Category: Nintendo News

The weekend has once again rolled around and that means that it is time for another edition of What Are You Playing!

Before we dive into our plans, though, let’s first take a look at some of the highlights from Nintendo Life this week. Kicking things off with the Nintendo big boys, we learnt from Eiji Aonuma that there are no plans for Tears of the Kingdom DLC (though that didn’t stop us from discussing what we’d like to have seen), and we finally got to see the promised Miyamoto and Charles Martinet’s video message — though it was hardly stuffed with new information…

Elsewhere, we got a handful of new games in the NSO libraries, had a first peak at some surprising new Animal Crossing-themed Nintendo Switch Lites and gawped as Sea of Stars‘ sales continued to astonish.

In the world of reviews, we got our hands dirty in the “gorgeous farm sim” Fae Farm and went for a ride with the totally tubular Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge DLC, Dimension Shellshock. We also enjoyed rediscovering Rune Factory 3 Special, even if we found it to be not quite as “special as the title suggests…

Now we are ready to finally play some games. Check out what our writers are planning on playing to this weekend and then take to the comments to share what’s next on your list.

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

I have been loving every minute of Sea of Stars so far despite the fact that I am only just around the six-hour mark. This game has so much to offer and I cannot wait to see what other surprises it throws my way over the next couple of days.

Away from the Switch (because apparently other consoles exist), I have just picked up Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order on the PS5 and am playing it through for the first time. I am such a big fan of the goings on in a galaxy far, far away, so it is crazy that it has taken all these years for me to get around to it. There are a few bugs here and there, but I am really enjoying the ride so far.

Alana Hagues, Deputy Editor

I’ll be capping off Sea of Stars this weekend by going for the true ending. What a satisfying, tightly-knit adventure it’s been, and I’ve experienced some of my favourite RPG dungeons ever in this game – I’m excited for that planned DLC, let’s just say.

Beating Sea of Stars has inspired me to revisit The Messenger, which I liked on my initial playthrough but didn’t absolutely adore. Time to see whether those little connections between the two games will help. It’s also time to return to Blasphemous, which I keep starting and putting down. This time, I mean to go all-in.

PJ O’Reilly, Staff Writer

I’ll be spending the vast majority of my time on a certain space game this weekend, but I will also be making time to boot up my Switch to dig into the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge DLC Dimension Shellshock.

I absolutely loved the base game, love how Tribute Games handled keeping things retro whilst gently modernizing them, and so I’m really looking forward to digging in here and seeing some new areas and characters. Have a good weekend!

Gavin Lane, Editor

It’s September and with a couple of packed months ahead (and assuming there’s more unannounced goodness that’ll drop in the coming weeks), I’m already eyeing my prospective GOTY backlog and perspiring a little. I need to get back to Sea of Stars after getting distracted by the excellent Making of Karateka this week before polishing off my third temple in TOTK.

I’m also eyeing a recent release called The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo, a “surreal point & click adventure” that had me the moment I watched the glorious animation in its launch trailer. I’d love to investigate that further if I get the chance.

Zion Grassl, Senior Video Producer

Just a few weeks ago, I managed to wrap up the story in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and ever since it’s felt like a weight’s been lifted off my chest. Putting nearly two hundred hours into a single game in a few months time isn’t an easy feat for me, and somehow I’m still feeling the urge to boot it back up to explore some more.

It feels like I haven’t played much else though since May rolled around though. I did make my way through a good chunk of Bomb Rush Cyberfunk and its ripping soundtrack and cool tricks have me wanting to jump back in before aligning my time for Sea of Stars. I backed the game during its Kickstarter days and am excited to see how it’s all turned out!

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Do your weekend gaming plans match any of ours? Drop the game that you will be maining in the poll above and then take to the comments to let us know what else you have on the cards.

Update [Sat 9th Sep, 2023 04:00 BST]:

GameStop has revealed Super Mario Bros. Wonder pre-orders in the US will come with an exclusive sticker sheet containing characters and power-ups from the game. This offer will be available while stock lasts.

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Original article [Thu 7th Sep, 2023 03:35 BST]:

As we get closer to the release of Super Mario Bros. Wonder next month on the Nintendo Switch, more retailers are beginning to reveal some additional goodies you can get if you’re willing to hand over some coin for a pre-order.

In Canada, GameStop will be offering anyone who pre-orders the game for $79.99 a free keychain. As you can see, it’s based on the new power-up in the game that transforms Mario and friends into an elephant.

It’s not entirely clear how big it will be in the promotional shot below, but we do know it will be based on Mario’s transformation:

As mentioned in the fine print above, this offer is valid until 19th October and will be available while supplies last.

There doesn’t appear to be any similar deal being offered at GameStop in the US, but if we hear any updates, we’ll let you know. Yesterday, we also heard how Wonder had already topped the charts on Amazon’s “best sellers” list. Check our Nintendo Life guide for more information about Wonder pre-orders:

Will you be pre-ordering this game? Any interest in an elephant Mario keychain? Comment below.

Those who have grown up with the Pokémon animated series, prepare to feel old. Today marks 25 years since the show’s pilot was first broadcast in North America. Yes, twenty. Five. Years.

On 8th September 1998, the US was first treated to episode one, ‘Pokémon – I Choose You!’, which would go on to introduce us all to Ash Ketchum, Pikachu and a number of other familiar faces that we have grown accustomed to over the ensuing two and a half decades.

Strangely, thanks to the joys of regional release times, the series’ 15th episode, ‘Battle Aboard the St. Anne’ was actually the first to be broadcast in the States (premiering a day earlier on the 7th September 1998), though today marks the official beginning of the journey, which is surely more worthy of acknowledgement, right?

The anniversary this year is all the more bittersweet given the fact that we now know Ash Ketchum’s journey has come to an end. The face of the franchise was announced to be stepping down late last year and his final episodes have since gone on to air in Japan as the follow-up series, Pokémon Horizons, gets underway.

Fittingly, Ash’s final episodes of the latest series, Pokémon: To Be A Pokémon Master, are available to watch on Netflix in the US as of today — seems like the best way to celebrate the anniversary, if you ask us.

So, let’s raise a glass of Pecha Berry juice to 25 years of the Pokémon anime out West — here’s to 25 more (albeit with some different faces at the helm).

Do you remember first watching the Pokémon anime pilot? Share your memories with us in the comments below.

The times are a-changin’ for Nintendo, it seems. Nobody would doubt that the company has been video game-focused for the past few decades, but with theme parks, movies, and mobile apps popping up all over the place, it seems that the Big-N is moving in a slightly different direction.

This was echoed by Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser in a recent interview with the Washington Post, in which he stated that Nintendo is now “evolving into being an entertainment company with gaming as a nucleus of the overall business model.” This will come as no surprise to many of us — you can’t walk through town without seeing Mario DVDs, toys, and LEGO sets at the moment — and having put all of its hardware eggs in one basket by uniting its handheld and home console lines with Switch, diversification into arenas beyond the creation of video game systems and software makes sense.

But the question is, hasn’t Nintendo always been an entertainment company? Are the firm’s recent shenanigans of buying up animation studios and expressing a desire to make more movies really all that surprising? Remember, this is the company that started out life making playing cards before moving into toys and running love hotels, after all…

Being an ‘entertainment’ company doesn’t necessarily mean having your financial fingers in many production pies. It’s true, Nintendo’s main focus since the ’80s has been video games, but the figurehead of Mario has long transcended the titles in which he has appeared — much like people recognise Mickey Mouse without having ever watched Steamboat Willie.

Doug Bowser is gesturing towards Nintendo’s move towards becoming a Disney-like powerhouse whose reach extends far beyond its main product, but it is nonetheless interesting to consider just how we have all perceived the company for all these years.

So, what do you reckon? Has Nintendo always been in the larger ‘entertainment’ business, or is this a sign of a bold new direction? Fill in the following poll to let us know which side you fall on, and then take to the comments to share your thoughts.

Following the arrival of LEGO 2K Drive on the Switch earlier this year, 2K Games has now rolled out a free demo on the Switch eShop in the US and UK.

According to Nintendo’s socials, players will be able to cruise around Turbo Acres – the introductory biome of Bricklandia.

When LEGO 2K Drive launched on the Switch earlier this year, we called it a fun and colourful racer but didn’t feel this version was quite as good in terms of optimisation. If you are curious to see what it’s like yourself though, you can now give it a go!

“The foundations of a really great arcade racer are here, but poor optimisation in this Switch version and certain design decisions mean it’s unlikely to overtake the competition.”

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.

Will you be downloading this demo? Already played the full game? Tell us in the comments.

Super Mario Bros. Wonder isn’t the only major release arriving on the Nintendo Switch next month. In case you missed it, Detective Pikachu is also back in Detective Pikachu Returns – a follow-up to the 2018 3DS release.

Ahead of the game’s release, the first “hands-on” previews have now been released and so we’ve decided to round up as many as possible into a single post to give you an idea about this latest entry in the mystery-solving adventure series.

Starting off with IGN, the game appears to pack all the charm of the original but falls short when it comes to visuals:

“The place where Detective Pikachu Returns leaves a lot to be desired is in the visual department. While it doesn’t perform as poorly as Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, many of the textures and character models still look closer to a 3DS game than a new Nintendo Switch game coming out in 2023. It doesn’t necessarily look bad, it just all looks very… Simple…Still, Detective Pikachu Returns packs in the charm of the original, and you’ll probably want to keep playing just to see what the adorable hero says or does next. As a bonus, the kid-friendly nature of the puzzle-solving and story could make it a great entry point for younger players to get into the mystery genre.”

Comicbook.com mentioned how it will no doubt interest returning fans but anyone who didn’t enjoy the 3DS game might want to “steer clear”:

“In our brief time with the game, it feels like the game will maintain a lot of the charms of the original Detective Pikachu, while also adding some new features, as well as new mysteries to uncover. One of the highlights of the original game was getting to see and interact with Pokemon in a very different setting, and getting to learn their thoughts through Pikachu. Those elements were on full display in our preview, and it was interesting to see how the developers are using these games to further flesh out the Pokemon world. Players that didn’t enjoy the 3DS game will likely want to steer clear, but it already seems like returning fans will find plenty to enjoy when Detective Pikachu Returns arrives next month.”

Game Informer mentioned how they enjoyed the interactions with Pokémon the most:

“interactions, where you truly get a sense of the personalities of the various Pokémon of Ryme City, were the highlights…Though my time in Ryme City was brief, I enjoyed interacting with the various Pokémon that coexist with the humans in this unique subseries. The case-solving mechanics feel fairly basic at this point, but it’s also worth remembering that I was playing in the first chapter, so that’s to be expected.”

GameSpot thought the sequel was shaping up to be a much bigger Pokémon adventure than the first game:

“Nintendo Switch hardware has allowed the team to build a livelier Ryme City. The explorable areas are noticeably bigger and the number of Pokemon that fill the environment has increased. While these improvements may seem superficial, they could expand cases and add some complexity by giving players more ground to cover and more witnesses to question.”

“I think Pokemon fans could be in for a fun adventure that builds off the groundwork of the original 3DS game.”

And Inverse thinks this game could be something special, even if the graphics aren’t “exceptionally impressive”. You also get an added perspective with Pikachu now:

“The major new feature of the sequel fleshes out this idea even more, by letting you directly control Pikachu during investigations. While you control Tim, you’ll be able to talk to humans and have Pikachu interpret for Pokémon. Playing as Pikachu lets you actually talk to those same Pokémon, seeing more of their unfiltered personalities.”

“Graphically, Detective Pikachu Returns isn’t exceptionally impressive, but there’s a bright color palette the game uses that injects a bit of personality. Despite its simplicity the first Detective Pikachu still managed to shine by having quirky characters and an interesting story, and getting hands-on with the sequel gave me hope it’ll manage to hit that sweet spot again.”

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Detective Pikachu Returns launches on Nintendo Switch on 6th October. What do you make of these early previews? Comment below.

Castlevania: Nocturne premieres later this month on Netflix and to build up some excitement, a “main trailer” has now been released.

In case you missed it, this latest animated adaptation of the Castlevania universe stars Richter Belmont and takes inspiration from Castlevania: Rondo of Blood and its sequel Castlevania: Symphony of the Night.

“The gory and gothic adventures of the Castlevania franchise continue with an exciting new setting and their highest stakes yet. A gripping story of love and loss, Nocturne marks an evolution to the original fan-favorite Castlevania Netflix Series. Featuring a never before seen origin story of Richter Belmont (gaming icon, and one of the Franchise’s most beloved characters). Bandana included.”

Just a word of warning, this latest trailer contains violence and some swearing. You can learn more about this show and the original Castlevania Netflix series in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life:

Castlevania: Nocturne will get a special digital premiere a day early on 27th September via Twitch and YouTube, and arrives on Netflix on 28th September.

Will you be watching this latest animation from Netflix? Comment below.

When he’s not paying off a loan to Tom Nook, Liam likes to report on the latest Nintendo news and admire his library of video games. His favourite Nintendo character used to be a guitar-playing dog, but nowadays he prefers to hang out with Judd the cat.

Ahead of the launch of Mortal Kombat 1 later this month, series co-creator Ed Boon has been doing the press rounds to promote this new entry. Surprisingly, he’s shown up on the YouTube show ‘Hot Ones’, where guests do a hot sauce challenge while answering questions about a particular subject.

As part of this appearance, Mortal Kombat fans have been given a “first look” at the Jean-Claude Van Damme skin for Johnny Cage. Boon notes how it’s the “absolute full circle moment” for the Mortal Kombat series to be able to get this famous martial artist and actor in the game:

Ed Boon: “When we made the very first game our original intention was to make Van Damme the arcade game, we actually wanted to see Van Damme, and again Bloodsport was big and Universal Soldier I think it was, so we called his people and we’re like we want to make a game based on Van Damme, and I don’t know if he declined or it just never got to him or something like that but again this a couple of 20 something-year-old kids who wanted to make a video game, I could see how Van Damme would go “no, no we’re not doing this”… so we tried a number of times going back and forth with him, this time we hit the lottery and we got him and we actually have his voice and he’s gonna be the Johnny Cage character…”

If you want to see this full reveal on the Hot Ones’ YouTube episode, you can catch it around the 5:50 mark of the video.

Boon’s appearance on Hot Ones follows yesterday’s reveal of Megan Fox as the Outworld vampire Nitara. You can learn more about this returning character and Megan’s involvement in Mortal Kombat 1 in our previous coverage here on Nintendo Life:

Are you excited to see Jean-Claude Van Damme as Johnny Cage in Mortal Kombat 1? What do you think of the roster so far in the new game? Let us know in the comments.