functions in a similar way, you can be sure I’ll be trying to hack together some makeshift solution using these goggles for Virtual Boy. Fingers crossed it’s similar, because jeez, those VB accessory prices.

Jim Norman, Staff Writer – For Charity

I never actually bought any Labo kits. Is that enough to revoke my membership card to the Nintendo Fan Club? Surely not. I was at university when they all launched, and bulky cardboard doesn’t tend to fare well in cramped rooms with damp creeping in every corner. So yes, I gave them all a miss.

Also, I actually saw one of the Robot Kits looking a little worse for wear in a charity shop a few weeks back and almost considered picking it up. Fortunately, the thought of housing a massive, battered box in my office was enough to convince me otherwise!

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There you have it. Whilst some of us here at NL defo owned one or some of the kits at some point, it does seem to be a case of something that had its time and has since been laid to rest.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the VR headset is compatible with the upcoming Switch Online library, because you know, as I sit here now, surrounded by these unopened sets that past me wasted money on, I reckon a little return to build what never got made first time around might just be in order.

Plus, on a final note, since I haven’t actually played with the Labo VR kit, I’ve probably missed out on the part most worth buying. Nintendo did go to the trouble of making it compatible with a few games, let’s remember.

With the likes of Smash Bros Ultimate (spectator and play solo matches in VR), Mario Odyssey (specific level segments and a VR concert hall) BOTW (eh…you can play the entire thing in VR, if you are mad for it), and Captain Toad Treasure Tracker, which I have heard is this VR kit’s “killer app” in how it brings the entire puzzle game and it’s 3D levels to life, it sounds an ingenious bit of kit, even if, for the most part people have tired of it and moved on.

Or have they?

Now, I want to hear all about your time with Labo; what you actually built, how fun it was, and where it all is now. So, make sure to jump into the comments and let me know how awful (or great!) you thought it was in hindsight. Oh, and why not let us know which Labo sets you owned, as well as which one was your fave overall, by taking part in our quick polls. Y’know, for science!

Right, I’m off to mod my Labo steering wheel with an empty toilet paper tube so I can control my car with my nose. See ya!

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Let us know all your Labo-related thoughts in the comments, and don’t be shy to drop any pics of where it’s now hiding…

Capcom has released a new live-action short as part of its marketing campaign for Resident Evil Requiem, and it’s a banger.

Starring Maika Monroe (It Follows, Longlegs) as a doting mother caught in the midst of the Raccoon City outbreak, the short effortlessly captures the frantic panic that ensues when the iconic location is overrun by zombies and BOWs.

Toward the end (spoiler alert if you want to watch it blind), we see a lonely figure shuffle through the ruined remains of Raccoon City, a photo clutched in her hand as she stops at what seems to be a grave made for a child. Yes, it’s Monroe’s character, but she’s been zombified. A bullet from an unseen shooter takes her out before the following dialogue sounds out over radio:

“That’s the last of ’em. Facility secured.”

“Copy that. Raccoon City is ours.”

The following on-screen message then reads “Evil has always had a name”. Intriguing, no?

It’s a pretty impressive advertisement for the game; one that comes close to the surprisingly emotional Dead Island trailer from way back when. We know, of course, that the undead featured in Requiem have some remnants of their personalities intact, so we assume this is why the mother is visiting her daughter’s grave as a zombie.

Kudos to Capcom for bagging Monroe for the lead too; she’s well-loved around these parts for her roles in the horror genre.

We won’t have to wait long to see what happens in Requiem. The latest mainline Resident Evil entry launches on the Switch 2 later this month on 27th February 2026.

What do you make of this live-action short for Resident Evil Requiem? Let us know your thoughts with a comment in the usual place.

Last year, Masahiro Sakurai’s game knowledge was extended to yet another medium when the game developer extraordinaire’s life was translated into a manga biography. Why do we bring this up now, you might ask? Well, because Dragon Quest creator Yuji Horii will soon get the same treatment (thanks, Automaton).

Unofficially titled ‘Dragon Quest Creator Yuji Horii: New Educational Manga Biography‘ (translated by Automaton), the manga is supposedly a semi-dramatised retelling of the developer’s life, predominantly focusing on his Dragon Quest work — no surprises there, then. Its Amazon listing even suggests that it’ll frame the story as an RPG itself, with Horii-san recruiting people to his ‘party’ and ‘levelling up’ with new skills.

The manga is being published by Shogakukan, with illustrations by Iori Makoto, and it’ll feature an interview with Horii-san himself at the end. While no official English translation has been announced at the time of writing, the book is set to launch in Japan on 24th February for 1,210 yen (roughly £6/$8).

We can’t take a peek at the manga’s contents just yet, but here’s a closer look at the cover art:

This will be the latest game developer to join Shogakukan’s biography series. Back in 2018, the publisher released a similar deep dive on Pokémon’s Satoshi Tajiri, all about the founding of another hugely popular RPG series. Who will be next, we wonder?

What game developer would you like to see get the manga biography treatment in the future? Let us know in the comments.

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