Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl.
Last week’s epic battle saw Europe and North America go up against Japan to see which Metroid Prime Pinball design is the very best. It was a close one, but in the end, Japan won the day with 55% of the vote. Bravo!
This time, to celebrate the announcement of Mega Man: Dual Override for Switch and Switch (though we have to wait until 2027 – ouch!), we’re heading back to the NES to check out Mega Man 6. This one didn’t launch in Europe, but saw a release in Japan in 1993 and the US in 1994. Basically around the same time that Mega Man X launched for the SNES, then.
In what is no doubt a slight break from tradition, the North American design here showcases Mega Man wearing the red Rush Jet Adaptor. It’s a really cool composition, overall, and a huge step up from the disastrous box art designs for the earlier entries.
Japan follows in the footsteps of prior entries by shoving as many characters on the front cover as humanly possible. Heck, it works though. The familiar yellow theme with the classic ‘Rockman’ logo looks wonderful, and the overall art style is quintessentially Mega Man.
Which region got the best Mega Man 6 box art? (1,688 votes)
North America44%
Japan56%
Thanks for voting! We’ll see you next time for another Box Art Brawl.
Nintendo released a new update for the Switch 2 earlier this week, bumping the system up to Version 21.1.0. Once again, it’s followed with Switch game compatibility updates.
Here’s every Switch game that’s received a Switch 2 compatibility update this week (via Nintendo Everything):
Nintendo has also acknowledged how the 3D platformer A Hat In Time has issues, so hopefully a fix will show up in the near future. It flagged issues with Streets of Rage 4 earlier this month, and the problems have now been resolved.
Apart from Game Dev Story and Venture Towns, another Kairosoft eShop title recently made compatible with Switch 2 was Mega Mall Story. You can check the compatibility of Switch titles on the Switch 2 via Nintendo’s compatibility search page.
Will you be revisiting any of these Switch titles on the Switch 2? What other Switch games would you like to see updated or fixed on Switch 2? Let us know in the comments.
As mentioned in our review, it’s not quite as “Definitive” as the name might imply – fortunately, there will be patch updates in the future. Speaking to Nintendo Everything recently, Aspyr product manager Jordon Reese mentioned how improvements are on the way:
Reese also confirmed that Aspyr intends “to make game improvements via patches over time so that the game can be the best possible experience for all players.” It’s unclear what that will entail, but we’ll keep our eyes out.
In our own review for Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on the Switch 2, we noted how the visual fidelity was lacking, despite the resolution bump. The team at Digital Foundry also highlighted some downgrades. Despite this, this particular entry in the Tomb Raider series remains one of Lara Croft’s best adventures.
If you missed, two new Tomb Raider games were also announced this week. One is a reimagining of the original game, due out in 2026, and the second title marks a brand-new chapter in the Tomb Raider series and will be arriving in 2027. There’s no mention of Nintendo versions, but if we hear any updates, we’ll let you know.
How has your time been with Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition on the Switch 2 and Switch so far? What would you like to see improved? Tell us in the comments.
Following The Game Awards 2025, which was full of Switch 2 announcements, we’ve given this list a big overhaul and combined the Switch1 and Switch 2 games we’re most excited for in one big list. Enjoy!
Juggling two consoles is hard work for some, but not for Nintendo. While the Switch 2 is the primary focus for the Big N, don’t ever count the Switch 1 out.
2025 was a busy one, with the Switch 2’s launch really filling out the roster and finally giving us some long-awaited titlesand big launch-window hitters, but 2026 sees Nintendo branching out a little bit.
There’s plenty we haven’t mentioned, so below, we’ve rounded up 35-ish (you know there’s more) of the best coming to both Nintendo Switch consoles in 2026 and beyond. We’ll be keeping this list refreshed all throughout the year, too, so keep checking back!
Make sure you let us know what you’re most excited for in the comments.
The System Shock remake is, at last, coming to both Switch 1 and Switch 2; Nightdive just have not slowed down in 2025, and the studio has one more in the tank for the year.
This is a ground-up remake of the critically acclaimed first-person RPG, but the bones are still the same as the ’90s original. This is a visual glow-up and a UI-overhaul first and foremost, and the very first Switch 2 port the team is bringing. We can’t wait.
Okay, here’s Switch 2 Edition we weren’t expecting to see. And, admittedly, Animal Crossing: New Horizons‘ upgrade isn’t huge — a resolution bump, mouse mode, 12-player multiplayer, etc. — it’s the free stuff that’s landing alongside it that has us very excited.
Another 100 hours in Animal Crossing come 2026, then? Yes?
Originally, the 13th title in the Trails series was destined only for Switch 1. But a small delay and a new platform release means that Trails Beyond the Horizon will go… beyond the horizon on a brand new console.
Following on from Trails through Daybreak II, Beyond the Horizon splits the narrative between three protagonists — Daybreak‘s Van, Cold Steel‘s Rean, and Sky the 3rd‘s Kevin Graham. Expect this to be a doozy, bringing together years of threads while creating many new ones.
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First revealed during a Nintendo Direct in 2024, MIO: Memories in Orbit is a beautiful Metroidvania with tricky platforming and a gorgeous futuristic aesthetic.
Focusing on soothing and poetic music with fluid movement, we’ve been looking forward to this since its reveal, and with a Switch 2 version also coming, we especially can’t wait to get the smoothest handheld experience.
Another big-hitter is jumping onto the Switch 2 bandwagon. Square Enix’s multiplatform strategy is already in action, and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade is the next step in the company’s part.
Remake is, in fact, just one part of a planned trilogy — Rebirth is likely also coming to Nintendo’s console eventually. It takes the iconic Midgar section of the PS1 classic and expands it hugely, and beautifully. This will be a must-play when it lands on Switch 2.
Caves of Qud is an incredible feat. 15 years in the making, with 7 years in early access, it finally launched on PC late last year and is now coming to Switch.
Now, this game is absolutely massive and a little bit overwhelming; it’s not quite like any other roguelike out there, guiding you along with a quest system that will help you progress. Some of these are random, others are scripted. Every session is completely different, with events, “political systems” and more procedurally generated. There’s so much to talk about for this hugely ambitious game, and we can’t wait to dig deeper.
Yes, on Switch 2, Game-Key Card on Switch 2 (and no upgrade path)
Square Enix is stuffing its Switch schedule for 2026, and Dragon Quest VII: Reimagined was another surprise announcement. A “reimagining” of the PS1 and 3DS Dragon Quest game, we weren’t expecting to see this one, especially with XII still in development and more pixel art games that remain stuck on the DS.
Still, this remake does look gorgeous and goes with a slightly different visual style and we think it works! We wonder if anything else will be reimagined…
More Mario Tennis! Wahoo! But, better than more multiplayer Mario sports or even beautiful visuals, Mario Tennis Fever is bringing back that single-player campaign from the Camelot days.
There will be 38 playable characters, new Wonder effects, and full motion controls when the game launches. But Adventure Mode? Featuring Baby Wario & Waluigi? Nintendo is giving us our dream game here…
If you felt a little let down by Little Nightmares III, then you might be curious about Reanimal, the next game from the original team behind the Little Nightmares series.
And it looks suitably creepy, too. Play it alone or in local or online co-op to get the most out of this unsettling adventure, complete with some pretty terrifying animal-like creatures….
Well, the rumours were true. Resident Evil Requiem, or Resident Evil 9, is coming to Switch 2 on the same day as other platforms.
Featuring a brand new protagonist in Grace Ashcroft, she’ll be investigating some mysterious deaths at a hotel. But this is Resident Evil, so Grace is being pursued by a monster, and from the trailers we’ve seen, there are some terrifying things lying in wait for us. Oh goodness. We’ll be playing this with the light off, headphones on.
Oh, and Village and 7 are also coming to Switch 2.
We can’t believe it’s taken until 2026 to release an actual Pokémon life sim, but here we are. From Koei Tecmo comes Pokémon Pokopia where you play a Ditto who can turn into a human and copy other Pokémon abilities. Horrifying!
But the game looks utterly adorable, and you’ll be able to craft a perfect little utopia for you and you Pokémon pals. Sign. Us. Up. And look, if you’re more battle-oriented, then Pokémon Champions, also coming in 2026 to Switch 1 and 2, will keep you busy/
Making its Nintendo console debut in 2026. Fatal Frame II is often considered one of the best in Koei Tecmo’s long-running horror series. Following a pair of twins to the Minakami region, you’ll need to use the Camera Obscura to uncover the secrets of the legendary village.
The Crimson Butterfly Remake, as well as looking gorgeous, adds new gameplay mechanics and features to help make the game feel as fresh and scary as it did over two decades ago.
One of the nicest surprises of the July 2025 Partner Showcase was the announcement of a brand new Monster Hunter Stories, and it looks like the spin-off turn-based series is growing up a little bit.
Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection looks pretty gorgeous and seems to be running at 60fps on the new console. We’ll be getting more details on this one, likely direct from Capcom, in the run up to release next year. This’ll keep us happy until a new big Monster Hunter comes to Switch 2, eh?
Now here’s a game we’re surprised to see on Switch 2. Hitman developer IO Interactive is creating what it calls “the ultimate spycraft fantasy” in 007 First Light (originally known as Project 007), a wholly unique James Bond stealth-action game.
This Bond origin story will feature 007 as he starts life in MI6. Blending stealth gameplay with gadgets, car chases, and style galore, we’re eager to see how this holds up on Switch 2.
Warhammer, I have to say, is something that I’ve only come to really appreciate properly in recent times. I was never particularly bothered until I picked up a big starter pack of wee guys and big monsters to paint (y’know, for my kids), and then a proper, no-holds-barred addiction set in.
I needed lore. I needed more! And so video games, as ever, have ended up being a very important part in my journey, and this time it’s a journey towards a deep understanding of Warhammer. Something like that. Anyway, in short, I’ve been banging through your Warhammer Boltguns and Mechanicuses (Mechanici?) in order to get myself all up to pub-chat levels of knowing stuff about the franchise. Breezily japing with the lads over a bevvy without sweating being found out. That’s the goal.
Luckily for me, recent times have brought us a swathe of what I’m gonna go ahead and proclaim as the best Warhammer video games we’ve ever had. The licence is being wielded wisely, and the likes of the aforementioned Mechanicus and Boltgun on Switch, alongside the mighty Space Marine 2 on other platforms, have gifted fans of all things space murder a blood-soaked smorgasbord of shotguns and shot wrong’uns. Again, something like that.
“Stop rambling and get on with the review, Grimgor, we don’t all have hundreds, or possibly even thousands, of years to spend chit-chatting!” (Check out that pub-level knowledge, amirite folks?). So, now, we’ve got Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader arriving on Switch 2, and this is another one of the games that I’ve dug into (on another platform, for shame) over the past year or so in order to sate my big Warhammer appetite. And it’s excellent. Let’s just get that out of the way. I’m already a big fan of this one before booting into its Switch 2 port, so all they need to do here — all they need to do to stroll to an easy victory — is dish out the goods in working order and we’re all in for a treat.
Before we get into the performance, though (as if you can’t see that score), let’s first get into what’s involved in Owlcat Games’ epic — you’re looking at well over 100 hours here, chief — isometric adventure. Rogue Trader (not be confused with the terrible Ewan McGregor movie) sees you dive into intergalactic battle in the Koronus Expanse, as anyone with pub-level Warhammer knowledge will know is a very dangerous place indeed.
Taking control of a party of six combat units, and in keeping with the original TTRPG, the game thrusts you into strategic, turn-based combat whilst peppering the action with big dialogue choices and player-driven decisions that feed into a unique “Realm Building” mechanic. This sees the world affected by the path you choose to forge, and it’s this mechanic that really ties together and elevates a game that also delivers the goods in terms of its strategic scraps and worldbuilding. It’s a very solid package indeed.
If you’ve played the likes of Mechanicus (which is another banger by the way), you’ll sort of know the drill. The Warhammer universe suits this sort of video game down to the ground, and as usual there’s depth to spare in the combat skirmishes, tons of replayability built into its ever-changing narrative, and loads of fun to be had in co-op modes – and even a bit of ship-to-ship combat.
Now, I’d love to go on and on and really gild this lily big time, whilst telling you how this Switch 2 port’s slick performance helps bring all of this cleverness to life and make it pop, but unfortunately as things currently stand, there’s no real point. Indeed, I have to say, this is one of the worst-performing things I’ve played on Switch 2 so far. Emperor’s bowels, indeed.
From the moment you boot into Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader on Nintendo’s console, you can tell you’re in for a very bad time. The first swooping camera shot of the entire thing, as the game settles down upon your player character and another NPC, stutters and strains as it circles a big tower that’s very obviously had all of the graphical spit and polish removed from it. A big visual downgrade, and one that chugs and splutters along, easily down into sub-20fps territory, whilst also crashing consistently, taking an absolute age to load between scenes, and having you stumble about in unresponsive menus. It’s not good.
The combat excels in its brutality, with opportunistic attacks which make for devilishly fluid face-offs that can turn on a dime, but it’s derailed thanks to controls that are ruined by the frame rate. It’s genuinely hard to place the movement cursor where you want it at times.
So, instead of having a great time (and it’s easily a great, if not excellent game when working well) building our own rogue trader’s empire, exploring space, and interfering in the fates of planets, we’re left in a situation where I think it’s best nobody be tempted to buy this thing until it’s been fixed up. Until you can shotgun the face off an enemy with nary a stutter.
It’s very frustrating. The combat is so crunchy and brutal and full of strategy, it really is some fine stuff, and there’s cunning required on anything but the lower difficulty settings to best some ferocious and wonderfully well-designed foes. The narrative is also solid overall, especially given the genre (I shan’t spoil in the hopes we get a magical patch in the future), and the decisions and dialogue tree aspects all come off really well thanks to some top writing and perfectly gruff voice-acting. Replayabilty is built in here, and it’s one of those things that portable play makes sing, absolutely.
Gosh, I so want to give this game the score it deserves! However, it’s a big-time swerve. I should also note that, whilst I had zero issues with this game on a high-powered PC, I am aware that it does run like trash on Steam Deck, so perhaps this is something worth noting. We shall need to wait and see.
For now, though, a wildly vacillating frame rate, unstable resolution, hugely downgraded visuals, unresponsive and sluggish controls and menus, and multiple crashes to the Switch home screen put this one far beyond a recommendation.
Conclusion
Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader is a cracking bit of turn-based Warhammer action that delivers big on strategic and atmospheric combat whilst also serving you a top-notch, choice-driven narrative and campaign. Hooray. However! This Switch 2 port, at release, is a borderline disaster, and not something I recommend anyone pick up until it’s had some patching done.
A constantly stuttering frame rate, long loading times, unresponsive and laggy menus and controls, a huge graphical downgrade, and hard crashes aplenty make for a mess of a port. Let’s hope they fix it up, because for now, it’s a hard pass for a great game.
It’s been a huge week for Mega Man, with Capcom revealing a brand-new entry in the series will be coming to the Switch, Switch 2 and other platforms in 2027.
Surprisingly, Capcom has another announcement to share about Blue Bomber. Mega Man 11, which was released on the Switch in 2018 (that’sseven years ago!), has received a new update. It adds support for two new languages to the game: Latam Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese.
Players will be able to swap languages from the options page under the Language Settings. Here’s the official announcement:
This has already led to some fans on social media requesting more updates for this particular entry – including calls for a resolution and performance upgrade on the Switch 2. Capcom hasn’t said anything about additional updates for Mega Man 11 in the future, and this update was out of the blue.
If you haven’t already played Mega Man 11, there is currently a sale for the game taking place on the eShop (reducing it to £3.74 / $4.49), and you can also download a demo. In our review here on Nintendo Life, we gave this title nine out of ten stars, calling it a glorious return for one of gaming’s greatest heroes.
“Mega Man 11 is an excellent resurgence for the Blue Bomber, imbuing the tried-and-true classic gameplay with modern touches and new ideas that expand on existing concepts in interesting ways. The underlying action platforming gameplay is just as tight and challenging as you remember, and when combined with the new visuals and extra options for replayability, you’ve got a game that’s every bit as good as those that came before, while surpassing them in some ways.”
Will you be revisiting Mega Man 11 (or any of the Mega Man) now that a new game has been announced? Let us know in the comments.
That Mega Man 11 deal is great and I’ve a feeling it might be a one-off price since they just announced a new Mega Man game. Capcom did something similar with Okami whenever they announced the sequel and it hasn’t dropped to that price again, so I would advise everybody to pick it up while it is so cheap!
Monster Hunter Rise + Sunbreak bundle is also a great deal, I’ve been tempted to pick this up for a while but just know that it is destined to be added to my backlog forever…
Keyboard manufacturer Higround has launched a new range of Sonic and Dreamcast products, available now via the official website.
With prices ranging from $169.95 to $299.95, the keyboards feature key art from the Sonic franchise, including the Blue Blur himself, Shadow, an ‘Escape from the City’ theme, and a more retro-style approach.
The Dreamcast model is the most luxury of the bunch, sporting a slick, minimal design and new Dampening Plus technology, with layers that mute everything but the keystroke and provide extra stability.
You can also utilise the Higround Forge browser app to completely customise lighting and keybinds, with profiles and settings stored on the keyboard hardware.
So let’s take a closer look at each model…
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.
Are you in the market for a new keyboard? Which of these designs appeals the most? Let us know with a comment.
We’re another week closer to the all-important GOTY discussions, and our backlogs are looking bigger than ever. It’s time to find out if any of us have plans to do something about it, as we dive into another edition of What Are You Playing.
Another busy one, then. Let’s see what everyone is playing to cool off, shall we?
Jim Norman, Staff Writer
Oh gosh, there is so much that I want to play and so little time to play it! Despite having a good time with Metroid Prime 4 so far, I’m still only a couple of hours into it. I’m hoping to remedy that this weekend, but I’d also like to check out the Pokémon Legends: Z-A DLC, and finally wrap up Clair Obscur, which leaves time for… not much else.
Hey ho, back to the sofa we go!
Gavin Lane, Editor
As is customary in the race to catch up with the year’s games, I’ve distracted myself with something from eons ago that has zero relevance to 2025 GOTY discussions. The kids saw the Katamari Damacy REROLL icon on my Switch menu, and that was that. Helluva game, and its compulsive mix of simple goals, absurdity, and awesome audio has been a salve in the last couple of weeks.
Beyond that, I’m still playing the brilliant Simogo Legacy Collection (which managed to haul me from the BALL x PIT) and I’m enjoying Shinobi. Have a good one, folks.
Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer
Okay, so how much did Leon’s gameplay in Resident Evil Requiem look like a cross between 4 and 6?! Wild. So of course that means I’m playing more RE this weekend. Specifically… yes, 4 and 6. Leon’s back baby, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.
I do, however, think it’s about time I actually play Final Fantasy Tactics properly. It’s been sitting on my home screen since launch and I’ve played the tutorial battle about 10 times before something else comes along and distracts me. Maybe I need to stop playing so much Resident Evil… Nah.
Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor
By the time you’re reading this, I will have completed Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and that is my GOTY 2025. I will be feeling a great emptiness in my life, that joy of experiencing a great work for the first time forever gone, the eagerness to see what comes next, find a new upgrade, fight a new boss and conclude Samus’ and her fellow stranded Federation soldiers’ ordeal (Federation Force sequel when?). More time to wrap up Hades II‘s proper ending and return to the streets of Yakuza Kiwami 2.
My game of the week is the much-delayed, much sublime Terminator 2D: No Fate. Bitmap Bureau took on a tall order by grabbing a franchise that is held dear in the hearts of gamers of my generation, but seems to have pulled it off. While Terminator 2 is one of the finest movie sequels ever produced, it never got a 2D platform run’n’gun game it deserved until yesterday. Maybe the future is gonna be OK after all.
Kate Gray, Contributor
This weekend, my mother-in-law has come to stay! What kind of games do mothers of the in-law variety enjoy? Well, I know she likes Mr Bean, because we watched two hours of Mr Bean last night. Is there a Mr Bean game? I don’t think I want to play it.
I’m still making my way through The Outer Worlds 2, and I just discovered the radio, which is now my favourite thing about the game. And it never tells you about it! Imagine playing Fallout without the radio. It would be a very different game. TOW2 has a similar musical vibe, with lots of jazz and swing, except it turns out that it was all commissioned for the game from real jazz and swing bands, with lyrics that reference in-game brands. Yes! All the music is advertising jingles! And it RULES. The lyrics are very funny, especially when you’re only half listening as you wander through space and you suddenly catch a line like “Come get your candyyyy (it’s tobacco) delicious candyyyy (that’s tobacco”.
Since it’s getting close to Christmas, me and my partner are also considering what our Christmas Time game will be! Right now, he’s replaying Super Mario Odyssey (it’s just as good as you remember it being!) but I’ve also got him the Final Fantasy Collection on Switch, because he expressed interest in wanting to watch me play Final Fantasy 6. He probably won’t read this, so I’m pretty sure it’s fine to say that here. But don’t tell him, okay?
Well, that’s what we have planned for this weekend, but what about you? Let us know your picks in the following poll.
Update []: First 4 Figures has now shared its first proper look at its Decayed Master Sword from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Once again, pre-orders will go on sale on 18th December 2025.
“The statue draws inspiration from the scene where the Master Sword is shattered by the Gloom released during Ganondorf’s resurrection beneath Hyrule Castle. This life-size statue depicts the Decayed Master Sword standing upright, with the dark energy of the Gloom spreading upward from the resin base and enveloping the corroded sections of the blade. The handle is crafted from metal, the blade is made of durable ABS, and the sword can be detached from the base.”
Original Story:
Image: Nintendo Life / Nintendo
If you played Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, you’re probably familiar with the Decayed Master Sword. First 4 Figures now has plans for a “life-size” statue of it, with pre-orders scheduled to open on 18th December 2025.
Pricing hasn’t been revealed just yet, but if you sign up to the First 4 Figures email, you can get $10.00 off. For now, here’s a teaser in the form of a silhouette reveal:
“DECAYED MASTER SWORD PRE-ORDERS OPEN IN 12 DAYS! SILHOUETTE REVEAL: Decayed Master Sword Life-Size statue’s silhouette is out! It’s on its way real soon!”
Image: Nintendo, First 4 Figures
First 4 Figures also has a range of other Zelda-themed items including a Sheikah Slate, Majora’s Mask, Hylian Shield and various statues based on characters from Breath of the Wild.
If you’re looking for a smaller and more affordable Decayed Master Sword this holiday season, Hallmark also released an ornament version earlier this year. You can see it in our previous story.
What do you think of this latest offering from First 4 Figures? Let us know in the comments.
