Category: Nintendo News

One debate that has been present for decades now across social media, on Nintendo Life’s very own comment sections, and even in – you know – real life communication, is the correct pronunciation of ‘NES’. Yes, the NES, or Nintendo Entertainment System, is home to the beginnings of so many classic Nintendo franchises like Super Mario and The Legend of Zelda, but nobody has ever been able to agree on how you actually say the thing’s name. Until now.

Options in the past have included the likes of ‘Nez’, ‘Ness’, and ‘Enn Eee Ess’, and no matter how much you believe it to be one way or another, there will always be someone nearby who will claim otherwise. The answer to this age-old conundrum comes from WarioWare Gold of all places, the latest entry to the mischievous Mario villain’s series on Nintendo 3DS. 

As you can see, according to Nintendo – via the Japanese version of the game’s museum area – the true pronunciation is ‘Ness’. The Japanese characters on screen suggest that it should have a soft ‘s’ sound, as opposed to a harsher ‘z’ sound, and the idea of saying each individual letter is nowhere to be seen.

Will this finally end all of the squabbling? Probably not, but at least we finally have an answer to fall back on should we need to win any arguments.

Adding to the ever-growing list of weird and wonderful things available in Japan is this edible Sega logo, a product set to be available starting from next week.

Earlier in the year, Sega launched its own taiyaki stand – a Japanese fish-shaped cake which you would usually find filled with a red bean paste made from sweetened azuki beans. Not satisfied with selling simple fish-shaped goods, though, Sega has taken things up a notch, making a similar cake in the shape of that classic logo. The new design will release on 8th August, available from its Tokyo stand.

Sega has explained via Twitter that the process of designing and perfecting this special version of taiyaki has taken around half a year, with issues surrounding the accuracy of the logo being one such hurdle to that had to be overcome. The back of the product displays Sega’s corporate slogan, which translates as “creation is life”.

Oddly enough, other gaming-inspired taiyaki designs have previously been spotted in the region, such as this Magikarp Pokémon version below. You could argue that Magikarp makes a lot more sense being a fish, however.

Of course, this isn’t the only Sega food product that has come to our attention in recent weeks, either – not so long ago, we reported on an official Sonic curry that makes your poop blue. What a time to be alive.

Bandai Namco has shared details on the upcoming open beta test for the Switch version of Dragon Ball FighterZ.

The open beta test will feature 23 characters from the game (all of which are listed below) and the new “Extreme Type” feature that has been specifically designed for the Nintendo Switch version. A ‘Practice Battle Tutorial’ will be available, alongside an ‘Arena Match’ for 1v1 fights, ‘Ring Match’ and ‘Ring Party Match’ options, and a replay channel to look back at your best moves.

Here’s the full list of characters you’ll find in the beta:

• Goku (Super Saiyan)
• Vegeta (Super Saiyan)
• Gohan (Teen)
• Gohan (Adult)
• Gotenks
• Trunks
• Frieza
• Cell
• Majin Buu
• Kid Buu
• Krillin
• Piccolo
• Tien Shinhan
• Nappa
• Android 16
• Android 18
• Yamcha
• Ginyu
• Hit
• Goku (SSGSS)
• Vegeta (SSGSS)
• Beerus
• Goku Black

The test session is scheduled to start and finish at the following times:

PDT: 9th August, 9pm – 12th August, 12am
EDT: 10th August, 12am – 12th August, 3am
BST: 10th August, 5am – 12th August, 8am
CEST: 10th August, 6am – 12th August, 9am

To access the open beta, players will need to download the option directly from the Nintendo Switch eShop. You should be able to grab this on your Switch right now, ready for the main event next week.

Will you be giving the game a spin before its full launch on 28th September? Let us know with a comment below.

Goblinz Studio has revealed that Robothorium will land on Nintendo Switch next year, bringing its sci-fi turn-based gaming along for the ride.

A futuristic, turn-based RPG, Robothorium tasks you with choosing your allies and leading your troops into the next Robot age. Each of your choices will impact the following missions, and will also change your relations with the five different factions present in the game.

You can develop your strategy with ten classes of robots, each one having its own synergies, and face off against plenty of enemies designed with unique mechanics to defeat the BreakTech enterprise. There are power items to gather and craft, talents which can be upgraded, and a reserve of robots which you’ll need to keep on top of. The game also supports online multiplayer, with ‘cross-platform’ play being promised on its current Steam Early Access page.

Robothorium will become available on Nintendo Switch worldwide in 2019. We’ll keep an eye out for any more news on this one as it arrives.

Do you like the look of this? Let us know your thoughts with a comment below.

Remember Mega Cat Studios? Well, they’ve joined forces with another major name working in the ‘new-retro’ biz – Rose Colored Gaming – to create some pretty unique NES cartridges which will no doubt have hardcore collectors reaching for their wallets (or mulling the sale of a kidney).

Carts emblazoned with the names Alwa’s Awakening, Little Medusa and Log Jammers recently landed on our doorstep, which would be reason enough to be pretty happy – but what makes these releases truly special is the way in which they’re presented.

Each cartridge has been lovingly crafted and is totally unique; for example, the Log Jammers cart is actually made from wood, while the Alwa’s Awakening one (which is the soundtrack to the game, rather than the game itself) has jewels inset in the rear panel. In short, these things look gorgeous and are likely to become very collectable; the fact that they actually function when inserted in your NES almost feels like a bonus.

The cost to you? Well, these things don’t come cheap. Little Medusa and Log Jammers cost a cool $125 each, while the Alwa’s Awakening soundtrack cart costs $100. But still, can you really put a price on something so amazing? Just imagine what they’ll be worth in years to come. $125 is a steal, to be honest – at least, that’s what you can tell your partner when they stumble across your bank statement a month later. Ahem.

Revolution Software and Ravenscourt have announced that Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse is headed to Nintendo Switch this September.

Building upon its 2015 release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, the Switch edition of this adventure game features a reimagined user interface designed to take full advantage of the console’s functionality, allowing players to use both the Joy-Con and touchscreen in tandem. The Switch version will also include behind-the-scenes movies which reveal the story and the development process behind the game, all of which can be unlocked as play progresses.

With plenty of puzzles and point-and-click style adventuring to sink your teeth into, Broken Sword 5 aims to mix cerebral puzzling and sharp wit with historical authenticity and intrigue, as seen in the game’s synopsis:

Paris in the spring. Shots ring out from a gallery. A robbery – a murder – and the beginning of another epic original Broken Sword adventure. An adventure that will hurl intrepid lawyer George Stobbart and sassy journalist Nico Collard onto the trail of a murderous conspiracy whose roots lie in mysteries older than the written word. Armed only with logic, integrity and a wry sense of humour – can George and Nico outwit evil forces both ancient and modern and save mankind from disaster?

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent’s Curse will release worldwide for Nintendo Switch on 21st September at a price of £24.99 /€29.99. Both digital and physical versions will be available.

Do you like the look of this one? Have you played it on other platforms? Let us know your thoughts below.

Continuing the steady drip feed of Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu! and Let’s Go, Eevee! footage and information, a set of short videos have been shared on YouTube demonstrating how a range of different Pokémon will follow your trainer.

We already know that Pikachu or Eevee will accompany you, sitting on your head or shoulders, and one other Pokémon can be chosen to follow you from behind, just as Pikachu did in Pokémon Yellow – the game that these titles are based on. Sticking true to their nature, each Pokémon has its own distinct style of walking, and these differences give you a real sense that these are living, breathing creatures, rather than just a set of pixels programmed to follow your every move.

First up are Venusaur and Onix, two of the larger monsters on offer. As we’ve seen before, Onix can be used as a method of transportation, even barreling down the city streets next to Poké Marts and more, while Venusaur follows the normal trend of galloping behind you.

Next up we have Golem and Electrode, two spherical Pokémon. Electrode has no choice other than to roll, thanks to its lack of limbs, but it’s interesting to see Golem using the same tactic to keep up with you as run around.

And finally, we have Caterpie. Being the tiny Pokémon that it is, Caterpie struggles to keep up, forcing the trainer to occasionally check back and make sure it’s still wiggling along. We suddenly find ourselves wanting to set up a Caterpie rescue centre, the poor things.

It’s certainly a nice touch that adds a little bit more personality to proceedings. Remember, Pokémon: Let’s Go, Pikachu and Let’s Go, Eevee! hit store shelves on 16th November.

Niantic has recently added Spinda to Pokémon GO, bringing us one step closer to having all of the Gen 3 Pokémon in the hit mobile game.

The crazy thing about Spinda is that the pattern on its body is random for every single catch, and there’s apparently over four billion different possibilities. That probably explains what took Niantic so long.

You also don’t catch it using the usual means. In this guide, we’re going to explain exactly what you have to do to catch this unusual Pokémon.

Pokémon GO – How To Catch Spinda

Right now, Spinda doesn’t appear in the wild. Instead, you have to catch it by completing a specific Field Research task: land three curveballs in a row.

To get a Field Research task, you have to spin a PokéStop. If you currently have three Field Research tasks underway, you’ll have to delete one to get a place for a new one.

You can check your current Field Research tasks by tapping on the binocular icon on the bottom right of your screen, and delete one by hitting the bin icon on the task itself.

It might take you some time until you get that specific Research Task, but if you’re committed to grabbing Spinda you’ll make it work.

Pokémon GO – How To Land A Curveball

Landing a curveball is pretty easy. Simply spin the Pokéball in circles and then throw it at a Pokémon while it’s spinning to make it curve before hitting it.

You do have to account for that curve though when you throw – throwing it at a Pokémon directly like usual won’t work. Instead, throw it slightly to the left or right of the Pokémon depending on the spin direction – you want to throw it against the spin direction.

How far to the left or right depends on how far away the Pokémon is. If it’s really far, throw it high and slightly to the left or right. If it’s near, throw it low and quite far to the left or right.

Practice for a while and you’ll start to get the hang of it. To get three in a row, we’d recommend trying it out on a Pokémon that has a smaller chance to be caught and, preferably, a large hitbox.

Nintendo games often have little nods to other franchises cheekily tucked away in hard-to-reach areas, giving fans a nice little burst of happiness and pride when they stumble across them, but this little easter egg inside Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze managed to remain hidden for more than four years. Until now, of course.

Shared by Shane Marchis on Twitter, the image below shows the spot where a lone Metroid can be found, casually swimming in the background minding its own business for a change. Of course, with Retro Studios being the developer behind both Tropical Freeze, and the Metroid Prime series, this is a lovely little crossover moment that teases the idea of the two worlds somehow being connected.

If you’re wondering how no one has stumbled across this before, you might want to give the video below a quick watch. As explained by the folks over at GameXplain, the Metroid can be found in level 4-3 Amiss Abyss, heading past the first checkpoint until you reach the illuminated underwater area. From here, you have to swim forwards out of that area, before returning back again – taking damage along the way – to watch the Metroid float up from the bottom of the screen. The Metroid can be found in both the Switch and Wii U versions of the game.

Will you be booting up your copy of the game to try this out?