March 26, 202511 min readA Near-Miss with a City-Killer Asteroid Highlights Gaps in Earths DefensesThe threat from near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 may have subsided, but discoveries of other hazardous space rocks are set to soar as new observatories come onlineBy Robin George Andrews edited by Lee Billings Mark Garlick/Science Photo Library/Alamy Stock PhotoIn mid-February 2025 astronomers announced that 2024 YR4a recently discovered asteroid big enough to severely damage or even destroy a citystood a 3.1 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032. At that moment, it officially became the most dangerous space rock known to science. But its reign of terror was brief: just a week later, additional telescopic observations allowed astronomers to refine their projections of 2024 YR4s orbital path, and the asteroids impact odds crateredto most everyones great relief.But theres more to this story besides the chills and thrills of a near miss. 2024 YR4s threat was no exercise; it tested the mettle of Earths staunchest planetary defenders in ways all too real. And although they passed with flying colors, theres always next time. Astronomers have, to date, found about 16,000 asteroids roughly the size of this one in near-Earth orbits around the suna seemingly impressive figure, save for the fact that some 215,000 more are thought to still be out there undiscovered.Sooner or later, chances are that astronomers will find a menacing asteroid on an actual collision course with our planet. The saga of 2024 YR4 offers a cautionary preview of how the worlds spacefaring nations would need to react when that happens.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.This would have been a delicate case, says Juan Luis Cano, an aerospace engineer with the European Space Agencys Near-Earth Object Coordination Center (NEOCC) in Italy. And thats because, while stopping an asteroid striking Earth is already difficult, doing it in under eight years could have easily pushed our technological capabilities to their outermost limits.This is effectively something we didnt really say to the public because we were pretty sure the risk would be removed, but if it didnt, the situation was not really ideal, says Patrick Michel, principal investigator of Hera, an ESA mission helping to test and characterize asteroid deflection techniques. A successful mission to deflect or destroy 2024 YR4 was not infeasible, Michel says. But it would not have allowed us any error.A Global ResponseAstronomers discovered 2024 YR4 on December 27 of last year, two days after the asteroid made a close approach to Earth. Initial observations quickly put its size between 40 meters and 90 meters. Soon after, three independent orbital dynamics groupsNASAs Center for Near Earth Object Studies in California, ESAs NEOCC and the privately owned Near Earth Objects Dynamics Site in Italydetermined that the odds of an impact on December 22, 2032, reached 1 percent.This is an important threshold, says Kelly Fast, acting planetary defense officer at NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office. An asteroid around this size that stands a 1 percent or greater chance of hitting Earth within the next half century is officially a cause for concern under prevailing planetary defense protocols. And, Fast says, everything happened the way it should.The United Nationssupported International Asteroid Warning Network, or IAWNan authority that, among other things, keeps the world informed about impact threatsissued a global alert. Another U.N.-backed group, the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), composed of countries with space agencies, began to discuss possible mitigation responses. Many U.N. countries who currently do not get along super well were discussing this together, says Michel, who is a member of IAWNs steering committee.Astronomers all over the world began tracking the asteroid and sharing their data, while NASAs Sentry and ESAs Aegis orbital dynamics software programs autonomously and continuously refined 2024 YR4S orbit and its impact odds in full view of the press and public. Interagency cooperation went swimmingly. You had these independent ways of calculating the orbit, Fast says. And to be able to check each other was great.But for the worlds planetary defense groups, the frenzy of activity for the first few weeks of 2025 was all-consuming. 2024 YR4 easily overwhelmed everything else that we were doing, says Kathryn Kumamoto, head of the planetary defense program at the nuclear physicsfocused Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Imagine, for a moment, if there had been two or more different threatening asteroids to track rather than just one.Besides such the more the merrier concerns, uncertainties over the size and trajectory of 2024 YR4 posed additional problems.Initial observations of the asteroid relied on its reflected sunlight, and a small, shiny space rock can bounce back the same amount of light as a larger, duller one. This led to 2024 YR4s relatively wide 40-to-90-meter size estimate, which left lots of wiggle room for projections of how much damage it could cause. If a 40-meter asteroid were to score a direct hit on a city, it would cause widespread damage and some fatalities but wouldnt wipe that metropolis off the map. A city-striking 90-meter asteroid would be an order of magnitude more destructive; it would vaporize the impact site and spark a mass casualty event while spreading destruction tens of miles further afield.Astronomers enlisted the giant, infrared-attuned James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) for follow-up observations. They hoped to pin down the actual size before mid-April, when the asteroids orbital path would take it beyond the sight of JWST and all other telescopes. But by the time JWST turned its gaze to 2024 YR4 in early March, better estimates of the asteroids trajectory had already ruled out a 2032 impact.Thankfully, the improved forecast eliminated one particularly worrisome scenario in which 2024 YR4 would fade from view while still bearing a significant impact risk. Otherwise astronomers could have been forced to wait until the asteroids next close approach, in 2028, to get more definitive observations. That wouldve been four long years in which all that could be said was that the asteroid might hit Earth in a projected impact corridor that stretched from remote patches of ocean and uninhabited desert to densely populated cities such as Lagos, Nigeria, and Mumbai, India.For those hoping to stave off disaster, we couldnt afford to wait for four years for it to come back and then say, okay, we know the answer, Kumamoto says. Given enough time, we can definitely deal with that size of object. And then time was the interesting question here.Deflection and DisruptionRather than wait until 2028 for more information, the planetary defense community wondered if a reconnaissance probe could be launched (or coopted from current active space missions) to catch up to 2024 YR4 ahead of time. Such scouting could determine the asteroids size and its mass and gather crucial hints about its overall structure, which could range from weakly bound rubble pile to mechanically rigid, monolithic rock.All wed need is a camera and some thrusters, Kumamoto says. To save time, groups assessed the potential emergency usage of several spacecraft already enroute to different asteroids, including NASAs OSIRIS-APEX and Lucy spacecraft, ESAs Hera mission and Japans Hayabusa2# probebut none proved to be a good fit for the orbital maneuvers required to reach 2024 YR4.That raised the prospect of something entirely unprecedented: building and launching a threat-mitigation mission against a target about which little was known and that could ultimately prove to be totally harmless.Assuming, however, that 2024 YR4 was bound for Earth in this what-if scenario, we still could have gotten relatively lucky. If its on the smaller end, and its going to hit in the middle of the ocean, maybe thats fine, Kumamoto says. Such an outcome would have produced a powerful shockwave but in an uninhabited area; not even a tsunami would have been guaranteed because most of the asteroid wouldve likely broken apart and burned to ashes while traversing Earths atmosphere. In that case, a good option would have been to do nothing.If the impact site had been narrowed down to a populated area, though, the choice could either have been to evacuate the locality and take the hit or, more likely, to try deflecting or destroying 2024 YR4 before it could strike. Planetary defenders tend to prefer deflection because its gentler and more predictable. Destroying the asteroid (experts use the term disrupting) involves breaking it into pieces, and this only works if the resulting debris misses Earth or is small enough to burn up harmlessly in the atmosphere. Disrupting a larger asteroid into smaller, but still sizable, shards would still be a disasterit would merely transform a cannonball into a spray of buckshot still speeding toward our planet.Another reason many experts prefer deflection is that its the only mitigation method thats been tested on an actual space rock: in 2022 NASAs Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission spectacularly showed how slamming an uncrewed kinetic impactor spacecraft into a large asteroid can change its orbit. But this method isnt like playing billiards in space, with a single kinetic impactor bashing an asteroid into a radical new direction; rather, such impacts impart small nudges so that one small orbital shift adds up over years to change an Earth-striking asteroid into an Earth-avoiding one.Computer simulations by researchers at Lawrence Livermore suggest that a 90-meter asteroid could be confidently deflected away from Earth by one single DART-esque kinetic impactorbut that this orbital shift would take 10 years to unfold. Asteroid 2024 YR4 may have been 90 meters in length and may have struck Earth in 2032. Eight years is tight, Kumamoto says. And so both deflection and disruption were under consideration for 2024 YR4.Lets say 2024 YR4 was smaller, about 50 meters in size. If it was bound to hit Earths edge as a glancing blow, then a gentler nudge by a single DART-like spacecraft might have succeeded. But if it was destined for a more direct hit, then a more powerful kinetic impactorperhaps several of themmight have been required.If you needed to move it a significant distance, then we run into the possibility that we end up fragmenting the asteroid, says Kumamotoand you dont want to accidentally break it and risk a larger fragment still impacting Earth. But at that 50-meter size range, if you attacked 2024 YR4 with enough force, then you could shatter it into inconsequentially sized pieces that might only startle onlookers and shatter a few windows. If somethings 50 meters and a few 10-meter objects hit [Earth], thats maybe not so terrible, says Andy Rivkin, an astronomer at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, who helmed the proposal to use JWST to observe the asteroid.Going NuclearSome experts argue, however, that something as fraught as asteroid mitigation would demand the assurances that seemingly only one extreme measure can provide. When in doubt, going nuclear should suffice.These nuclear options ... are always brought up by our American colleagues, Cano says. Thats to be expected. Various national labs that help maintain the U.S. nuclear arsenal have conducted complex supercomputer simulationsand even some lab-based experimentsdesigned to (safely) work out the efficacy of using nukes to deflect or disrupt asteroids. And that work suggests nukes can be remarkably effective.For example, recent Lawrence Livermore research has shown that the close-up detonation of a one-megaton nuke could vaporize a 100-meter asteroid, which would have covered the largest possible version of 2024 YR4. But why stop there? One could opt for an even more ludicrously powerful nuclear blast to ensure the entire asteroid would be reduced to insignificant smithereens. During the high-level discussions about 2024 YR4, disruptioneither using a kinetic impactor or a nuclear devicewere kind of both on the table, Kumamoto says.Nukes can serve for deflection scenarios, too. Irradiating one side of an asteroid with a nuclear blasts x-rays would yield an incandescent jet of rock vapor, which, like a short-lived rocket, would push 2024 YR4 to the side more forcefully than a DART-like impact.Of course, although going nuclear may on paper appear as the best shot at protecting the planet, policy matters complicate things. Aside from the fact that its technically illegal to use nukes in space, the geopolitical precariousness (and environmental risks) associated with strapping them to giant space rockets could be particularly problematic. If we had ourselves in a situation where that was the only option, it would be really challenging, Fast says.If 2024 YR4 was on the larger end of the size range and had remained a danger even after it was observed again in 2028, SMPAG and the community could have presented world leaders with a stark choice: use multiple DART-like kinetic impactorseach requiring a perfect launch and a flawless journey through space to 2024 YR4or deploy a single spacecraft armed with one powerful nuclear bomb. Which choice would be more palatablethe one with more possible points of failure or the simpler one that risks inflaming tensions between nuclear-armed nations?Fortunately, for 2024 YR4, we wont have to find out. But dont rest too easy: more Earth-threatening asteroids are coming.Thats perhaps the most important takeaway lesson from the case of 2024 YR4, says Richard Binzel, an asteroid hazards expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Soon this same sort of situation will shift from being a novelty to becoming routine.NASAs asteroid-hunting Near-Earth Object Surveyor space telescope will be launched by the end of the decade, and with the U.S.-funded, multipurpose Vera Rubin Observatorywhich will find millions of asteroids in just a few months of operationscoming online this year, many potentially hazardous space rocks will be identified. Because our eyesight is improving with these new surveys, well begin to see whats always been there, Binzel says. Expect more news stories to feature asteroids with rapidly fluctuating impact odds in the coming years.Another lesson? Time is the most important factor for planetary defense, bar none. Most if not all dangerously sized asteroids will miss the planet. The hope is that, with these next-gen telescopes, the few that might hit Earth will be spotted with decades rather than mere years of lead timeallowing scientists and policymakers to muster Earths defenses with considerably less time pressure.Technically, we have never been more aware of the threat of asteroid strikes, nor have we ever been more capable of detecting and preventing them in advance. But perhaps the most concerning lesson to be gleaned from 2024 YR4, and Earths planetary defense readiness, has nothing to do with scientific know-how.Leviticus Lewis was, until recently, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) detailee at NASAs Planetary Defense Coordination Office. He retired at the end of last year, but he is a veteran of many asteroid strike tabletop exercises conducted by NASA and its national and international partnerssimulated impact scenarios designed to see how relevant experts would handle such a threat. As such, he was kept in the loop throughout the 2024 YR4 saga.The good news, he says, is that the planetary defense fraternity took it pretty seriously. The system kind of worked as it was supposed to. The bad news is that the Trump administration is threatening to gut NASAs funding while taking an axe to other agencies that could help mitigate this type of natural disaster. FEMAs under attack, Lewis says.Although Europe is making moves to shore up its own planetary defense capabilities, the U.S. isfor nowthe leader in planetary defense. It has a dedicated asteroid-hunting observations program, and it has intensively funded and researched the use of DART-like kinetic impactors and nuclear devices to prevent asteroid strikes. But just, for a moment, imagine that 2024 YR4 proved to be a danger with additional observations. The corridor of possible impact locations has never been over U.S. territory but instead stretches over swaths of central Africa, south Asia and parts of South America. Some in the community have wondered if, in todays world, the U.S. government would have offered help freely or instead demanded some quid pro quo for assistanceor simply turned a blind eye, leaving those in danger to fend for themselves.The universe has given us a break now, Lewis says. But what about the next time? What if the U.S. takes its eyes off the ball? The asteroid doesnt care. Its just going to keep coming. We cant depend on the world not being crazy when it happens.

March 27, 20254 min readDisaster Officials Are Facing a World without FEMARevelations that Trump's Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem plans to abolish or shrink the Federal Emergency Management Agency sent shock waves through state and local emergency respondersMembers of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force search a flood damaged area with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. Mario Tama/Getty ImagesCLIMATEWIRE | State officials were urged Wednesday to prepare for the possible abolition of the Federal Emergency Management Agency following a report by POLITICOs E&E News that senior Trump officials were taking steps to dissolve or shrink the agency.The head of an emergency managers association told state and local disaster agencies to start planning to operate in a world without FEMA.Think: Worst of Worst (WOW) scenario, Carrie Speranza, U.S. president of the International Association of Emergency Managers, wrote on her LinkedIn page.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.She advised emergency managers to determine what their disaster programs would need from state and local governments if no federal funding, technical assistance, or staff support, is available beginning April 15.If the federal government is going to back out of all support, my industry needs to be really serious about finding ways to fund themselves, Speranza said in an interview after she posted her guidance online.E&E News reported Wednesday that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem privately voiced support Tuesday for abolishing or dramatically shrinking FEMA, which spends tens of billions of dollars a year to help people and states recover from disasters.President Donald Trump has assailed the agency and in the days after taking office suggested abolishing it. Facing opposition from lawmakers and governors in both parties, Trump appeared to shift his focus to reducing FEMAs role in disaster response and giving states more authority an idea that has been suggested before.But on Monday, Noem startled lawmakers, officials and FEMA itself when she said at a televised cabinet hearing, Were going to eliminate FEMA. Neither Noem or Trump, who was running the meeting, said anything else about FEMA, creating widespread confusion about her comment.Confusion turned to concern Wednesday when it emerged that Noem had met a day earlier with FEMA acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton and Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski at DHS headquarters in Washington.Noem told Hamilton that she wanted to start planning to drastically revise FEMA, possibly by dissolving the agency and shifting its functions to other departments, agencies or the White House, six people who are familiar with the deliberations told E&E News.Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem outlined plans Tuesday to dramatically reduce the mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Alex Brandon/POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesThe goal would be to have FEMA, or another agency, help states respond to emergency conditions during and immediately after disasters by providing food, water, shelter and life-saving operations such as search-and-rescue, said the people, who were granted anonymity to talk about internal discussions. The agency would operate out of the White House.FEMAs multibillion-dollar programs that help communities prepare for disasters and rebuild over the long-term would be curtailed or moved elsewhere, such as the Department of Defense.We are grateful the press is covering Secretary Noems efforts to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department of Homeland Security, a DHS spokesperson said in a statement. Noem flew Wednesday to El Salvador to visit a high-security prison holding migrants that were deported from the U.S. American officials have accused them of belonging to a violent Venezuelan gang, Tren de Aragua.The Trump administration is considering whether to cancel a FEMA review council that Trump created in January to analyze the agency and recommend changes by late July. Trump put Noem and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in charge of the council, which has not met but published a notice Wednesday inviting public input on experiences with FEMA disaster response.To hear she [Noem] had suggested they were not going to wait for Congress and rescind the review council, that is really concerning, Speranza said. That just means theyre going to act and do whatever it is they choose to do without getting input from industry.On Capitol Hill, lawmakers were skeptical that FEMA and all of its functions would be eliminated.Everybody is going to spin it as, Theyre ending FEMA. Everybody knows that's nonsense, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, a Republican, told E&E News on Wednesday. There's no way Republicans and Democrats are supporting that. It's a matter of refining it, making it more efficient.Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican who has fiercely criticized FEMA, said in an interview: Whether the secretary keeps FEMA as it is, whether she changes it, whether she gets rid of it, some entity is going to have to play the role of working with the states in terms of distributing disaster money. I mean, just as a practical matter, that has to be done.At two House hearings on FEMA earlier this month, experts and lawmakers from both parties agreed that the agency needs an overhaul to make it operate more quickly. But no one supported abolishing FEMA and its programs.Eliminating FEMA would be disastrous for victims of fire, for victims of flooding, for victims of natural disasters anywhere in the country, California Sen. Adam Schiff, a Democrat, said in an interview Wednesday.Although FEMA was created through an executive order by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, the agencys programs and activities are governed by a 96-page law enacted in 1988 and revised regularly.I look forward to her proposing legislation to the Congress, where these things are decided, said Hawaii Sen. Brian Schatz, a Democrat, referring to Noem. One thing I do know is if you want to change the way FEMA operates, its Congress job to make a new law.Reprinted from E&E News with permission from POLITICO, LLC. Copyright 2025. E&E News provides essential news for energy and environment professionals.

Nintendo Direct March 2025: everything announcedMetroid Prime 4! Pokmon! Tomodachi Life!Image credit: Nintendo Feature by Dion Dassanayake Contributing Guides Writer Published on March 27, 2025 The first Nintendo Direct of this year has just taken place! The March 2025 Nintendo Direct was broadcast just days before the highly anticipated Switch 2 Direct, which will reveal more about the successor to one of the best-selling consoles of all time next week. The surprise Direct was only announced 24 hours before it aired, and it marked the first major showcase since the stream in June 2024. If you didn't get a chance to tune in live when it premiered, then here's everything that was announced in the Nintendo Direct for March 2025.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Dragon Quest 1 + 2 HD-2D Remake new trailer revealedThe Nintendo Direct for March 2025 kicked off with a new trailer for Dragon Quest 1 + 2 HD-2D Remake. The remake of the classic NES RPGs boasts the same stunning visual overhaul seen in the remake of Dragon Quest 3. It's launching in 2025.The Nintendo Direct for March 2025 opened with a new teaser trailer for Dragon Quest 1 + 2 HD-2D RemakeWatch on YouTubeAI: The Somnium Files series returnsSticking with Japanese developers, Spike Chunsoft were next up with the new game in the detective series AI: The Somnium Files. No Sleep For Kaname Date is the third game in the series, and sees the protagonist of the original game return, hunting for a J-Pop idol who has gone missing. Dive into people's dreams to search for clues as you investigate her disappearance.No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files is out on the Nintendo Switch on 25th July 2025.No Sleep for Kaname Date - From AI: Somnium Files - Official TrailerWatch on YouTubeAtlus debuts new remasterThis Direct opened with lots of news from Japanese developers. Next Atlus are up, with the Persona makers announcing a remaster of one of their Devil Summoner games, which is part of the Megami Tensei franchise. Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army is another RPG, which mixes investigation elements and battling demons in a 1900s-style version of Japan. If you've played any of the Persona games, you'll see some familiar faces in battle like the cheery-looking demon Jack Frost.It's out on 19th June 2025, with pre-orders beginning later today.Raidou Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army - Official Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTubePAC-MAN Metroidvania coming to SwitchNext up we've got an alternative take on one of gaming's most iconic franchises - PAC-MAN. Shadow Labyrinth is a Metroidvania-style game that gives an unsettling take on the adventures of the puck-shaped, ghost-chomping character. This time around though, PAC-MAN has been reimagined as Puck, who guides a hooded hero around a maze-like, futuristic world that has been ravaged by wars and is filled with menacing looking monsters you'll have to battle. It's much darker than the usual PAC-MAN fare, but it does still feature the iconic 'waka-waka' sound effects.Shadow Labyrinth is out on the Nintendo Switch on 18th July 2025.Shadow Labyrinth - Official Release Date Announcement Trailer Watch on YouTubePatapon remasters announcedNow for a complete change of pace, remasters of the colourful rhythm game Patapon have been announced for the Switch. Remasters of both the original Patapon and its sequel will be bundled together in one package called Patapon 1 + Patapon 2 Replay. The games initially launched as exclusives for Sony's first handheld, the PSP, with the now defunct Japan Studio one of the developers.Patapon 1 + Patapon 2 Replay is out on 11th July 2025.Patapon 1 + Patapon 2 Replay - Official Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTubeDS farming game gets Story of Seasons remakeGood news for fans of cosy farming games, a new entry in the Story of Seasons series has been revealed. Story of Seasons - Grand Bazaar is a remake of the DS game of the same name. Well, kind of the same name as back then it was Harvest Moon: Grand Bazaar. If that sounds a bit confusing, then that's because it is - as Story of Seasons was originally an off-shoot of the Harvest Moon series, but now both franchises are owned by the same publisher.All you need to know though is Story of Seasons - Grand Bazaar will offer the same relaxing mix of farming and life-sim gameplay that players have enjoyed since the original Harvest Moon games in the 90s. It's out on 27th August 2025.Story of Seasons: Grand Bazaar - Official TrailerWatch on YouTubeMetroid Prime 4: Beyond gets new trailerNext we've got the first huge announcement from the Direct, a new trailer for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. We got a look at the game's exploration mechanics and its FPS-style battles, along with its gorgeous graphics that are seriously impressive for the Switch. It looks great, and the latest trailer confirmed it's coming in 2025.The Nintendo Direct for March 2025 debuted a new Metroid Prime 4 trailerWatch on YouTubeDisney Villains Cursed Cafe gets shadow droppedIt wouldn't be a Nintendo Direct with a shadow dropped release. This time around it's Disney Villains Cursed Cafe, which has players running a cafe and crafting concoctions for iconic Disney villains like Cruella de Vil and Ursula. It's out later today.Disney Villains Cursed Cafe - Official TrailerWatch on YouTubeWargroove maker's next gameNext up we have a new trailer for the latest game from the makers of indie gems Wargroove and Eastward. Witchbrook is a life-sim where you'll learn spells at an academy for witches, make friends and find love. You'll also be able to hang out with up to four players online as you explore the game's pixelated, seaside world. It's out holiday 2025.Witchbrook - Official First Look Gameplay TrailerWatch on YouTubeCel-shaded platformer The Eternal Life of GoldmanHow many platform games do you get to play as an elderly man with a cane? Not many, but that's exactly what The Eternal Life of Goldman is. It's a lovely looking cel-shaded game set in a steam punk-style world. It's out on the Switch during holiday 2025.The Eternal Life of Goldman - Official Extended Gameplay TrailerWatch on YouTubeGradius collection announced for 40th anniversaryShmup fans rejoice, we're getting a Gradius collection! Classic shoot 'em ups from the beloved Konami series along with games from the Salamander franchise are being bundled together in Gradius Origins, which is being released to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It's out 7th August 2025 with pre-orders opening later today.Gradius ORIGINS Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTubeGuitar Hero-style spin-off for Crypt of the NecroDancerIt's time for another shadow dropped game! This time around it's Rift of the NecroDancer, a Guitar Hero-style spin-off to Crypt of the NecroDancer. It's out on the Nintendo eShop later today.Rift of the NecroDancer Launch TrailerWatch on YouTubeTamagotchi Plaza revealedNext up we've got Tamagotchi Plaza, a colourful game where you look after Tamagotchis, those cute, electronic pets which were all the rage in the 90s. It's out on the Nintendo Switch on 27th June 2025.Tamagotchi Plaza Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025Watch on YouTubeNew trailer for Pokmon Legends: Z-ATime for another big first-party announcement. Pokmon Legends: Z-A recently appeared during the Pokmon Direct for Pokmon Day 2025, but we've got another closer look at it and its Paris-style futuristic setting. It's out late 2025.Pokemon Legends Z-A - Official Gameplay Overview TrailerWatch on YouTubeRhythm Heaven makes a comebackGreat news for fans of rhythm action games, the Rhythm Heaven series is making a return. Rhythm Heaven Groove will be the first new game in the series in over 10 years, and the reveal trailer showed off the quirky rhythm-based mini-games the franchise is known for. It's out in 2026.Rhythm Heaven: Groove - Official TrailerWatch on YouTubeVirtual Game Card system revealedNintendo also announced a new system used for managing digital games. The Virtual Game Card system will have players having to eject and load digital games they own, and also lets them use digital games on a second Switch system that they own, and even lend them out to other users that are connected via a Family Group.Virtual Game Card Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025Watch on YouTubeHigh on Life heading to SwitchThe former Xbox exclusive High on Life is heading to the Nintendo Switch. It's a first-person shooter from the co-creator of Rick and Morty, and it's out on 6th May 2025.High on Life - Official Nintendo Switch Release Date TrailerWatch on YouTubeAction RPG Star Overdrive revealedNext, we got a brief snippet of action RPG Star Overdrive. It features cel-shaded graphics, sword-based combat and hoverboarding which is always cool. It's out 10th April 2025 with pre-orders available now.Star Overdrive Speed into the Unknown TrailerWatch on YouTubeThe Wandering Village gets showcasedAfter that we got a little look at The Wandering Village, a colourful strategy game with cartoon-style graphics, where players manage a village that's on top of some sort of lumbering, dinosaur-like creature. It's out 17th July 2025.The Wandering Village Release Date TrailerWatch on YouTubeKing of Meat looks like Splatoon-style funIf you like Splatoon, King of Meat could be right up your street. It's a co-op, hack and slash game with colourful levels and cartoon-style characters. It's out in 2025.Adventure game Lou's Lagoon coming to SwitchNext up, we got a little look at Lou's Lagoon, an adventure game heading to the Nintendo Switch this summer. Players head to a vibrant world in search of their missing uncle. You'll explore the island, hunt for resources and it looks like it even has Pilotwings-style mini-games.Fantasy Life i gets release date trailerLevel-5 showcased a new trailer for FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time and announced its release date. The next game from the Ni No Kuni and Professor Layton makers is out on 21st May 2025.FANTASY LIFE i: The Girl Who Steals Time New Life GuideWatch on YouTubeSaga Frontier Remastered 2 revealedThis Direct began with news from Japanese news developers, and they're back once again. This time around, it's Square Enix who revealed a remaster of Saga Frontier 2, which originally launched on the PlayStation. If you can't wait to play it, good news - it's out today! This could be a record for the most amount of shadow dropped games in one Direct.Saga Frontier 2 Remastered - Official Launch TrailerWatch on YouTubeMonument Valley heads to SwitchThe award-winning Monument Valley games, which previously were only available on smartphones and PCs, are heading to the Nintendo Switch. The first two games are launching on 15th April 2025, while the third game in the isometric puzzle series is out summer 2025.Monument Valley 1, 2 and 3 - Official Nintendo Switch TrailerWatch on YouTubeSony franchise Everybody's Golf gets new Switch gameWhat's this? We've already had the former PlayStation exclusive Patapon announced for the Switch in this Direct. And now another Sony franchise is heading to Nintendo's hybrid console. This time it's a brand new entry in the Everybody's Golf franchise, which began on the PS1 back in 1997. The new game in the cute sports series is Everybody's Golf Hot Shots, and it launches on the Switch in 2025.Everybody's Golf: Hot Shots - Official TrailerWatch on YouTubeStreets of Rage 4 dev making new Marvel beat 'em upDotemu, the makers of some of the best beat 'em ups in recent memory, are back again. After Streets of Rage 4 and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, their next project that will delight fans of old school arcade-action is Marvel Cosmic Invasion. Players can take control of Spider-Man, Wolverine and Captain America, among other comic book icons, in the side-scroller with 16-bit style graphics. It supports four player local and online multiplayer, and it's out holiday 2025.Marvel Cosmic Invasion - Official Announcement TrailerWatch on YouTubeTomodachi Life is back!We still have time for a few more big announcements. This time around the beloved, hidden gem series that is Tomodachi Life is making a return! The life-sim last appeared on the 3DS over 10 years ago, and it will be making a comeback next year with Tomodachi Life Living The Dream. The reveal trailer showcased the Mii characters that will roam around the game's world, along with the charming, quirky adventures characters will get up to. It's out in 2026.Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream - Official Reveal TrailerWatch on YouTubeNintendo Today app announcedThe final reveal of the Nintendo Direct for March 2025 wasn't a game, it was a new app. It's called Nintendo Today, and it will be available after the upcoming Switch 2 Direct in April. Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto revealed the app, which will let users keep up to date with Nintendo news and keep track of future events. After the Switch 2 Direct, the app will also deliver news on the highly anticipated console "daily".Nintendo Today - Official Trailer Nintendo Direct 3.27.2025Watch on YouTubeHope you enjoyed the first Nintendo Direct of 2025! Next up, we've got the Switch 2 Direct to look forward to in April.

Classic PSP rhythm adventures Patapon 1 & 2 are shaking off their PlayStation exclusivityAnd getting some "new updates".Image credit: Eurogamer News by Matt Wales News Reporter Published on March 27, 2025 A mere 18 years after its original release on Sony's PSP handheld, acclaimed rhythm adventure Patapon is shaking off its PlayStation exclusivity. It's launching for Switch, PC, and PS5 as a two-game remaster bundle - also featuring Patapon 2 - on 11th July.Patapon 1 first enchanted players when it launched for PlayStation Portable back in 2007, challenging them to steer a tribe of adorable sentient eyeballs - the Patapon of the title - across a dangerous world. That involved a mix of real-time strategy and rhythm-action as players battled enemies using different unit types and by issuing drum-based commands to the beat.Patapon recieved the Eurogamer stamp on approval, earning itself a positively archaic 8/10. And a much-expanded sequel - adding the likes of new Patapon types and new drum rhythms - was also well-received when it arrived the following year. Since then, the series has seen a third instalment, and the first two titles have made the jump to PS4 in remastered form.Patapon 1+2 Replay announcement trailer.Watch on YouTubeAnd these first two games are now set to emerge once again, this time courtesy of Bandai Namco. When Patapon 1+2 Relay launches for Switch, PC, and PlayStation 5 on 11th July, it'll feature "new updates" for both included titles intended to make the experience "more accessible and enjoyable". These additions include three difficulty settings (Normal, Easy, Hard), timing adjustment, and constant command display.It is, then, a pretty good time to be a Patapon fan. Not only is the series poised for an official revival some 14 years after its last instalment, there's also a spiritual successor on the way. Announced back in 2023, Ratatan is the work of Patapon creator Hiroyuki Kotani and features audio by original Patapon musician Kemmei Adachi. It's currently expected to launch for PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S this April.

You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereSaber Interactive and Focus Home Interactive have reiterated their plans to continue supporting Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 for years to come.Following the announcement of the bigger and better Space Marine 3, the studios confirmed the teams dedication to the second game, promising that no one is abandoning the game because of the new title.Space Marine 2 will be supported for yearsIn the latest patch notes for Space Marine 2s upcoming 7.0 update, Saber set the record straight with fans.Space Marine 3 does not mean the end of Space Marine 2s development. Far from it, the studio confirmed. No teams are shifting over, no one is abandoning the game, and our plans to bring more awesome content to Space Marine 2 remain.Saber teased that the team is working on much more content and surprises for the months to come, such as a new class, more operations, melee weapons, and more. The studio even jokes that data miners havent uncovered all of their secrets just yet so well have to keep our eyes peeled.This announcement simply marks the genesis of a new project, years away from release, the team said. Weve made a decision and have just started the process.With Saber aiming to give the third game a considerable jump in scale, Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 3 will take a long time to create. Combined with continued development of Space Marine 2 Operations, new enemies, PvP and more, as well as a unique Horde Mode, theres tonnes of goodies coming. Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S, Xbox Series XGenre(s):ActionRelated TopicsSubscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share

I got this land as a kind of Covid baby, says artist Miranda Fengyuan Zhang of her 20-acre homestead in Germantown, New York. At the time, Zhang and her father, Weijun Sun, were social-distancing together in her New York City apartment while dreaming of a house in nature. Spending weekends upstate, hopping back-and-forth across the Hudson River to look at properties, the pair found this one. With a natural slope and pond, it was great for Chinese feng shui, says Zhang, a Shanghai native who creates her work with textiles. With forest, farmland, and some transitionary fields in between, it also felt practical enough to build a live-work retreat.Zhangs biggest goal for the house was a sunlight-filled studio where she could rekindle her ceramics practice and explore larger-scale sculpture. For the artist, daily life and work are intertwined, so the home also needed a second bedroom to host her parents on their frequent visits to the United States. (Zhangs mother, Lan Xue, works full-time in China, while her retired father goes back and forth, acting as Zhangs studio assistant when he is in town.) Hiring an architect well-versed in designing such flexible environments for creatives became essential. Thankfully, Zhang had met Koray Duman, of New York and Istanbul-based architecture firm Bro Koray Duman, through her former gallerist, Candice Madey.A Chinese lantern hangs over the farm-facing terrace shared by the living room and studio, which is also decorated with outdoor furniture by Frederic Sofia for Fermob and a rammed earth drinks table by Betil Dagdelen from Cristina Grajales Gallery.Duman helped select a site between the farmland and forest and designed a 2,500-square-foot, two-bedroom home that could capture views of both. Its architectural form is rooted in gabled barn vernacular, which the architect extruded and extended to get northern light into the studio, he explains, while its materialswhite-painted concrete and black-stained cedar shinglesreference traditional architecture from Chinas Huizhou province, which struck Zhang when she visited prior to this design project.Emphasizing an intuitive relationship between the interior and exterior, Duman designed a farm-facing deck shared between the living room and studio. Up the staircase with a built-in bespoke bookcase, Zhangs bedroom seemingly floats within the tree canopy and enjoys its own private terrace. Underneath, the garage and storage space are nestled into a hillside, allowing these non-climate-controlled spaces to take advantage of the earths natural heating and cooling. Duman employed other passive design strategies throughout the home to assure its efficiency, including a renewable geothermal energy system, air-sealing the envelope and installing high-performance pocket doors, and using fans in the living room to encourage cross ventilation through upstairs and downstairs windows.

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The eye-popping scandal surrounding the Trump cabinets accidental invitation to The Atlantics editor in chief to join a text-message group secretly planning a bombing in Yemen has rolled into its third day, and that controversy now has a name: SignalGate, a reference to the fact that the conversation took place on the end-to-end encrypted free messaging tool Signal.As that name becomes a shorthand for the biggest public blunder of the second Trump administration to date, however, security and privacy experts who have promoted Signal as the best encrypted messaging tool available to the public want to be clear about one thing: SignalGate is not about Signal.Since The Atlantics editor, Jeffrey Goldberg, revealed Monday that he was mistakenly included in a Signal group chat earlier this month created to plan US airstrikes against the Houthi rebels in Yemen, the reaction from the Trump cabinets critics and even the administration itself has in some cases seemed to cast blame on Signal for the security breach. Some commentators have pointed to reports last month of Signal-targeted phishing by Russian spies. National security adviser Michael Waltz, who reportedly invited Goldberg to the Signal group chat, has even suggested that Goldberg may have hacked into it.On Wednesday afternoon, even President Donald Trump suggested Signal was somehow responsible for the group chat fiasco. I don't know that Signal works, Trump told reporters at the White House. I think Signal could be defective, to be honest with you.The real lesson is much simpler, says Kenn White, a security and cryptography researcher who has conducted audits on widely used encryption tools in the past as the director of the Open Crypto Audit Project: Dont invite untrusted contacts into your Signal group chat. And if youre a government official working with highly sensitive or classified information, use the encrypted communication tools that run on restricted, often air-gapped devices intended for a top-secret setting rather than the unauthorized devices that can run publicly available apps like Signal.Unequivocally, no blame in this falls on Signal, says White. Signal is a communication tool designed for confidential conversations. If someone's brought into a conversation whos not meant to be part of it, that's not a technology problem. That's an operator issue.Cryptographer Matt Green, a professor of computer science at Johns Hopkins University, puts it more simply. Signal is a tool. If you misuse a tool, bad things are going to happen, says Green. If you hit yourself in the face with a hammer, its not the hammers fault. Its really on you to make sure you know who youre talking to.The only sense in which SignalGate is a Signal-related scandal, White adds, is that the use of Signal suggests that the cabinet-level officials involved in the Houthi bombing plans, including secretary of defense Pete Hegseth and director of national intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, were conducting the conversation on internet-connected devicespossibly even including personal onessince Signal wouldnt typically be allowed on the official, highly restricted machines intended for such conversations. In past administrations, at least, that would be absolutely forbidden, especially for classified communications, says White.

Back Once Again2XKO Alpha Lab 2 is adding ranked lobbies, two new fuses and more, but us sad Europeans won't be able to play with them just yetThe bad news is, only those in Canada, America, and Brazil will be able to play in April. Sorry, fellow Euros.Image credit: Riot Games News by Connor Makar Staff Writer Published on March 27, 2025 A massive 2XKO update video has just been released going over the game's second Alpha Lab test. In it, we learn about two new fuses: Juggernaut and Sidekick, ranked lobbies, champion mastery, and other gameplay changes. It'll kick off on April 18 - 20 for those living in Canada, the USA, and Brazil. Bad luck everyone else, maybe next time.The Alpha Lab test will also feature Jinx, who will be playable by the general public for the first time. With her, this marks seven characters fully finished and in the game as we near 2XKO's eventual release date later this year. Tom Cannon expressed this smaller scale test was done sa to not delay the game any longer, though the team has also expressed that future tests are on the way, so hang in there.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Okay, let's break down all the new additions. First up, the new Fuses. Sidekick was revealed officialy by Shaun Rivera last month, but we have more details about it now. It makes it so your point champion and back-up champion can't switch places, but grant a health and defense boost to your point champ while below 30% HP. In addition, by using the Sidekick Fuse you get access to Double Down (allowing you to chain supers), and immediate access to super assist and fury break at the start of rounds.Sidekick also adds a fun ability for the player controling the supporting champion to time button presses with enemy attacks to reduce damage dealt, which seems like a fun little gimmick that'll keep support players active even if they're not taking the lead in matches. There's also Juggernaut, another new Fuse coming to the next Alpha Lab. This is kind of like the other side of the coin to Sidekick, as it removes the ability to tag or interact with the secondary character entirely. Instead, you focus on one champion, which - like Sidekick - gets a health boost, a defense boost while under 30% HP, and access to fury break at the round start.However, it also gets some unique quirks - like Eject - which forces your opponent to tag in their back-up champion. You also get a special solo version of Double Down, so you can pop a super and then pop another super right after that all on your lonesome. This Fuse seems like a tool to help folks train on a single champion rather than figure out two at once. Which hey, I struggled with that during Alpha Lab 1, so I'm keen to see how it holds up! My Darius was okay during the first Alpha Lab, but my Ahri was lacking. Here's hoping Juggernaut can solve my problem! | Image credit: Riot GamesWe've mentioned Fury Break as a universal new mechanic added to the game in these two new fuses. This has been added in place of the Fury Fuse, which has been removed entirely. Instead, all players regardless of what Fuse they pick will be able to activate Fury Break once one of their champions gets knocked out. It provides a 25% damage and damage reduction boost when activated, and has additional effects depending on when you use it. If you use it to dash-cancel normal or special attacks, the duration of the Fury Break buff is decreased by five seconds!In a similar vein, the Pulse Combo Fuse has been replaced with an optional Pulse combo setting you can turn on during champion select. This allows you to do auto combos by pressing light, medium, or heavy buttons. This means newer players can still do auto combos while accessing the other fuses.Okay, now there's Ranked Lobbies, which come alongside a ranking system which will be familiar to those who've played League of Legends. It goes from Aspirant to Challenger, and the stated goal is to give players a method to reliably match up against those of a similar skill level. An important addition! In the original Alpha Lab, both fighting game experts and newcomers were thrown into the same pot, so hopefully this will allow folks to avoid unfair match-ups with 40-year-olds who've been playing fighting games since the arcade days.These are the major gameplay changes you can expect in Alpha Lab 2. Though, there are a variety of additional changes that have been made including Push Assist, the removal of Last Stand in favour of super assists, and the ability to still use assists when one of your champions is dead. There's also limit strike combo enders which provide powerful bonuses like extra damage or meter gain when used at the end of combos. Other changes can be found in the dev update post.That's not all! The control scheme has been changed to make things a little easier, visual clarity has been improved, and public / private lobbies have been touched up as well! On top of all that, there are new cosmetics too. Not only is there another battle pass, an in-game store will be added where players can spend their allocated currency on a variety of cosmetics and finishers, including Pool Party skins for all Ahri, Darius, and Jinx.Finally, there are Mastery rewards. For completing select missions for champions, you can unlock some cosmetics for your favourite fighter. These include Avatar clothing, taunts, stickers, a mastery reward chroma, and more. So get to grinding folks.It's good to finally have 2XKO back in the hands of players, even if I'm sure those of us not living in the Americas are going to be a little saddened by the news. Still, it'll be interesting to see the tester's response to the sweep of gameplay changes that have been added to the game. What I'm personally the most interested in is the new Fuses. They both seem laser targeted at helping to onboard players in two drastically different ways. I'd be curious to learn whether or not player retention among those with little fighting game experience improves after this Alpha Lab concludes.What do you think of this announcement? Are you excited to jump in next month? Let us know below!

Image: Nintendo LifeThe March 2025 Nintendo Direct came as a surprise ahead of the Switch 2-specific presentation on 2nd April, but it delivered 30 minutes of game news for Switch 1, plus a couple of peripheral announcements.Below is the full Nintendo Direct March 2025 video, plus every game announcement with a trailer, a date, and a link to our coverage.On this page: Nintendo Direct March 2025 - Every Announcement, Game Reveal, TrailerSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kWatch on YouTube Nintendo Direct March 2025 - The Whole PresentationFirst, the entire Switch presentation, if you want to catch up on the whole thing:Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kEvery Game AnnouncementSo, in the order they appear in the Direct, we begin with a new teaser trailer for the new-old Dragon Quest...Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake - 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kA modernized version of classic JRPGs, DRAGON QUEST I & II HD-2D Remake continues the Erdrick Trilogy narrative of the iconic DRAGON QUEST series.No Sleep For Kaname Date - From AI: The Somnium Files - 25th July 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kUncover the truth hidden in reality and in dreams! Join Special Agent Kaname Date on the case to discover the whereabouts of internet idol Iris, who has been trapped in a mysterious escape game.RAIDOU Remastered: The Mystery of the Soulless Army - 19th June 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe beloved supernatural action RPG from ATLUS returns! Experience the story of Raidou Kuzunoha XIV, apprentice detective and Devil Summoner. Undertake the case of the century and uncover the secrets of the Soulless Army with the aid of your demons.With revamped visuals, quality of life updates, new voiceover, and an overhauled battle system, an exciting and unexpected journey awaits both veterans and newcomers alike. I ain't afraid of no ghostShadow Labyrinth - 18th July 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kPhase shift between Swordsman No. 8, Mini PUCK, and GAIA to discover secrets and consume your foes in this genre-twisting take on PAC-MAN. On this mysterious world, its eat or be eaten, to survive you must consume darkness.Patapon 1+2 Replay - 11th July 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kBeat the drum! Make the fever! A small and delicate, yet mysteriously endearing creature, the Patapon, are guided on their adventures through the rhythm of four drums. There are various classes of Patapon, each with distinct roles and combat styles, so use their traits to form your squad and conquer multiple stages! Become the Mighty One of the Patapon and lead the grand march towards the Earthend! PATA PATA PATA PONStory of Seasons: Grand Bazaar - 27th August 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe winds of change bring you to the breezy hills of Zephyr Town. Rebuild your farm from humble beginnings and breathe new life into the town's once-famous bazaar. Set up your stall to sell produce and goods, and meet charming townsfolk to befriend and romance as you help the community thrive.Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kHarness Samus Aran's new psychic abilities to survive the mysterious planet of Viewros and find a way home when Metroid Prime 4: Beyond comes to Nintendo Switch in 2025. Maybe we'll get one next week..?Ahhhh we want itDisney Villains Cursed Cafe - Today (27th March 2025)Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kExplore rich visual novel gameplay and get to know an iconic cast of Disney Villains, reimagined with a modern twist!Disney Villains have come to the counter of the Cursed Caf, seeking to procure potions to fulfill their wickedly whims. As the newest potionista of this establishment, you'll mix and serve a variety of magical elixirs that have the power to change the outcome of each villain's story. Aid them with their wants and gather new ingredients to create entirely new concoctions.Are you ready to stir up some mischiefWitchbrook - Winter 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kDiscover the magic around you and spark life into a charming seaside community when you become Mossports new resident witch. Master spells at Witchbrook College, craft goods to grow your witch business, participate in seasonal events, and customize your charming cottage and garden to suit your style. Make friends, find love, and discover a world filled with wonder on the road to graduation and beyond!The Eternal Life of Goldman - Winter 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe Eternal Life of Goldman is a vibrant yet dark platformer adventure that weaves together legends, fairy tales, and myths. Explore a vast hand-drawn Archipelago, inspired by ancient fables and depicted in classic frame-by-frame animation, and defeat a mysterious Deity!Gradius Origins - 7th August 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kIt's time to venture into deep space and face off against relentless alien forces in GRADIUS ORIGINS, a collection that brings together six legendary arcade classics and the all-new SALAMANDER III. Pilot your ship through dangerous enemy lines, upgrade your weapons, and master this intense, fast-paced adventure. Prepare for launchRift of the NecroDancer - Today (27th March 2025)Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe NecroDancer's back in an all-new rhythm game! Dragged into a strange new world, Cadence must engage in musical combat with monsters surging through the Rift!Tamagotchi Plaza - 27th June 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe next entry in the beloved shop simulator "Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop" series invites you into a whimsical world of Wonder Shops with over 100 Tamagotchi to play with. As your shop's reputation grows, new Tamagotchi will visit including a new original character. Make your shop thrive and turn the town into a bustling place!Pokmon Legends: Z-A - Late 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kWelcome to Lumiose City, where skilled Trainers participate in the Z-A Royale, a tournament where youll rank up via unique new Pokmon battles that happen in real time and can feature Mega Evolutions! But still no date?Rhythm Heaven Groove - 2026Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kGet into the groove with the newest entry in the Rhythm Heaven series, Rhythm Heaven Groove! Coming to Nintendo Switch in 2026. GroovyVirtual Game Cards - April 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe new Virtual Game Card feature lets you easily manage your digital Nintendo Switch games, including lending to your Nintendo Account Family Group members! This new system update will be released in late April. Lend and borrow for 2 weeksLend me a game, mateHigh On Life - 6th May 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kFresh out of high school with no job and no ambition, youve really got nothing going for you until an alien cartel invades Earth. Now, you and a team of charismatic talking guns must answer the hero's call and become the deadliest intergalactic bounty hunter the cosmos has ever seen.Travel to a variety of biomes and locations across the cosmos, go up against the nefarious Garmantuous and his gang of goons, collect loot, meet unique characters, and more, in the latest comedy adventure from Squanch Games!Star Overdrive - 10th April 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kRace across an alien planet in a high-speed action-adventure. Glide on your Hoverboard, mastering gravity-defying tricks, battling powerful enemies, and solving puzzles. Use your unique powers to overcome challenges, unravel mysteries, and shape your destiny!The Wandering Village - 17th July 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kIn a world where mysterious plants are spreading all over the earth, a small group of survivors seek shelter on the back of a giant, wandering creature. Build your settlement and form a symbiotic relationship with the colossus in this city-building strategy game. Will you survive together in this hostile, yet beautiful post-apocalyptic world, contaminated by poisonous fungi?King of Meat - 2025King of Meat is a 14 player hacking, slashing, co-op combat game with Dungeon Create Mode. It is centered around the most watched, and only, TV-show in the mystical world of Loregok. Players step into the roles of Contenders battling through devious Dungeons and compete to be crowned champions. Felled GuysLous Lagoon - Summer 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kTraverse the vibrant Limbo Archipelago in search of your Uncle Lou, who mysteriously disappeared and left you his seaplane delivery service. Explore the islands, harvest resources, and hone your crafting skills to complete jobs and grow your business!Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time - 21st May 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kEmbark on a time-traveling adventure in the sequel to the popular 3DS game "FANTASY LIFE." Explore a vast open world, craft unique items, decorate your home and island or delve deep into dungeons. The possibilities are endless in this slow-life RPG!SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered - Today (27th March 2025)Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kExperience the intertwining destinies of Gustave, a royal heir caught in the turmoil of war, and Wil, an excavator confronting a hidden threat that could change the world. In SaGa Frontier 2 Remastered, their journeys unfold through the History Choice system, an event-based structure letting you explore pivotal events from multiple perspectives.Now fully remastered with stunning HD watercolor visuals, newly added events, and refined gameplay, this beloved RPG classic returns to captivate a new generation. Discover the world of Sandail like never before.Monument Valley 1, 2, 3 - 15th April / SummerSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kMonument Valley 1 and Monument Valley 2 are coming to Nintendo Switch on April 15. Monument Valley 3 is also coming to Nintendo Switch this summer! Embark on a journey of forgiveness through impossible environments and illusionary puzzles. Experience this meditative and calming puzzle game by manipulating monuments and creating evolving paths to explore new, surreal, and mysterious worlds. See things from a different angleEverybody's Golf Hot Shots - 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kThe beloved easy to start but difficult to master golf series, EVERYBODY'S GOLF returns with a unique variety of characters and courses! Let's par-TEE! Nice on!Marvel Cosmic Invasion - Winter 2025Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kA cosmic battle awaits! After Annihilus launched an unprecedented attack across the galaxy, all life hangs in the balance. Nova, Spider-Man, Wolverine, Phyla-Vell, Captain America, and many more heroes, both Earth-born and cosmic, will join forces in a star-spanning brawling adventure against the deadly Annihilation Wave.From New York City to the depths of the Negative Zone, the future of the universe will be fought across the stars in MARVEL Cosmic Invasion! I could play this all dayTomodachi Life: Living the Dream - 2026Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kFor the first time in 10 years, a new game in the Tomodachi Life series is on the way! Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is coming to Nintendo Switch in 2026! Living the dream... we guessNintendo Today! - Today (27th March 2025)Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube800kNintendo Today! is a new smart device app thatll deliver daily Nintendo information and content directly to you. Bite-sized Directs!Some long-awaited games there (Rhythm Heaven!), but also a couple of 2026s. What did you think? Let us know in our poll article, and watch this space for the Switch 2 Direct soon. Beyond expectations..?It's time for Switch 2Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Gavin first wrote for Nintendo Life in 2018 before joining the site full-time the following year, rising through the ranks to become Editor. He can currently be found squashed beneath a Switch backlog the size of Normandy. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Direct Confirmed For Today, 27th March 202530 minutes of news for OG Switch gamesPokmon Scarlet & Violet: Mystery Gift Codes ListAll the current Pokmon Scarlet and Violet Mystery Gift codesRumour: A Switch 1 Direct Presentation May Take Place This WeekColour us sceptical, thoughXenoblade Chronicles X: All 22 Playable Characters & How To Unlock ThemWe're putting a team together...Watch: Nintendo Direct March 2025 - Live!The Switch's final bow... we think