Tag: Polls
Anniversary Celebrate Unova As Pokémon Black & White Turns 15
Is that a grey hair we spot?
Pokémon's fifth generation kicked off 15 years ago today with the release of Pokémon Black & White in Japan. On 18th September 2010, the world first stepped foot into Unova, a brand new Pokémon region based on North America, specifically New York City's metropolitan area, with a mix of landmarks inspired by the...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Operation C / Probotector (Game Boy)
Operation Brawl
Well howdy y'all, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we looked at Forsaken for the N64, which yes, we'll admit wasn't the most inspiring duo of box art designs. Nevertheless, North America managed to seal the deal with 59% of the vote. Well done! This week, we're going back to the Game Boy to check out...
Poll So, Will You Be Getting Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 For Switch?
Mario's cosmic adventures return this October
Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 is returning this October as a two-in-one package on the Switch for $69.99 / £58.99. The Switch versions include new features, amiibo functionality, a soundtrack mode, and enhanced resolution on the Switch 2 (4K in docked and 1080p in handheld mode). Each game...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (13th September)
Silksong? That was ages ago, mate. Do try to keep up
Good Mario, morning fans! It's that time of the week once again, and now that the Super Mario 40th anniversary plans have been fully unveiled via the latest Direct...well...we're maybe not gonna be diving into quite as much Mario as we had sorta hoped this weekend, as the likes of Mario Galaxy 1...
Guide Nintendo Direct September 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
How would you rate it?
The September 2025 Nintendo Direct was a bumper showcase, with an hour of announcements for Switch and Switch 2 and a few big surprises - including big first-party news. Below is the full Nintendo Direct September 2025 video, plus every game announcement accompanied by a trailer, any release date info, plus a link to our...
Round Up Everything Announced For Super Mario's 40th Anniversary
A Galaxy of goodies
As expected, Nintendo spent a good chunk of its latest Direct presentation focusing on the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. with a host of announcements both big and small. The platforming icon celebrates his big four-zero on 13th September 2025 and, while we didn't get the brand-new 3D Mario that we were perhaps expecting,...
Talking Point Nintendo Direct September Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
Primed and ready
Nintendo's marketing for the Switch and Switch 2 is going absolutely nuts in 2025. We had a Partner Showcase in July, an Indie World and a Kirby blowout in August, and now we're getting a full-fat, juicy Direct in September. Crikey!
Talking Point Is Hollow Knight: Silksong Too Difficult?
Phar too hard?
The original Hollow Knight was no pushover, but it's safe to say that its sequel is hitting a whole new level of difficulty. You only need look on social media to see that some folks have been struggling with their journey through Pharloom. A few are even going so far as to say that Silksong is "way too difficult to be enjoyable" or...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Forsaken (N64)
For goodness' saken
Greetings, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we checked out the original Harvest Moon for the SNES, and would you believe it, it was actually the more realistic European design that won the day with 46% of the vote. North America was the runner-up with 34%, while Japan only managed 20%. This week, to...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (6th September)
Silky smooth weekend vibes?
Aloha, amigos, and welcome shorts fans, to another weekend. It's been a very, very quiet one this week, with no games of note to menti...oh, hold on. Wait. We've actually been inundated with bangers. I'm terribly sorry. Yes, Hollow Knight: Silksong has finally materialised. It's a real game that you can play right now!...
Poll Three Months In, How Would You Rate Switch 2's Library So Far?
2 much 2 young?
For those of you who managed to bag a Switch 2 on 5th June, you've had that big dock set up near the TV for exactly three months now. Are you tired of 'clacking' those Joy-Con into the system yet? Nope, us neither. In that time, we've seen over 50 games come to the platform, large and small. While some devs are still struggling to...
First Impressions Same But Different? - Our Initial Hours With Hollow Knight: Silksong
A shaw-fire hit early on?
No, you're not hallucinating — that is Hollow Knight: Silksong live on the Switch eShop. After years of waiting, Team Cherry has delivered its Hollow Knight follow-up today (4th September 2025), with Hornet taking centre stage this time around. Now, as you're no doubt are aware at this point, review codes for Silkso
Feature The Road To Silksong: Remembering Seven Years Of Hope, Hype, And Clown Makeup
Nothing but Hornet
In case you somehow missed it, today is Hollow Knight: Silksong Eve Eve. Yes, it's a term that I've just made up, but I've been waiting for this one for the past seven years, so you'll have to forgive me for counting down the days as if I'm on the run up to Christmas. Team Cherry's surprise announcement two weeks ago might have...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give 'Kirby & The Forgotten Land + Star-Crossed World'?
Ludicrously long titles are so hot right now
Kirby landed on Nintendo's latest console last week, a few months ahead of his upcoming Switch 2 exclusive Kirby Air Riders in November. The updated version of Kirby and the Forgotten Land followed on from the snazzy Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of a Switch 1 game released in July, the (similarly)...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects (August 2025)
Our top eShop games on Switch and Switch 2 in August!
We're dreaming of crisp leaves, hot chocolate, and video games by the fire right now. Autumn approaches, but we have one more summer month to look back on in this edition of eShop Selects! August has been a bountiful one, with an Indie World dropping some surprise hits and announcements. So...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Harvest Moon (SNES)
Legen-dairy
Hello everyone, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we looked at Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol, in celebration of the launch of the original game on NSO for Switch 2. And let's be honest, we all knew which would win this one. Yes, with 77% of the vote, the far superior US variant won in a landslide. Good job. This...
Talking Point Would Drag x Drive Be Better With Miis Or Non-Mouse Control Options?
Drab x Drive
August is nearly over, and we've had two first-party releases this month: Kirby and the Long Title Nintendo Employees Are Obliged to Say in its Entirety and Drag x Drive. The Kirby revamp just came out (and it's very good) while Drag and Drive (
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (30th August)
Or have you Forgotten?
The weekend has crept up on us once again, so it's time to kick back with a game or two. Before we get to our plans, however, let's look back on all the Nintendo news that happened this week. Honestly, it was a rather quiet one. Nintendo launched a series of stop-motion Mario shorts and the kid-focused Hello, Mario! app in...
Poll Ahead Of Silksong's Release, Are You 'Finally' Playing Hollow Knight?
It's a deep nest
In case you've been living in the deepest, darkest cave imaginable, Hollow Knight: Silksong is finally launching next week, on 4th September 2025. Fans have been waiting years to get their hands on the sequel to the critically-acclaimed Hollow Knight, and suddenly, we have just over a week to go. Team Cherry has sold almost 15...
Anniversary The First DS Castlevania Game Turns 20 Today
Sorrow won't Dawn here
A new dawn of Castlevania started 20 years ago, as Dawn of Sorrow first launched on the Nintendo DS in Japan on 25th August 2025. Following on directly from the final Castlevania GBA title, Aria of Sorrow, Dawn of Sorrow had big shoes to fill; a shift in art direction and the implementation of the touch screen meant that it's...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Chibi-Robo!: Park Patrol
Power corDS
It's time to plug into another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last time, we matched up a trio of covers for the SNES classic, Super Adventure Island, with the three regions opting for vastly different designs. The disparity wasn't enough to drastically split the vote, mind you, as the golden Japanese variant walked away with a comfortable...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (23rd August)
Take the day OFF
Well folks, it's the weekend once again, which means it's time to get some gaming done! But first, a recap. This week, Capcom launched an intriguing 30th anniversary website for Resident Evil, though there's not much on there right now beyond some cool artwork. Gamescom also happened, which means we got some really cool...
Round Up Gamescom Opening Night Live 2025 - Every Switch 1 & 2 Announcement & Trailer
Indiana Jones! He-Man! Absolum!
Wrapping up the summer of gaming in Cologne, Gamescom 2025 has kicked off with Opening Night Live, a two-plus-hour showcase of new game announcements and updates. And, well, things started off strong for the hybrid consoles, but as the show progressed, the announcements slowed down. That didn't stop us from getting a...
Guide Kirby Air Riders Direct: Every Announcement - How Would You Rate It?
Going into Dededetail
Gosh, well that was a deep dive and a half! Masahiro Sakurai has just wrapped up his detailed rundown of Kirby Air Riders in the latest spotlight Direct, and it was absolutely crammed with information. Sakurai spilled the beans on everything from character rosters to controls, so we've assembled the following breakdown for you...
Random The Pokémon Company Is Putting This Pronunciation Debate To Bed
This is the Ray
We Pokémon fans are no strangers to a mispronunciation or two, and at the recent World Championships, The Pokémon Company was on a mission to put one legendary debate to bed (thanks for the heads up, IGN). If the above image wasn't enough of a giveaway, we're talking about Rayquaza, the Gen III legendary dragon. As it turns out,...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Drag x Drive?
Brag or dive?
The Nintendo first-party releases keep coming, and the first of two for August has wheeled onto the Switch 2. Drag x Drive has been out for a few days now, and it has proven to be a divisive one. Pairing up wheelchair basketball with the Joy-Con 2's Mouse Mode, we actually had a fairly good time with Drag x Drive, with the wonderful...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Super Adventure Island (SNES)
Super duper
Hello, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we looked at WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$ for the GBA – a true classic and one of our favourites here at NL Towers. North America and Europe joined forced against Japan and, uh... Oh, poor Japan. The western design won with a whopping 91% of the vote! We quite like...
Feature 32 Games We're Dying To See On Switch 2
We'd give our right Joy-Con 2
The first months of Switch 2's life have seen plenty of multiplatform games arrive on Nintendo's newest console — winners like Cyberpunk 2077, No Man's Sky, Apex Legends, and Yakuza 0 to name a handful — and its extra power affords devs the chance to bring newer, bigger, more ambitious games to the platform where...
Talking Point What Are You Playing This Weekend? (16th August)
Excelsior!
The freakin' weekend is finally upon us, and we've got games to play! Before we get into our plans, though, let's recap the week. It was a pretty quiet one in Nintendo Land, with not so much as a whiff of a Direct — which is weird, after the last three weeks of showcases. Nintendo revealed an all-new Mario Kart World event in Japan,...
Poll So, Will You Be Getting The Switch 2's Next Exclusive 'Drag x Drive'?
"Get ready for a whole new ball game"
Last weekend, Nintendo held a special 'Global Jam' for the Switch 2 exclusive, Drag x Drive. This game is described as "the next generation" of 3-on-3 sports, where you use the mouse controls to speed around the court, and flick your wrists to perform tricks and shoot some hoops. To top it off, you can join in...
Anniversary Paper Mario First Unfolded On N64 25 Years Ago
And the book's still open
25 years ago today, 11th August, Mario jumped into a whole new dimension. Today marks the anniversary of the N64 turn-based RPG, Paper Mario — which is a pretty big deal, because that means the entire series is also celebrating its quarter-century anniversary. Feeling old yet? Originally planned to be developed by...
Talking Point Where On Earth Are The Switch 2 Soundtracks On Nintendo Music?
For the Melody Motorway
Ohhhhh, Zeebraaaa, Zeebraaaaa, ZEEBRAAAAA!~ Here I am, tapping out once again to the Zebra Bananza theme. It's a song fit for Carnival, a blend of styles from all across Latin America — the Brazilian Samba, the Cuban Salsa, the Argentinian Tango. Every time DK beats his chest and transforms into the buffest Zebra you've...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$!
Vote!
Welcome, cover fans, to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Before we head into this week's match-up, let's have a quick reminder of what went down last weekend. It was a one-on-one face-off for the GBA's The Hobbit, which saw the gloomy North American/European cover go up against the colourful Japanese variant. Somewhat surprisingly to us, it...
Guide Nintendo Indie World Showcase August 2025 - Every Announcement, Game Reveal & Trailer
How would you rate it?
The August 2025 Nintendo Direct was an Indie World Showcase featuring 15 minutes of games from independent devs coming to Switch 2 and Switch 1 this year and into 2026. Featuring release dates for previously announced games plus some brand new reveals, it was a decent little showing after the Partner Showcase in July, and...
Poll So, Will You Be Getting The Switch 2 Upgrade For Kirby And The Forgotten Land?
The pink puff returns
It's a new month, and it means we're slowly getting closer to the release of another Switch game upgrade for the Switch 2. Yes, apart from EA's update to Apex Legends this week, later this month Nintendo will also be launching Kirby and the Forgotten Land - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Star Crossed World. In case you missed it,...
Talking Point Nintendo Indie World Showcase Predictions - What Do You Hope To See?
It's Nintendo's Indie World, we're all just living in it
Nintendo is going absolutely crazy as tomorrow, 7th August 2025, we're getting our second video game showcase for the Switch 2 and Switch. And it's an Indie World. Indie World showcases are always a nice surprise, and given that this is the first for the Switch 2 gen, we might well be seeing...
Feature Nintendo Life eShop Selects (July 2025)
Our picks for the best eShop games on Switch and Switch 2 in July!
Another month down, another eShop Selects to welcome in the new one. Yes, hello folks, it's your regularly scheduled eShop Selects, this time for July 2025. As always, we're looking at the best of the rest — the best eShop exclusives you may have missed on Switch 1 and Switch 2...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: The Hobbit (GBA)
This Ori That
Assemble your best team of warriors, kings, wizards and burglars, because it's time to embark on a Box Art Brawl adventure. But before Gandalf comes a-knocking, let's take a look at what went down last week, when we matched up two different covers for Blast Corps. In the battle of East and West, Japan came out on top, with the badass...
Guide Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase July 2025: Every Announcement, Game Reveal, Trailer
How would you rate it?
The July 2025 Nintendo Direct delivered 25 minutes of Switch 2 game news from third-party publishers, including release dates for previously announced titles and brand-new reveals. In this round-up you'll find everything announced in the Partner Showcase, as well as the full Nintendo Direct July 2025 video, trailers for each...
Feature Nintendo Partner Direct Predictions - What Do You Expect To See?
Well, howdy
There's a new Nintendo Direct coming very soon, and it's a Partner Showcase, which means it's time for third parties to shine. Since launch, we've seen some big hitters from publishers like Capcom (Street Fighter 6), CD Projekt (Cyberpunk), and SEGA (Yakuza 0), but despite a
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Super Mario Party Jamboree TV?
NS2 Edition Hyper Partying Redux Deluxe ++
With Donkey Kong still basking in the limelight a couple of weeks after the excellent Bananza launched, you might have missed Nintendo's second first-party Switch 2 release to hit the eShop in as many weeks. Sure, it's more of an addendum to 2024's Super Mario Party Jamboree, but we consider the original...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Blast Corps
Hardcorps
Welcome back to the Brawl, my friends! Last week, North America and Europe duked it out over Weaponlord on the Super NES, with NA giving their EU PALs a good wholloping and taking home 85% of the vote. Today, we're looking back at Rare's Blast Corps, a delightful piece of nonsense from Twycross' 64-bit masters which saw you destroying...
Poll So, Have You Tried Out Pokémon Friends On Switch Or Mobile Yet?
It got a surprise release this week
The latest Pokémon Presents broadcast earlier this week included the surprise release of a new puzzle game called Pokémon Friends. It's available now as a free download on mobile devices and a one-time payment from the Switch eShop. Along with this are additional transactions, including DLC packs, which add...
Poll So, Will You Be Getting Super Mario Party Jamboree For Switch 2?
Go on, tell us
Nintendo bolstered the Switch 2 library this week with the release of Super Mario Party Jamboree - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV. Now that the reviews have been released, and everyone has had some time to check them out, we're curious to know if you're planning on getting the Switch 2 version, the upgrade, or will you be...
Guide Pokémon Presents July 2025: Every Announcement, Full Livestream
Z-A! Friends! The Misadventures of Sirfetch'd and Pichu
And just like a Quick Attack, the second Pokémon Presents is all over and done with. It was a pretty packed one this time around, but there weren't any real surprises, with the usual glut of mobile updates accompanying some delightful-looking shows and another look at the big-ticket item of...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Donkey Kong Bananza?
Return of the Kong
Last week Donkey Kong returned to the world of 3D platforming over 25 years since his last fully-3D outing in DK64 - and what a return it was! Donkey Kong Bananza scored an 'Excellent' 9/10 in Jim's review, and most of Team NL has spent this weekend having a smashing time catching up with DK, Diddy, Dixie, and (Void) co. in what...
Poll Has Donkey Kong Bananza Made You Feel Ill?
Motion sickness doing the rounds
Donkey Kong Bananza is out now, and it seems that the vast majority of people have been thoroughly enjoying DK's latest adventure on Switch 2. According to some reports, however, it seems a small minority have been experiencing some pretty severe motion sickness with the game. This came to our attention via a Reddit...
Poll Box Art Brawl - Duel: Weaponlord (SNES)
Oh lord
Greetings – welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Last week, we looked at Disney's Magical Quest 3 Starring Mickey and Donald on the GBA, and it was a surprisingly close battle. In the end, Japan won with 42% of the vote. Europe came in second place with 30%, and North America bagged 27%. This time, we're going back to the SNES to...
Poll Box Art Brawl: Disney's Magical Quest 3 Starring Mickey And Donald (GBA)
Oh boy!
Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl! Looking back at last week, we checked out Star Wars: Rogue Squadron for the N64, pitting North America and Europe against Japan. It wasn't even close either, with the western design winning with a resounding 89% of the vote. 89%! We quite like the Japanese design too... This...
Feature 33 Games With 'Secret' Performance Bumps You Should Revisit On Switch 2
Update: Now with even more games
Update: And we're back for a final (hmm, we'll see, but probably final!) round of 11 more Switch 1 games that are worth revisiting on Switch 2. To check those out, head to the bottom of this page and click on page 3 to see even more improved goodness! One pleasant surprise of the Switch 2 launch, beyond the...
