There are few better ways to spend $9.99 / £8.99 than on Dark Scrolls. The indie Soulslike side-scroller is something I’ll spend the rest of the year dipping into every now and again, itching for a run as a way to kill a train journey. It doesn’t offer the deepest gameplay, nor does it have a sprawling world hidden away in its depths, but strikes the right chord for the price point.
Describing Dark Scrolls as a ‘Soulslike side-scroller’ is more of a shorthand than an all-encompassing label. The game possesses significant influence from roguelikes, as well as Sonic the Hedgehog. Developer Doinksoft (Gato Roboto, Gunbrella) throws you right into the action, giving you a choice of three characters and little else to engage with before starting your first run. I was immediately drawn to Pigeon for his very silly name and his resemblance to Link. Pigeon attacks and moves far more quickly compared to his fellow start characters, launching into long jumps and tossing knives at a rapid rate.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
I found Pigeon’s pace to be a problem in my first hour with Dark Scrolls. The game is littered with obstacles and enemies and I found myself bumping into everything and losing all my health before I could get a good few licks in.
This led me to main Grizz for a while, who, as you can tell from his name alone, is an absolute unit of a man, wielding an endless supply of axes with a long attack range and — most crucially — moving at a much more manageable pace. I also fell in love with Grizz’s special ability, a ground pound that instantly KO’s enemies from above. This was particularly useful for an irritating frog-like enemy whose jumps wildly vary in height.
The third starter character, Emerys, is a wizard-type, casting balls of energy as he floats from left to right. I found Emerys uninspiring as he operates in a middle ground between Grizz and Pigeon. As I spent more time with him, I found his special move — a pointy dash in upwards and sidewards directions — to be endearing, but using him never felt as satisfying as the other two.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
When I finally gave Pigeon another go, the design philosophy finally began to speak to me. The roguelike elements are obvious. Each run sees you collect currency. If you hit 100 coins, you gain a blue crystal which can be exchanged in a shop for upgrades like faster movement, expelling thorns upon being hit and creating a protective bubble for yourself.
However, the Sonic influence came to the fore once I harnessed the power of Pigeon’s special move, a double jump that sees him throw knives downwards and leaves him momentarily invulnerable. This, along with making use of the many Sonic-like springs, meant I was more able to take the higher route through the stages. Just like Sonic, these paths are incredibly hard to maintain, especially with Pigeon’s erratic jump, but are much more rewarding. With that strategy established, I was finally able to clear the boss of the first stage.
True to the Soulslike genre, I died a hell of a lot in Dark Scrolls. The first moments of getting your sea legs are brutal and had me reading the manual repeatedly to see if I was missing some sort of trick. At some point, it all just clicked and sections I found impossible before were suddenly a breeze.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)
Still, an errant move can land you in pools of hot water, but the incremental upgrades, as well as mid-stage level-ups, provide a much-needed reprieve. Dark Scrolls clearly isn’t shy about its FromSoft influence, even including bonfires between levels.
Once I got familiar with the game, it didn’t feel as punishing as a typical From game can be. Dark Scrolls’ presentation helps with that, its music is jovial and adventurous, its 16-bit art style irresistibly charming. The level structure of enemies doing their best to get in the way of your platforming, a mid-level enemy rush where you have to survive a set amount of time in a pit of creepy crawlies, and a boss at the end of the stage will always be a challenge, but you don’t get the same level of satisfaction as when you finally conquer a boss in Elden Ring. Dark Scrolls isn’t trying to be too mean, instead stuffing the From experience in breezier packaging.
Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)
A couple of minor problems do rear their heads. Anyone attempting to play this with an analogue stick is going to have a rough time. Dark Scrolls feels designed for a D-Pad, the analogue stick being extremely sensitive to vertical movement when you’re trying to move horizontally. I found myself ducking when I wanted to be sprinting away from advancing enemies.
Also, for as much as the game tries to clamp down its meanness, there are a few enemies that feel at odds with that. The game looks good, but every frame is very busy, and sometimes it’s hard to see a zombie burrowing up from the ground when you’re fighting the giant spider above you.
Conclusion
Dark Scrolls does a good job of balancing the cosy repetitiveness of a roguelike with the challenge inherent to the Soulslike genre. There are so many different ways to play, with six characters unlockable on top of the original three, all with their own unique abilities, movement and attack patterns.
For the price, there’s very little reason to not give this a shot, especially for those who gravitate towards pixel art or any of the genres encompassed within Dark Scrolls.
We are back with another look at the UK charts, and after a relatively uneventful one last week, we’re excited to see a couple of new releases worm their way into the top 10 this time.
Capcom has become one of the most prolific and consistent publishers in recent years, putting out banger after banger with no signs of slowing down. This renaissance began in 2017 with Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but it was arguably the one-two punch of Resident Evil 2 and Devil May Cry 5 in 2019 that cemented its enviable status.
There have been several Resident Evils since 2019, yet with the departure of DMC veteran Hideaki Itsuno in 2024, the future of the action series is unclear. But that’s okay, because with Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition on Switch 2, a whole new audience finally has the opportunity to experience what I believe is the finest entry of them all.
If you’re not caught up on the series, don’t worry: DMC5 includes a video detailing the story so far. It’s hardly comprehensive, but it’s enough to prepare you for the story ahead. In a nutshell, three protagonists — Nero, V, and Dante — band together to defeat a powerful demon called Urizen. To say any more would venture into spoiler territory, but DMC5’s narrative is a well-paced rollercoaster from start to finish.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
If you’re familiar with previous entries, you’ll know what to expect in terms of gameplay. As you progress, you’ll encounter dozens upon dozens of enemies to dispatch. These encounters are often confined to small arenas with the exit blocked until you beat them all, with the game awarding you with a style rank after each skirmish. So while you might be able to get by with some frantic button mashing, you’re encouraged to mix up your approach, stringing together combos and taunts to boost your rank.
The good news is that every character has unique abilities to help you achieve this (along with their own badass musical score to boot). Nero is perhaps the most balanced, combining his Red Queen sword and Blue Rose revolver to great effect. Nero also makes use of the Devil Breaker: a customisable cybernetic arm that boasts several different abilities.
You can carry multiple Devil Breakers at once, which is wise considering how fragile they are. Using a charge shot, voluntarily destroying it, or getting hit while executing a Breaker attack will all decrease your supply, but it’s also a wonderful way to incentivise experimentation.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Your first Devil Breaker, christened Overture, unleashes a blast of electricity which eviscerates smaller enemies in one go and cuts down huge chunks of boss health. Subsequent Breakers do everything from firing homing missiles to powering up Red Queen and Blue Rose. Amusingly, one of my favourites is the Mega Buster, a Mega Man-inspired blaster that fires three shots in quick succession when charged.
Moving on to Dante, the series’ overarching protagonist carries over his ability to swap fighting styles from previous entries. A simple tap of the D-pad cycles through styles, offering up slight changes to the way he approaches each encounter. You can also swap weapons on the fly, which at the start consist of the Rebellion sword and Balrog arms for melee, and the Ebony & Ivory handguns and Coyote-A shotgun for ranged combat. You’ll gain more as you go, but I’ll let you discover those for yourself.
By consistently defeating enemies, you’ll also power up the Devil Trigger ability, which lets you take on a demonic form for a short period of time. This significantly boosts your attack power and speed, and is a great way to fend off multiple foes at once if you find yourself in a bit of a bind.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
Finally, V is the weak link of the bunch. In a manner not too dissimilar to Bayonetta 3, V’s approach to combat is to call upon his familiars to do his dirty work for him. You’ve got Griffon, a wise-cracking bird that takes care of ranged combat, Shadow, a cat-like beast that’s the go-to for melee encounters, and Nightmare, a hulking demon that mostly fights completely independently from V.
That’s not to say V is completely useless, mind. Once you’ve used your familiars to cut down your enemies’ health, they’ll eventually turn white. At this point, you can use V’s cane to teleport to your injured foes, impaling them instantly to finish them off.
That said, despite the ability to directly control the actions of both Griffin and Shadow, V’s sections never feel as satisfying as Nero or Dante’s. You’ve got to keep V himself out of harm’s way, but still position yourself adequately so you can keep an eye on the combat taking place in the background. As such, you feel somewhat disconnected from the action. I felt similarly whenever using the Demon Slave mechanic in Bayonetta 3.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked)
Thankfully, V’s sections are relatively few and far between, particularly as you get further into the story. Dante and Nero more than make up for his shortcomings.
There is, of course, a fourth playable character that was initially introduced in the Special Edition release: Dante’s brother, Vergil. He has his own take on the campaign which largely feels like a fun, albeit canon-breaking jaunt – don’t take it too seriously. That said, Vergil’s speed and power are unmatched, and he’s great fun to wield once you’re done with the main story.
Speaking of the Special Edition release, the new Devil Hunter Edition on Switch 2 is mostly a straight port of the former. The big draw with this one is the ability to play as Vergil, but you’ve also got a few extra colours and Devil Breakers to make use of.
Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked)
Unfortunately, one of the Special Edition’s best additions, the Legendary Dark Knight mode, is absent. This increased the number of enemies on-screen dramatically, and I assume that the Switch 2 just wouldn’t be able to handle this while maintaining 60fps performance. Regardless, its absence means this simply isn’t the definitive way to experience the game.
Aside from that, DMC5 is a spectacularly smooth port for the Switch 2. Visually, there are some clear drawbacks: you’ll immediately notice the fuzzy hair effects from other Capcom ports, while handheld gameplay can look messy at times. That said, there was never a point where I thought it looked bad, and you’re getting exceptionally smooth frame rates for the majority of the game.
This is simply another shining example of what’s possible on Nintendo’s console, and one of the best action games on the market. Now do Dead Rising, Capcom.
Conclusion
Devil May Cry 5 Devil Hunter Edition is another great Capcom port for the Switch 2, maintaining that crucial 60fps gameplay without completely tanking the visual presentation. There are a few blemishes, mind you, and the absence of an entire mode means this isn’t the definitive release of the game.
If you’ve never experienced DMC5 before, however, you’re in for a treat. This is one of the best action games out there, and the finest DMC entry so far.
The Star Fox remake for Switch 2 is just around the corner, and Nintendo is expecedly in full marketing mode.
So in case you missed it, the company recently put out a ridiculously cool movie-inspired poster for the game that you simply have to see. It showcases the Great Fox airship orbiting an ominous red planet in the background. There’s no gunfire or explosions to speak of here – just a solitary ship quietly moving through space, and it’s lovely.
Of course, in keeping with the movie theme, the poster also includes the names of the Star Fox Team members, including Fox McCloud, Falco Lombardi, Slippy Toad, and Peppy Hare. Naturally, we’ve got the release date, while the little “Nintendo Presents” before the game title is a nice touch.
Star Fox launches this week on 25th June 2026 and sees Nintendo (with the help of developer Velan Studios) return to the N64 classic Lylat Wars. It’s pretty much a straight 1:1 remake with a few bells and whistles added, but it looks absolutely beautiful. There’s a demo available via the Switch 2 eShop right now if you want to give it a shot.
That’s not the only remake planned for 2026, however, as Nintendo recently announced The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, another N64 revamp. It’s currently unclear if this will be a faithful remake or a more radical reimagining, but we’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear more.
What do you make of this new Star Fox poster? Are you picking up the game later this week? Let us know.
Every so often, we remember that Wallace and Gromit studio Aardman is working on an animated Pokémon series, ‘Pokémon Tales: The Misadventures of Sirfetch’d & Pichu‘, and it brings the biggest smile to our faces. The show itself is still a way off, but we’ve finally seen the official art and a brief summary of what it’s all about — and yes, it sounds cracking.
As revealed at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (and shared on The Pokémon Company’s social channels), the poster shows our titular heroes strolling through a mountain region, Pichu balanced on Sirfetch’d’s leek sword. Look closely, and you’ll see that the Fighting type is about to step off the cliff, so expect a good amount of Aardman slapstick from this one.
The accompanying caption gives a little more info about the series itself:
Prepare for an epic journey through the Galar wilds where gallant quests and noble deeds await our heroes. Our new stop-motion animated series with Aardman, is coming in 2027.
The project was initially teased way back in 2024, with a short teaser trailer dropping a year later. We’ll have to wait a while longer before we get to see it for ourselves, but gosh, we’re excited about it.
What do you hope to see from Aardman’s Pokémon series? Let us know in the comments.
Well, hello there. Have you come to see what’s in the Nintendo Life Mailbox this month? Excellent timing.
Having survived the first weeks of June and the deluge of gaming announcements — including the first full-fat Nintendo Direct since September last year — we’re all settling down for the summer minus the Fest, but with a lot of Game. Unless, of course, you’re on the other side of the globe and pondering why Geoff doesn’t rebrand it as ‘Winter Game Fest’ down there.
It’s time 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 sit back with a warm beverage and go through our dispatch box…
Nintendo Life Mailbox – June 2026
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
“abundance of delights” (***STAR LETTER***)
Something happened for me the moment I went from enjoying the wrap up of the cracking June Nintendo Direct to accidentally catching a glimpse of the negativity in the chat on the sidebar: I started to feel sorry for the haters. I don’t think they are doing it for attention or to feel cool; I think many people are really having trouble enjoying things in our culture now compared to years and decades ago. It’s sad that many people can’t seem to find joy as easily anymore, even in something like video games that are engineered for exactly that purpose.
I also love to play the guitar and I see it more and more in that community, as well. Expectations are so high now and it’s easy for someone to quickly point out the flaws – pricing, features, a stylistic choice, whatever – and turn the discussion in that direction. The reality is that compared to myself as a teenager in the 2000s, I now have access to mind blowing quality games like Tears of the Kingdom and also music equipment like amp modelers that I didn’t even dream could exist, and all for the same or less money than ever if you adjust for inflation. I’m not having any trouble finding things worth my money…the challenge for me is finding time to enjoy this abundance of delights.
At this Direct, I wrote down 8 games that I definitely want (Stellar Blade, Warhammer 40K SMII, Star Fox, Orbitals, Duskbloods, Splatoon Raiders, Metaphor: ReFantazio, Ocarina of Time) and 10 more maybes. I was hoping for a grand revival of F-Zero and a fat update for Mario Kart World…oh well! Maybe those will happen later and I have a ridiculous backlog of fantastic games (and books, and albums, and movies, etc) to feast on in the meantime. Thank you Nintendo Life for keeping the positivity, shout out to the silent majority happy gamers like me, and bless all the haters, hope you see the light soon too. Scott T / couchguy
Agreed. I’d add that being underwhelmed by a game or a presentation is a 100% legitimate response, too — being positive doesn’t mean maintaining a permanent state of leaf-blower-to-the-face ecstasy while ignoring gut instincts and criticism.
But there’s just so much great stuff coming out, it takes real energy to stay angry over individual disappointments. From a player’s perspective, the bounty of excellent video games, regardless of your platform or budget, is astonishing. – Ed.
“the end of an era”
It’s been a while since I have sent one of these, as I had nothing to say, but something has come to mind. In the last 2 weeks, I finished a game that, if you just take it as 1 game as it was initially intended, I have been playing since 2020/21 or thereabouts. This “game” being the Digital Devil Saga duology. Whilst not available on a Nintendo console, it has inspired me to ask you people some questions: What is the longest it has taken you to finish a game? Since starting the game my life, I’ll be honest, has gone rather downhill. My grandfather, who I was very close to, passed away due to medical malpractice. I moved to a decrepit house in the dead centre of nowhere. Various political decisions have impacted me negatively to an unreasonable extent. But as they say, it’s swings and roundabouts, and there have been some good things. I got a job, even if I am basically on young peoples’ minimum wage. I might have the opportunity to go to university next year, though it will be extortionate (there’s only one place in the whole country that offers the course I am after, and it’s the priciest). This is all somewhat expected, as it has been maybe 5 years. When I started playing it I wasn’t even old enough, but now I am old enough to drink. Digital Devil Saga has been something consistent throughout, and it has been a spectacular game. It feels like not just the end of a video game, more like the end of an era. I will admit, I am considering starting again. I didn’t even try the superbosses. Although clearly this means that I am not escaping the cycle of reincarnation. Oh dear. Scooby-Doo
Depends how you define ‘finishing’ and if breaks in between count. I 100%-ed BOTW just a week or so before TOTK came out, so what’s that? Seven years? But it’s not like I was playing it daily and hunting Koroks for that entire period.
And can you ever really ‘finish’ an Animal Crossing game? – Ed.
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
“just plain unpleasant”
Do you ever feel like some seasons are just right for a game series? I do, and I often subconsciously hope for Nintendo to match a game’s release date with the season it vibes most with. So without further ado, I give you, the right seasons for different Nintendo series:
First, Pokémon and Summer feel like they just go hand and hand. It’s such an adventurous and outdoorsy series, and if Summer isn’t the season which most encapsulates that vibe, then I don’t know what is. The upcoming Pokémon Winds and Waves especially, with the tropical setting, really demands that Summer release.
As for Kirby, I feel like Spring suits it just right. Spring being the season of new beginnings and blue skies coming again perfectly matches the optimistic and cheerful vibe of Kirby.
Zelda, like Pokémon, has an adventurous spirit to it, but I also detect an aspect of coziness from those games that makes Autumn (and to a lesser extent, Spring) feel more appropriate than Summer in terms of vibes.
Finally, I feel that Super Mario is most apt in the holiday season, when it’s really cold and just plain unpleasant to go outside (in the Northern Hemisphere) but warm and welcoming indoors. Mario feels a lot more at home with the whimsy and childlike joy of the holidays than the adventurousness or coziness of the other times of year, so I think the end of the year is the right time for Mario. UpsideDownRowlet
Mario Party is definitely a game for the holidays – specifically Christmas Day afternoon when you’re transported to an alternate timeline where you never existed, and everything’s bleak and dreadful…but then an angel gets their wings and you can play a good game instead. – Ed.
“after the victory”
G’day,
Quick question that’s been on my mind after finishing Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom: You beat the final boss, watch the cutscenes, pleased with yourself at the liberation of Hyrule. Then, when you load back in, you’re basically dropped into the same plagued Hyrule like nothing changed.
I get the practical reasons, but I kind of wish there was an option to explore a “peaceful” Hyrule after the victory. A chance to finish some of the side quests with slightly less stress knowing Zelda’s safe. How do you feel about this admittedly industry-standard approach? Do you enjoy being placed back in the incomplete world? Personally, it will irritate me to no end.
Cheers! Ollie
I’ve often thought the same! I wrote to N64 Magazine once wishing I could ride into Kakariko Village a hero, bask in my victory, and escape the perma-peril having finally rid Hyrule of the ‘dorf.
Some games manage it, though. I remember finishing EarthBound for the first time in the Wii U era and thinking, ‘Yes! It can be done!’ – Ed.
“positively foxing”
Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo Life
This has without a doubt been one positively foxing year for Nintendo fans. Almost 10 years pass since StarFox Zero; a mark of shame so sore on the company, we never received a Switch port.
But every McCloud has a silver lining as the famous saying goes. Far from foxgotten, within the space of a few months this year, we were treated to StarFox on the silver screen, and then suddenly an out of nowhere StarFox 64 remake, again.
Can you imagine if someone told you this time last year that there would be this much Fox? With TWO different character designs, or three if you count his animated segment in the Mario Galaxy Movie?
In fact can you believe we have seen Slippy Toad on the big screen? What Is this world, how did this happen!?
I am truly Starfoxed. I love the character and it’s great to see him and his wisecracking pals back. But I don’t know how to feel.
I felt he didn’t really add much to the Mario Galaxy Film… And by re-releasing StarFox 64 for the bazillionth the time, that also in a way doesn’t add much to the plate.
But on the other hand…. Both of these things were and are incredibly cool and fun.
So…. How am I supposed to feel? I can’t Unfox my foxed up brain. Please help me Editor, tell me, how should I feel about this weirdly unneccesary but impressive feast of Barrel Rolls before us?? YoshiTails
Despair is the appropriate feeling, YT. We’ll just have to take the L on this one – such an unprecedented influx of Slippy content! Yet another downer for the games industry pile right now, I’m afraid. – Ed.
“lower my cortisol and bathe me”
Once every few months I clean the storage drawers under my bed and as I open it up a rush of dopamine hits me. One look upon the boxes of all the limited/deluxe/ultimate editions of games I have collected over the years is enough to lower my cortisol and bathe me in that warm feeling of nostalgia. Mind you, cleaning takes a significantly longer time now that I am enticed to open the boxes of my favorite editions and peruse its contents. I am once again reminded that opening a fresh new limited edition game really feels akin to opening presents on Christmas morning.
After the recent spring cleaning, however, one question has stayed with me: where are the first party limited editions of games this generation? The most recent game to receive a proper boxed limited edition that I can think of is The Legend of Zelda Tears of the Kingdom. After May 2023 these types of releases seem to have become a rare sight and Switch 2 has yet to receive this deluxe treatment at all (correct me if I’m wrong). Of course, third parties are still releasing proper limited editions, but I want a Yoshi and the Mysterious Book box shaped like Mr. E – à la Octopath Traveler – just to name one example. This drought of limited editions has me fear the upcoming release of Fire Emblem Fortune’s Weave, a game series that historically has been blessed by editions large enough to dwarf a Playstation 5 slim, and so happens to be my favorite Nintendo game series of all time.
What do you guys think about my limited/deluxe/ultimate editions query? Do you guys at NL share my worry? Or do you reckon something has changed within Nintendo’s approach to the marketing and promoting of their first party releases?
Happy Pride Month to all, Jolteon23
“DAGDAN COLLECTION!!!” everyone screams – although Jolteon’s letter came in just before that reveal, so calm down. But yes, you’re getting a spicy-looking special edition of Fortune’s Weave, so hurrah!
I don’t see a change in approach as much as production and distribution headaches in recent times. For Switch 2’s launch year, just getting enough of the standard product into the pipeline and on store shelves is the main objective for hardware and software. I’m sure we’ll continue to see chunky Limited Editions for future games. All eyes on Ocarina. – Ed.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
“descent into villainy”
Dearest Nintendo Life staffers,
Reading about Waluigi in your recent mailbox article has left me with Waluigi on the brain, and reminded me of a project I embarked upon in high school, which was (of course) to write a 116-page fan film detailing Waluigi’s backstory and descent into villainy as (naturally) a grounded crime drama set in 1990s Arkansas. I’m feeling wah-imsical today, so while my past self planned to clutch the pages of this manuscript tight in my decrepit aging hands until the day I could hand-deliver them to Miyamoto himself, I now offer them up to you, should your curiosity be piqued. Who knows, perhaps it could make for some form of Good Content. You have to read through the whole thing, though. Otherwise you’ll miss the part where Wario and Waluigi kiss. Sincerely, Waluigi Enthusiast (I’m serious about this, by the way. Both about being a Waluigi enthusiast and about the 116-page fan film. It’s been sitting in my Google Drive for years and it whispers to me in the night, begging to be released.)
Nah, you’re alright. I’m never going to get through our existing ‘War/Wal Ship’ slush pile, so I’d say you’re better off self-publishing that one. – Ed.
Bonus Letters
“I can’t think of a single person who said, “Oh, golly! Larry Koopa’s drivin’ a Mercedes-Benz! Gee, I better buy myself one o’ them thar Mercedes-Benzes so that I can be cool like Larry Koopa!”” – Anonymous
We simply cannot evaluate that ad’s effectiveness until all the MK8-playing kids hit their 40s with enough disposable income to buy a Benz. I know I didn’t get one. So yeah, a fail for old Ian Benz there. – Ed.
Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
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’sContact pageand 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!
Sonic the Hedgehog is one of gaming’s most enduring characters. He’s been through multiple eras and designs over the course of a 35-year career, starring in a huge number of games, and branching out from his bread-and-butter platformers with spin-offs in many other gaming genres.
And he’s not going anywhere, as the massive success of his recent film series attests. As Sega’s fortunes have fluctuated over the decades, Sonic is still with us, having secured a spot in the cultural pantheon alongside Mario, Pac-Man, and a very small handful of gaming icons.
It’s been three-and-a-half decades since we first guided him through Green Hill Zone on our Mega Drives and Genesiseses, and this milestone has us thinking back on the great times we’ve spent in his blue-sky worlds. The perfect time for a nostalgic jog through some of Team NL’s most treasured Sonic memories, then.
The hedgehog’s been going fast for a long time now, so let’s hit the brakes for just a moment and look back on where he’s been…
Sonic at 35 – Best Levels, Music & Memories
“I’d get squashed” (Alana Hagues, deputy editor)
Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo Life
The very first video game I ever played was Sonic the Hedgehog 3. It’s also one of the very first memories I have of life in general (after running around in the snow in just boots and a t-shirt and wrestling with my brother in the back of a moving van). The F1 was on and my dad had to watch it, so my mum moved the Mega Drive and me into the dining room, plonked a CRT on the floor, and that kept me occupied.
But Sonic & Knuckles perhaps had a bigger impact, or perhaps, should I say, Flying Battery Zone. I love this stage, but I hated it as a kid because I’d always get stuck here. I’d get squashed by the corkscrews or run into an enemy and lose my shield, or the magnets would relax and it’d be crushed by spikes. Needless to say, when I finally beat it, I was elated. I had to show everyone. Of course, no one else was as impressed with me, even if there were much harder things to come! But now I get a little bit smug whenever I revisit Flying Battery as a result. That’s worth it, right?
As for my favourite levels? Pinch me – how is Sonic Mania almost 10 years old? Anyway, I have a soft spot for winter and snow levels, and Ice Cap Zone from Sonic 3 is incredible, but I fell in love with Press Garden‘s unique blend of influences immediately back in 2017. A printing press in the middle of a snow-covered Japanese garden? Sure!
Act 1’s factory section is completely different to any other industrial level we’ve seen in a 2D Sonic game. Springy conveyor belts, newspapers flying off in the background, mushroom and tree-shaped platforms, and magenta-coloured leaves hinting at what’s to come. It’s a puzzly, platforming delight. Then Act 2 kicks in and you’re transported to a winter wonderland filled with shrines and sprinkles of cherry blossoms. It shouldn’t feel like a natural transition, but it does.
It’s one of the most creative Sonic levels, and complete with Tee Lopes’ lush music, it’s an all-timer for me.
“Jim Unleashed” (Jim Norman, features editor)
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
I was never the biggest Sonic fan growing up. I played the Advance games on my GBA and have someSonic Adventure memories at my friend’s house, but when I think about the first Sonic game that I was really obsessed with, it has to be Sonic Unleashed.
Is it still a hot take to say that? I feel like people are slowly coming around on it! Either way, I was 10 when Unleashed came out, and any criticisms could get in the bin because it was 3D Sonic who sometimes turned into a werewolf. How cool is that!
The standout stage for me, unsurprisingly, was Rooftop Run. I still know it like the back of my hand. It has such a wonderful summer vibe in its winding European streets and upbeat music, and I distinctly remember losing my mind at the ascent up the central clock tower, followed by the steep rail drop from the top. It’s just so flipping fun.
Beyond that, Sonic Mania tickled me more than any other game in the interim. Every single stage from it belongs on this list, but you expect me to go any longer without mentioning the funkiest of funky Studiopolis soundtrack? There’s no wolf, but damn, it’s a blast.
“Chao for now” (Ollie Reynolds, reviews editor)
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
I have such fond memories of high school. Not the school part, you understand, but rather the bits in between: watching Dragonball Z on Cartoon Network when I got home, chatting to girls I liked on MSN, and playing the GameCube for an ungodly number of hours before discussing it with my friends the next day. One game that dominated the conversation for a while was Sonic Adventure 2: Battle.
Even back then, I could sense that it wasn’t an all-timer — my heart truly belonged to Metroid Prime and Super Mario Sunshine — but I adored it regardless. The opening City Escape stage alone remains one of the finest experiences I’ve ever had in a Sonic game, but it was really the Chao Garden that gobbled up my time the most.
I was never very good at raising Chaos – not compared to my friends, at least. I think I just lacked the patience, and I normally wound up breaking one of the eggs by chucking it around too much. It was so delightful, though, and that achingly cheerful music is still embedded in my brain to this very day.
I’m not lying when I say that the one reason I still own an Xbox Series X is because I own Sonic Adventure 2 on it. It’s frankly criminal that Sega hasn’t put it on Switch yet in some fashion. Maybe it’s destined to be added to NSO soon…
“woakkkkkup” (Gavin Lane, editor)
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
I’ve written before about Christmas morning 1992 with Sonic 2, so I won’t repeat go over old ground. The early games came during a formative blue-sky gaming period for me, though, and the audio-visual polish coupled with the flowing level design and brilliant music made such an impression. I doubt the later 3D entries could have lived up to them even if they’d all been Mario 64-grade triumphs.
These days, it’s the Sonic Racing games which, for me, capture the flow of the originals better than any of the 3D entries, but let’s not bang the tired ‘crusty gamer doesn’t like 3D Sonic’ drum. Different strokes!
As for great levels, I could have named pretty much any zone from the 2D MD games as a favourite, but I’ve gone with Marble Garden, as beyond the brilliant soundtrack and gorgeous spritework (I love the mauve and orange stonework) I’ve always enjoyed how it fuses elements of past zones — Marble Zone and Aquatic Ruin, I’d say — with brand new, bizarre stage elements like the yoyo thingys. It’s not a mash-up or a remixed riff on what’s come before, but you get a sense of the design lineage and language threading through the series.
Sure, I could have picked two dozen other stages, but Marble Garden might be peak – and there’s no water, meaning no panic-inducing countdown to drowning. Shoutouts to those springy fake-spikes and the blue spinning-top you ride – which doesn’t make much sense but also, somehow, makes perfect sense.
Also, shoutouts to Scrap Brain Zone and Masato Nakamura and incredible spritework and happy bouncing flowers and Naoto Ohshima. Happy birthday, Sonic.
Those are just a handful of our favourite Sonic zones, tracks, and memories since 1991. We’d love to hear yours, too, so feel free to share in the comments.
Hello folks, and welcome to a very special edition of Box Art Brawl!
Before we get into the weeds with this one, let’s see how last week’s brawl concluded. We looked at Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D to celebrate the announcement of the upcoming remake, and we honestly weren’t quite sure how this one would pan out.
In the end, however, it seems most folks are over the whole ‘gold box art’ aesthetic of Zelda games, so Europe / Japan won the day with 64% of the vote.
This week, we’re doing a one-off special in which we check out every Sonic game available physically on the Switch. The blue blur is celebrating his 35th anniversary this weekend, so we thought we’d ditch the usual regional battles and see which title on Nintendo’s best-selling console is the finest of them all.
We just sticking to standard box arts for this one, so no special editions, steelbooks, or lenticular shenanigans here. We’ve also stuck to the ESRB North American versions purely for consistency. So with that out of the way, cast aside your feelings on the games themselves and focus purely on the box art.
Ready? Let’s go.
Image: SEGA
There’s still a certain novelty about seeing Mario and Sonic standing side-by-side, and that’s what makes this box art pretty special. It’s simple, yet with the massive stadium in the background, you know exactly what it’s all about.
Image: SEGA
Speaking of simple, the design for Sonic Colors Ultimate is really lovely, and it stands out in the crowd thanks to the, well, colours! Granted, the glow around Sonic looks like something we’d knock up here on Nintendo Life, but it’s pretty cool.
Image: SEGA
Oof, this one’s nice. Bar Sonic Origins, it’s the only game that features Amy, and it’s lovely to see the four characters share some space. Of course, Sonic is taking up most of said space, almost like he’s saying “no, don’t look at them, I’m right here!”.
Image: SEGA
Mmmm. Oh yeah. The obvious callback to the Mega Drive / Genesis with the background here is excellent, and the sheer number of characters showcased feels like a real celebration of the series’ inception. Lovely stuff.
Image: SEGA
Man, there’s a lot going on here, and we’re not even sure we noticed the dinosaur over on the left until we inspected the box art for this very brawl. It’s cool stuff though, and clearly conveys the core mechanic of crossing over into different tracks.
Image: SEGA
Shadow. Enough said.
Image: SEGA
There’s something about that yellow background, huh? It’s absolutely gorgeous. The simple combination of Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles feels pretty iconic too, while the focus on the more classic character designs reminds us of simpler times. Yeah, this is a good one.
Image: SEGA
Look this isn’t bad, it’s just… okay yeah, it’s kind bad. It’s just lacking that oomph that you want from a Sonic racing game, and we’re not sure why Sega decided to go with those hazy character close-ups. Focusing on the action seen in the lower portion of the design would have been much better.
Image: SEGA
Whatever you might think about Sonic Frontiers, there’s no denying that it’s box art is absolutely stellar. The action shot showing Sonic grinding along a rail has become pretty iconic for the character’s modern age, and the logo design is really nice too.
Thank you for voting! We’ll see you next week for another edition of Box Art Brawl!
The Nintendo release of this 3D battle action title, based on the “Final War” of the series, will arrive later this year on 4th September 2026. The game was previously released on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Steam earlier this year.
“MY HERO ACADEMIA: ALL’S JUSTICE brings players into the climactic “Final War” of the series, delivering intense combat experiences inspired by the original work. Players can unleash powerful abilities by mastering the unique Quirks of both heroes and villains in high-impact battles faithful to the anime.”
This release will also come with some features “exclusive” to the Switch 2 version, including online battle via GameShare.
A brand-new minigame mode, introducing a bunch of challenging activities featuring Class 1-A students, is being added as well. This will be accessible via a free update and includes a special collaboration with Pac-Man.
This title will be available as a standard edition, deluxe edition and ultimate edition. The Deluxe Edition includes the season pass and five additional playable characters (to be released post-launch) and the Ultimate Edition also includes the season pass. There will be a “package version” as well including a Game-Key Card.
Early purchases unlock the playable characters “Izuku Midoriya Rising” and “All For One Chaos”, along with 30,000 hero coins (in-game currency for items and minigames).
Image: Bandai Namco
Would you be interested in this game on the Switch 2? Have you watched the anime or read the manga? Let us know in the comments.
This October, Wuhu Island is returning in Nintendo Switch Sports Resort. This new game for the Switch 2 features 12 different sports and “intuitive motion controls”, where you’ll make use of the Joy-Con 2 as bows, paddles and more.
The 12 sports include Boxing, Table Tennis, Archery, Tennis, Volleyball, Bowling, Basketball, Golf, Thumb Wrestling, Skateboarding, Power Cruising, and Prop Plane.
Apart from the recent trailer, Nintendo also shared some screenshots alongside the announcement, showcasing the different sports. If you didn’t already catch it, Nintendo’s official Japanese website also confirms the return 100 pin bowling (thanks, Nintendo Everything).
Image: Nintendo
While we’re at it, here is a look at the many other sports in this upcoming release. The title will support 1-4 players locally and online multiplayer, and there’s also a shot of the game’s splitscreen multiplayer.
Image: Nintendo Image: Nintendo Image: Nintendo
Will you be getting this game when it launches for the Switch 2 on 22nd October 2026? Let us know in the comments.
