Pokémon Champions launched yesterday in a… less-than-perfect state. Fortunately, it looks like The Pokémon Company is working on a fix.
Even if we put aside the limited available Pokémon and Items at launch, the game was quickly criticised for the sheer number of bugs on display (and no, we’re not talking about Beedrill and Pinsir). Fans were quick to point out Items being used incorrectly, move animation glitches, health quirks, and more. In short, the launch state was far from the go-to competitive battler we were promised.
Now, in a new blog post on Pokémon’s Japanese news site, the devs have flagged that they’re aware of a number of issues and are working on a fix.
While a specific release date for this patch hasn’t been given at the moment, the blog post states that the following issues will be targeted:
Leech Seed’s incorrect description
Issue with turn order when two Pokémon Mega Evolve at once
The gender of select Pokémon in the tutorial
‘Lightning Rod’ not activating while in ‘Encore’ state
Issues with selecting a move while the details menu is open and the cursor is hovering over ‘Mega Evolution’
It’s not all doom and gloom, mind you. The blog post confirms that the team has already fixed an error with Pokémon HOME transfers, so that’s… something.
We have to imagine that these fixes will be implemented by the time the competitive scene fully switches over to Champions in the coming weeks. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see what the first regional competitions are like when everything seems so limited at launch.
We’ll have our full thoughts on Pokémon Champions with you soon enough, so keep an eye on the tall grass!
What do you make of Pokémon Champions in its launch state? Let us know in the comments.
Nintendo has been gradually rolling out its My Mario line to Western audiences since the start of the year, and today, the kid-friendly Hello, Yoshi! app joins the roster.
This one launched in Japan back in November 2025, and promises a similar gameplay experience (if we can even call it “gameplay”) to the original Hello, Mario! title. That means you have a cartoon Yoshi face on your Switch screen, and you can tab, stretch, spin, or play a handful of small games with it.
It might not have much on offer for the adult gamers out there, but let’s not forget that the free app is aimed dominantly at your little ones, and with Yoshi and the Mysterious Book coming our way in just a few months, it’s never too early to get the toddlers up to date on everyone’s favourite dino.
Here’s a brief rundown of what the app has in store, accompanied by a handful of screens from its eShop page:
■Make Silly Faces Team up with your kiddo to see how silly Yoshi can get when you pull and stretch his face or take turns poking and spinning him around. Tap on the ? Block in the top-left corner of the screen and select an icon to make items—like a Super Mushroom, a Super Star, or pipes—and even enemies appear alongside Yoshi.
■Peekaboo! Invite Yoshi to play peekaboo by tapping on the leftmost icon in the ? Block menu. Boo may even make a guest appearance!
■Built-In Breaks Good night, Yoshi! Yoshi gets tuckered out after playing for a while and will fall fast asleep. At that point no amount of poking can wake him up! This is a great opportunity to take a break and help parents limit their child’s screen time. If you want to keep the fun going, you can turn off this feature by tapping the gear icon in the top-right corner of the screen when the application starts.
■Play Offline There’s no need to be connected to the internet to play this application. After you download it, you’re good to go!
We went hands-on with the Hello, Mario! early last year, and it’s… okay! We’re far from the target audience, of course, but even we so-called “grown-ups” find it hard to resist a little bit of Mario 64 squishy-face nostalgia.
Will you be checking out the Hello, Yoshi! app? Let us know in the comments.
Although it’s been almost a year since NetherRealm announced it was effectively done with Mortal Kombat 1, the latest entry in the long-running fighting series is still generating sales.
In an update via social media this week, the studio has announced Mortal Kombat 1 has now surpassed eight million units since launching in September 2023. This obviously factors in all platforms the title was released on, as well as the Definitive Edition of the game, which launched last May.
Mortal Kombat 1: “8 million units and kounting! Thank you to the Mortal Kombat Kommunity for your support!”
Fighting game website EventHubs notes how this is roughly “an additional 1.8 million units in a little less than eight months” since the last sales update. This also puts the game ahead of its nearest competitor Street Fighter 6, which has shifted over 6 million copies to date. However, MK1 is still trailing behind the previous iteration Mortal Kombat 11, which last recorded 15 million sales in 2022.
In an update last May, NetherRealm confirmed it was shifting focus to its “next project” while also noting how there would not be additional DLC characters or story chapters for Mortal Kombat 1 going forward. There’s no native MK1 release for Switch 2, but it didn’t stop us from investigating how the game performed on Nintendo’s new hybrid system last June.
Have you contributed to this game’s lifetime sales? Have you tried it out on the Switch or Switch 2 yet? Tell us below.
The relaxing life-sim Pokémon Pokopia has received a new update this week, bumping the Switch 2 exclusive up to Version 1.0.3.
Similar to the last patch, this one comes loaded with some improvements as well as multiple game fixes, so the overall experience should be better now. Although there is still an issue that’s only “partially fixed”. This follows Version 1.0.2, which was released last month.
Here are the full patch notes, courtesy of Nintendo’s official support page:
Pokémon Pokopia: Ver. 1.0.3 (Released April 8, 2026)
We have implemented improvements to address the following issues:
In some cases, Pokémon whose habitats have disappeared cannot be found even when searching for them using the “Search” function in the Pokédex.
Additionally, the following issues have been fixed.
If these issues have already occurred in your game, applying this update will resolve them.
When traveling to a Dream Island under certain circumstances, you arrive at Palette Town and are unable to return to the original town.
When moving between towns or when the in-game date changes, the screen remains dark, making it difficult to operate the game.
If you perform certain actions, it becomes impossible to relocate Pokémon habitats.
If construction is carried out in a certain way, building projects will not be completed until the in-game date changes.
In Bleak Beach, performing certain actions prevents progress during the request “Power up the charging station!”
In the Sparkling Skylands, performing certain actions causes the Pokémon that you requested construction help from to be removed, making it difficult to progress the request to rebuild the huge building.
On Cloud Islands, performing certain actions causes seasonal Pokémon to disappear from the town and Cloud Island.
When creating a new Cloud Island, an error occurs and the island cannot be created.
Some of the following issues have been partially fixed, making them less likely to occur.
By performing certain actions, the controller vibrates continuously.
If you haven’t already played Pokémon Pokopia, in our review here on Nintendo Life, we called it the freshest Pokémon experience in a long time, noting how it was bursting at the seams with charm and content that rewards both curiosity and creativity.
Have you downloaded this update yet? How are you finding it so far? Let us know in the comments.
Mario’s 40th anniversary celebrations are currently underway, and as part of the MAR10 Day celebrations in March, a special pin set was released as a My Nintendo Reward in North America.
If you weren’t able to get it the first time, here’s your notice that it’s once again available for 600 Platinum Points. It includes jumbo pins based on the Super Mario Galaxy series and 40th anniversary. Of course, there’s limited stock, so if you want it, be sure to redeem this item while you can!
“Enjoy MAR10 Day all year long with this pin set that celebrates the Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 games along with the Super Mario Bros. 40th Anniversary.The set includes two jumbo 2″ x 2″ collectible pins.”
Image: Nintendo
Nintendo is also still offering Super Mario Bros. 40th anniversary t-shirts. It’s priced at $34.99 USD / $47.99 CAD and is available in black and white. It’s also got a Super Mario Galaxy series sticker sheet for 300 Platinum Points.
Have you got any Super Mario 40th anniversary merch? How about these pins? Let us know in the comments below.
Pokémon Champions, which stands to become the place for competitive VGC for Pokémon going forward, has arrived on the Switch today as a free-to-start experience. But early impressions from fans and competitive players has been… mixed, to say the least.
Promising snappy competitive battles and a way for newcomers to get into the competitive Pokémon scene, Champions at least seems to be getting these two things right.
But patchy 30fps on both Switch 1 and 2 (and, on the latter, the game is meant to look and run better), no 6v6 battles, and no rental teams are just a handful of problems dominating the conversation. As AfroSenju on social media summarises, “This game honestly just feels like a fleshed out beta.”
For one, many of the Pokémon that have been shown off in the game’s trailers are absent. In fact, on launch day, only around 180 ‘mons are actually programmed into the game. Now, we knew not every Pocket Monster would be available, but fewer than 200 is a bit of a surprise. You can see the issue with GVG’s Daniel Alba’s own Home collection:
We imagine more will be added later on, of course, but for people planning out teams ahead of time, that’s no doubt frustrating.
Another competitive staple has been severely nerfed in Champions, and that’s Items. Not that any of the items have changed, of course, but multiple series-staple items — many of which were, again, shown off in trailers, are simply missing from the full release.
Serebii has already put together a complete list of every item available in the game right now, and many of the replies are pointing out some of the crucial absences. Heavy Duty Boots, Choice Band, and the Life Orb are just a few examples.
Again, surely these will be added to the game later. But if this is an effort to level the playing field between veterans and newcomers out of the gate… we’re not seeing the benefits.
A number of bugs have also been reported by players online. Reports of Home transfer bugs are part of the problem, but other issues are greatly affect the usefulness of a Pokémon’s abilities and items.
Competitive player CayennePaprikaVGC shared a clip of Dragapult using a Focus Sash after it attacked. That’s absolutely not how that item works. Oh, and to make it worse, it wasn’t even holding it. (one of the opponent’s ‘mons was, but that’s besides the point).
And there’s another bug with the move Haze, where a near-defeated Milotic goes from 1% HP to 92% after using the move.
Of course, as we mentioned up top, some fans are happy and having fun with the game, but it’s clear that everything isn’t smooth out of the gate. And hopefully, The Pokémon Works and Game Freak can work together to keep updating the experience for those who want to stick with the game.
We’ll leave you with a rather amusing summary from Big Yellow, who points out the difference in reception between Pokémon Pokopia and Champions.
It’s still early days, of course, and we have our own impressions on the game coming soon, so keep an eye out.
Are you playing Champions at all? What do you think of the game so far? Let us know in the comments.
Back in 2024, Balatro made big waves in the indie roguelike space, offering a relatively simple but incredibly addictive take on the age-old game of poker. After selling millions of copies, it’s now spun off its own sort of sub-genre inspired by its mechanics, and one such game is called Beyond Words from MindFuel Games, a new studio comprising GoldenEye and TimeSplitters veterans Steve Ellis and David Doak.
Basically, this is Scrabble, but if it had Balatro’s rules, rapid-fire pace, and gameplay loop. It’s not perfect, but it does expertly utilise some addictive mechanics to build on its wordy foundation, making it perfect for bookworms who want something that challenges both their lexical and strategic sensibilities.
It’s broken up into various themed levels, each of which follows a round-based roguelike structure wherein you’re given a minimum goal score to hit and a few opportunities to put together enough high-value words to get there, working with a supply of letter tiles randomly drawn from a bag. Each tile has a different point value, and longer words offer progressively higher multipliers. Playing strictly within these rules only gets you so far, however, and this is where some roguelike mechanics come in.
Based on your performance each round, you’re given money to spend in a store featuring a random rotating selection of purchasable upgrades that can fudge the rules a bit more in your favour. You can do things like ‘level up’ the point value and multiplier for all three-letter words, or gain a buff that permanently doubles the value of every vowel you use. Yet, you have to do your best with what you’re given; sometimes the shop doesn’t have great stuff to choose from, but you can usually cobble together a decent ‘build’ to plan moves around.
This all comes together in a game that feels constantly rewarding, even when you fall short of a goal. Even on the same level, you’ll never play the same run twice, and there’s a thrilling sense of forward momentum as you hone in a nice build, rack up points, and nail some seven or eight-letter words on the board. It’s addictive in all the best ways.
Yet, it can sometimes feel a bit too derivative. When details like a rainbow-coloured booster card offers the same buff as a rainbow Joker in Balatro, it’s hard to ignore how much it copies. This in mind, it would’ve been nice to see MindFuel do more to expand upon the mechanics of its inspiration.
Beyond Words, then, is an enjoyable roguelike experience that smartly mixes in chance mechanics and run-based gameplay with a foundation that challenges your vocabulary. Though it feels notably derivative, it ultimately does a good enough job of executing on the mechanics it apes to stand on its own two feet. I’d suggest you pick it up – there’s lots to dive into in this one.
Just a month and a half out from James Bond’s next video game outing, Hitman developer IO Interactive has announced that the Switch 2 version of 007 First Light is being delayed.
Now, instead of landing on the newest Nintendo console on 27th May 2026, the same day as PS5, Xbox Series, and PC, we’ll have to wait until “later this summer” to get our hands on this modern take on Bond’s origin story.
No reason has been given for the delay, but IO Interactive shared a brief statement on social media: “We’re excited to see players discovering James Bond’s reimagined origin story, and we are looking forward to bringing you the best game experience possible across all platforms.”
Pretty disappointing if you’ve been looking forward to playing the game from the comfort of your bed in handheld mode, but hopefully IO is able to iron out any kinks for the port. Still, if you’re excited and need a bit more info on the game, IO did drop a developer diary on YouTube yesterday, which you can watch up-top.
We’ve seen Hello Games add all kinds of crazy content to No Man’s Sky over the last 10 years (!!), but today’s update might take the biscuit for the feature we were least expecting to see.
The new Xeno Arena update is Pokémon. Nope, we’re not joking. The latest patch adds mechanics that cover everything from creature catching to battling, training to rare hunting, all wrapped up in the No Man’s Sky ecosystem. Crazy, right?
If you have played NMS for any period of time, you likely will have stumbled across a creature of two — be that a flying cow or a sentient robot — well, now you can catch, train, breed and battle them too.
New Holo Arenas will be cropping up in space stations throughout the galaxy, where you can pit your caught companions against other players or NPCs to rake in rewards. There are no electric mice or fire dragons to mention, but the creatures do have types and elemental affinities of their own, so you’ll have to pay attention to which monster you’re facing off against.
Daily missions and the promise of catching rare creatures for those who look deeper make the update sound like an entirely new game in itself — and there we were thinking the Hello Games team would start slowing down at some point!
Here’s a handful of screenshots, so you can see the catching / battling up close:
So, there you have it! It’s not the NMS expansion we had on our 2026 bingo card, but you’ve got to respect the dedication to the bit.
What do you make of Xeno Arena’s Pokémon-inspired additions? Let us know in the comments.
Another year, another jaunt on the Rumour Express, right? Yes, whispers of a new Zelda remake are making the rounds once again following a recent claim that Ocarina of Time is making a big comeback on the Switch 2 later this year.
We’ve been here before and we’ll probably be here again, but it got us thinking: Nintendo clearly isn’t beyond the odd Zelda remake or remaster, with the likes of Link’s Awakening, Twilight Princess, Skyward Sword, and others getting some TLC for new audiences. Heck, Ocarina already got a 3DS remake. So which other Zeldas would we like to see remade?
That’s not a rhetorical question; we’re actually going to answer it! Read on for our thoughts and when you’re done, feel free to share your own in the poll. Should Ocarina of Time get the spotlight as rumoured, or should Nintendo venture elsewhere in the archives?
While you ponder, here’s what we think…
Ollie Reynolds, Reviews Editor
Image: Nintendo
It’s difficult to make a solid case for the vast majority of Zelda games given that so many of them are available on the Switch in some form or another. That said, the idea of a proper Ocarina of Time remake is just so alluring. Yes, I know it’s obvious and there are probably a bunch of entries in far greater need of some TLC, but this is the one I’m going for. So there.
It doesn’t even need that much doing to it. Spruce up the graphics without making it look like Sonic Frontiers, maybe add in some nice landmarks or surprises to make Hyrule Field a little more interesting (and slow down the passage of time while you’re at it!), and you’re onto a winner.
It would make for an easy onboarding game for newcomers curious about the upcoming movie, and a suitable way to celebrate the series’ landmark 40th anniversary.
Throw in Majora’s Mask, too. Make it a double-whammy. Do it, Nintendo.
Gavin Lane, Editor
Image: Nintendo
My heart says Ocarina. It was my first Zelda, and I’d get a kick out of returning to its locales, meeting those people again, and just soaking up that particular version of Hyrule once more. Do you transplant the story into a BOTW-style open world with a similar layout to the original? Do you try something totally new or stick to the formula? I’d enjoy seeing how Nintendo answers those questions.
My head says Zelda II. Of all the games, it’s the least approachable and I’d love to see a fresh, post-Dark Souls take on it.
My gut says OG Legend of Zelda. It’s the 40th anniversary, it’s a classic that many a younger gamer won’t have touched, and having Grezzo tackle another top-down entry following Echoes of Wisdom feels sensible while the main EPD Zelda team cracks on with the next instalment proper.
My stomach says…it’s lunchtime.
Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor
Image: Nintendo
Mmm… a Dark Souls-esque take on Zelda II… Unfortunately, I don’t think that’s ever going to happen, but I love the idea!
There are some other very obvious answers I can give, but I want to use my heart a little bit here. A Link Between Worlds (yes, not A Link to the Past – I don’t know, I’m scared of people remaking SNES games sometimes) is stuck on the 3DS and isn’t exactly cheap to get hold of. It’d need to be reworked pretty massively because of the amount of touchscreen functionality, but goodness, get it on Switch (2) because that art style would look lovely.
I’d also honestly love to see Four Swords Adventures get some much-needed attention. I had so much fun with my brother playing that game; give it a paper visual overhaul, change the multiplayer requirements, add some extra levels and challenge… it’d be so fun over GameChat.
As an aside, I don’t really want an Ocarina of Time remake. Just put the 3DS one on there with some tweaks. There’s clearly more imaginative remakes (or new games) to work on.
Jim Norman, Features Editor
Image: Nintendo
The thing I’d really like is a chance for more people to play an entry that they have been console-locked from for years. Yes, you know I’m talking about Link’s Crossbow TrainingPhantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks. They’re far from the most beloved titles in the series, but a remake would provide a fine chance to fix that. Get rid of the touchscreen reliance and give the art a clean up and boom, I guarantee people would find them a lot more palatable.
While I’m thinking of double packs, let’s throw the Oracle games out there, too. Link’s Awakening looked so very lovely in Grezzo’s toy-like art style, and the GBC duo absolutely rule. Neither would need all that much tweaking to bring them up to the modern day.
Just nobody mention Minish Cap. I don’t think I could handle my beloved being messed with…
Is there a Zelda entry you’re itching to see get a remake, or do you think Nintendo should focus on new experiences? Let us know below.
(Note. We’ve omitted the Switch games and anything that’s been remade/re-released in HD.)
Which Zelda game would you most like to see remade? (1,677 votes)
The Legend of Zelda (NES)9%
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (NES)11%
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (SNES)9%
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)21%
The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask (N64)9%
The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons (GBC)13%
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past and Four Swords (GBA)0.2%
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords Adventures (GCN)2%
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (GBA)6%
The Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass (DS)5%
The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks (DS)7%
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)7%
