Nintendo has already got an Indie World showcase taking place this week, and now Capcom has announced it will be holding a special ‘Spotlight’ broadcast later this week on 5th March 2026.
Thursday, March 5, 2026 Streaming from 2:00 p.m. (PST) (Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 10:00 p.m. (UTC))
“The Capcom Spotlight is a digital event that brings you the latest news from Capcom! Tune in for the latest information about Capcom’s upcoming releases. This broadcast will have subtitles available in 13 languages.”
Capcom Spotlight – March 2026
North America: 2pm PST / 3pm MST / 4pm CST / 5pm EST
Capcom hasn’t shared any additional information about what to expect. Monster Hunter Stories 3 and Mega Man Star Force arrive next month alongside the Alex DLC for Street Fighter 6. Pragmata will then follow these titles on in April, and at some point next year the new Mega Man game is making its way to the Switch and Switch 2.
This spotlight follows Capcom’s release of Resident Evil Requiem and two Gold Editions on the Switch 2 last week.
As usual, we’ll be sure to share all the Switch and Switch 2-related news from this event. What game are you most looking forward to hearing more about in this upcoming broadcast? Tell us in the comments.
Nintendo previously released a sample of the Kirby Air Riders soundtrack on Nintendo Music last year, and in a new update today, it’s now made the entire album available.
This is the first proper Switch 2 soundtrack release on the mobile app and comes loaded with 114 tracks and has a runtime of three hours. This includes tracks such as Starlit Journey, Floria Fields and much more.
The main composers of the album are Noriyuki Iwadare (known for series such as Grandia, Lunar, Super Smash Bros.) and Shogo Sakai (Mother 3, Smash Bros), with support from Akira Miyagawa and multiple Bandai Namco musicians. Timed in with this album drop today, Nintendo has released an interview featuring Iwadare and Sakai, if you want to know more about how the soundtrack was composed for Kirby Air Riders.
To listen to this album on the Nintendo Music app, you’ll need to have an active Switch Online membership. Kirby Air Riders also got an update last week bumping it up to Version 1.3.1. It added support for new amiibo and also included balance adjustments and bug fixes.
What do you think of the latest soundtrack to join Nintendo Music? Let us know in the comments.
After last week’s 3DS 15th anniversary, we knew it was only a matter of time before another big hardware birthday sent us spiralling; we just didn’t expect it to come this quickly.
Today marks 20 years since the launch of the DS Lite in Japan — a fact that we are totally comfortable and okay with. Yes, on 2nd March 2006, Nintendo launched the slimmer, glossier, more colourful counterpart to the OG phat DS, and it was a beauty.
This younger model boasted all of the same key features as its predecessor, only… better. Aside from the far sleeker shell, the DS Lite packed in brighter (if marginally smaller) screens, a sliding power switch rather than a button, a notably lighter weight, and substantially improved battery life.
It’s that last feature that grabbed our attention for today’s anniversary, as, you see, when this writer returned to his Ice Blue Lite a few weeks back for a spot of Pokémon Diamond ahead of the series’ 30th anniversary, he was surprised to be greeted by a solid green power light, despite not having touched the damn thing in years.
It’s something that we have seen time and again with old tech — flip open your old Nokia phone, and we bet it’ll still come back to life — but it was surprising from a handheld that felt so futuristic at the time.
According to Nintendo, the DS Lite battery should last 15-19 hours on the lowest brightness setting, and 5-8 hours on the highest (depending on game activity), with the green power light only changing to red when the battery drops below 30%. While this’ll no doubt degrade over time, our systems still seem to be going strong.
Hang in there, old timer — Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life
We did a quick whip round Nintendo Life Towers, and all those of us with a DS Lite or DSi (which had a similar battery life) still to hand found that the beloved little clamshells still turned on, with a green power light to show for it. The exception is editor Gavin, whose brand-new red Lite has remained uncharged and in the box since he bought it. Tut. [I saw it five years ago and couldn’t say no to a cheap, never-opened Lite! RIP my original black one, which went to the great trade-in in the sky many moons ago. – Ed.]
Naturally, we’re not suggesting that any of our systems have remained fully charged for the last two decades — most of us have plugged them in a few years ago, at least — but the lifespan on these things is notoriously impressive, nonetheless.
So, we want to extend the anniversary experiment to you… for science. If you still have a DS Lite kicking around, try flicking it on and see if it still comes to life. You can let us know the results in the following poll, then take to the comments to share your memories of this delightful little DS upgrade.
Does your DS Lite still have charge? (1,370 votes)
Capcom has come out guns blazing with its latest Switch 2 release: a full-fat survival horror experience in the form of Resident Evil Requiem. Launching on the same day as other platforms, this is really the first time this has happened in…. well, bloomin’ ages.
It’s a belter, too. In our review, we said that it “sets a new benchmark for a series that has been pretty consistently great for the last decade or so”, praising its dual protagonist setup and lore-heavy narrative. Indeed, we reckon it’s one of the best entries in the series for a long time, easily on par with the excellent Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.
But now, we want to know what you think. If you’ve completed your journey through the Rhodes Hill Care Center and Raccoon City, then feel free to deliver your verdict on the experience by voting in the poll below. And don’t worry if you haven’t finished it just yet; you can always come back at a later date if you need more time.
What score would you give Resident Evil Requiem (Switch 2)? (193 ratings)
10 – Outstanding45%
9 – Excellent44%
8 – Great8%
7 – Good2%
6 – Not Bad1%
5 – Average1%
4 – Poor1%
3 – Bad0%
2 – Terrible0%
1 – Abysmal1%
Of course, we couldn’t just leave it at that. Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village also launched on the Switch 2 on the same day (crikey!), so we need to give those titles some love too. So if you feel ready to provide your verdict on these too, then feel free in the below polls.
What score would you give Resident Evil 7: Biohazard Gold Edition (Switch 2)? (115 ratings)
10 – Outstanding24%
9 – Excellent36%
8 – Great20%
7 – Good15%
6 – Not Bad3%
5 – Average1%
4 – Poor0%
3 – Bad0%
2 – Terrible1%
1 – Abysmal0%
What score would you give Resident Evil Village Gold Edition (Switch 2)? (111 ratings)
10 – Outstanding22%
9 – Excellent34%
8 – Great31%
7 – Good10%
6 – Not Bad1%
5 – Average2%
4 – Poor0%
3 – Bad0%
2 – Terrible1%
1 – Abysmal0%
Have any further thoughts on your experience with Requiem so far? Leave a comment in the usual place and make it known.
An awful lot has happened for Pokémon in the last 30 years. It’s spawned nine mainline generations spanning seven different consoles, countless spinoffs, a trading card game that’s more popular than ever, movies, TV shows, merch, a flipping theme park… need I go on?
It is the biggest entertainment franchise in the world with a global recognition that even the House of Mouse would envy. In short, 30 years on, I can’t imagine life without it.
I’m sure that a bunch of you lovely lot would say that same, but I’d wager that the series hasn’t had quite as much sway over your life as it has for the developers behind the ever-growing sub-genre of Pokémon-likes.
Creature catching and battling, it seems, is such a solid format that it inspires a new wave of studios every year. We see Game Freak DNA cropping up in everything from battle-focused roguelikes to cosy farm sims, and what shines through in the very best of them is a genuine passion for the source material. A desire not to rip off what’s come before, but take what they love about it and work it into something new.
With the series’ 30th birthday celebrations in full swing, I decided to reach out to a handful of these studios to find out what Pokémon means to them. Unsurprisingly, it means an awful lot.
Humble Beginnings
Image: Zion Grassl / Nintendo Life
“I got an atomic purple Game Boy Color and Pokémon Blue for my sixth birthday, and that gift set me on a path that I’m still walking along today,” said Sandy Spink, the lead dev of Supersoft’s creature-catching adventure Moonstone Island. “I remember feeling like Pokémon was made for me, and since I was a child in the 90s, it sort of was.”
I heard stories of these childhood inciting incidents — a “canon event”, as Cassette Beasts‘ Jay Baylis describes it — time and again. Alex Pratt, Crema Games’ Marketing Director on Temtem, describes picking his first starter (Bulbasaur) as “a split-second choice that would quietly shape years of my life,” while Baylis recalls the anime’s creature-catching focus as a feature “laser-targeted to fry my six-year-old brain with brand appeal.”
It was Jochem Pouwels, who worked with TRAGsoft on Coromon, however, that took the biscuit, as he recalled his earliest memory of the series: playing through Pokémon Red in the wrong language.
“I had absolutely no idea what the NPCs were saying,” he says, “but even then, the gameplay was engaging, so I just brute-forced my way through the game by trial and error.”
And there’s the keyword I was looking for from these devs: ‘gameplay’. We all know the mechanics of a mainline Pokémon like the back of our hand at this point — even Legends: Z-A‘s real-time battle shakeup wasn’t enough to wholly push the series’ tried-and-tested formula off its axis — but what do they feel like in the hands of a game developer? Why are they so gosh darn appealing?
The Power That’s Inside
Image: Raw Fury
Regardless of which studio I spoke to, two main features kept popping up: the creatures and the micro-rewards. I’ll begin with that first camp because, frankly, the ‘mon themselves have always been the reason that I’ve kept coming back to the series for more.
“I honestly think the loop of collecting monsters as pets to battle with, which lets you progress and discover more monsters, is the single best game concept ever,” Baylis says, “People want to see cool creatures, and decide which ones match their own personalities. They want to compare and contrast those choices with their friends. It’s brilliant.”
there are parallels to be drawn with the modern gacha experiences
It’s not just the playground chatter of ‘who-found-what’, either. LEAP Game Studios, the team behind monster-training roguelike Dicefolk, points out how well the games constantly tease you with new Pokémon via the battle system.
“The fact that Pokémon can be both allies and opponents is key,” studio co-founder Luis Wong tells me, “It creates a natural incentive to explore and experiment during battles. Every encounter becomes an opportunity to fall in love with a new Pokémon.”
Cute creatures aside, it was the recurring mentions of the game’s subtle rewards system that interested me the most because it’s something that I have never really considered. Unsurprisingly, a game developer’s eye will pick up on things that a more casual player might not.
These rewards come in several different shapes and sizes. Most obvious is the team level and XP, each providing its own little dopamine hit with every battle and wild encounter. “Pokémon employs the classic ‘number go up’ mechanic that makes most RPGs so satisfying,” Spink says, “You can feel your team getting stronger and see it visually as you evolve your Pokémon from these shrimpy little cuties into these war-tank beasts.”
But there’s the near-constant reward possibility that comes with the simple act of walking through tall grass, too. The games show you the ‘mon you’ll want to add to your team via battles, then present the opportunity to bump into them during exploration.
“The very short action of moving from one spot of grass to another, or transitioning map sections, awarded the player with a likely new Pokémon appearance,” Nexomon lead developer JVemon says. “I think, in that sense, there are parallels to be drawn with the modern gacha experiences: quick, controllable successions of positive feedback – except it was free.”
we wanted to create almost a 1:1 homage to Pokémon
Pouwels used a similar ‘luck-of-the-draw’ comparison in his description of the series’ iconic tall grass, “a little slot machine of possibility”. This “incredibly satisfying rhythm of constant micro-rewards” means that no two players will ever experience the game in the exact same way, he argues, which he sees as the Holy Grail of development.
“As a developer, that combination of accessibility and hidden depth is endlessly inspiring.”
You Teach Me And I’ll Teach You
It’s a system that we all know and love, so I was keen to find out how these developers pick and choose which mechanics will make the cut in their ‘-like’ games, and how you go about tweaking some of the most iconic features in gaming.
“I’ve never felt like Pokémon was the only thing a monster-collecting RPG could be,” Bytten Studio’s Tom Coxon tells me, “even with all the indie monster-collectors coming out recently, there are still so many unexplored avenues in the design space. The genre is wide open and bursting full of potential.”
For the Cassette Beasts team, that differentiation came in the act of transforming into different creatures for battle, rather than the more standard approach of collecting them, “an intentional choice to say ‘hey, people are making assumptions about what this genre is,'” according to Coxon.
For Spink and Moonstone Island, it was a case of dropping the battle system completely. “I kept the cute guys and left the battle system behind because, to me, the battle system always felt quite repetitive. By using cards for attacks and dealing you a random set each round, every hand becomes a little puzzle to solve.”
Image: Humble Games
Others took a more straightforward approach. “In the early days of developing Temtem, we wanted to create almost a 1:1 homage to Pokémon,” says Crema Co-Founder & Game Director Guillermo Andrades, though the team quickly realised that Pokémon’s gameplay consistency was something of a double-edged sword. It forms an immediate link between generations, but “limits how much you can innovate without disorienting your fans.” Free from these expectations, Crema realised it had more room for experimentation: “since we had a totally new audience, we had more leverage on carrying out different approaches and unique twists.”
Pokémon works best as an entry point into the RPG game world for young aspiring players
But it’s a balancing act, of course. Tweaking Game Freak’s tried-and-tested formula is essential to stand out from the crowd — and avoid a knock at the door — but change things too much and you risk losing that charm.
“Strong inspirations needed to be drawn if we were to tap into the same player base,” JVemon tells me of Nexomon’s early days, “This led to creative constraints from fears of alienating an established market.” The solution, in VEWO Interactive’s case, was to shift focus to “improving seemingly unrelated aspects of the game,” like breaking Pokémon’s classic linear exploration and implementing a slightly more mature storyline.
While Game Freak has undoubtedly stuck to its guns in the gameplay department over the last three decades, there has been innovation in the series. We’ve seen battles expand with two or even three Pokémon fighting on your side at once. Each generation from VI onwards has introduced a new tweak to the Mega Evolution formula. And despite Scarlet and Violet‘s pitfalls, I struggle to imagine the mainline games turning away from an open world any time soon.
What? Pokémon Is Evolving!
All of the devs I spoke to drew inspiration from the classics, opting for Gens I, II, or III when I asked for their favourite games in the series, and you can see that throwback charm in many of them — be that Moonstone Island, Coromon, and Cassette Beasts’ pixel art, or Dicefolk’s three-creature rotating battles (a feature actually introduced in Black & White, but even they are almost 15 years old now, so you take my point).
Nonetheless, before wrapping up, I wanted to hear their hopes for Pokémon’s future. Most of them still described themselves as fans, but would their nostalgia for the early games influence where they would take things next?
The short answer is ‘no’, not entirely. “I would love it if Game Freak were given the time to make something amazing instead of having to turn the games out so quickly,” says Spink. “I hope that one day we get the Breath of the Wild equivalent of a Pokémon game.”
Likewise, the Dicefolk team hope to see things grow even bigger in future entries: “We enjoyed the open world of Scarlet & Violet because it made our journey feel even more unique, which is what we want for the future of Pokémon.”
But I couldn’t help notice the devs’ desire for Game Freak to return to its roots, too. “What I’d love to see someday is a real passion project for Pokémon, something like what Sonic Mania was for the Sonic series,” Pouwels tells me. “A love letter to what made the franchise special, made by people who grew up with it and truly care about the craft.”
On a similarly nostalgic note, Coxon would love to see the series “claw back some of that mystique and even mild horror that the first few games had,” while Baylis believes “Pokémon works best as an entry point into the RPG game world for young aspiring players – I hope that going forward they don’t abandon that!”
Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo Life
It feels like Game Freak is at something of a crossroads as we head into Gen X and beyond. Scarlet & Violet posed the biggest gameplay leap that we’ve seen for the series in years, and the potential for innovation feels bigger now than ever before, but performance issues and a lack of polish in those titles have some fans (including me) hankering for some old-school simplicity.
Whatever way the series goes, it’ll be intriguing to see what the next generation of game developers take from it — every Pokémon game is someone’s first Pokémon game, and all that. Pikachu and co. aren’t going anywhere, so you can bet that Pokémon-likes won’t be disappearing back into the long grass, either.
And based on how all the devs I spoke to are already demonstrating ways that Game Freak could improve and push the series forward, the promise of more is something that we should all be excited about.
Our thanks to the Crema team, Jay Baylis, Jochem Pouwels, JVemon, Luis Wong, Sandy Spink, and Tom Coxon for taking the time to talk to us.
Let us know your favourite Pokémon-like games in the comments – and if there’s an innovation you’d like to see inspire the series itself.
Just in case the reveal of Gen 10 for the Nintendo Switch 2 wasn’t enough, Pokémon Pokopia is also gracing us with its presence when it launches later this week on 5th March 2026.
We’ve reviewed it, of course, and came away feeling really good about the cosy life-sim spin-off, awarding it a score of 8/10 and calling it “the freshest Pokémon experience in a long time”. Indeed, if the idea of Dragon Quest Builders-inspired gameplay mixed with Viva Piñata mechanics sounds good, then you’re in for a treat.
Pokopia is currently sitting at 89 on Metacritic with a running total of 49 critic reviews, so we thought we’d take just a small handful of those and see what folks are saying about the latest Pokémon adventure. Spoilers: it’s mostly overwhelmingly positive – yay!
So let’s dive in first with Gaming Bible‘s 10/10 review, where they hint at the title’s GOTY potential for 2026:
There’s no one reason why Pokémon Pokopia is so special; this game is a sum of its parts, without a single weak link in the chain. It’s a title that offers a unique spin on the cosy formula, made all the more magical by the familiarity of this wonderful franchise. Pokémon Pokopia is a true adventure that boasts a refreshing sense of freedom. Totally devoid of grind, this experience rewards the curious with heaps of content on offer. You’ll be hard pressed to put it down, and it’s certainly a title that we’ll all be discussing when this year’s GOTY discussion rolls around.
Next up is Tech Radar Gaming with its 5/5 review, where it calls Pokopia a “breath of fresh air”:
Every aspect of Pokopia feels like a warm hug; the graphics are super cute, the interfaces are clean, the music is bright and comforting, and it’s full of life. It’s a breath of fresh air to have a spin-off that adds so much to the already-teeming world of Pokémon, and I, for one, am incredibly excited to see how players design their own cities and islands.
VGC is similarly positive, awarding the game a 5/5 score and highlighting the sense of discovery:
Pokémon Pokopia is an excellent life simulation game that takes the best bits from the champions of the genre and evolves into something that Pokémon fans, and cozy game fans will love. Late-game grinding doesn’t dull an adventure that’s as full of discovery at 100 hours as it was at 1.
IGN provided a generous 9/10 score, highlighting the mixture of freedom and curation:
Pokémon Pokopia is a real treat: an enjoyable building and town simulator that capitalizes on the charming personalities of its monsters in a way that appeals to both the creative and collector alike. It’s packed with fun things to do and worthy rewards for doing them, and strikes a healthy balance between freedom and suggestion in its building mechanics (despite a few precision nitpicks). All of this is housed in an adorable adventure through an interesting and surprisingly deep setting that presses all the nostalgia buttons for longtime fans. And it all shines especially bright in its lovable protagonist’s blobby pink hands.
Eurogamer was similarly positive with its 4/5 score and is optimistic about the future of the spin-off:
Altogether it makes Pokopia a great game for Pokémon to celebrate its 30th anniversary with, letting the Pokémon themselves take the stage, with selected ‘mons from across all nine generations making an appearance. The central theme of breathing life back into the Kanto wilderness is rewarding, while offering a look at the region through a new lens so, while it does harken back to the past, Pokopia is likewise able to stand outside the legacy of the Gen 1 games on its own. If this is where Pokémon is looking to go, into the future, then I truly hope it keeps going. But for now I’m just content to return to building my own Pokémon utopia. For I am Ditto.
Finally, The Gamer is a little more critical with its 6/10 score, stating that its building quests can often be quite repetitive:
There is a fun time to be had here, but ultimately Pokemon Pokopia doesn’t explore the Pokemon side of its world and offers building quests that are mostly rigid and repetitive. As ever with Pokemon, there is enough charm to see it through, and the mechanics aren’t shallow, even if they’re used in aid of the same few tasks over and over again. It’s Pokemon’s take on a bunch of other villager games it’s not quite as good at, but if you persevere there is a game waiting for you here. You just have to get the actual game over with first.
Even with the odd outlier here and there, it seems that most are fully onboard with what Pokémon Pokopia is trying to do.
If you want to see for yourself, then you can check the game out when it launches on 5th March 2026. We’ll also have plenty more Pokémon content on the way to celebrate the series’ 30th anniversary, so be sure to keep an eye out for that.
Are you eager to play Pokémon Pokopia later this week? What are your thoughts on the reception so far? Let us know with a comment.
Clearly not content with its barrage of presentations recently, Nintendo has announced that it will be airing an Indie World showcase tomorrow, 3rd March.
As revealed on Nintendo Today!, the showcase will kick off at 2pm GMT, and promises 15 minutes of info on all the indie goodness coming to Switch systems in the coming months. Notably, the Japanese Indie World presentation will be around 25 minutes long.
Here’s the precise time that the event will get underway in your region:
North America: 6am PST / 7am MST / 8am CST / 9am EST
UK/Ire: 2pm GMT
Europe: 3pm CET / 4pm EET
Asia/Oceania: 11pm JST / 10pm AWST / 1am (Wed) AEDT
The next few months are already looking particularly stacked for us Switch fans, so let’s get ready to add even more to our wishlists — the backlog grows every day…
Will you be tuning in for tomorrow’s Indie World? Let us know in the comments.
February 2026, hey? It’s been a busy one with a Nintendo Direct, a Pokémon Presents, and a couple of shadow drops and Switch 2 surprises. That means it’s time for a lovely edition of eShop Selects.
So yeah, a big month for what is the shortest one of the year. Spring is approaching, but that doesn’t mean we want to start stepping outside and enjoying the crisp, early sunshine. There’s a lot of games on the eShop right now, so let’s look at the best of them.
So, the rules: our writers and contributors vote for their top three eShop games from February 2026 from titles we’ve reviewed, and the three games with the highest scores will make the podium.
Honourable Mentions
This past month gave us eight games to fight over for the top three positions, all scoring at least a 7/10 from us. A couple of them are getting physical releases later in the year, but as with previous iterations of this regular feature, they’re eligible for the votes here.
Obviously Switch 2 Edition shadow drops graced us this month, but given that we haven’t officially reviewed them, we’ve opted to exclude them from the vote this time around — sorry Hollow Knight and Xenoblade Chronicles X.
So, let’s give it up for the smaller releases that just missed out on the podium.
After months of rumours, was anyone surprised to see Digital Eclipse’s Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition pop up during Sony’s State of Play in February? The most shocking part of the reveal was that it was also out within 24 hours of its announcement.
And yes, the collection does have a handful of issues in the form of music and a lack of variety in content, but as always with Digital Eclipse, the magic of the museum, the documentary-style clips, and the added bonuses make this a worthy celebration for an Ubisoft icon.
We hope those issues are fixed by the time the physical release rolls out, because the original Rayman deserves the best, hence its placement in the top three. For now, it gets a 7/10 from us.
Wait, what’s this? Another Digital Eclipse job? And this one goes even further back. We’ve been clamouring for The Disney Afternoon Collection on Switch, and we’ve been rewarded for our patience: with the addition of Goof Troop and Bonkers, we now have eight retro classics to dig into on both Switch 1 and Switch 2.
Really, Goof Troop is the star here, but we think most of the games in the compilation are great. If you grew up with any of these NES and SNES titles, then you’ll also know that some of these games are darn tough. Thank goodness for rewind and some other QoL features then.
It really is a retro fan’s dream, and a good reminder of some excellent classic Disney titles. We awarded the collection an 8/10 in our review for those reasons and more.
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But Rayman and Disney are no match for 17 years of game development and one of the most-ambitious and rich roguelikes ever. After being in Early Access for a long time and releasing on Steam back in 2024, Caves of Qud made its console debut on Switch in February 2026 with very little compromised for the hybrid system.
Is it dense? Yes. Is it complex? Very. And is there a little too much squeezed onto the little screen at once? Maybe. But what Caves of Qud delivers is an incredibly rewarding experience for those who love good systems and good stories. It’s tense, it’s tough, but it’s deeply satisfying.
We gave Caves of Qud an 8/10, and it sits at the top of the podium for February’s eShop Selects. Congrats to Freehold Games for this monumental achievement!
Do you agree with our ranking? Tell us about your favourite eShop releases of last month by voting in our poll and sharing your thoughts in the comments.
What’s your favourite February 2026 eShop game from our picks? (238 votes)
Arcade Archives 2 Rave Racer (Switch 2)8%
Caves of Qud (Switch eShop)18%
Console Archives Cool Boarders (Switch 2)0.8%
Jimmy and the Pulsating Mass (Switch eShop)3%
Paranormasight: The Mermaid’s Curse (Switch eShop)6%
Rayman: 30th Anniversary Edition (Switch)11%
Super Bomberman Collection – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition (Switch 2)15%
The Disney Afternoon Collection (Switch 2)39%
How we decide our eShop Selects top three: As we reach the end of every month, the Nintendo Life staff vote on their favourite titles from a list of games selected by the editorial team. To qualify for this list, these games must have been released as a digital-only Nintendo Switch eShop title in that particular month, and must have been reviewed on Nintendo Life; we select the qualifying games based on their review scores.
Staff are then asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to sit right at the very top of that list; first choice gets three points, second choice gets two points, and third choice gets one point. These votes are then tallied to create a top-three list, with the overall winner taking that month’s top prize.
Given Pokémon’s roaring popularity for three decades straight, it’s a sheer numbers game to figure that each of its titular beasts is someone’s favourite. It’s also true that over 1,000 Pokémon can’t all share the limelight, meaning some are bound to fade into obscurity.
While the most popular Pokémon take centre stage for the franchise’s 30th anniversary, I figured space should be made to honour the PokéMisfits that didn’t stand the test of time. These include oddities that only the staunchest Poké Maniacs will recall, others of minor notoriety that deserve more love, and phased-out mascots. While they may be easily written off as sideshows, these Pokémon still played roles (in some cases, infamously) in keeping the franchise on top for all these years.
Before jumping in, a quick note: I left out Gen 9 ‘newcomers’ as their legacies are still being written. I also had regional variants, mega evolutions, and their ilk take a seat to keep the proceedings simpler.
This category covers Pokémon that many straight-up forgot about. They’re sure to have their fans — that’s true of any Pokémon — but by and large, they never caught on, or only enjoyed fleeting relevancy…
Shedinja (#292)
Image: The Pokémon Company
If there’s one element of the Pokémon fandom that I’ll forever miss, it’s the schoolyard tall tales that kids told each other when we didn’t have easy internet access. By Gen 3, scepticism had set in, making me disbelieve Shedinja’s existence.
I have to keep a spot in my party empty and have a spare Poké Ball to obtain it? Sounded about as likely as finding Mew under a truck!
Of course, it does work… and that’s about the most I can say. Schoolyard chatter quickly moved on to new leaks and lies. Shedinja’s allure became its undoing as myths were far more compelling than truths. It’s now notable as a historical footnote and its unique Bug/Ghost dual-typing. That’s more than can be said for a lot of the entries in this category, but nonetheless disappointing for such a conceptually cool Pokémon.
Klinklang #601
Image: The Pokémon Company
There’s not a lot working in Klinklang’s favour. Its design is simultaneously basic, even among Gen 5’s wave of inanimate object Pokémon, and also derivative of Magneton. It’s therefore not too surprising that this gearhead wouldn’t leave much of an impact.
However, I do believe it has the potential to earn a renewed residency in the minds of fans by having it utilise its utilitarian design to help keep the Pokémon world running. For example, imagine a city running on Klinglang-powered machinery, or gadgets that could be brought alive by a Klinglang in your party.
That sort of worldbuilding is what Klinglang is destined for.
Zarude #893
Image: The Pokémon Company
This mythical primate was never made available beyond a few online distribution events that occurred a year or more after the release of Sword and Shield (let alone after both its expansion packs were available). It’s highly possible that most Sword and Shield players never even learned of Zarude’s existence because of its late addition. Many who did still had a hard time finding love in their heart for this monkey due to a lack of an in-game event to give it the context it desperately needed.
Zarude could see a renaissance if The Pokémon Company decides to reintroduce it with expanded prominence, but for now, it’s a bit of a non-entity.
Dhelmise #781
Image: The Pokémon Company
The concept behind Dhelmise is cool enough: a rusty, seaweed-strapped anchor that can supposedly knock out Wailord in one attack (Pokémon battles don’t back up this claim). The reality is that it’s ultimately just a possessed anchor, something that wasn’t particularly novel by the time of its Gen 7 introduction.
It’s well themed for the tropical Alolan archipelago, but then again, so are many of that region’s newcomers. Still, I give props to Game Freak for giving wacky ideas like this a shot, even if they don’t always catch on. For better or worse, they can’t all be Garbodor.
Maractus #556
Image: The Pokémon Company
As the second Cactus Pokémon to lay its roots in the franchise, Maractus needed a bit more going for it to stand out. Namely, it’s a type of single-evolution Pokémon that feels like it shouldn’t be standalone. The design concept of maracas growing out of its head is the perfect setup for an evolution to run with.
Without one, it felt like borderline Gen. 5 filler added so that generation wouldn’t include any old monsters until its post-game. I hoped that Legends Z-A might’ve given it a plus-up in the form of a mega evolution, but with that opportunity gone, who knows if Maractus will ever get the treatment it deserves.
Huntail #367 and Gorebyss #368
Image: The Pokémon Company
These two share an evolutionary base Pokémon in the adorable Clamperl, yet neither share in its fandom. In fact, it wasn’t until researching for this article that I remembered Clamperl even had evolutions at all!
Perhaps that’s because both require trading, which has always been a somewhat frustrating (even if understandably flavourful) barrier to using certain Pokémon, especially if you’re a solo player like me. I have to imagine that’s also true for many others whose only encounters with Huntail and Gorebyss came through trainer battles or rare in-the-wild scenarios.
It’s a shame because these groovy, psychedelic eels have been waiting over two decades for their moment in the sun. Or perhaps they just prefer the deep ocean, in which case, live your best lives, sea misfits.
Stakataka #805
Image: The Pokémon Company
The alien nature of Ultra Beasts makes them all inherent misfits of the Pokémon universe, but that’s also why some have been fondly remembered. Stakataka isn’t usually part of those conversations, though. Its stone colossus design isn’t particularly original or memorable, especially when you consider that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild introduced the strikingly similar Guardians months prior.
Plus, appearing exclusively in 3DS games that launched after the Switch rocked the world was a surefire way to not rock the world. Still, if Ultra Beasts ever come back, Stakataka might find its footing.
The Gen. 8 Fossil Quartet (Dracozolt #880, Arctozolt #881, Dracovish #882, and Arctovish #883)
Image: The Pokémon Company
Uhhhhhhh, so yeah.
First, for those keeping count at home, this is one of two scenarios where I’m lumping all four of these… Pokémon?… into one listing since they’re all cut from the same cloth of combining two fossils to create genetic monstrosities.
The Frankenstein creations that this resulted in might be more believable as something found in Silent Hill. In fact, their mere existence is that level of unsettling, which I suppose will be the feature for many players. For others, we’d rather forget.
That said, I’m open-minded. Game Freak, game on. The ball’s in your court to make me love these patchwork Pokémon.
Next up, The Under-Appreciated Misfits.
The Pokémon in this category have a steady presence in the franchise but don’t get the love they deserve. Whether they live in infamy or are overshadowed by their immediate peers, let’s give these beasties a second look on the second page…
As we head into the third month of 2026, there’s plenty to be looking forward to once you’ve dragged yourselves away from the shambling hordes of Raccoon City and the two other Resident Evils that dropped on Switch 2 last week.
There’s a new Pokémon spin-off, for starters, followed by the return of Fatal Frame, the third Monster Hunter Stories game, and Nintendo’s capping off the month with a trip for Mario and co. to Bellabel Park. And that’s before we even get to April, which kicks off with The Super Mario Galaxy Movie in the cinemas.
Below, we’ve highlighted the most exciting Switch 2 (and 1) games coming in the next two months. You’ll find more great games beneath our top picks, as well as a bunch of Switch (2) accessories.
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Bringing life-sim, Animal Crossing-style elements to the world of Pokémon, you might say that we should have been playing a game like this years ago. Better late than never, though.
As noted above, the physical edition of this is a Game-Key Card – to date, a lone outlier in Nintendo-published Switch 2 games.
Play as a Ditto that has transformed to look like a human! Find and befriend your fellow Pokémon, carve out a life for yourself, and work together with Professor Tangrowth to build a town for everyone to live in. Learn the moves of your fellow Pokémon to change the land, such as Bulbasaur’s Leafage to make the wild grass grow. You can also use abilities to transform and navigate the world around you, such as crossing water with Lapras’s Surf.
If a triple hit of Resident Evil hasn’t left you sufficiently brown-trousered, how about a (second) remake of one of the most chilling horror games ever? This one’s a Game-Key Card, too.
FATAL FRAME II: Crimson Butterfly REMAKE is a Japanese horror adventure game and serves as a full remake of the second instalment in the FATAL FRAME (PROJECT ZERO) series. The story follows twin sisters Mio and Mayu as they wander into an abandoned village infested with wraiths. The only way to defend against them is with the use of the Camera Obscura.
Capcom’s back just a couple of weeks after Requiem with the third entry in this excellent Monster Hunter side-series. We’re keen to see how it compares to the previous entries in this soon-to-be trilogy.
And yes, another Game-Key Card (last one).
Azuria and Vermeil: two countries, on a path to destruction. When all hope seems lost, an egg is found. Inside is a Rathalos, a species thought to be extinct. But this quavering light of hope is quickly extinguished, giving way to the darkness of despair. Born from the egg is not a single Rathalos, but twins, bearing the Skyscale marking that hearkens back to the disastrous civil war of 200 years prior.
And at the end of March, it’s a second round of Wonder with added minigames and Rosalina and Luma joining the crew of playable characters just in time for The Super Mario Galaxy Movie to drop on 1st April. Fingers crossed this upgrade has enough substance to warrant another meetup.
• Explore Bellabel Park, an area newly discovered within the Flower Kingdom with your friends and play various multiplayer attractions • Take on all seven of the Koopalings in newly added boss courses scattered throughout the Flower Kingdom • Choose from an even larger cast of characters in this Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of the game, which now adds Rosalina and Co-Star Luma to the existing cast • Grab the Super Flower Pot power-up to transform into a flower form and throw flowers • Even if your friends don’t have the game, play with them using GameShare locally or online
There’s still life in Switch 1 yet, and Tomodachi Life (and the as-yet-undated Rhythm Heaven Groove) look to be sending the old console into the sunset on a high.
Create Mii characters based on anyone you’d like and watch the fun and drama unfold on an island you create and customize. Watch over your island and stumble upon little LOL moments as you get to know your Miis (and they get to know each other). Will they become friends, sweethearts, or perhaps something more complicated? Only time will tell!
This minor Upgrade Pack for 2025’s Switch update of the Wii U original dropped out of the blue in February, but Nintendo is giving this Switch 2 Edition the physical treatment in mid-April. It’s proved to be a little divisive amongst fans, although it’s difficult to say no to a solid 60fps upgrade.
Of course, if you already own the first game, you can just buy the Upgrade Pack separately on the eShop. If you don’t, this NS2 Edition will also work on Switch 1.
Join up with BLADE to explore the planet Mira and help bring humanity back from the edge of extinction, now with a faster frame rate (up to 60 fps) and enhanced resolution (up to 4K).
Capcom’s so hot right now, coming off the back of RE and then Monster Hunter straight into new IP Pragmata, all releasing in the window of just over one month. We’ve got our fingers crossed for yet more quality.
As with all Capcom’s physical output, this one’s a Game-Key Card.
After a chance encounter, spacefarer Hugh Williams and android Diana make their way through a lunar research station as they look to escape and find their way back to Earth. Diana Hacks open enemy armor to create openings for Hugh to take down the enemy with his varied arsenal of firearms.
More Upcoming Games for March & April 2026
As well as those picks above, there are plenty more Switch 1 & 2 retail games launching in the next couple of months (and a bit beyond).
New Switch 2 Accessories & eShop Credit
Finally, here’s a selection of Switch 2 accessories coming soon, and our Switch 2 buyer’s guides if you’re looking for something in particular.
