Tag: Editorial
Editorial A Very Happy New Year From Nintendo Life
Twenty-twenty-thrive
Good news, everyone! Having successfully beaten 2024, you're all advancing to the next stage: Happy 2025! With Switch entering its ninth year come the start of March, and a reveal of its successor promised sometime between now and the end of that month, there's an awful lot to look forward to whether you're a die-hard Nintendo...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From All Of Us At Nintendo Life
Put your arms around the world, it's Switchmas time
Season's Greetings to one and all! The 25th of December has crept up on us once more with its promise of sugary treats, hot and cold meats, papery hats and glittery tat... and, of course, video games. It's been a slow but steady year for Nintendo lovers as Switch winds down and everyone eyes The...
Editorial Happy New Year From Everyone Here At Nintendo Life
Twenty-twenty-FOOOOOOOOUR!!!
A round of applause for you and yours — you did it! You made it through the gauntlet of 2023's brilliant video games all the way to a brand new year. Happy 2024, everyone! With Switch entering its seventh year in 2023, our expectations — with the exception of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, of course — were...
Editorial Happy Holidays, Nintendo Lifers
You mean you forgot cranberries, too?
It's here! Season's Greetings to you and yours! The mood is right, the spirit's up, and with any luck you're taking it nice and easy today and, perhaps, settling down to devour not just some delicious festive treats but also some of the many excellent video games 2023 has gifted us. We've briefly surveyed the...
Editorial Don't Worry, We'll Be Avoiding Zelda: TOTK Spoilers On Nintendo Life
(Hylian) Shields up, red alert!
Over the weekend, images from the Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom art book leaked online revealing unannounced details about the most anticipated launch on this year's gaming calendar. With the 12th May release date still many weeks away, we thought it would be a good idea to make plain our approach to Zelda spoilers...
Editorial Happy New Year From All Of Us At Nintendo Life
Here be 2023!
Congratulations — you made it through 2022! Welcome, one and all, to an entirely brand-new year of sweet, sweet vidyagames. Yes, lovely people, meet 2023. 2023, lovely people. Now the introductions are out of the way, what's on the menu in the coming months? We've recapped last year enough already — we were all there, we've all...
Editorial Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
Later we'll have some pumpkin pie
T'is here, the most wonderful time of the year! Yes, Season's Greetings to all you lovely people. Grab yourself a beverage, get comfy, and get ready — it's party time! If by 'party' you mean sweating profusely and wishing you hadn't said 'yes' to a fifth mince pie or similarly stodgy sweetmeat. 2022 has been a...
Editorial Happy New Year From Everyone At Nintendo Life
The future has arrived, still waiting on hoverboards
Welcome to the future! Yes, we've finally got through '2020: Part Deux' and we're now securely lodged in 2022 — the first year since the millennium that has three of the same number in it. *Waits for everyone to confirm that that is indeed correct*... The past year has been another tough one...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
The mood is right, the spirit's up
Ho ho ho! Yes, the most wonderful holiday of the year has officially arrived and it's time to start cracking out the sweetmeats, beverages, and — if you're reading this — video games. It's Christmas! Following on from an all-round miserable 2020, this year has been... well, not a whole lot better really...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
What a year it's been...
When we wished you many happy returns this time last year, we had no idea we'd be typing the same message in 2020 during a global pandemic. Despite assurances that it would "all be over by Christmas," the world is still gripped by the COVID-19 outbreak, with little sign that 2021 is going to be much different. (Wow. This is...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From Everyone At Nintendo Life
So this is Christmas
It's been an amazing year for Nintendo fans, it's fair to say. The dark days of the Wii U are long behind us and the arrival of the Nintendo Switch – now entering its third holiday season – has resulted in a tidal wave of interest in all things Nintendo. Not only has that meant that we've seen a flood of amazing games come...
Editorial Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
Eat, drink and play some Switch
So this is Christmas. The time of year where we all eat far too much, drink far too much and buy far too many pointless gifts for friends and relatives. In short, it's the most wonderful time of the year. 2018 has been quite a year in the world of Nintendo, so this festive season offers the ideal opportunity to sit...
Editorial Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays From Nintendo Life
The end of a great year for Nintendo
It's hard to believe the time is already here, but we're now into the Holiday season once again. Whether it's the Holidays, Christmas or neither to you, it's a chance to unwind, think about the year that has passed and get excited about what's still to come. From a Nintendo perspective this year has been rather...
Editorial Trying to Play Monster Hunter XX in Japanese on the Nintendo Switch
When the World beta isn't an option
It's fair to say that a group of Switch gamers are rather annoyed at Capcom, even as the company has recently reversed course from minimal support to offering more backing for the popular system. Many are likely Monster Hunter fans that have been used to the series gracing Nintendo hardware and now face a harsh...
Editorial Wii Remote Pointer vs. Switch Gyro Controls - The Resident Evil Test
Revelations brings to mind the glorious Resi 4 Wii Edition
If you mention 'motion controls' to some gamers they'll instantly recoil - "good grief no, I want the immersion that only buttons and sticks can bring". Oh ok, I'm exaggerating a little, but there is a contingent of eager gamers that shun motion controls at every turn. In some cases they...
Editorial Nintendo's Surprising Fanbase is a Major Strength, Which Bodes Well for Switch
Gaming for all
As a '90s kid I was only really aware of two main groups of gamers - kids and teenagers. It was a pre-internet age, so the points of reference were limited, but I doubt I was that far off. 'Gaming' had been a thing in the '70s and '80s, of course, but a rapid expansion of the industry - after Atari somewhat went off a cliff - was...
Editorial The SNES Classic Mini, Star Fox, and Downsides to Being a Mega Drive Kid
Going back to the beginning
Late last week I remembered that the SNES Mini was right around the corner, after it had somewhat drifted out of my mind. The past month has been somewhat busy and chaotic on both a personal and professional level, with Nintendo having the audacity to release a system that's selling rather well. With the silly season of...
Editorial A Week of Gaming the Nintendo Switch Way
Like the adverts, but less photogenic
Back in the summer I wrote a slightly feisty article addressing some remarks I'd read of people not grasping the 'point' of the Switch. Yet it's a legitimate issue - as it's a hybrid everyone will have their own viewpoint of it, and even game publishers all seem to approach the system in different ways. Nintendo...
Editorial Mandatory Memory Cards for Switch Retail Games is a Messy Solution
Don't ask Nintendo to organise a party at a brewery
Nintendo, for the past couple of generations in which system memory has mattered, has done the bare minimum to cater to the issue. Sometimes it's gotten away with that, but it's been a stick with which the company's been beaten over the past few years. In the Wii and DSi era download games were...
Editorial Farewell to the Flawed Miiverse, But Thanks for the Memories
A bright start made way for a slightly weird online space
Sometimes Nintendo takes an established idea and makes it very, well, 'Nintendo'. It made a deathmatch-style shooter but decided it shouldn't be all about killing, so we got Splatoon, for example. It's a broader trend through the company's history, too, especially in the hardware space...
Editorial Is This a Golden Era of Gaming? Absolutely
Tom Whitehead immediately regrets the headline
Because I'm a literary geek I've been attending some events at the Edinburgh International Book Festival - I know, it's pretty rock and roll. In any case, one talk I went to kicked off with some wise words, and I paraphrase slightly, that every generation lives under a delusion that theirs is the...
Editorial The Switch eShop Library is Starting to Look Like the Real Deal
Keep it on the download
The Switch has only been out a little over five months, but in this helter-skelter world it already seems to be settled into the market. General buzz and demand remain high, there are major retail games due regularly for the rest of the year, and Nintendo is still in a continuous battle to ensure that supply meets demand. For...
Editorial amiibo Has Stalled, Because Nintendo is Forgetting What Makes It Special
A decline into minor unlocks and collectible DLC
Nintendo is still fully committed to amiibo, that much is obvious. New figures and cards continue to gradually emerge, some as expected with the biggest games (such as Splatoon 2 and Metroid: Samus Returns), and others a little unexpected like the cards that came out alongside Mario Sports...
Editorial Nintendo, Somehow, Has Gone Backwards With Voice Chat on the Switch
It's actually worse than on Wii U and 3DS
When Nintendo confirmed that it'd be running lobbies and voice chat through a dedicated smartphone app there were plenty of critical remarks online. As a site we followed the line of a wait and see approach, but as crazy Hori workarounds and limited details emerged there was the whiff of a messy launch, and...
Editorial In Praise of the Smaller New Nintendo 3DS - The Best 3DS*
*Well, in Tom Whitehead's opinion
Nintendo sure likes to iterate its portable hardware, and the 3DS 'family' has been no exception. There's been the 3DS, the 3DS XL, the 2DS, the New 3DS, the New 3DS XL and soon the New 2DS XL. Throw in various colours, limited editions and cool designs and it's been a typically dizzying generation. For me, though,...
Editorial Satoru Iwata's Vision for Gaming Continues to Shine Through Nintendo
Two years on from Iwata-san's passing, his legacy endures
It was two years ago on this date, 11th July, that Satoru Iwata passed away. It reflects the impact he had on the gaming industry that it was a day with a very real emotional impact on so many of us. The majority of his admirers never met him in person, but his unique style of leadership and...
Editorial The Frustrating Quest for a SNES Mini is Bad Business for Nintendo
It'd be funny if it wasn't true
Oh, Nintendo. We love you, we care about you, but you do drive us crazy sometimes. We're too involved to break it off, but sometimes we need a bit of a cool-down from your shenanigans. Here's how you turn hype for a hugely anticipated product into frustration, in some cases anger, and yes even mockery. You announce a...
Editorial Nintendo Switch is About Colour, Fun and Sharing Games, For Those Unsure of Its Purpose
More than the sum of its parts
Nintendo's home console hardware, for the third successive generation, is betting the farm on a concept rather than raw graphical power. After the blend of power and concept (if a cube with a handle counts as a concept) saw the GameCube struggle (compared to its predecessors), Nintendo shifted focus with its home...
Editorial Nintendo Went Its Own Way at E3 2017, and It Mostly Worked
Confounds with surprises and quality, but also missing details
Well, E3 has gone for another year, and it was very much a continuation of the norm. The various press conferences and presentations were the usual mix of exciting games, impressive showcases and some PR bluster. I thought there were some solid efforts from third-parties, with Ubisoft...
Editorial Monster Hunter and Nintendo Switch Are a Match Made in Heaven
Rarely do platform and game match so perfectly
While we don't yet know whether Capcom and Nintendo are continuing the relationship of 'main' series entries being exclusive to the big N's hardware with the inevitable Monster Hunter 5 (other systems do have alternatives and spin-offs), fans of the series have something to be thrilled about with...
Editorial An Empty Box is $5 and a Dock is $89 - Welcome to Switchonomics
If we pay it, then the price is right
Capitalism is incredibly complicated in practice - markets, financial tools, regulations, 'gaming the system', taxes and so on. On the flipside it's also very simple. Supply and demand dictate how much goods cost, and when it comes to entertainment desirability is also a factor. When a company has a winner on...
Editorial The Ongoing Pleasures of Nintendo Switch Boxes, Cartridges and (Occasionally) Manuals
For the collectors
We're now nearly two months into the lifespan of the Nintendo Switch, and those that have jumped into the system will have their own buying habits. The eShop offers the usual full-priced retail downloads, though for some it'll be a virtual location for focusing on download-only games. As always, then, we have three camps of...
Editorial After The Bold Brilliance Of Breath Of The Wild, Where Can Zelda Go Next?
Will we ever see another traditional Zelda outing?
It's fair to say that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild ranks as one of the finest video games of recent times, and is arguably the best title in the franchise so far. It has been showered with positive reviews and has contributed massively to the success of the Nintendo Switch launch; this is...
Editorial Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the Most Accessible of Nintendo Switch Games
Fun for anyone, defying series convention in the process
When the Nintendo Switch Teaser Trailer was unveiled in October, my family were among many - seemingly - that loved the idea and the concept. My brother, who hadn't been in on the Wii U generation, was very much attracted to it and wanted one, while my mum is a Nintendo enthusiast in any case...
Editorial On the Road With the Nintendo Switch
Putting the portable to the test
If you need any indication of how the 'hybrid' form factor of the Nintendo Switch means different things to different gamers, just chat to half a dozen system owners about how they play the console. For my part it's been mostly a home console, with the tablet spending a lot of time in the dock; yet I know quite a few...
Editorial 'NX' Development Documentation Gives Few New Insights, But The Leak is Far From Ideal
Nintendo is secretive enough already, so this doesn't help
It seems that leaks are an inevitable part of the modern gaming industry. We've seen plenty of game leaks come out around the NX / Switch over the past year (some yet to be proven right), while some tech specs of the PS4 Pro were doing the rounds before it was officially announced;...
Editorial No, Nintendo Switch Isn't Having a 'Soft Launch', But The Perception is a Problem
Strategy clashes with expectations
Well, the Nintendo Switch is a month away, which is exciting news for those with pre-orders down or perhaps are considering the possibility of grabbing one on launch day. The arrival of new gaming hardware, from Nintendo or rivals such as Sony and Microsoft, is typically enough to get hearts fluttering and send...
Editorial Pricing Blunders Have Distorted The Narrative Around Nintendo Switch
The cost of stubborn business
The reaction to Nintendo Switch since its presentation has been mixed, it's fair to say. In terms of metrics such as 'Likes' on YouTube and vibes among my own acquaintances, family and friends there's been a positive response. Yet to browse some specialist sites and similar channels on YouTube (or even comments sections...
Editorial The Idea of VR on Nintendo Switch is Interesting, But Big Questions Remain
Virtual Insanity?
In early 2016 I wrote an article about why Nintendo and VR weren't a good fit for 2016, heady days when there was a chance of the Switch - at that point still the 'NX' - being a Holiday 2016 release (in our dreams). I concluded by saying that "Virtual Reality isn't well established, efficient or affordable technology, at least not...
Editorial The 3D Effect - A Smart 3DS Feature That Struggled to Find Its True Depth
It was the future, once upon a time
In early 2011 I went to a public demo event for the 3DS, getting an invite through Club Nintendo. This was long before I annoyed people with my opinions here on Nintendo Life; in fact at that point I was the unfamiliar name that had written a review for Spot the Differences! on WiiWare. As some of you no doubt...
Editorial The Nintendo Switch 'Power' Debate is Likely Missing the Point
Sensible expectations from gamers, and Nintendo, are key
Just as was the case in the build-up to the Wii U's launch, plenty are debating the graphical grunt of the Nintendo Switch; it's a valid thing to argue about, in a sense, as a system's capabilities play a key part in the kinds of games it can deliver. The debate has centred on two sets of...
Editorial Rediscovering the Simple Pleasures of 2D Platformers on Wii U
What mascots do best
Heading towards the festive period I often revisit older games, favourites that have perhaps been untouched for a year or two. That's certainly the case this year, where relatively few recent blockbusters (on any platform) have been tempting enough to make me part from my cash. There's also a bit of premature nostalgia at play,...
Editorial As Games Jump to Nintendo Switch, We See How Quickly the Industry Moves On
The Wii U is only just over four years old, but is almost last-gen
The Wii U doesn't have too many big-name games still confirmed to be on the way, especially from third-parties. As a result the cancellation of Yooka-Laylee on the platform has led to quite a reaction, which I suspect is partly reflective of some wider frustrations. First of all,...
Editorial Cutting Edge Visual Splendour vs. 60 Frames-Per-Second - Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Outside of PC, 'both' isn't often viable
Back when the Nintendo Switch was still the 'NX', we asked the community about their priorities in the great 60fps / visual fidelity debate. Perhaps as a result of our poll wording, or because most people want everything all at once, in general the majority of respondents wanted games both good looking and...
Editorial The Wii U Has Been Nintendo's Lowest Selling Home Console; It Deserved Better
Its sales will fall well short of the GameCube
It's been coming for some time, and Nintendo made the odd call to initially deny it was happening, but the Wii U is in its final stretch; manufacturing of the system is due to end soon. Nintendo's decision to make a denial, only to quietly contradict it a little over a week later is - to quote our...
Editorial Don't Let Patents Be The New Source of Unrealistic Nintendo Switch Expectations
Let the hype be real, not fantastical
Now that the Nintendo Switch has been unveiled, we're thankfully past the stage of particularly unlikely rumours and 'leaks' getting the web all hot under the collar. After all, the scope for exaggeration is greatly reduced now that the system is visible, and reports can focus on sensible considerations such as...
Editorial Reminiscing on Hoarding StreetPass Hits, and Why Any NX 'Portable' Should Keep Them Alive
The Greatest Hits
Earlier this week we reported on the scaling back of Nintendo Zone areas - StreetPass Relay Points - in the UK. It used to be particularly easy to get a batch of hits in most UK shopping centres, with McDonald's and O2 stores being hugely useful sources; now GAME is the last retailer standing if you want to collect some data and...
Editorial Rediscovering the Gems of the Wii U Library
A legacy to appreciate
A little while ago I wrote an editorial called 'Losing It All - When a Wii U's External Hard Drive Dies', in which I recounted the tale of just that very thing happening to me. I bemoaned the weird setup of Nintendo's data management on the home console and in particular its treatment of save data, which rather bizarrely is...
Editorial Losing It All - When a Wii U's External Hard Drive Dies
The quirks and annoyances of Wii U data management
There are lots of things that many people assume will never happen to them, just to 'others'. You don't think you'll be the victim of a crime, or get stranded overnight when a flight gets cancelled, or perhaps get addicted to amiibo collecting. These are all problems that other people have to deal...
Editorial The Rights and Wrongs of Shutting Down Pokemon GO Fan-Made Tools Like Pokévision
Some dedicated players are rather angry
I may spend my days writing about Nintendo and related topics, but I've had a fairly limited engagement with the global phenomenon of Pokémon GO, in comparison to its biggest enthusiasts in any case. I've probably expended more energy looking at download statistics and the ups and downs of Nintendo's share...
