Tag: Talking Point - Page 4
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 18th)
Adventures big and small
We all needed a quieter week after last week's Nintendo Direct blow-out, and that's exactly what we got. But don't worry, there's still plenty to talk about, and plenty of games on the horizon. Pokémon Scarlet & Violet's big patch is coming soon, and we've got all of the patch notes for you.
Talking Point Which Nintendo Console Has The Best First-Party Games Lineup?
Best of the best
With the Game Boy and GBA libraries getting added to the Switch recently, we've been thinking about all of the games that might be coming our way over the next few months. This, in turn, got us thinking about just how many great first-party games were available on those two systems. Indeed, we thought along the very same lines when...
Talking Point 20 Years Of The Best Game Boy Ever - How Did You Get Your GBA SP?
Love letters to our SPecial ones
On 14th February 2003, Nintendo gave Japanese gamers a Valentine's to remember when it released the Game Boy Advance SP. Those outside Japan would have to wait until March to get their hands on this gorgeous clamshell redesign of the GBA which came — mercifully — with a front-lit screen (the back-lit AGS-101...
Talking Point What Do You Name Link When You're Playing A Zelda Game?
New game, new name
We are but a few months away now from the release of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (finally) and it is fair to say that many of us are just a little bit excited. We recently got a look at the second trailer for it, and one of the ways that we have been channelling this excitement until 12th May is through replaying...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 11th)
Primed and ready
Phew - this was a pretty busy week, huh? To kick off the week, we took you through some of the highlights from Nintendo's latest financial report for Q3 of fiscal year 2023. This included the rather stupendous new sales milestone for the Switch, with the console now exceeding Game Boy and PlayStation 4 total sales. We also learned...
Talking Point Who Did You Marry In Fire Emblem: Awakening?
Fire of love
For better or for worse, Fire Emblem today is a different beast to what it was a decade ago. Fire Emblem Engage brought back the weapons triangle, a combat-first focus, and the wonderful Engage mechanic, but at what cost? The social aspect (one of the biggest selling points in previous games) takes a tumble in the most recent entry. The...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (February 4th)
Game on!
Well folks, we made it through January and the upcoming months are looking bright (in gaming, at least). It's now fewer than 100 days until the release of Tears of the Kingdom so the countdown is well and truly on. This week at Nintendo Life, we had a chance to get hands on with Theatrhythm Final Bar Line, and we also
Talking Point Which Mario Suits Do You Want To See In The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Thinking inside the box
We are still a couple of months away from the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie on 7th April 2023, but that means that the publicity can only increase from here. Remember that brief period of trepidation where none of us knew what the movie would look, sound, or even remotely be like? Ah, what sweet bliss. Now, we know...
Talking Point 15 Years On, Should Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary Return?
In Smash Space, no one can hear you brawl
Well blimey, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is celebrating its 15th anniversary in Japan today! That's right, the third entry in what is one of the most iconic Nintendo franchises launched on 31st January 2008, and for many — even with how huge Melee was — this is what created some of the most iconic Smash...
Talking Point Do We Need Another Pokémon Mystery Dungeon On Switch?
Putting the "fun" in d(f)ungeon
I've been thinking a lot about Pokémon Mystery Dungeon recently. Maybe it's the list of spin-offs I recently wrote up, which reminded me just how many excellent/terrible Pokémon spin-offs exist out there, or maybe it's the fact that when I was writing my answer to the question "What Pokémon game should be the next...
Talking Point Where Should The Next Pokémon Legends Game Take Place?
And who should be the 'legend'?
It's hard to believe it, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a year old today. This Pokémon game took us back to the distant past and completely shook up the formula of what we all expected from a mainline Pokémon entry. And, quite frankly, we want more of what it gave us. Legends: Arceus sees you get thrown back in...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 28th)
Shaken not stirred
Well here we are folks. It's the final week of January and we have had our first big Nintendo release of the year. Consider 2023 to be well and truly underway! This week at Nintendo Life, we got all kinds of excited for the eventual release of GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo Switch Online N64 library and suggested a quick fix for...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 21st)
Flame on
January has felt like a long one, we'll admit, but we are almost at the end of it now and we have Nintendo's first big release of 2023 to show for it! After all the character profiles, gameplay trailers and developer interviews, Fire Emblem Engage is finally here in all of its tactical glory. In recognition of the gaming year starting to...
Talking Point In 2023, Do You Still Care About amiibo?
Or are you amiibored?
Nintendo's amiibo line has been going for over eight years now. Originally launched back on November 21st, 2014 in North America alongside Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, the toys-to-life figurine series has maintained relatively steady interest while competitors like Disney Infinity and Skylanders have completely fallen by the...
Talking Point Does Nintendo's Next Console Have To Be 'Another' Switch?
Bait and Switch?
Let’s talk about comeback stories. The Mighty Ducks. Robert Downey Jr. Rocky. Nintendo in 2017. Yep, after the launch of the Wii U, many may have thought that the Big N was out for the count (well, not completely, but certainly left licking its proverbial wounds), but did this come to pass? You bet your chunky GamePad it didn’t...
Talking Point What Is The Most Frustrated You've Ever Been With A Video Game?
From button mashing to controller smashing
We love playing video games. It can be a mode of escape, a time to relax, a story to get deep into, or something to stimulate the mind. But the fact of the matter is, we also hate playing video games. They can be really hard, we lose unfairly, a mechanic doesn't sit right, or we forget to save. Of course,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 14th)
Game on
With the Christmas chocolates finally dwindling in number, we think it's fair to say that 2023 is well under way. And as the year kicks off, so too do we see the return of gaming news — nature is healing, people! This week at Nintendo Life, we have been welcoming in the new year with open arms, looking to the months ahead and talking...
Talking Point After Pixel Remaster, What's Next For Final Fantasy On Switch?
The final countdown?
At the end of 2022, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy PIxel Remaster, a collection composed of revamped versions of Final Fantasy I through VI, would finally be making its way to Nintendo Switch, putting to rest many months of speculation from eager fans. It’s big news, as its release means that FF-loving Switch owners...
Talking Point So, When Will Nintendo Announce Its Next Console?
Grab your dartboard
Another year, another round of 'New Nintendo Switch Pro/2/+/On/Up/Over' rumours. Whispers of new or updated Switch hardware have been doing the rounds since practically the launch of the console back in 2017, and the start of 2023 has brought with it a fresh round of speculation as to when exactly Nintendo will debut its next...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (January 7th)
A new year dawns
It's 2023 and the lights are back on at Nintendo Life Towers. While January can often be something of a sleepy month as the gaming industry rears its head from a Christmas-induced slumber, we are up and raring to dive into what looks to be an interesting year for Nintendo. This week, we have shared our thoughts on 2023's first big...
Talking Point Which Zelda-Themed Nintendo Console Has The Best Design?
Special addiction
When it comes to console special editions, Nintendo takes the biscuit. Whether it's a colour variant, a game release exclusive, or a nod back to retro consoles of the past, the company is constantly looking for ways to get a 'new' model out on the market and, so it seems, get the money out of our pockets. No more so is this the...
Talking Point Which Zelda Game Should You Play First?
Where should you start if you're new to The Legend?
The announcement of a solid release date for BOTW2 The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom marked the beginning of a new, more intense phase of enthusiasm for one of the most anticipated sequels of the decade. Sure, a new Zelda game is always big news, but when it's a follow-up to one of the most...
Talking Point Professor Layton And The Lost Franchise: Where Did The Beloved Puzzle Series Go?
This reminds me of a puzzle...
From the late 2000s to the mid-2010s, my gaming experience was all about learning to become a gentleman. This was a central topic which ran throughout the Professor Layton series. If Professor Hershel Layton wore a trench coat, I wore a trench coat; if he drank fruity tea, I drank fruity tea; if he was reminded of a...
Talking Point What Game Do You Replay Every Year?
New year, old game
We did it everyone! 2022 is finally behind us and 2023 stretches happily into the great beyond. This is to be a year full of promise, a year of hope, a year of enough Nintendo releases (with any luck) to squeeze out an almost literal cry from our bank accounts. But for the moment we're not thinking about the future, we're looking...
Talking Point What Was The Video Gaming 'Theme' Of 2022?
Maybe it was just "more video games"
Hey, remember in 2022's Summer Game Fest when every other trailer was about scary things happening in space? It was like, "hey, what if Dead Space was everything"? What a fun time that was. But it highlighted something important in video games: The fact that every year more or less has a trend. Like how 2017 was...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 31st)
High res resolutions
Happy New Year's Eve good reader! Congratulations! You've almost made it through 2022 and we think it is fair to say that we have had some good gaming to show for it. Here at Nintendo Life, we have spent the week looking back over the past year with fondness, re-reading some of our favourite pieces from 2022 and putting them...
The perils of dipping a toe in a franchise
It started with a simple question: Which Dragon Quest should I play first? It's one of my gaming shames that I've never touched Square Enix's hallowed RPG series, and I've been wanting to dig into something really meaty for many months now. Sure, I've got about 30 unplayed RPGs ready and waiting on Switch...
Talking Point How's Your Switch Holding Up After 5 Years?
Memories and mistreatment
Switch is officially five years old now, and it's got us thinking back half a decade to our very first interactions with the little console that could. Whether we were lucky enough to get our hands on an early review unit, or marched down to our local video game emporium to pick up a pre-order, or winged it on the...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 24th)
Festive edition!
"So this is Christmas, and what have you done?" These were the words sung by the legendary John Lennon in perhaps the most depressing Christmas song of all time. But in answer to your question, John, we're having quite a busy one, actually. We have been prepping all things game of the year this week, with us Nintendo Life staff...
Talking Point What's The Deal With The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch Release?
Final Font-asy
It’s finally happening – the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series is coming to Switch, and it’s about bloomin’ time! We’re pretty darn excited here. The first six Final Fantasy games on the NES and SNES – Final Fantasy I, II, III, IV, V, and VI – on a Nintendo console for the first time since
Talking Point What Would You Want To See In A 'Mega Man 12'?
Mega (old) Man
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the first Mega Man, the game that kickstarted a remarkably iconic franchise in the video game industry, spawning ten direct sequels, multiple spin-off games, comics, tv shows, and more. The latest entry to the series, Mega Man 11, launched back in 2018 and we thought it was excellent. In our 9/10...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 17th)
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas
It has certainly been a festive week this time around at Nintendo Life. We've been busy getting all things ready for the end of the year and are now ready to catch up on all of the great games that we have missed in the meantime. The week brought us our Nintendo Switch Year in Review (always a reminder...
Talking Point As Zelda: Wind Waker Turns 20, Doesn't Toon Link Deserve A Second Chance?
Big eyes, big dreams
Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s Japanese release and after all of these years, we think that it is finally safe to say that Nintendo’s punt paid off. By ‘punt’ we don’t refer to the idea of putting Link on a boat – whatever will they think of next, putting him on a train??...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 10th)
Award winners and wheel spinners
It has been yet another fun-filled week here at Nintendo Life and we are ready to once again hit the ol' games this weekend. In the past seven days we have had The Game Awards (and the absence of any Tears of the Kingdom news thereof), a brand new
Talking Point Are You Excited To See Call Of Duty Return To Nintendo Platforms?
Whisky tango foxtrot
In case you missed the recent bombshell from Xbox Game Studios' CEO Phil Spencer, the business executive confirmed in a tweet that Microsoft would enter into a ten-year commitment to bring Call of Duty to Nintendo platforms following the presumed merger of Microsoft and Activision-Blizzard. <related ids="142197"> The...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (December 3rd)
Splatting, catching and slashing
"How many different franchise can we feasibly hear news about this week?" We might have asked on Monday here at Nintendo life. The answer: all of them. The past seven days have seen us reporting on the new Mario movie trailer, breaking down the intricacies of Splatoon 3's new update, reporting on Nintendo Switch...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 26th)
The reign of Pokémon continues
After last week's release of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, you might have thought that it would have been a slightly quieter one for Nintendo Life this time around - well think again! To say that it has been a week of Pokémon would be an understatement. We have discussed the games' best new 'mon designs, noted
Talking Point What's The Best New Pokémon Design In Pokémon Scarlet & Violet?
Gotta judge 'em all
There are 107 new Pokémon in Scarlet and Violet, including all new evolutions, forms, and legendaries — and we're here today to pick the very best of them. Our writers (the ones playing Pokémon, anyway) have sat down to decide their favourite Pokémon designs out of those 107 — and even though our picks are sometimes...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 19th)
ScaViikend
It looks like we are just about there folks, Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is finally here which surely means there are no more trailers, 'mon reveals or surprise announcements for the next few weeks, right? This week has been a busy one here at Nintendo Life. Aside from the release of Scarlet and Violet (for which we discussed the pros...
Talking Point Do You Name Your Pokémon?
Pikachu or Pik-yer-nose?
With every improvement and addition that each new mainline Pokémon entry brings, there are a handful of features that remain unchanged since the launch of the franchise more than 25 years ago: the ability to heal up at a Pokémon Centre, the appearance of the "technology is incredible" guy, and — of course — the option...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 12th)
Ladies and gentlemen, The Weekend
With yet another trailer dropping for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, an Indie World showcase and the Nintendo financial report getting released, it has been quite the week here at Nintendo Life! We covered all of the great indie titles that will be heading to Switch in the coming months - including sitting down with...
Poll So, Animal Crossing: New Leaf Or New Horizons - Which Do You Like Best?
Don't Leaf me this way
Today marks exactly ten years since Animal Crossing: New Leaf was first released on 3DS. Outside Japan, we had to wait until June the following year to become mayor in our autostereoscopic 3D hamlets, although its Switch counterpart, Animal Crossing: New Horizons, would be the first game in the main series to get a...
Talking Point What's The Best Use Of Licensed Music In A Switch Game?
(No, it's not Mad World)
You know that feeling you get when you're driving down a highway at sunset, and the perfect song comes on the radio? All of a sudden, it feels like you're in a music video, or that bit at the start of a '90s teen movie, where everything is sparkling and perfect. The music becomes a soundtrack, and your life becomes a story...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (November 5th)
Bonfire Night gaming
Remember, remember the 5th November, gunpowder, treason and gaming. It's something along those lines, right? While we can't really comment on the first two of these, we have had a week filled with the third here at Nintendo Life. The week kicked off with Halloween, and we got into the spirit by chatting about the gaming moments...
Talking Point Which Scary Video Game Moments Gave You Nightmares As A Kid?
Mummy!
As one moves into adulthood, it's possible to look back and laugh at things that once terrified you. Sure, the adult world contains more than its fair share of horrors worth recoiling from, but at least we gamers can look back at the digital scares of our youth with a satisfied smile, knowing we've conquered our childish fears. Right? Well,...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 29th)
BAEonetta
After two weeks of back-and-forth drama, we are pleased that Bayonetta 3 is finally out to rave reviews. We are never going to have to talk about another VA dispute ever again, right? Yes, the gun-slinging, crowd-winning Umbra Witch is back and (not to spoil the following feature) we are excited to play. While we awaited the game's...
Talking Point Would You Prefer 'Super Mario Odyssey 2' Or A Totally New 3D Mario?
And can you believe Odyssey launched five years ago today?
It's kind of scary to think that Super Mario Odyssey is now five years old; that's half a decade! Launched back on October 27th, 2017, Nintendo was already firing on all cylinders at that point, having released the likes of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and...
Talking Point The Mummy Demastered - Has A Better Game Ever Come From A Worse Movie?
Everything the movie wasn't. Fun!
Just recently, actor Brendan Fraser offered up his thoughts on why 2017’s The Mummy failed to garner both critical and commercial success. The movie, starring Tom Cruise and Sofia Boutella, was meant to serve as the jumping off point for Universal Pictures’ ‘Dark Universe’, which would effectively link...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (October 22nd)
Persona-fied rabbits
Wow. This week has been so full of news, we would be hesitant to add any more for fear of bursting. After long anticipating the releases of Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope and Persona 5 Royal on the Switch, who would have thought that Bayonetta 3 drama would overshadow it all? Hey, welcome to the world of Nintendo! Aside from...
Talking Point Given The Voice Artist Controversy, Will You Be Boycotting Bayonetta 3?
How much are creatives worth?
Note. Since this article was originally published, new claims have emerged which offer a different version of events leading to this dispute. Read more here: A New Bayonetta 3 Report Features A Differing Account Of PlatinumGames’ VA Pay Offer You'll no doubt have seen your social feeds ablaze with controversy...