Timeline
Saturday14th Dec 2024
News Pac-Man's New Game 'Shadow Labyrinth' Is Getting A Physical Switch Release
Including a "Secret Edition"
Bandai Namco shared a major surprise yesterday during The Game Awards - revealing a new 2D action platformer Pac-Man game called Shadow Labyrinth. Tekken's Katsuhiro Harada is the executive producer and the title has creators, directors and game designers from series like Samurai Shodown,
Friday13th Dec 2024
Mini Review Pine: A Story Of Loss (Switch) - An Evocative But Oddly Anti-Immersive Tale
Pining for the fjords
'Game' is a funny word. On its face, it describes lighthearted, fun, frivolous things. Even a very serious game of snooker, in which people wear waistcoats, is 'just a game' on some level. But of course video games can be very different, and Pine is one such game. The subtitle gives it away – A Story of Loss – and it does...
Death end re;Quest: Code Z still on for PS5/4, though
Idea Factory International has released a statement saying that a quartet of previously announced titles won't be releasing for Switch in the West after all. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 1, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 Sisters Generation, and Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3 V...
Random Upcoming Banjo-Kazooie Mod Is A Nostalgic Trip Through A Bunch Of N64 Classics
Get jiggies with it
Back in 2021, modder Mark Kurko revealed a first look at his monster project, 'BK Nostalgia 64'. This love letter to the N64 and Banjo-Kazooie (whodathunkit with a title like that?) was originally slated for a Christmas 2024 release, though through a variety of complications, the modder has decided to push things back to 2025...
News 2024 Has Been The Busiest Year Yet For Nintendo Switch Online In North America
More games have been added than previous years
If you're subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online, you might be feeling like this year has been pretty stacked for new games on both the regular tier and the Expansion Pack. Sure, not all of them have been all-timers — we don't expect many people were asking for Urban Champion or Alleyway — but the...
"So it's difficult to say right now"
One of the biggest news stories to come out of last night's Game Awards was the announcement of Elden Ring: Nightreign, a new standalone, co-op Elden Ring experience coming to PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and PC next year. Our lucky friends over at
Reaction The Game Awards Left Us With One Big Question: Will Any Of This Run On Switch 2?
How would you rate the show?
It was never going to be a Nintendo night and, as predicted, Switch announcements were thin on the ground during last night's TGA 2024 presentation. Nintendo failed to win a single award, but looking back on 2024's first-party releases, you could argue that if there's a year Nintendo didn't deserve to win
News Dave The Diver 'In The Jungle' DLC Swims Onto Switch In "Late 2025"
Surf and turf
Dave The Diver has quickly become one of the most bankable titles for an appearance at each and every game showcase since it arrived on PC and console last year, and The Game Awards was no exception. Developer MINTROCKET popped up at this year's Geoff-fest to reveal the upcoming 'In the Jungle' DLC, an expansion that will see Dave and...
News Sega President Talks Reviving Video Game "Rock & Roll" To Contrast Nintendo's "Pop Music"
Battle of the bands
After a night of hot SEGA announcements at The Game Awards, the company's newly-appointed president and COO, Shuji Utsumi, sat down with Eurogamer to talk about his plans for the future. The chat covered all things from Utsumi's previous work with SEGA and the upcoming line of revival projects, to the announcements from The Game...
News Nintendo Shares Special Message: "Thank You For Joining Us Now And Into The Future"
The Switch might be winding down, but more games are on the way
Nintendo may not have really been present at this year's Game Awards, but there was one brief Switch trailer featured during the event. While the company is in the process of signing off from the current Switch generation, this trailer was still busy hyping up the many third-party...
Random PlayStation's Astro Bot Director Pays Tribute To Mario And Nintendo In GOTY Speech
"I didn't plan to say it, but I'm going to say it anyway"
There have been a lot of comparisons this year suggesting the PlayStation hit Astro Bot is more like a Super Mario or Nintendo game than a Sony one. With this in mind, it seems the game's director Nicolas Doucet might have finally put all of this debate to rest. In a surprising moment during...
News The Game Awards GOTY For 2024 Is Astro Bot
Here's the full list of winners
The Game Awards for 2024 is now over and Asobi's Astro Bot has officially won Game of the Year. It was up against Black Myth: Wukong, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth,
News Okami Sequel Announced, Will Be Directed By Hideki Kamiya
Here's the project teaser trailer
One of the highlights of this year's Game Awards show was Capcom revealing a sequel to the legendary action-adventure game Okami is now in development. The original game's director Hideki Kamiya (Devil May Cry, Bayonetta) will return for this new project. No platforms or release date have been announced just yet,...
News Overcooked Dev Is Teaming Up With Hello Games For More Couch-Co-Op Chaos In 'Stage Fright'
Relationships will be broken
Well here's a surprise from The Game Awards! The team behind Overcooked, Ghost Town Games, has announced that it's teaming up with No Man's Sky's Hello Games on an all-new couch co-op experience, Stage Fright. From what we've seen so far, this isn't Overcooked (nor is it Overcooked 2), but it does look just as chaotic...
Video Here's Your First Look At The Witcher 4's Cinematic Reveal Trailer
"A new saga begins"
At The Game Awards this year, CD Projekt Red lifted the lid on its next big game The Witcher IV with an action-packed cinematic trailer focused on Ciri. It will continue the legendary video game adaptation of the Polish fantasy series with "a new saga". No platforms or release date have been announced just yet, but the previous...
News Bandai Namco Unveils New Pac-Man Game, And It's Probably Not What You Expect
What the...?
One of the earlier announcements during this year's Game Awards show was Bandai Namco lifting the lid on a new Pac-Man game, and well...it's not exactly the regular outing for the famous pellet eater. This new game is officially called Shadow Labyrinth and is described as a "genre-twisting alternate take" on the iconic mascot. As many...
News New Side-Scroller Entry In Legendary Ninja Gaiden Series Announced For Switch
"Coming summer 2025"
To kick off this year's Game Awards, Koei Tecmo, Dotemu (TMNT: Shredder's Revenge) and The Game Kitchen (Blasphemous) announced a new entry in the legendary Ninja Gaiden series. Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound is coming to the Switch and multiple other platforms in Summer 2025 and is a brand new 2D side-scroller
Watch The Game Awards 2024 - Live!
Gong show
It's time for The Game Awards, the annual bash that sees a load of industry people head to LA to showcase their upcoming games and accept awards in the company of their peers (and sometimes some random who managed to get on stage). Geoff Keighley's main show officially kicks off at 5pm PST / 8pm EST / 1am GMT (Fri) / 2am CET (Fri) / 10am...
Thursday12th Dec 2024
News Balatro Gets More Free 'Friends Of Jimbo' With Cult Of The Lamb, 1000xResist, And Shovel Knight
Hello JimBen (Starr)
Do you need yet another reason to go back to the incredibly moreish poker roguelike Balatro? Yes? well how about eight more Friends of Jimbo! Friends of Jimbo 3 is out now for free, and it adds eight new cosmetic flairs that you can apply to your cards. And at last, Shovel Knight has managed to dig his way into the game — it...
Mini Review Victory Heat Rally (Switch) - Great Looks, But Can't Quite Make The Podium
Scaled back ambition
When Victory Heat Rally first appeared on Kickstarter back in 2020, the game appeared set to pay homage to Sega's wonderful Super Scaler range of arcade games from the 1980s. In the four years that have followed between that Kickstarter launch and this Switch release, something appears to have been lost along the way. Rather...
News Zelda: Majora's Mask Decompilation Project Now At 100%
Unmasked for fan PC ports
The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask joins other N64 classics Super Mario 64, Ocarina of Time, Perfect Dark, and Banjo-Kazooie in being 100% decompiled (via ReCollect64). Handled by the same that worked on the Ocarina of Time decompilation project — ZeldaRET —
News Nintendo Switch Online's NES And Genesis Apps Get Updated To Fancy New NPLN Servers
NEX level!
Nintendo is slowly but surely updating its Nintendo Switch Online apps to new servers, OatmealDome has spotted. The NES NSO app has been updated to version 7.0.0, which converts it from NEX (the old servers) to NPLN (the new servers). This follows in the footsteps of the Genesis / Mega Drive NSO app, which was also recently updated to...
Nintendo Download 12th December (North America)
Chernobylite! Fairy Tail 2! Victory Heat Rally!
The latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy! Switch eShop - Highlights: ANTONBLAST (Summitsphere,...
Japanese Charts FANTASIAN Sneaks Into The Top 10 As Mario Party Rolls Another Winner
Lucky dice
Well, this is becoming something of a trend, isn't it? After retaking the throne last week, Super Mario Party Jamboree has stuck around at the top of the Japanese charts in Famitsu's latest look. In fact, the top three are unchanged this week, with Jamboree, Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe all maintaining their...
News Mew EX Heads To Pokémon TCG Pocket Next Week In New Booster Pack
Mew-sic to our ears
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has announced its first new Booster Pack, and it's coming to the game on 17th December 2024. The new expansion is called Mythic Island and stars Mew EX, alongside Celebi EX, trainer card Blue, Aerodactyl EX, Marshadow, Morelull, and a handful of other newcomers. New cosmetic items and new solo...
Review Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita's Rewind (Switch) - The Mightiest Morphin Ever
What is it with you hero types? Always the same line
Being from the UK, the name 'Rita' never quite sat right with us for Power Rangers. It sounds too much like Rita from down the chip shop, who might ask if you want salt and vinegar with that; or Rita from round the corner, who may or may not be a juvenile delinquent wearing altogether too much...
News Sonic, Tails And Knuckles Get The Stop-Motion Treatment In This New Festive Movie Promo
Five gold RINGS
We're almost halfway through December, so you know what's almost upon us? That's right, it's nearly time for Christmas Day Sonic the Hedgehog 3's theatrical release! Before the blue blur arrives on the big screen for the third time on 20th December, Paramount Pictures is filling the holiday season with festive tie-ins, including the...
Guide The Game Awards 2024: Time, Date - How And When To Watch
Glitz, glamour, games, even gongs
Well, folks, Geoff Keighley is back once again with another round of The Game Awards. This year's event marks the 10th Anniversary of The Game Awards, so we're expecting some big surprises (not necessarily game announcements, mind) and spectacular celebrations. Naturally, with a boatload of sponsored ads sprinkled...
News Sonic-Style Platformer 'Freedom Planet 2' Scores Limited Run Physical Switch Release
Pre-orders open next week
In some surprising news, the excellent Sonic-style platformer Freedom Planet 2 will be getting a Limited Run Games physical release for the Switch. This game originally launched on the eShop earlier this year and received a 9 out of 10 from us here at Nintendo Life. The physical launch will include a standard edition for...
News Every 'Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection' Game Boy, GBC And GBA Title Officially Confirmed
See the full list of games
Following a leak in November, Konami has now officially confirmed the full list of games in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection. As previously revealed - there'll be 14 titles in total, with games from across the Game Boy, Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance era. Here's the full rundown (via Gematsu): Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel...
Round Up The First Reviews For Super Nintendo World: Donkey Kong Country Are In
Here's what the critics had to say
Super Nintendo World's Donkey Kong Country expansion has officially opened its doors in Japan and the first reviews are now rolling in. This new area in Super Nintendo World comes packed with new activities, exclusive food and merchandise, and a new Mine Cart Ride. Generally, the impressions seem to be quite...
News Nintendo Expands Switch Online's NES And Game Boy Color Library With Two More Classics
And a special message from Alexey Pajitnov
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Tetris this year, Nintendo has added Tetris (NES) and Tetris DX (Game Boy Color) to the Switch Online service this week. As part of this, Tetris creator Alexey Pajitnov has also shared a special message - thanking fans for being part of the Tetris legacy for all of this...
Wednesday11th Dec 2024
Review The Thing: Remastered (Switch) - A Great Remaster Of A Half-Great Game
You're gonna have to sleep sometime (we recommend the second half)
Here's the thing about The Thing: Remastered; it's still very much 2002's The Thing. Which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on how much you like your The Thing. 2002's The Thing, you see, which was developed by Computer Artworks and based on the intensely sexy Kurt...
News Retro-Style Platformer 'Ninja 1987' Isn't Shy About Its Inspirations
A gaiden to a gaiden
Ratalaika Games is bringing SEEP's 8-bit platformer Ninja 1987 to Switch this Friday, 13th December 2024. Besides the NES-style visuals, the inspiration for this one is pretty clear — it's a tribute to Ninja Gaiden, Shinobi, and other retro ninja platformers of the '80s and early '90s Developer SEEP is a studio formed by two...
News 3D Print Of Rumoured 'Switch 2' Design Gives Us A Closer Look At OLED Size Comparison
Where do you want this truck-load of salt?
Gosh, the 'Switch 2' rumours really have been coming thick and fast in recent days, huh? Last week saw supposed 'Switch 2' accessories begin to pop up on Chinese marketplaces, with several companies claiming to have seen the final design specs for Nintendo's next console. One such company is iVolver, a...
News The Plucky Squire Will Provide "A Less Hand-Holdy Experience" In Future Update
Streamlined Mode coming "very soon" to Switch
The Plucky Squire was one of our most anticipated releases of 2024, and while we were utterly charmed with the game when it launched, the Switch version in particular had a few rough edges. And one of the biggest complaints others had with the game was the amount of times the game took control away from...
Round Up Day Of The Devs The Game Awards Edition 2024 - Every Announcement, Confirmed Switch Games
Hyper Light Breaker! inKonbini! Demon Tides!
Day of the Devs returns for its second showcase of the year, The Game Awards Edition. Taking place the day before the big ceremony, Double Fine Productions and iam8bit return with their non-profit to show us the very best of the indie game scene. And what a selection we have this time around, ranging...
News Ambient Aquatic Adventure 'Naiad' Finally Flows Onto Switch Today
Dive in!
Publisher and developer HiWarp initially announced that the gorgeous aquatic adventure Naiad would flow onto Switch in 2022. That, obviously, never happened, but after a further two years of waiting, last night's Wholesome Snack showcase finally delivered. Naiad's appearance in the presentation was enough of a surprise, but the dev had...
Random Did You Know About The Korean Version Of Super Mario Bros. Super Show?
It's pretty different!
The Super Mario Bros. Super Show is certainly unique. The animated show, which aired back in 1989, opened with live action segments starring Captain Lou Albano and Danny Wells as Mario and Luigi, respectively, with the bros. getting into some strange situations. But did you know that the Korean version of the show is pretty...
News Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Showcases 'A Barrelful Of Details' In New Trailer
It's almost a month away!
Nintendo isn't holding back on Donkey Kong Country Returns HD details this week, with a second trailer drop arriving... today! The 'barrelful of details' trailer (below) is essentially just an overview trailer, just like every other Nintendo first-party game gets. This runs down all of the things you need to know about the...
News Pokémon Announces Collaboration With Wallace & Gromit Studio
Coming in 2027
The Pokémon Company has just casually announced that it's working with Aardman Animation, the legendary British animation studio known for creating Wallace & Gromit. The project doesn't have a name yet — and we imagine it's a movie, TV short, or a series — but we'll have to wait a while to see it, as it's landing in 2027...
Guide Best Nintendo Christmas Gifts 2024: Switch Games, eShop Credit And Lots More!
The best Nintendo presents and stocking-fillers
If you're looking for the very best Nintendo gift ideas this year, we're here to help with this Nintendo-flavoured Holiday gamer gift guide for 2024. Below, you'll find our top recommendations for stocking fillers and video game-themed gift ideas to brighten your friends and family's day this...
News 'Gal Guardians: Servants Of The Dark' Brings More Castlevania Vibes To Switch In March 2025
A new realm of possibilities
After a surprise reveal back in September, Inti Creates has today announced that Gal Guardians: Servants of the Dark will be hacking and slashing its way to Switch on 27th March 2025. This is a sequel to last year's Gal Guardians: Demon Purge, though the sco
News New Code On Nintendo's Intellectual Property Notice Spawns More 'Switch 2' Speculation
It's all about the codes
Ah, another day, another round of 'Switch 2' speculation. Today's chatter, however, is actually rooted in something on the Switch, after Nintendo's Intellectual Property Notice was updated on the console to include a suspicious new product code. Initially flagged on Twitter by @necrolipe, Nintendo's official Wireless...
Review Fairy Tail 2 (Switch) - Hurt By Its Breakneck Pace, But Still A Step Up
Second time's the charm?
A few years ago, Gust Studios—the popular Atelier RPG factory—decided to do something a little different by putting out a licensed RPG adaptation of the Fairy Tail anime and manga. It wasn’t a particularly great game, but it wasn’t too bad either, and it obviously did well enough with its audience that a sequel was...
News Nintendo Now Officially Owns 100% Of Monolith Soft
The chronicle continues
The 'Company Profile' section of the Monolith Soft website has been updated and it looks like Nintendo now finally owns 100% of the company (thanks, Automaton West). The Big N first staked its claim in Monolith back in 2007, purchasing 80% of its shares from Namco before increasing its proportion to 96% in 2011. It's unclear...
News New Toy Fighter 'Knock Off' Revives Childhood Memories On Switch In 2025
"Set in a nostalgic world where action figures come to life"
The former Kickstarter fighter Knock Off: Battle for Imagination is apparently on its way to the Nintendo Switch in Q4 2025. This information was shared during the Latin American Games Showcase, with the game's aesthetics already drawing some comparisons to old school fighting game...
Round Up The First Impressions Of The Sonic 3 Movie Are In
Here's what critics and fans had to say
Although Sonic the Hedgehog 3 isn't officially out in cinemas until later this month, the blue carpet premiere got underway this week and the first impressions are now rolling in. Overall, it seems fans and critics alike are quite happy with what they've seen so far. We've got a handful of these initial...
News Nintendo Alarmo Has Received A Free Update, Here's What's Included
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe scenes available now
When Nintendo Alarmo was originally revealed, Nintendo mentioned how the sound clock would be getting regular updates adding new features and more. This included mention of more scenes and with this in mind, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has now been added in the latest free update. Here's the announcement, along with...
News 'My Nintendo Rewards' Adds Two New 2025 Calendars, Available Now
One is for "Switch Online members only"
Ahead of next year, the My Nintendo Store is offering two new themed calendars. One is available to regular members and the other is a Switch Online exclusive. First up we have a Switch-themed calendar - available to everyone for 400 Platinum Points. As you can see, you've got all the latest Switch releases...
