Category: Nintendo News

If you’ve ever wanted to look after your own island, Summer in Mara could be the game for you. Arriving on the Switch in 2019, developer Chibig Studio describes the game as a single-player summer adventure.

You’ll take care of your own island, farm the land and craft new tools all for survival purposes. You can then set out on the high seas in your very own boat and travel to new islands, meet new characters and find hidden treasures.

Here are the finer details:

• Summer in Mara is an adventure and farming game, with an archipelago full of islands and secrets to explore.
• Day and night cycle with climate events.
• More than 100 quests to make the world a better place.
• Over 20 characters to meet and trade with. Befriend them!
• Improve your boat, make it bigger, better and faster.
• More than 130 inventory items to make, use and trade.
• Unlock and acquire new abilities and skills for Koa, helping her to craft, trade and explore in an easy-RPG system.

Take a look at the teaser trailer and tell us if you would be interested in playing a game like this on your Switch.

Square Enix has shown new trailers for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, World Of Final Fantasy Maxima and Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy! at this year’s Tokyo Game Show. In addition to this, it was also revealed Romancing SaGa 3 was on the way to the Switch. Take a look at each of the trailers below:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition

Release Date: 2019

This remastered edition of the GameCube classic supports four players online, includes new character voice-overs and added areas, and will only be released digitally in North America, with the situation likely to be the same for Europe.

World Of Final Fantasy Maxima

Release Date: 6th November 2019

Here is Square Enix’s rundown on the game, courtesy of Gematsu:

Powering up the original release from 2016, World of Final Fantasy Maxima will bring new Final Fantasy champions and Mirages to add even more fun and excitement to its unique adventure. It also introduces an all-new Avatar Change System, giving players the ability to fight exhilarating battles as legendary Final Fantasy heroes, including Noctis (Final Fantasy XV), Yuna (Final Fantasy X), Lightning (Final Fantasy XIII), and many other fan favorites.

Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon: Every Buddy!

Release Date: Winter 2018

This is another role-playing game where you take control of a Chocobo and battle a variety of enemies. As shown in the trailer, there are many different jobs that give you different abilities in battle.

Romancing SaGa 3

Release Date: Early 2019

Following in the footsteps of Romancing SaGa 2, which is already available on the eShop, Romancing SaGa 3 is another high definition remaster due out on the Switch in early 2019. Alongside this announcement was the reveal Romancing SaGa Re: Universe. It is a free-to-play mobile title with micro-transactions set 100 years after the events of the original games. It’s also the first time in 23 years a new entry in the series has been released.

Are you excited about any of these upcoming Square Enix releases? Let us know in the comments.

In the month of July, Japanese peripheral maker Hori issued a statement on its website warning customers about a battery-draining issue linked to ts Joy-Con with a full D-Pad arrangement. Hori even reached out to us at the time with a statement about the problem:

We are working to have this issue resolved by the time this product is released in the US. We don’t have further details at this time, but we wanted to personally reach out to let you know that we are working on this and this will be resolved.

Following the yesterday’s Nintendo Switch system update, Hori has now confirmed the issue has been resolved. The fix contained within the latest update applies to all regions:

As we’ve previously noted, the Joy-Con is limited to handheld use only and excludes a number of features including Bluetooth, Gyrosensor, HD rumble, a battery and the SL/SR buttons.

Do you happen to have one of these D-Pad Joy-Con’s made by Hori? Did you hold off because of this problem? Will you be picking one up in the near future? Tell us below.

The NES library associated with Nintendo Switch Online has just been released and already hackers have found a way to upload additional titles to the service.

According to reports from Kotaku, the NES emulators on the Switch and the NES Classic function in a similar way – making it possible for hackers with modified systems to easily add more NES games to the Switch service.

It was a chain reaction of sorts, with one hacker uploading the opening of Battletoads operating on the service, which inspired another hacker to share their own findings – revealing all existing games on the service could be replaced with other ROM files.

The opening of Kirby’s Adventure has also been shown running on the NES service via a ROM located under the River City Ransom box art. One of the hackers warned Kotaku about the associated risks:

I would highly advise against anyone else doing it as I’ve been told there’s a lot of data from the app being sent to Nintendo and that it has a fair few legitimacy checks that occur at random.

The same hacker also noted how modified systems can put Nintendo accounts at risk – with the constant threat of being banned – and is of the belief Nintendo won’t be ironing out these vulnerabilities in the online NES library anytime soon.

Around the time of this year’s Tokyo Game Show, Game Informer was given the opportunity to visit GungHo’s offices and find out a bit more about the upcoming remaster of the first two Grandia games – expected to arrive on multiple platforms, including the Switch, in the near future. The most surprising news, apparently, was the confirmation the game is exclusively in development for North America and Europe. This hasn’t stopped Japanese fans from requesting the remaster.

Apart from this, GungHo said how it intended to add more features to both games as development moves along. Here are the latest updates and improvements:

Grandia

• Enhanced details to UI, sprites, and texture art. 2x to 4x upscaling
• Original cinematic videos receiving visual enhancements
• Widescreen support and customizable resolutions for PC
• Addition of MSAA, bloom, normal mapping, and blur effects
• Steam cards and Achievements
• Japanese Audio and Subtitles, English Audio and Subtitles
• Language Support: English & Japanese
• Digitally converted game manual
• Utilizing PS1 & Sega Saturn source code
• Gamepad and keyboard support with remappable controls

Grandia II

• Digitally converted game manual
• Utilizing Grandia II Anniversary Edition source code, which originally was based on the Sega Dreamcast source code
• Fix PC video/audio desync and switch to XInput
• Add support to exit to title
• Japanese Subtitles added, for Switch version

For the uninformed, Grandia was first released on the Sega Saturn in 1997 and received a re-release shortly after in 1999 on the original PlayStation. Its sequel, Grandia II, followed a similar pattern, being first released on Sega Dreamcast in 2000, and eventually made available on PlayStation 2 in 2002. An anniversary edition of Grandia II also arrived in 2015, enhancing the visuals and adding in an extra difficulty level.

The original game was praised for its engaging cast of characters, colourful presentation and smart design. The sequel was considered a standout release on the Dreamcast featuring solid game mechanics and an advanced battle system, with the PS2 re-release still considered to be worthwhile playing. The remaster is currently expected to arrive later this year.

Are you excited for the Switch remaster of Grandia I and II? Tell us in the comments.

The former villain and twin brother of Android 18 will soon be added to Bandai Namco’s hit game, Dragon Ball FighterZ. According to a reveal in the latest issue of Japanese publication V-Jump, the DLC fighter Android 17 is due out in late September for approximately $4.99 / 500 yen.

Alongside this, Bamco is releasing a free update including a new “Space Arena” stage and will also be distributing seasonal Z Capsules until late November, including Halloween-themed stamps and outfits for lobby characters.

Here’s the description of Android 17’s special move set, courtesy of Gematsu:

“Barrier Explosion” – Surrounds his body in a barrier before charging forward. This can also be used in the air.
“End Game” – Goes around behind the enemy and continuously attacks.
Meteor Attack: “Super Electric Strike” – Swirls around energy that builds up in his hands, then fires it off. This can also be used in the air.

The date this new DLC fighter and free content will be added to the Switch version is currently unknown. The free arena will reportedly be released at a later date and while Android 17 is due out later this month on other platforms, there’s no word on when exactly he’ll be added to the Switch version, keeping in mind this release arrives for Nintendo audiences on 28th September.

Are you glad to hear Android 17 is being included as a DLC character in Dragon Ball FighterZ? Will you be joining the battle when the game arrives later this month on Switch? Tell us below.

Now that Nintendo Switch Online has officially launched, you’ve got to make a real decision if you want to continue playing online multiplayer in games like Splatoon 2, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and ARMS. That service is no longer available for free, and requires a Nintendo Switch Online membership.

Of course, you get a little more than just online multiplayer. Much like PS+ and Xbox Live Gold, the service also comes with ‘free’ games, special offers, and other fancy little extras like cloud saves. So it might be that online multiplayer isn’t important to you, but playing Balloon Fight is. No judgement.

Whether you’ve bought Nintendo Switch Online or not, we thought we’d round up a few things that you can easily miss amongst all the Nintendo Switch Online excitement. It has a nifty few features that you have to actually dig in the internet to discover, and we’re going to go into more detail about each of them below.

Try It For Free

You could argue that we’ve been trying Nintendo Switch Online for free since the launch of the Switch itself, but the new free trial lets you try the extras without paying a penny. That includes cloud saving, NES games, and online multiplayer.

To get your hands on the free trial, simply visit the eShop after updating your system, scroll down to ‘Nintendo Switch Online’, and choose the option for a free trial. That’s it, you’re good to go.

It’s worth bearing in mind though that this will set up an automatic renewal for the monthly membership, so you might want to cancel that if you’re unsure or you want to opt for another membership type, like perhaps…

Get It Cheaper Using A Family Group

If you sign up for a Family Membership, rather than an Individual Membership, you can get Nintendo Switch Online for as little as $5 per year. That involves rounding up eight Nintendo Account holders under a single family group banner.

There aren’t many restrictions either – it doesn’t matter where the Nintendo Account holders are globally or anything like that. We’ve written a guide on how to do so right here, so if you’re sold on this plan (why wouldn’t you be?) follow the instructions by following the link above.

Play Your Games On A Friend’s Switch

Here’s probably the biggest open secret: you can now play your purchased games on another Nintendo Switch console. There are caveats though. For example, you can only play your games on a single Switch unit at any given time, ruling out playing multiplayer on two separate consoles under the same account.

Here’s a few things you need to know in bullet point form:

• The first time you use your Nintendo Account to connect to the eShop, that Nintendo Switch console will be activated as your primary console.
• Following that, you can link your Nintendo Account to another Switch console, though it will have different functionality.
• You can visit the eShop on this secondary console and download your purchases then play them on that system.
• You do have to have an active internet connection to play them though. If the connection goes down, the game will pause after a certain amount of time, and you won’t be able to continue playing until the internet is back up.
• Other Nintendo Accounts linked to that system can’t play your downloadable content.

That is, in a nutshell, how it works. Go give it a try.

Get Some Free Gear In Splatoon 2

This is only for those with an annual membership. If you choose to sign up with that option, you’ll receive a download code in an email that you can use to get yourself some free branded gear in Splatoon 2.

The primary account holder for a Family Group will receive eight codes that they can pass on to family members, so keep pestering them until they cough up the goods.

Play Classic NES Games Online With A Friend

I think everyone knows that Nintendo Switch Online comes laden with ‘free’ NES games, but did you know that you can play certain titles against (or with) a friend online? It’s easy to miss that in all of the excitement.

But when you boot up the app on your Switch, you’ll receive an option to play online with friends, or to play on your lonesome in single player. If you choose the former option, you can easily play with a friend in a bunch of different titles. Awesome stuff.

Play NES Games With Actual NES Controllers

Again, Nintendo hasn’t been super clear with this, but official wireless NES controllers are on their way, allowing you to play NES games as originally intended.

However, you can only purchase these if you are an active Nintendo Switch Online member, and even then it’s not entirely clear how to get them.

Fortunately, we’re here to help you do just that. Visit the official Nintendo site and login to your Nintendo Account to pre-purchase the NES controllers. You get a bundle of two of them for $60, and they’ll arrive at your doorstop in December.

It’s important to note that you can only get a single set of NES controllers per Nintendo Account, and only then if you’re an active Nintendo Switch Online member.

Right now, pre-purchasing is limited to North America. Hopefully that will open up to more regions soon.

Chat With Your Friends And Access Extra Game Content With The Nintendo Switch Online App

Last, but certainly not least, you can use the Nintendo Switch Online App to voice chat with your friends in a bunch of different games. Up to this point, it’s been limited, with only Splatoon 2 getting any real use out of it, but that’s changed with the official launch.

• Now you can use it for:
• NES games
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
• ARMS
• Splatoon 2
• Mario Tennis Aces

It’s highly likely that this list will grow over time too, so keep an eye on the app for a bunch more games.

Have you bought Nintendo Switch Online yet? Found any neat features that you think we should know about? Let us know all about it in the comments section below.

Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on hot topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this piece, Nintendo Life Guides Editor Glen Fox provides a counterpoint to the piece we ran yesterday about the general lack of excitement surrounding the NES games offered with the Nintendo Switch Online service…

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Nintendo recently revealed all about Nintendo Switch Online, the service that provides access to premium online gaming, cloud saves, and a bunch of other bells and whistles designed to improve the online functionality of the console. It’s just gone live today, and you’ve no doubt signed up already.

Sadly, the launch of the service has been clouded (no pun intended) by grumbles and frustration from the community – some of it justified, and some of it not. In the midst of it all though, we’ve all completely lost sight of what a terrific offer it truly is.

The idea of charging for a gaming console’s online component is not a new one. In fact, we can trace its lineage all the way back to the PS3 and Xbox 360, both of which offered similar packages. These continue to this very day – PlayStation has PS+ while Xbox has Xbox Live Gold.

Up to this point, Nintendo has resisted offering a premium online service, and if we were being unkind we’d presume this is because online has been a huge weakness for Nintendo up until this point. It speaks volumes for the company’s lack of confidence in this arena that we’ve had 18 months of free online play on the Switch before we’ve had to pay a penny. In other words, Nintendo’s had 18 months to avoid criticism if the service isn’t up to snuff.

So far though, it’s been solid, if unspectacular. Voice chat is still a massive weakness and some players complain about connectivity issues, but by and large, we’ve had no real reason to complain. That is, until Nintendo revealed more about what was coming when Nintendo Switch Online officially launches.

Don’t get me wrong – we were all happy to learn that cloud saves were coming, that a bunch of multiplayer NES games would be bundled in as part of the package, and that it was cheaper than any of its competitors. But that initial positivity soon turned sour when we learned that cloud saves would be deleted as soon as we stopped paying and wouldn’t even be supported in certain games like Splatoon 2.

Then there’s the fact you have to check in weekly to ensure you can still play your NES games, the fact that the NES controller doesn’t work with any other games, and the fact that, well, NES games aren’t all that exciting in the first place.

And to a certain extent, they’re all valid concerns – particularly the ones about cloud saves. There are many events that could lead to you accidentally not automatically renewing your Nintendo Switch Online service, and losing those cloud saves could be very upsetting. But is it enough of a reason to write off the service entirely? Absolutely not, I say – particularly when you actually stop and think about just what a terrific offer it actually is.

From the very get-go, Nintendo announced that we would eventually have to pay for the online service. So we can’t really complain that while we could play Splatoon 2 for free yesterday, we can’t now. It’s been a long time coming and you’ve had ample time to prepare.

It’s also so cheap when compared to its competitors, and I’d even argue that it offers way more – or at least has the potential to in the long term. Let’s take a look at what you get from Nintendo Switch Online, PS+, and Xbox Live Gold:

Nintendo Switch Online – $19.99 / £17.99 annually:

• Online multiplayer (not required for free games)
• NES games
• Cloud saves
• Smartphone app
• Exclusive deals

PS+ – $59.99 / £49.99:

• Online multiplayer (not required for free games)
• Cloud saves
• Exclusive deals
• Monthly free games

Xbox Live Gold – $59.99 / £39.99:

• Online multiplayer (required for free games)
• Cloud saves
• Monthly free games
• Exclusive deals
• Party chat

As we can already see clear as day, a subscription to Nintendo Switch Online costs a fraction of the cost of its competitors. At $20, it’s a whopping two thirds cheaper than PS+ and Xbox Live Gold at $60. The best part is, it doesn’t really offer anything less. All three provide access to free games, cloud saves, and exclusive deals on top of the online multiplayer we largely pay it for.

Granted, a growing library of NES games isn’t quite as exciting as a brand new AAA game or two for free every month. However, no matter when you sign up to Nintendo Switch Online, you’ll always have access to every single game included in the library. At the moment, you will only get the games that are currently available as part of PS+ and Xbox Live Gold that month – there’s no back catalogue.

Also, remember that we mentioned that the NES library will grow over time. At launch, we get 20 games but more will be added on a monthly basis, and there’s potential for other consoles to get added to that list in the future. Like say, perhaps, SNES and N64 games? Don’t forget you can play NES games online, too.

The icing on the cake really is the Family Membership, which is an incredibly generous offer. If used at its full potential, this allows you to get Nintendo Switch Online for as little as $5 annually, and there aren’t too many restrictions to it. Anyone across the globe can join your family group, so as long as you trust them to pay up, there’s really no reason not to go for this.

Ultimately, I’m really not declaring that Nintendo Switch Online is perfect. It clearly has its flaws. I am saying that no matter how you look at it, this is an incredibly generous offer that Nintendo should be applauded for. And the best part is that it’s only going to get better with time.

If you’ve been hesitant to sign up to Nintendo’s new online service, there’s currently a free seven-day trial offer available from the eShop. This will not only allow you play your Switch games online, but it will also provide you access to the NES game library and cloud features.

If you do decide to sign up, you’ll need to add your payment details to your main Nintendo Switch account. Just make sure you turn off the auto-renewal so you don’t get automatically charged when the free trial period does end. Here’s exactly where you can terminate the subscription auto-renewal:

Automatic renewal can be terminated from Pass Settings in your Account Information.

1. Select Account Information.
2. Select Pass Settings, then select Terminate Automatic Renewal.

Please note that you cannot change the country/region setting for your Nintendo Account if automatic renewal is enabled. In order to change the country/region setting, you must first terminate all automatic renewals.

Receipts and any other notices regarding your automatic renewal will be sent to the email address registered to your Nintendo Account.

The automatic renewal feature is unavailable for Nintendo Accounts under the age of 18.

Are you taking advantage of this free trial? Have you bought a full membership yet? Tell us in the comments.

One feature you might not have realised has been added in the latest Switch update, is the ability to post up to four video game screenshots from the same game (at once) to social media. Previously, you were only able to upload one photo at a time. In the long run, this is going to make uploading your favourite screenshots less of a hassle if you do opt with this method. Below is a description from the lovely Switch guide, Amelia:

When posting screenshots to social networks, you can now post multiple screenshots at once! If my friends thought I shared a lot of screenshots before, just wait till they see my new, powered-up posting form!

You might have also noticed characters from Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker can now be used as your user icon.

Are you happy you can now upload multiple screenshots at once? What other features in this update have you found? Tell us below.