Category: Nintendo News

Sonic Origins Plus is getting a limited collector’s edition via the retailer Pix’n Love, which will be limited to just 1200 units and will be numbered as such.

Pre-orders for the product will launch on the Pix’n Love website on September 27th, 2023 at 4pm BST, with copies priced at €79.90 (roughly £69).

As for what’s included, all pre-orders will contain a Mega Drive / Genesis snap case in addition to the following:

– The Sonic Origins Plus physical game for Nintendo Switch (includes: a slipcase, a 20-page artbook and a reversible cover).
– A certificate numbered to 1200 copies.
– A brand new 96-page artbook.
– One acrylic plate.
– Four lithographs.
– A large-format cardboard box with screen-printed plastic sleeve.

We’re quite taken with the new art book, particularly if it’s of a decent size and quality. As for the rest? Well, it’s nice, and we’re sure it will appeal to hardcore fans of the franchise.

In our Sonic Origins Plus review, we said that “there’s no escaping the sense that Sega could’ve done a lot more for this update and chose not to”, ultimately awarding the updated compilation a score of 6/10.

Will you be picking up this limited physical edition of Sonic Origins Plus? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.

While the Nintendo Switch lacks the raw processing grunt of the Xbox One and PS4, petrol heads have been increasingly well served on the hybrid console, with a steadily growing catalogue of fantastic racers that offer plenty of arcade thrills and spills — and you can do it on the move. Give it a try on your next Uber ride; it’s so much more immersive!

To help you keep on top of all those releases, we’ve rounded up the best racing games on Switch – in no particular order – to help you avoid going off-road (unless that’s what you’re after, of course). The following racers showcase different facets of the genre and are all worth a look if you need a racing fix on your Switch.

To avoid any grumbling, we should note that the racing (or driving) genre is a broad church, with games such as Mario Kart obviously very different in nature from GRID Autosport. Some games in our list feature motorbikes, some have a top-down perspective and others have combat — from baseball bat to blue shell — but the objective of getting to a finish line in the shortest possible time is common to them all.

So, in no particular order, let’s take a look at the best racing games on Switch…

Welcome back to the Nintendo Life Mailbox. You hear that? That’s the sound of 2024 creeping up on you as we plough into the last week of September.

Yes, we’re back (slightly later than planned — hey, last week turned into a busy one!) with another selection of your correspondence for our monthly letters page feature.

Got something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.

Let’s see what’s been bouncing ’round your brainboxes for the past month, shall we?

Nintendo Life Mailbox – September 2023

“Mediocre” (***STAR LETTER***)

As someone who grew up in the DS/Wii generation and didn’t know what a “Virtual Console” was as a child, I had limited exposure to retro games for a long period, other than seeing people online and in magazines talking about how the SNES generation was the greatest of all time. That’s why I was so excited for the SNES Classic Mini – I why I was disappointed to find out that I disliked so many games from that era (not Super Metroid though – that still rules). Initially, I wrote this off as a generational difference – growing up in the modern era of gaming, I had grown use to the more polished mechanics, and so even the best SNES games would feel archaic to me. That was until Game Boy games came to NSO, and I realised that despite the weaker hardware, I enjoyed these games far more. Super Mario World? Mediocre. Super Mario Land 2? Underrated gem. A Link To The Past? Boring dungeons and unfun combat. Link’s Awakening? Still the best 2D Zelda.
I am genuinely unsure what the cause of these feelings is, and so would like to ask the Nintendo Life community if anybody else has a similar experience of not liking one particular generation of Nintendo?
Munchlax

There’s certainly a generational aspect, although I’d argue that those 16-bit entries set the modern template to such an extent that we’ve essentially been playing variations on a theme for three decades. Has 2D Mario really changed since Super Mario World? Likewise 2D Metroid and Zelda. Despite the shift to 3D for the latter, the structure of every Zelda game essentially followed LttP’s lead until BOTW! It’s little wonder that someone who wasn’t there at the time might be underwhelmed by the modern series’ progenitors. (Perhaps the GB entries feel sufficiently removed from that template that their idiosyncracies spark your interest?)

I don’t personally have rabid nostalgia for the SNES. Hey, I was a Mega Drive kid that gen! Super Mario Bros. 3 aside, it was really the 64-bit era that hooked me on Nintendo and that’s the generation I’m crazy for, although I’d imagine that it’s also the one many NL readers struggle with most these days. Trying to play those games on Switch using anything but an NSO N64 pad isn’t helping its legacy, unfortunately.

Have a month’s worth of Hookshot Supporter subscription. Plenty more video games out there to enjoy if SNES isn’t clicking with you! – Ed.

“Because Nintendo”

Hi guys! I wanted to share an idea for a poll. I’m a huge Zelda fan and I’ve been wondering why Nintendo haven’t released Twilight Princess and Wind Waker on the Switch. It’s weird right? Given that almost every other 1st party Wii U title got ported. It could be interesting to see what everyone thinks about it….
Franc001

Let’s have a look with a little guest poll, shall we? Here’s a slightly adapted version of Franc’s poll…

Personally, at this point in Switch’s lifecycle, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Nintendo hold these back to fill gaps in Switch 2’s launch year. Easy wins to help maintain that monthly cadence of new games that put the Switch in such good stead back in 2017. – Ed.

“gnarly nerd-rage”

Dear renowned writers of serious frivolousness.

Longetime lurker has a simple question: Do you have any particular nerd-peeves? For example (and this is definitely one of my own) : I throw a gnarly nerd-rage anyone calls any random Link the hero of Time.

Other suggestions would be:
– The Xbox controller face buttons being the standard for PC controllers. Not only did they have to swap A-B and X-Y, but why did they have to jumble the SNES colours as well.
– Nintendo being considered the developers and/or owners for any and all games launching on their consoles. No Nintendo cannot announce a lot of games for Nintendo Switch Online. They only own like 50-something of all NES games, the rest aren’t theirs, and it’s less for every subsequent system.
– Call of Duty still being considered super relevant. Being the face of gaming had been taken over by Minecraft before Fortnite in turn.

Regards
SomeWiim from your local neighbourlands

I’m pretty chill these days, although my eyeball starts twitching when someone says “I could care less” meaning they couldn’t care less. And on the Hookshot Slack recently, someone (who shall remain nameless) disturbed my Force with the following declaration: “Attack of the Clones > Return of the Jedi”. Big oof.

Oh, a video game thing? Over to the NL team… – Ed.

• I get annoyed when people say ‘Majorca’s Mask’ instead of ‘Majora’s Mask’. – Ollie
• We’d all be lying if we said that people calling Link ‘Zelda’ and Samus ‘Metroid’ didn’t get under the skin, right? – Jim

“less is better”

Just a note to say thank you for the read. Your site has filled the void of Total magazine from back in the day! I’ve been Nintendo since the 80’s and think the Switch is easily the most accessible system, however [I] wish they brought back the Nintendo seal of quality. So much trash populating the store! Surely less is better or am I getting old?
James

You’re very welcome, James! You are getting old, but trawling through the weekly eShop additions has become an exercise in turd avoidance, unfortunately. We explored the problem recently — hopefully Nintendo has some plans to address the problem on the next console. – Ed.

“fresh”

Heya NintendoLife,
Wanted to follow up on the *Star Letter* about Tears of the Kingdom [“Overload” — issue #3], it reminded me about how I play games myself. I was wondering if anybody else either writing or in the community share this habit.

I typically play a single game very intensely (with a few others on the side) and when I beat that game I end up taking a break away from it. After at least three months I’ll wipe my save file and start again to see what I’ve learned from the first time. I’ve reset my Breath of the Wild save six or seven times and it’s felt fresh every time. I beat Xenoblade 3 in a few weeks and came back three months later to do a 100% playthrough. I’ve even done the four routes in Fire Emblem Three Houses! Of course the beginning of each game are super tedious but it’s a great way to get more value out of games. Thoughts?
TheJGG

At this particular point in life, finding time to beat a game 100% even once is an achievement for me but, interestingly, Ollie recently restarted his TOTK save file and found himself appreciating it all the more. It’ll be intriguing to hear what other readers think — head to the comments to let us know! – Ed.

“add the ratings”

I was wondering if you could add the ratings (both ESRB and PEGI at the very least) to each game’s page. Some of us actually do care about the ratings, and I can’t find any consistent way to find this info for each individual video game anywhere online. Personally, I like to avoid M-rated games by the ESRB.

Could you at least recommend a method to consistently look up the ratings for most video games?
BulbasaurusRex

I’ve passed this on to Hookshot top brass — “Watch this space.” In the meantime, ESRB/PEGI ratings are displayed on all the official game pages of the three main platform holders. Eg. Spider-Man 2 on the PS Store (T), Starfield on the Xbox Store (M), Tears of the Kingdom on Nintendo’s site (E 10+). – Ed.

Bonus Letters

“I am not crazy! I know the switch 2 is coming out. I know it is 2024. One after 2023. As if I could ever make such a mistake. Never. Never!” – EaglyPurahfan

To me, it’s as real as that chair. It’s as real as this house, it’s as real as you. But…what if it’s not? What if it’s all in my head? – Ed.

“Instead of a Switch 2, would you be interested in a 3DSwitch as the next console?” – LinktotheFuture

How about as well as, hmm? – Ed.

“How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?” – minecraftemery

Can they not? – Ed.

“What are your opinions on [Splatoon] 3’s map design?” – Snatcher

Several Splatoon letters this month. Jim is our resident Splatoon 3 expert on the editorial side — Jimbo? – Ed.

• Splatoon 3’s maps might be a little more basic than what some would have wanted, but if you just enjoy a good Turf War, I’d say there’s still a lot to like here. Sure, Mincemeat Metalworks drives me up the wall a little, but I love a bit of Scorch Gorge and Hagglefish Market! – Jim

“How good are y’all at ASCII art?” – sForzan

Oh, very good. You? – Ed.

what was the first nintendo game you remember playing? also if you can forget a game and replay it what game would you choose? – res1080p

Super Mario Bros. for me, and Majora’s Mask or Portal. – Ed

• Super Mario Land, I think. And RE4, without a doubt. – Ollie
• Probably Super Mario 64, and I’d love to re-experience BOTW fresh again. – Alana
• Ocarina of Time, and probably something like Mario Odyssey, purely for the number of ‘woah’ moments. – Jim

“Which games are still desperately missing on the Switch? My pick: The Disney Afternoon Collection.” – DwaynesGames

That’s a good one. They’re not desperate, but I’d be one happy chappy if we got The Witness and FTL. – Ed.

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That’s all for this month! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.

Got something you’d like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can’t contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.

Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelines

• Letters, not essays, please – Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn’t likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you’re after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)
• Don’t go crazy with multiple correspondences – Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!
• Don’t be disheartened if your letter doesn’t appear in the monthly article – We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we’ll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn’t chosen for the article, please don’t get disheartened!

How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life Mailbox

• Head to Nintendo Life’s Contact page and select the subject “Reader Letters” from the drop-down menu (it’s already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully-crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you’re done!

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We’re running out of months in 2023 and there’s still no sign of Hollow Knight: Silksong arriving on the Nintendo Switch any time soon.

With this in mind, fans have been searching for any sign of a possible upcoming release, and it seems the game’s web and store assets have been updated and changed this week. As highlighted by SteamDB (via ‘Wario64’ on social media), these are the first significant backend updates to the game page on Steam since earlier this year.

While it’s not much, it is at least enough evidence that there is still plenty of activity going on behind the scenes. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean an announcement or anything similar is on the horizon.

The last official update was earlier this year in May when a Team Cherry representative mentioned how Silksong would no longer make the “1st half of 2023”, as it had become quite a big project and the development team wanted to release it in the best state possible.

When do you think we might be seeing Hollow Knight: Silksong? Have you played the original title? Tell us below.

It’s time to witness a clash of the covers as we dive into another edition of Box Art Brawl.

Before we hop into the ring with this week’s competition, however, let’s quickly recap what happened last time. It was a match-up against two different pieces of cover art for the GBA’s Mario vs. Donkey Kong — which had been playing on our mind ever since the remaster was announced for Switch — and boy, was it a one-sided affair. The North American/European box art walked away with a staggering 86% of the vote, leaving the colourful Japanese edition with the remaining 16%.

We’re keeping the GBA vibes going this week with another title that will soon be coming to Switch (albeit in the NSO Expansion Pack variety) as we look at two different pieces of cover art for Kirby & the Amazing Mirror. This pixel art platformer let you hook up four of the Nintendo handhelds for some colourful co-op as you each took control of a different Kirby, inhaling enemies and gaining some swash-buckling abilities.

With Europe and Japan opting for very similar designs (though the Japanese release did get a sweet landscape-oriented box), we have decided to keep this one as a duel, with Europe/Japan facing off against the North American design.

Let’s get to it!

Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let’s check out the box art designs themselves.

Europe / Japan

This one tells you everything that you need to know about The Amazing Mirror — there are four Kirbys, and they all have different abilities. Simple, right? Our main pink variant sits front and centre looking happy as ever, and we like the overall good feel of the box art, with a light blue sky and angelic castle floating in the background.

North America

Woah Kirby! Why is he angry? Who gave him that sword? Why is everything so dark? The NA cover art is a reasonable swing from the previous variant, with an overall darker tone and having your friendly neighbourhood Kirby replaced by his sword-swinging variant as the main image. We like the ominous Meta Knight profile in the background of this one, even if the darkness feels a little less ‘Kirby‘.

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

Sonic Superstars arrives on the Switch next month and ahead of launch Sega has shared some brand new details about the game’s multiplayer ‘Battle Mode’ feature. This mode will allow up to eight players online, or four players locally to go head-to-head in a variety of challenges.

In this mode, players will take control of a customised Metal Fighter and compete to win three rounds of randomly selected battle stages and modes. Here’s what’s on offer:

Race – Reach the goal before the other players.

Zap Scrap – Shoot bullets to attack other players. Points are added when you damage an opponent and decrease when you take damage. Open an item box to earn a single powered up bullet.

Star Snatcher – Collect stars within the time limit. You will lose one star if you take damage.

Survival – Stay on the stage until the end while avoiding cannonballs flying from the back of the screen. The scaffolding will collapse if it is hit by a cannonball, or if you stay in one place for too long. If you fall off the screen, then you are out of the game.

In the online mode, players will be able to earn medals and use them to purchase custom parts for their Metal Fighter. These types of parts will increase as you progress in the game, and changing parts won’t affect your character’s abilities.

As for the local mode, apart from challenging three players in split-screen, you’ll be given the option to play against AI. No medals or rank challenges will be in this mode.

Will you be checking out the Battle Mode in Sonic Superstars? Leave a comment below.

Hideo Kojima’s legendary series Metal Gear Solid returns as a collection release this October on all platforms including the Nintendo Switch, and as part of this Konami has now shared a table on the official game page detailing the resolution and frame rate per platform.

While we’ve already been given the rundown about the Switch performance in Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1, this is the most clear outline yet as to how it stacks up against the competition. Across all platforms Metal Gear Solid will run at 30fps with an output resolution of 1920 x 1080p (the exception being handheld mode which runs at 1280 x 720p).

As for Metal Gear Solid 2 and Metal Gear Solid 3, the Switch version matches the resolution of other platforms in docked mode (1920 x 1080p) but is reduced from 60fps to 30fps across both modes. And these games in handheld are limited to a resolution of 1280 x 720p. Here’s the full rundown via the official Metal Gear Solid web page:

So, there you go – this is exactly what you can expect from the Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 when it lands on the Nintendo Switch on 24th October 2023. In related news, the official Konami website has also mentioned how even physical copies will require some downloads. You can learn more about this in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life:

Will you be adding this new Metal Gear Solid collection to your Switch library when it launches? Tell us below.

Publisher and developer Rocket Panda Games has announced it will be bringing its anime side-scrolling beat ’em up Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Ultimate to the Nintendo Switch in 2024.

This game is a complete remaster of the original title, rebuilt “from the ground up” on Unreal Engine 5. Players can expect enhanced visuals, improved gameplay mechanics and exciting new features. This title will also support 8-player cross-platform online play.

Here are the key features, direct from the PR:

Revamped Gameplay: Experience smoother, more fluid gameplay with retuned battle system, ensuring that every punch, kick, and special move is executed with precision.

Co-op and Online Multiplayer: Team up with friends in local co-op or challenge up to 8 fighters from around the world cross-platform.

Playable Enemy Characters: Take on the role of powerful adversaries from the Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds universe, each with their own distinct combat styles and abilities in Arcade Mode.

Original Soundtrack Remastered: An all new soundtrack has been added to immerse yourself in the game’s dynamic atmosphere and also includes all of the tracks from the original and Overdrive.

Phantom Breakers All-Girl J-Rock Band Debut: All new opening song performed by the Phantom Breakers consisting of the in-universe characters, Mikoto, Waka, Itsuki, Yuzuha and Maestra.

Phantom Breakers started out in 2011 as a 2D fighting gamed developed by 5pb and MAGES, with the original spin-off Phantom Breakers: Battle Grounds arriving in 2013. Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive was previously released on the Switch eShop in 2017 and was well-received. Here’s a look at the gameplay in this particular version:

Would you be interested in the upcoming remaster? Check out the teaser trailer and leave a comment below.

Earlier this week, Capcom confirmed the Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy would be launching on the Nintendo Switch early next year on 25th January 2024.

Now, in an update, it’s been confirmed a physical release is coming to Japan and other Asia regions on the same date. The good news is that you can pre-order it from websites like Playasia and it will include language support for “English, Japanese, French, German, Korean + Traditional & Simplified Chinese”.

Capcom originally announced the Apollo Justice collection in June. When it arrives on Switch, players will be able to relive Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney, Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Dual Destinies, and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice from the 3DS era. You can learn more in our existing story here on Nintendo Life:

Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.

Any interest in a physical Switch release of this trilogy? Leave a comment below.

So, you’re having a party, possibly on a rooftop, dancing to the music and all that jazz, but suddenly there’s a lull. Fear not because we’ve got just the thing to get the party started again! Nintendo Switch has a whole host of crowd-pleasing co-op and competitive party games, whether you’re hosting a birthday party for a bunch of kids, throwing a casual soirée for a few select dinner guests or you’ve got all the furniture in the garage. Regardless of the function, you’re sure to find games here for all occasions.

Below you’ll find our picks — in no particular order — for the best party games on Switch. While the console’s lineup of brilliant co-op games may fit the bill for smaller get-togethers, some games require a little more thought, consideration and coordination than the average party-goer might be ready for (or capable of). For this selection we’ve chosen games that work best with lots of people, including spectators, and ones that let anybody join in with the minimum of fuss.

So, it’s time to check out the best Nintendo Switch party games. Fill those bowls of nibbles to the brim, charge your Joy-Con, and pack your party bags, people, because tonight’s gonna be a large one…