Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kA new tool billed as a 'dating app for games' is currently seeking funding via Kickstarter to ultimately help you find your next all-time favourite.Ludocene comes from the team behind the Family Gaming Database (which, full disclaimer, we are partnered with for accessibility information in our own game pages) and is essentially a deck-builder in which you create the perfect deck of games you love. Simply start by searching for games that you know you'll want to include, and Ludocene will do the rest, presenting tailored recommendations similar to your choices. You can then either exclaim "away with you!" and swipe them off the screen, or add them to your deck if you think they look interesting.In addition, Ludocene will include decks from industry experts, including the likes of Chris Schilling, Rachel Watts, Matthew Castle, Lucy Bundell, and many more. By selecting these 'Expert' cards, you can immediately have your own game suggestions tailored to their tastes, allowing you to potentially venture into genres you've perhaps not experienced before.Essentially, the team is betting on human experts over the use of AI, and should the project come to fruition, it's hoping the level of curation can be increased further with even more experts. To help facilitate this, an optional 3/month subscription will be available should you find the app to be particularly useful. Otherwise, it will be free for all.Given the sheer number of games launching on a weekly basis, Ludocene sounds like an intriguing way to cut through some of the noise and nail down the games that truly speak to you. Of course, it'll need to be funded for that to happen, but with 17 days to go until the Kickstarter campaign finishes, there's plenty of time to get involved if you're curious. "Even as we transition to Nintendo Switch 2"Does this sound interesting to you, or are you happy to find new games in other ways? Let us know your thoughts with a comment down below.[source kickstarter.com]Share:381 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Image: PlayStackPEGI (Pan European Game Information) has announced that it has lowered the age rating for the smash-hit poker roguelike Balatro (thanks, Eurogamer).The game drew plenty of attention when PEGI rated it 18+ in Europe, citing its resemblance to the real-world game of poker as the main catalyst. It reasoned that players may be able to transfer knowledge gained from Balatro into actual games of poker, but following a formal appeal, it appears that PEGI has finally seen some sense.Posting an official confirmation on its website, PEGI states that Balatro is now rated 12+, with Luck be a Landlord also benefitting from the board's change of heart:Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube "The PEGI 18 rating for the game Balatro has been changed to a PEGI 12 following a successful appeal submitted by publisher Sold Out Sales & Marketing. The Complaints Board concluded that, although the game explains the various hands of poker, the roguelike deck-building game contained mitigating fantastical elements that warranted a PEGI 12 rating."At the time of writing, Balatro is still showing its 18+ rating on the Nintendo Switch eShop, though we suspect this will be altered very soon. There's a chance the game may be briefly removed from sale while this takes place, but don't be alarmed if this is the case.Balatro recently bagged three gongs at the DICE Awards and has sold a remarkable 5 million copies since its launch. It's also the proud owner of a rare 10/10 review score from yours truly, in which we described it as "a roguelike for gamers who don't like roguelikes".If you've yet to check it out, what are you waiting for? And Animal Well wins 'Best Direction'Keep it up!Are you pleased to see Balatro's age rating finally lowered in Europe? Let your thoughts be known with a comment down below.[source pegi.info, via eurogamer.net]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Hollow Knight: Silksong Briefly Vanishes From US Switch eShop, But It's Back NowUpdate: Restored after a few hoursFunko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reported

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kOne of the most striking elements of Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, is the sheer number of Yu-Gi-Oh! video games that came out between 1998 and 2004. The Early Days Collection includes 14 games just from Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles, some of which have never previously been released outside of Japan.Over half of the games in the collection belong to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series, despite increasingly convoluted names: Duel Monsters (1998), Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories (1999), Dark Duel Stories (2000), Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelists (2000), The Eternal Duelist Soul (2001), Duel Monsters 6: Expert 2 (2001), World Wide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (2003), The Sacred Cards (2002), and Reshef of Destruction (2003).Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Most follow a similar formula of beating duelists in battle to unlock new areas and cards. The first game in the series was released before the official Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, so its rules are based on the manga instead. As the Duel Monster series progresses, the in-game dueling rules begin to slowly resemble the real-life trading card game more closely, but it isnt until the fifth entry, The Eternal Duelist Soul, that we see a full alignment with the actual card game rules.Then, we revert to a simplified version of gameplay in the last two games, The Sacred Cards and Reshef of Destruction, which also added an RPG element that allowed us to walk around an actual environment as we duelled our way through town.For anyone who has played the official card game, the most baffling mechanical difference in some of the Duel Monsters games might be the alignments system, where monsters of one type are super strong against another. We were surprised when a normal summon with 300 attack points could automatically defeat our seven-star, two-sacrifice summon with 2500 attack points just because it had a thunder alignment against our own monsters water alignment.Put bluntly, the official Yu-Gi-Oh! card game is much more strategically engaging than the chimeras present in many of the Early Days Collection. Wed argue that the card game hit its full stride shortly after many of these titles were released (and then overcomplicated itself into oblivion a few years later on, but we dont have to get into that). Theres a simple joy in collecting as many cards as possible just to revel in how cool the artwork is, but as tactical gameswhich many of these titles bill themselves astheres not too much to entertain.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)That is with the exception of two later games included in the collection: Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 and Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005. These can be taken as additional titles in the Duel Monsters series, as their Japanese titles indicate, but they might also be considered members of the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship series. Either way, they offer a strategic experience much more similar to the actual card game. Gameplay still mostly involves challenging others to duel, but collecting new cards and putting together decks is so much more engaging since we actually got to purchase and open packs.While we respect the commitment to the original gameplay, the user interface for much of the collection feels clunky and overwhelming. Getting through a single turn in many of the games was often tedious, let alone trying to change what was in our deck vs our overall collection of cards. This improved a little as the release year of the games increased, but not by much.A major criticism for many of Konamis Yu-Gi-Oh! titles when they originally released was that they didnt do much to teach series newcomers how the card game actually worked. That remains true with this collection as a whole. On the one hand, many of the ready-made target audience are probably those who either played the card game or the video games themselves previously. Yet, we cant help but feel that the collection might have been a great opportunity to introduce the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game to a new group of players.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Of course, not every game in the collection is duel-centered. The Yu-Gi-Oh! series has inspired numerous game variations throughout its history besides its massively popular card game. Dungeon Dice Monsters (2003) is based on a board game of the same name. Without having any previous experience with Dungeon Dice Monsters, we found this one particularly difficult to understand. It felt like a game that could be really interesting if there wasnt such a difficult learning curve.Destiny Board Traveler, seemingly Konamis take on a Mario Party-type game, was disappointingly hard to jump into, as well. The art style is really cute, but the in-game text is outrageously difficult to decipher. By the time we figured out how the mechanics worked, we werent having any fun.Meanwhile, Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule, originally only released in Japan, offers a twist on turn-based tactics in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe thats both whimsical and easy to understand. With our friends magically transformed into dolls, were tasked with collecting and training monsters in capsules. Fights unfold on a 2D battle map where our monsters face down various opponents in a goofy, chess-like showdown. It certainly isnt the best tactical game of all time, but it marks a worthwhile addition to the collection.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Developer Digital Eclipse included some quality-of-life elements in the collection as a whole that tie everything together rather well. These include the ability to save at will, tweak gameplay rules like removing deck limits, and rewind time. These features help take the edge off the already mentioned interface frustrations for these older games, but not enough to remove our suffering altogether.What we did love to see was the preserved box art and original instruction manuals for each game. We opted to play each title with the lovely background border behind the game screen, but players can notably adjust the screen size, filter, and border using the collections universal pause menu.

Switch it up.Sometimes, it can be hard to let go.The next generation of Nintendo hardware is just around the corner. As we say that, we look fondly at our TV console stand where our Switch sits, docked and charging, not a speck of dust on it. For many of us, it's the console of choice whether sitting around the TV with friends and family, scrapping over a game of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Super Mario Party Jamboree or cosying up alone to sneak in a few hours of Animal Crossing: New Horizons or Breath of the Wild, we've grown rather attached to this little machine.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kA new trailer for Mortal Kombat 1 has been released that showcases the T-1000 playable character in the Khaos Reigns expansion.Available from 18th March 2025, the T-1000 is yet another classic movie villain getting the MK treatment and, judging from the short teaser, it seems NetherRealm Studios has done a wonderful job at staying faithful to the character's appearance in the 1991 classic Terminator 2: Judgement Day.In fact, the T-1000's fatality involves the character launching a huge truck into poor Johnny Cage, before the T-1000 single-handedly smashes out the windscreen and proceeds to shoot Cage at point-blank range with an SMG. Gnarly.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube We're hoping the game manages to sneak in a few more Terminator 2 nods with the new character; can you imagine if NetherRealm also bagged the likeness of actress Jenette Goldstein as John Connor's foster mother? Famously, the T-1000 impersonated Goldstein's character to lure Connor back home, but messed up by mistakenly calling the family dog by the wrong name.Regardless, we're excited to see more when the T-1000 arrives in March. It'll be joining an ever growing roster of characters, including the likes of Conan the Barbarion and Ghostface. "Crush your enemies and see them driven before you"The latest patch also includes fixes and adjustmentsAre you excited to check out the T-1000 in Mortal Kombat 1? Or is the Switch version just not good enough to keep you playing? Let us know with a comment.[source youtube.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Image: Alex Olney / Nintendo LifeWhile the Palworld case continues to tick away in the background, The Pokmon Company has recently won another lawsuit against a Chinese mobile app on the grounds of copyright infringement and acts of unfair competition (thanks, Eurogamer).TPC's case against 'Pocket Monster: Remake' (or, sometimes, 'Pocket Monster: Issue/Reissue') has been running for years. Starting back in 2022, the Pokmon studio announced that it was seeking damages of around 60 million / $70 million, claiming that the app clearly ripped assets and gameplay from the Pokmon series we've attached some footage from YouTube account James Hu below, so you can see the app in action.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube The case was resolved last September, though Guangzhou Maichi Network Technology and Khorgos Fangchi Network Technology (the two companies involved in the mobile app) appealed the decision, pushing the legal proceedings back to last week when a Chinese court put the case to bed for good.While we don't know the exact amount that the companies involved were forced to settle in the end, a joint statement shared on the TPC corporate website specifies that the pair have paid "a substantial economic price" and have incurred "significant reputational damage" in the process.In the formal apology, Guangzhou Maichi and Khorgos Fangchi stated that the mobile app "extensively used design elements of the well-known Pokmon Video Game Series" and "has unfairly taken advantage of the fame and reputation of the Pokmon Video Games", constituting an act of unfair competition and copyright infringement.Under the guidance of relevant precedents and judicial documents issued by the High People's Court of Guangdong Province, We have deeply realized that our acts had violated relevant laws during the second-instance trial and settlement process. The Game has extensively used design elements of the well-known Pokmon Video Game Series, infringing the copyrights related to the Pokmon Video Games, and has unfairly taken advantage of the fame and reputation of the Pokmon Video Games, thereby constituting acts of unfair competition. Our copyright infringement and acts of unfair competition have caused significant economic losses to the rights holders and severely damaged the image of the original Pokmon Video Games. We hereby sincerely apologize to TPC and other rights holders, as well as the vast number of players, consumers, and the general public.The app in question has now been removed from the market, the statement concludes, with the companies pledging to "place a high priority on intellectual property protection, [and] refrain from infringing upon any related intellectual property rights or interests of the Pokmon Video Games" in the future.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kTPC and Nintendo's high-profile lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair is still ongoing. While the case has been focused on Japanese courts so far, recent Nintendo patent approvals in the U.S. suggest that things may soon expand to an international reach. Update: Attorney weighs in on Nintendo's mostly-rejected patentNintendo's lawsuit claims it "infringes multiple patent rights"What do you make of this latest Pokmon rip-off? Let us know in the comments.[source corporate.pokemon.co.jp, via eurogamer.net]See AlsoShare:02 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesFunko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedPokmon Presents Announced For 27th February 2025Quick, act surprised!Nintendo "Establishing Ways To Respond" To U.S. Tariffs, Says FurukawaExpects minimal financial impactGallery: Here's A Closer Look At The London Pop-Up Pokmon Center's Exclusive MerchType advantage against bank ballances

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kOne of the most striking elements of Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days Collection, which celebrates the 25th anniversary of the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, is the sheer number of Yu-Gi-Oh! video games that came out between 1998 and 2004. The Early Days Collection includes 14 games just from Game Boy, Game Boy Color, and Game Boy Advance titles, some of which have never previously been released outside of Japan.Over half of the games in the collection belong to the Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters series, despite increasingly convoluted names: Duel Monsters (1998), Duel Monsters II: Dark Duel Stories (1999), Dark Duel Stories (2000), Duel Monsters 4: Battle of Great Duelists (2000), The Eternal Duelist Soul (2001), Duel Monsters 6: Expert 2 (2001), World Wide Edition: Stairway to the Destined Duel (2003), The Sacred Cards (2002), and Reshef of Destruction (2003).Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Most follow a similar formula of beating duelists in battle to unlock new areas and cards. The first game in the series was released before the official Yu-Gi-Oh! card game, so its rules are based on the manga instead. As the Duel Monster series progresses, the in-game dueling rules begin to slowly resemble the real-life trading card game more closely, but it isnt until the fifth entry, The Eternal Duelist Soul, that we see a full alignment with the actual card game rules.Then, we revert to a simplified version of gameplay in the last two games, The Sacred Cards and Reshef of Destruction, which also added an RPG element that allowed us to walk around an actual environment as we duelled our way through town.For anyone who has played the official card game, the most baffling mechanical difference in some of the Duel Monsters games might be the alignments system, where monsters of one type are super strong against another. We were surprised when a normal summon with 300 attack points could automatically defeat our seven-star, two-sacrifice summon with 2500 attack points just because it had a thunder alignment against our own monsters water alignment.Put bluntly, the official Yu-Gi-Oh! card game is much more strategically engaging than the chimeras present in many of the Early Days Collection. Wed argue that the card game hit its full stride shortly after many of these titles were released (and then overcomplicated itself into oblivion a few years later on, but we dont have to get into that). Theres a simple joy in collecting as many cards as possible just to revel in how cool the artwork is, but as tactical gameswhich many of these titles bill themselves astheres not too much to entertain.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)That is with the exception of two later games included in the collection: Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship Tournament 2004 and Yu-Gi-Oh! 7 Trials to Glory: World Championship Tournament 2005. These can be taken as additional titles in the Duel Monsters series, as their Japanese titles indicate, but they might also be considered members of the Yu-Gi-Oh! World Championship series. Either way, they offer a strategic experience much more similar to the actual card game. Gameplay still mostly involves challenging others to duel, but collecting new cards and putting together decks is so much more engaging since we actually got to purchase and open packs.While we respect the commitment to the original gameplay, the user interface for much of the collection feels clunky and overwhelming. Getting through a single turn in many of the games was often tedious, let alone trying to change what was in our deck vs our overall collection of cards. This improved a little as the release year of the games increased, but not by much.A major criticism for many of Konamis Yu-Gi-Oh! titles when they originally released was that they didnt do much to teach series newcomers how the card game actually worked. That remains true with this collection as a whole. On the one hand, many of the ready-made target audience are probably those who either played the card game or the video games themselves previously. Yet, we cant help but feel that the collection might have been a great opportunity to introduce the Yu-Gi-Oh! card game to a new group of players.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked)Of course, not every game in the collection is duel-centered. The Yu-Gi-Oh! series has inspired numerous game variations throughout its history besides its massively popular card game. Dungeon Dice Monsters (2003) is based on a board game of the same name. Without having any previous experience with Dungeon Dice Monsters, we found this one particularly difficult to understand. It felt like a game that could be really interesting if there wasnt such a difficult learning curve.Destiny Board Traveler, seemingly Konamis take on a Mario Party-type game, was disappointingly hard to jump into, as well. The art style is really cute, but the in-game text is outrageously difficult to decipher. By the time we figured out how the mechanics worked, we werent having any fun.Meanwhile, Yu-Gi-Oh! Monster Capsule, originally only released in Japan, offers a twist on turn-based tactics in the Yu-Gi-Oh! universe thats both whimsical and easy to understand. With our friends magically transformed into dolls, were tasked with collecting and training monsters in capsules. Fights unfold on a 2D battle map where our monsters face down various opponents in a goofy, chess-like showdown. It certainly isnt the best tactical game of all time, but it marks a worthwhile addition to the collection.Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)Developer Digital Eclipse included some quality-of-life elements in the collection as a whole that tie everything together rather well. These include the ability to save at will, tweak gameplay rules like removing deck limits, and rewind time. These features help take the edge off the already mentioned interface frustrations for these older games, but not enough to remove our suffering altogether.What we did love to see was the preserved box art and original instruction manuals for each game. We opted to play each title with the lovely background border behind the game screen, but players can notably adjust the screen size, filter, and border using the collections universal pause menu.

Image: SEGASega is this weekend running a limited-time Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds 'closed network test' for the PlayStation 5 and the first impressions are now rolling in.There's obviously no feedback about the Switch version at this stage, but there's still enough commentary doing the rounds online to give Sonic fans an idea about what they can expect when this new racing outing does eventually show up on Nintendo's system. Keep in mind as well this is technically a 'closed network test', so nothing is necessarily finalised yet.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube Take your place at the starting line! Sign up before February 19th at 4PM PT for a chance to participate in the Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Closed Network Test on PlayStation 5!bit.ly/CrossWorldsC... Sonic the Hedgehog (@sonic-official.bsky.social) 2025-02-13T18:10:26.978ZSo, here are some thoughts so far starting with the YouTube channel Good Vibes Gaming:"There's a solid base here, the racing feels good, the drifting is great, the track designs are great, it looks great, it sounds great, but then there is that major drawback element of the items being way too much and interfering with the racing, so much throughout every race...the air trick is a bit disappointing, and of course the fact you can definitely tell it's a beta... There's a solid base here and if you're a fan of Transformed...I think you should be excited, cautiously optimistic... it's definitely already a farsight better than Team Sonic Racing"Following on with some fan impressions on social media:Ham: "first impressions of Sonic Racing CrossWorlds: Way too chaotic. Courses feel too narrow, and items are too common. I feel like they could remove half the item sets and it would feel better."@blueaizu.blue: "I played the Sonic Racing CrossWorlds beta! I wasn't sure if I'm allowed to actually livestream it, but the terms didn't say I couldn't share my impressions. It's fun and definitely has potential, but it's a bit too chaotic in its current state."@annachicky.bsky.social "thoughts on the Sonic Racing Crossworlds beta: super fun and chaotic! there's no telling who'll win, you go from 1st place to 7th in mere seconds. I easily spend an hour in the garage customizing my cars, it's easy to get lost in there"Here are some thoughts from Sonic players over on ResetEra:A Ream of Paper: "Just finished up an almost 2 hour session and I had a blast (I haven't played any of the other Sonic racing games fwiw). Finished in the top 3 a few times and made it to rank C-. I exclusively used the speed kart and I think I'll try the other kart types tomorrow."BlueStarEXSF: "I've played a good 2 hours now. Some random thoughts...The tracks and the crossworld mechanic are the highlight imo...The handling took a while to get used to. Honestly, I had to make sure to get parts with handling stats for my car. Despite that, I would still improve base handling for every car across the board."DynamicSushy: "This game makes Mario Kart seem like a slow methodical racer. So chaotic and noisy. I didn't play Racing Transformed for the online play anyway though, so I am looking forward to whatever career mode equivalent they have planned. If the plan is to go all in on the online though, I may not get this. Races seem way too quick, cross world lap is too quick so it's hard to appreciate the eye candy. This is pure Sega though and I imagine it looking beautiful on an arcade cabinet."And then some comments by fans on the Sonic subreddit:KrispyBaconator: "Im having an absolute blast so far. I will say I feel like it hews a lot closer to Mario Kart than the Sega All Stars Racing games, especially with the cars here feeling a bit less weighty, but it still feels great once you get used to it. Item Balance is suuuuuper wacky at the moment, to the point that Id compare it to Mario Kart Wii. I feel like the Monster Truck should last longer. Also, the game looks absolutely GORGEOUS. Switching to Unreal was the right call imo."Burtzman: "My biggest complaint is there's a bit of sensory overload. Too many items in play at once with fancy effects, having to worry about ring management, the frenzy boosts, and the weird sound mixing. I was trying to form an opinion on the soundtrack, but you can't hear it half the time. A lot of these need to be toned down, and in the case of items, balanced better. Making the items and rings more sparse to better focus on just driving would greatly improve the experience for me."shrimp-parm: "Too many items. It feels like Im getting hit the entire race unless Im front running. The controls feel pretty good honestly. I think if they can balance items better it would heighten my enjoyment of the game."Website Game8 has also published a review of the closed network test:"The game may still be in its early stages, but theres already a lot to be excited about. The beta currently offers just nine characters, but the official website teases that well have 23 racers at launch, with many more potentially joining the roster...With more tracks, CrossWorlds, vehicles, and customization options on the horizon, theres plenty to look forward to. Add in modes like Grand Prix, Race Park, and Time Attack, and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds has the makings of something truly special. If it can deliver on all of its promises, it might just become the Super Smash Bros. Ultimate of kart racing." Every Sonic and SEGA character on the wayUpdate: IGN has an exclusive preview upThe announcement follows rumours and leaksHave you tried out this beta? How are you feeling about this game based on what's been showcased so far? Let us know in the comments.Related GamesSee AlsoShare:20 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesDC x Sonic The Hedgehog First Issue Cover Art Officially RevealedThis super collab starts next monthSonic Racing: CrossWorlds: Full Character Roster - Every Racer Confirmed So FarEvery Sonic and SEGA character on the waySonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Characters From "SEGA Universes"Update: IGN has an exclusive preview upSonic Racing: CrossWorlds Trailer Released, Speeding Onto Switch "Soon"The announcement follows rumours and leaksIs Skies Of Arcadia Coming Back? New SEGA Trademark Gets Fans ExcitedMoons, give me strength...

Image: NIntendo Life / Chucklefish / NintendoAnd we're back for the February edition of the Nintendo Life Mailbox. Time is moving slowly for those of us jonesing for that Switch 2 Direct, but we've had games like Civ 7, Laika, and Citizen Sleeper 2 to keep us busy, and we're all looking forward to Xenoblade Chronicles X - it would just be nice if it launched on 20th February rather than 20th March.Anyhow, it's time for our monthly letters page feature. Got something you want to get off your chest? We're ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings.Each month well highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a months subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.Letters were very light this month (or filled with total irrelevancy), so make sure to send your video game-related missives and doodles our way for next time!Okay, let's a-rummage.Nintendo Life Mailbox - February 2024Image: Capcom"a bad thing" (***STAR LETTER***)First of all, my favorite game of all time is Earthbound, and if you disagree, well, let's just say...that's very understandable and I respect your opinion. I always tell people my second favorite game, however, is "Mega Man". Which one? Well, it's probably either Mega Man 2, 3, X, or X2. But there's nothing wrong with 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, X3, and X4. Heck, even 1 and 8 are okay. Did I mention the Game Boy games? It's always difficult to parse out the order, because when you get down to it all of the games are all so very similar, yet all so very great.When did that become a bad thing?When did it become an absolute crime to make an iterative sequel? You know if Mario Kart 9 doesn't reinvent the wheel (potentially literally) that some people will be up in arms. "How DARE the new Assassin's Creed be exactly like the previous one!?" "Tears of the Kingdom should have been DLC for Breath of the Wild!" I'm all for taking risks and creating something fresh. Pokemon for sure was/is in desperate need of a status quo shakeup, and if something didn't work the first time why would you go back to the same well? But sometimes, with some franchises, coloring inside the lines is more than okay, and thinking outside the box gets you a Mega Man X7. Maybe there's a reason restaurants keep serving the same menu, and maybe it's okay for games to serve us more of the same.Splash_WomanThe sheer amount of games these days great ones! makes it harder to get excited about sequels that barely change things up, I'd say. With all the brilliant genre homages we get, a new Mega Man should aim higher than just another 'one of those', no? If a series goes totally off the rails, a solid, back-to-basics entry gets things back on track, but minor tweaks to the same formula, forever? It's not a crime, it's just boring.Iteration is essential, but so is experimentation and reaching for something new. We can't move for quality Metroidvanias, so an actual Metroid or Castlevania should be something a bit special. Otherwise, what's the point? - Ed."wise to arrive"So, I've never gotten a launch console before. In fact, I've had my PS5 for less than a year. However, I'm now in a position to be able to afford the Switch 2 when it comes out. I would love to get my hands on a launch Switch 2 (although, my local GameStop guy hinted at a Pokemon Edition that I'm assuming won't come out at the same time). My question is: How early do you think it would be wise to arrive at any store offering preorders when they begin taking them? Thanks!EthanHmm, not to cast aspersions on the wisdom of GameStop guy, but I wouldn't expect any themed SKUs in the launch year.In terms of pre-orders, get there as early as is practical, but also remember that one of Nintendo's primary goals with the launch is to satisfy demand. So unless they totally fail on that front, you should be able to get hold of one if you're keeping half an eye on things. You shouldn't need to camp outside the store to get your pre-order in, at least.But hey, I'm a guy who improbably got the last Wii from Woolworths in December 2006, and randomly wandered into a department store and picked up a Switch off the shelf on launch day in 2017. Maybe I've just been lucky. Some people love setting up the tent on the sidewalk for these kinds of things. If that's you, crack on! - Ed.Image: NintendoAnd now onto the Bonus section! See, I told you it was a light month.Bonus Letters"I was wondering if youd consider not linking to X anymore? For example, if a story comes from a tweet, you could repost the content or use a cropped screenshot without including a link. " - Twilite9This came in too late to make the last Mailbox, but it's worth highlighting my response to a comment back towards the end of January - check that out for a little more depth.TL;DR: We're dismayed at the turn things have taken and we've made various changes in our approach to that platform. Right now it remains a common tool for announcements and discussion from industry players, so you'll still see it sourced appropriately when no other sources are available. Any questions, our contact form is the best place for them. - Ed."I think Zeno Robinson might join The Sonic the Hedgehog current voice cast starting in the next 3D Sonic game, Sonic Adventure 3 or Sonic Frontiers 2 or whatever I call it. He would voice a new Hedgehog with powers inspired by Shazam, Hercules and the flash and take inspiration to Adult Gohan from Dragon Ball Z." - Scottdevine53I enjoy these little prognostications, Scott. - Ed."Are we going to copy PlayStation and start calling the Switch the NS1 now?" - MunchlaxNo, no - it's Sw1tch, darling. - Ed.Nintendo is tempted to list out all super AAA hits of -1 Sony/MS consoles from recent generation and order studios to make Switch ports, then offer it on super expensive price - JakubThe Last of Us: Switch Edition. $99 or $120 for the Collector's Edition with the Joel and Ellie amiibos which unlocks the HBO skins. Yes, I need more Pedro in my life. PP ftw.Hang on, that came out wrong. - Ed.(The Bed Bath & Beyond is still up, just wanted to make my letter about candles more interesting MarkSeteth72'Interesting' is a word. - Ed.Image: NintendoThat's all for this month! Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.Got something you'd like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can't contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelinesLetters, not essays, please - Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn't likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you're after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)Don't go crazy with multiple correspondences - Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!Don't be disheartened if your letter doesn't appear in the monthly article - We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we'll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn't chosen for the article, please don't get disheartened!How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life MailboxHead to Nintendo Life's Contact page and select the subject "Reader Letters" from the drop-down menu (it's already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom you're done! Advert FreeShare: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...

Image: Nintendo LifeHello folks, and welcome to another edition of Box Art Brawl!Last time, we looked at Star Fox 64, and gosh, it was quite a close match. Both designs are pretty great in our eyes, but ultimately Japan won the day with 54% of the vote, while the Western design managed to nab 46%. Well done, Japan!We've got a bit of a doozy for you this time folks; if only because one of the designs here is hilariously bad. We're looking at River King: Mystic Valley for the DS, a Marvelous Entertainment game originally launched in 2008. We have Tokyo Game Life on Bluesky to thank for this one.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube797kWatch on YouTube We have another instance here in which the game's titled was altered for its European release, so River King: Mystic Valley is now... Harvest Fishing. Not only that, but the accompanying box art is... well, you'll see.Let battle commence!Be sure to cast your votes in the poll below; but first, let's check out the box art designs themselves.North AmericaNorth America and Japan share many similarities with their cover designs. North America has its logo situated on the top, while the cast of characters makes up the bulk of the composition beneath. It's quite busy, but we reckon it works quite well; especially with the slightly blurred out background.JapanJapan flips things around and has its logo located on the bottom of the composition. We can't speak for you fine folks, but we actually prefer this approach. Our eyes are automatically drawn to the characters above (which are slightly larger here), and it feels like a slightly more natural layout. The background is also significantly lighter, which makes the characters stand out a bit more.EuropeUhh.......Okay, so let's vote!Which region got the best River King: Mystic Valley box art? (91 votes)North America52%Japan34%Europe14%Thanks for voting! We'll see you next time for another round of Box Art Brawl.

Image: NintendoSwitch 2 placeholder prices have been popping up all over the internet in recent weeks, so is there any truth to these retailer listings? Speaking on the latest episode of Kit & Krysta Podcast, a former Nintendo sales lead has apparently "set the record straight".When asked if retailers are in the loop about the price of Nintendo's new and highly anticipated next-generation hybrid hardware, he claimed these stores know "nothing" and "certainly not price". Here's the full exchange:Kit: "Something that's happening a lot now is like some retailer will have some listing 'Switch 2 $400' and people will be like 'oh, confirmed' - what do the retailers know at this point in the game?"Sean: "Nothing, nothing...certainly not price, almost certainly not any kind of launch date other than maybe a quarter, it always makes me laugh to see these articles like 'Walmart Canada says the price is going to be this' Walmart Canada is the last people that are gonna know."These comments follow some listings surfacing on certain retailer websites earlier this month suggesting a Switch 2 price could be cheaper than expected. Analysts have also chimed in with some estimates, and these rumours and predictions will likely continue until the system's price is officially confirmed.Nintendo is holding a 'Switch 2 Direct' broadcast on 2nd April 2025, which will provide a "closer look" at the new system, so hopefully, there'll be some information about the price then. It's time for Switch 2What are your thoughts about the Switch 2 and how much it will cost? Let us know in the comments.[source youtu.be]See AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Power Artist "Hadn't Actually Played Any Zelda Games" Before Creating His Take On HyruleAnd he'd like to turn his talents to MetroidNintendo Has Renewed Some TrademarksIncluding its famous 'Seal of Quality'Nike Has Gone Bananas With These Donkey Kong Country-Inspired TrainersTalk about Funky98 Games You Should Pick Up In Nintendo's 'Play On' eShop Sale (Europe)Every game we scored 9/10 or higher

Kanto blight.With a Pokmon Presents on the way soon, our foolish hearts have begun hoping for something a bit special. While Nintendo fans twiddle their thumbs awaiting the full reveal of Switch 2, an entire year without a Pokmon game releasing on Switch has helped us regain our appetite for console-based catchin'.It was a much-needed break, too. For perhaps the first time, it seemed that fan reaction to Scarlet and Violet's technical issues may have given The Pokmon Company pause, forcing them to reevaluate the release schedule and give the developers time to recover and cook up something that didn't feel like it was technically cobbled together from 20-year-old DS code, hopes, dreams, and sticky tape.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Catching them ALL?? In this economy??Howdy partners! Welcome back to another edition of What Are You Playing.Switch 2 may still feel like a long way away, but there have been some Nintendo rumblings this week to keep us busy, all the same. The annual Pokmon Presents showcase was announced for next week (surprising no one), we got some leaked info on the upcoming Game Boy LEGO set, and Nintendo started to make preparations for the end of Gold Points and Switch Game Vouchers.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube To help get 2025 underway Nintendo revived its Wii and 3DS title Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Switch. Circana's executive director and industry analyst Mat Piscatella has now shared US chart data for the month of January - revealing how exactly the game performed on the local charts.Donkey Kong Country Returns HD debuted in 8th spot and was the only new entrant on the charts for January. It was just below EA Sports College Football 25, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 taking out the top spot. Super Mario Party Jamboree dropped from 5th to 14th and Mario Kart went from 16th to 17th place.Piscatella also notes how Donkey Kong's sales here are based exclusively on physical data:"Donkey Kong Country Returns was the only new release to appear on the monthly top 20 best-sellers chart, with physical sales alone enough to achieve the #8 position."Image: Circana, LLCFocusing in on the "top 10 best-selling" Switch games for the month of January, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD perhaps unsurprisingly took out the top spot, with Super Mario Party Jamboree in second place and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in third place. In 10th spot was the MySims Cozy Bundle, which debuted in November.Image: Circana, LLCIn terms of hardware, there were "double-digit percentage declines compared to a year ago" on all major console platforms, with Switch taking out second place "in units sold" for the month:"PlayStation 5 hardware spending dipped by 38% year-on-year, with Xbox Series declining by 50% and Switch 53%."PlayStation 5 was once again the best-selling hardware platform of the month across both units and dollars. Xbox Series ranked 2nd in hardware spending, while Nintendo Switch edged out Xbox Series to rank 2nd in units sold."On the mobile front, Pokmon TCG Pocket apparently dropped three places, but it could be tied to the major update:Pokmon TCG Pocket, the biggest launch of 2024, fell three places, but this could be more of a result of its update cadence. The week starting Jan 27, 2025, was Pokmon TCG Pocket's 2nd biggest week so far by revenue, as an update with new booster packs was released, said Aune."And in case you missed it, Nintendo has also released a demo for Donkey Kong Country Returns HD, which you can download right now from the Switch eShop. And if you're curious to find out more about the Switch version, read our full review here on Nintendo Life. That's what you get for not hailing to the chimpTry before you buyDid you revisit Donkey Kong Country Returns in January? Let us know in the comments.[source bsky.app]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:00 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedNike Has Gone Bananas With These Donkey Kong Country-Inspired TrainersTalk about Funky

All eyes are on the Birdman.Earlier this week, professional skater Tyshawn Jones mentioned how he was in a new Tony Hawk remaster "coming out" soon.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: Gemma Smith / Nintendo LifeWhip up a last-minute cake and bring out the candles because we have a big birthday on our hands, folks. HAL Laboratory, the company behind Kirby, the OG Smash Bros., EarthBound and another boatload of beauties that we'll get to in just a moment, has turned 45 today.Yep, on 21st February 1980, Mitsuhiro Ikeda founded HAL with the intention of developing games for home computers. Four years later, Nintendo released a little system called the Famicom, ushering in a new partnership that we're still reaping the rewards of to this day.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube After one illustrious HAL programmer called Satoru Iwata helped out Nintendo with a handful of NES hits including Pinball, Golf, Balloon Fight, a young upstart by the name of Masahiro Sakurai joined the company and released his debut game: Kirby's Dream Land. This was the introduction to our beloved pink puffball (white at the time, let's not forget) and the birth of the company's figurehead going forward.With almost 40 games and enough merchandise to make even the Minions envious, Kirby has undoubtedly stepped into the role of the studio's most recognisable face, and yet, the last 45 years of releases have been far from a one-note Kirb-fest.We've already mentioned Nintendo's most recognisable brawler and the RPG that time forgot (we remember you, Earthbound), but HAL has been behind a whole host of strange, bold swings that are easy to overlook once you lock eyes with the pink ball at the top of the pyramid.Images: Zion Grassl / Nintendo LifeIn 1999, Pokmon Snap and Pokmon Pinball took the series' usual catchin' and battlin' in a brave new direction, BOXBOY! is one of the most interesting puzzle platformer series of recent years, and who can forget the delightful Part Time UFO? which has been a staple of quick-fix fun ever since it landed on Switch back in 2020.It's easy to forget that HAL isn't Nintendo, but its IPs have become so synonymous with the House of Mario over the years that we struggle to picture them not working hand-in-hand.All in all, it has been quite the 45 in the biz. HAL's general director of the Kirby series (quite the job title, we must admit), Shinya Kumazaki, took to social media to celebrate the anniversary, thanking fans for their continued support and sharing a commemorative painting that was issued to celebrate the studio's 40th:HAL Laboratory. 45th Anniversary!45405#kirby #hallaboratory # #HAL Director_Kumazaki (@director-kumazaki.bsky.social) 2025-02-21T10:03:58.632ZDespite 45 years of big-hitters, however, it has been a quiet couple of months for HAL. The studio's last release came in the shape of Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe back in 2023, which, when you consider the usual cadence of Kirby releases, has been quite the wait. We can only assume that it's full-steam ahead on Switch 2 behind closed doors, but the Planet Robobot Switch rumours continue to rumble away nonetheless.Whether the next time we see HAL comes with a new Kirby, a remaster, or that beloved next Earthbound entry that we all so desperately want, we know the studio is never that far away when new Nintendo hardware is on the horizon.So, happy birthday, HAL! Here's to the next 45. HAL be thereEvery Kirby game, rankedWhat is your favourite HAL game? Let us know in the comments below.Share:04 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Power Artist "Hadn't Actually Played Any Zelda Games" Before Creating His Take On HyruleAnd he'd like to turn his talents to MetroidNintendo Has Renewed Some TrademarksIncluding its famous 'Seal of Quality'Switch 2 Units Are Reportedly Selling For $40,000 On The Chinese Black MarketOr $50 trade-in at GameStopNike Has Gone Bananas With These Donkey Kong Country-Inspired TrainersTalk about Funky

Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo LifeWith the Nintendo Switch 2 on the horizon, you might be wondering why a company like Marseille has decided to expand upon its original mClassic dongle with two new variations. Alas, thats exactly what its done, releasing the new mClassic Switch (blue) and mClassic Retro (green) products to complement the red original.On this page: Review: mClassic RGB Range - Colour Us Unimpressed With These UpscalersSubscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube When we looked at the red version back in 2021, we noted that its effects on visuals were unfortunately too subtle to warrant a full recommendation and that there were many scenarios in which the improvements simply weren't noticeable. The same cant really be said for the new products, with each processing mode implementing a drastically different image on-screen, but sadly the difference particularly when it comes to colours and brightness is actually a significant downgrade over what the Switch is capable of outputting on its own.Looking at the dongles themselves, all three are exactly the same in terms of build and presentation (bar the difference in colour, of course). This means that the new blue and green models, like the original, come with a Micro USB slot instead of USB-C. Its something that we could have almost brushed off when we looked at the original nearly four years ago, but for something releasing in 2025, Micro USB simply isnt acceptable. We go hands-on with the Marseille mClassicThat said, each device comes with its own red power cable which, if youve got a standard USB slot in your TV, monitor, or nearby wall, can easily be hooked up without the need for additional cables.In addition, if youre using these things with the Switch specifically, Marseille has also supplied a short HDMI adapter, since plugging the mClassic directly into the back of the Switch dock simply isnt possible thanks to the limited space available. Adding the adapter allows the mClassic to sit just outside the dock, which also makes it easier to toggle the three processing modes via a small switch on the side.mClassic RGB - What's the Difference?Now, lets take a closer look at what each of these dongles actually domClassic Original (Red)mClassic Original ModesMode 1 (Unprocessed), Mode 2 (Switch), Mode 3 (Retro)The red mClassic Original dongle is capable of upscaling the 720p / 60fps and 1080p / 60fps signals from the Switch up to a maximum of 1440p. The results are certainly visible just with the second of its three processing modes implementing some subtle sharpening and anti-aliasing in addition to the basic upscaling. The last mode, on the other hand, is designed primarily for retro gaming, and forces a 4:3 aspect ratio.We've laid things out in the below images from Sid Meier's Civilization VII. The left image is mode 1 (unprocessed), middle is mode 2 (Switch) and right is mode 3 (Retro).Mode 1 (Left), Mode 2 (Middle), and Mode 3 (right) - click on the images to view each at full resolution Images: Nintendo LifeMode 2 does smooth out the rough edges somewhat with some anti-aliasing and depth-of-field processing in addition to upscaling at 1440p, but it's an incredibly subtle effect that's really only discernible when viewed side-by-side with mode 1. It also slightly boosts the overall saturation of the colours, and while this isn't particularly egregious in this instance (unlike the blue model more on that later), it's nevertheless a slight downgrade from the unprocessed mode.Mode 3, of course, implements the 4:3 aspect ratio for retro games, but also includes everything from mode 2, including the upscaling, smoothing, and depth-of-field processing. Regardless of which mode you select, gameplay lag is thankfully at an absolute minimum, and we didn't notice anything worth highlighting.Out of all three mClassic devices, the original is one that we could almost make a case for if you're looking for something to boost visual clarity on your Switch or retro consoles. The improvements provided are minimal, to be sure, but it's definitely there. If you're not keen on upgrading to the Switch 2 when it launches this year, this might actually be a sound way to future-proof your current Switch for another couple of years or so. Close-up crops of the mClassic Red - Mode 1 (left) is unprocessed, Mode 2 (right) is upscaled and enhanced Images: Nintendo LifemClassic Switch (Blue)mClassic Switch ModesMode 1 (Switch OG), Mode 2 (Switch Enhance), Mode 3 (Switch Enhance+)The new mClassic Switch essentially takes Mode 2 from the mClassic original and pushes things even further, with enhancements theoretically designed to improve your experience on the Switch specifically. Mode 1 on the blue dongle is the exact same as mode 2 on the red, implementing 1440p upscaling, anti-aliasing, minor colour saturation, and the rest of it. Modes 2 and 3 add in colour filters that are meant to boost immersion of games depending on their colour and lighting, with mode 2 designed primarily for lighter games, and mode 3 for darker.The problem is that neither mode looks even remotely good. Mode 2 goes overboard with the colour saturation, intending to replicate the look of the Switch OLED on the big screen, but instead resulting in an image that looks completely overblown. Blacks are much deeper, and even white levels are muted, turn them into a more muddy, grey colour. We understand the intention to use this on brighter, more vibrant games, but even those can have darker moments, and it's here where you get unprecedented loss in detail thanks to the darker colours.Mode 3 is the opposite. You've still got an increase in colour saturation here, but the overall brightness has been dialled up and the actual hue of the colours looks completely different. It's a bit closer to the output from Mode 1 and therefore not quite as offensive as Mode 2, but it still doesn't look very good.The filters provided by modes 2 and 3 are, frankly, just not very nice to look at. Given that mode 1 on the mClassic Switch is the same as mode 2 on the mClassic original, you'd be better off just going for the latter and ditching those dreadful filters for an upscaled image that's more faithful to the native Switch display.Mode 1 (Left), Mode 2 (Middle), and Mode 3 (right) - note the loss in detail with Mario's moustache and the moon in the background Images: Nintendo LifemClassic Retro (Green)mClassic Retro ModesMode 1 (Retro OG), Mode 2 (Vintage Retro), Mode 3 (Vintage Retro+)Finally, the mClassic Retro looks to give you a more authentic take on older classics by applying more colour filters to the screen, just like its blue sibling. Here, mode 1 is the same as mode 3 on the red, offering up the same 1440p experience with the added 4:3 aspect ratio. The same can be said for modes 2 and 3; all of them apply the same processing capabilities.When you switch over to mode 2, however, a filter is applied that heavily desaturates the colours on-screen, theoretically giving you a more 'vintage' look to your game. This might be somewhat valid for certain games, but for most, the resulting image looks incredibly washed out and far too bright.Mode 3 isn't quite so bad and darkens the overall image slightly when compared to mode 2. It's still not as good as the original output, but it's not terrible.The important thing with the mClassic Retro, however, is that unless you have a modded retro console that supports HDMI right out the gate, you're going to need some sort of generic SD to HDMI adaptor in order to actually make this thing work at all. Marseille's marketing for the RGB range focuses quite a lot on the 'plug and play' aspect, but for the green Retro device at least, this simply isn't the case unless you're already in a position in which you can play old consoles on a modern TV.mClassic Retro - Mode 1 (Left), Mode 2 (Middle), and Mode 3 (right) - we were unable to hook up an old console for this test, so we've used Killer Instinct on the SNES NSO app, hence the more squished image Images: Nintendo LifeThough technical specifications for the upcoming Switch 2 have yet to be officially confirmed, it's said to boast native 1080p resolution with added DLSS upscaling. Given the timing, it's tough to know exactly who these mClassic devices are for; especially at 99 for the red and 78 each for the blue and green.We struggled to recommend the mClassic Original back in 2021, and that was with the assumption that Nintendo itself was about to coast another handful of years without the previously rumoured 'Switch Pro'. We know that the Switch 2 is coming later this year, so if you're someone who's eyeing one up on day one, the mClassic isn't a sound purchase in 2025. And retro enthusiasts looking to get the best from their old consoles won't be satisfied with the results, either.mClassic RGB Range - The VerdictIf for some reason you're dead set on getting one of the mClassic devices, then the red Original is probably best. But even that isn't a recommendation given the asking price and the incredibly subtle differences between the three modes available. Then again, 1440p output with minor image sharpening isn't to be sniffed at.As for the 'new' Switch blue and Retro green, you're best off avoiding these entirely. Mode 1 on both devices can be found on the mClassic original, offering up exactly the same processing capabilities. The only extras you're getting are some genuinely awful colour filters that do nothing but distort the original output. It doesn't look good - quite the opposite.The mClassic Original does improve visual quality, albeit minimallyRelatively easy to set up and switch between modesColour filters on mClassic Switch and Retro are truly awfulUsing the mClassic Retro with classic consoles requires another third-party adaptor anywayA fairly pricey way to make your games look worse in most modesMicro USB? Really?Bad 3/10The samples for this review were provided by Marseille.Please note that some external links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click them and make a purchase we may receive a small percentage of the sale. Please read our FTC Disclosure for more information.See AlsoShare:01 Nintendo Lifes resident horror fanatic, when hes not knee-deep in Resident Evil and Silent Hill lore, Ollie likes to dive into a good horror book while nursing a lovely cup of tea. He also enjoys long walks and listens to everything from TOOL to Chuck Berry. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Crikey, it's never looked this good.An upcoming Pokmon anime short from CoMix Wave Films best known for its work on films such as Your Name, Suzume, and Weathering With You is looking absolutely stunning so far as evidenced by a brief trailer posted to YouTube.Dubbed 'Dragonite and the Postman', the short will be available to watch from 27th February, also known as Pokmon Day. It follows the story of a young Paldean girl who ventures out into an adventure to locate the source of a mysterious letter.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: Nintendo LifeThe Pokmon European International Championship has once again returned to London this year, bringing with it competition, events, hands-on opportunities and, of course, merch.Yes, London's pop-up Pokmon Center is back at the ExCel until 23rd February, and it is once again packed with enough exclusive goodies to make even the most well-stocked wallets wince. We at Nintendo Life were lucky enough to pop into the store this morning to get a look at all of the exclusive merchandise, and we have assembled the following gallery to give you the full rundown of everything on display.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube Psyduck, Ogerpon and Wooper take centre stage in the designs this year, with the range covering everything from clothing to card decks, playmats to pencil cases.Now, it should be noted that while we were able to get into the store bright and early this morning, the shopping experience is a notoriously busy one, so stock may well vary if you are heading to the pop-up this weekend.So, let's get this show on the road! We'll start off with all things TCG and the exclusive card sleeves, deck boxes, playmats and counter/dice sets:Images: Nintendo LifeImages: Nintendo LifeNaturally, there are lanyards and pins galore:Image: Nintendo LifeImages: Nintendo LifeNo surface can be left without some Pokmon merch, so here's the poster, keychain and fridge magnet:Images: Nintendo LifeStationery sets, stickers and postcards to brandish your Pok passion from your desk:Images: Nintendo LifeAnd mugs and bottles to stay hydrated... perfect for those Water Types:Images: Nintendo LifeYou'll probably want a bag to carry all that around in, and TPC has you covered:Image: Nintendo LifeOnto clothing now, and there's no such thing as a bad hair day for a Trainer. At least, not if you cover it with an event-exclusive cap:Images: Nintendo LifeImage: Nintendo LifeNo Pokmon fan's wardrobe is complete without some t-shirts and hoodies, and the pop-up has a bunch of exclusive designs:Images: Nintendo LifeImages: Nintendo LifeImages: Nintendo LifeAnd finally, let's not forget the star of the show: the yellow Psyduck jumper. This one was flying off the shelves while we were in the store, so don't expect it to stick around for long.Image: Nintendo LifeAs a reminder, London's pop-up Pokmon Center will be sticking around at the ExCel until 23rd February and access is only granted for those who were able to book a slot via The Pokmon Company's reservation system though we understand that some last-minute slots are available on the day. Update: All days now fully bookedQuick, act surprised!What's your favourite exclusive item this year? Will you be heading to the pop-up this weekend? Let us know in the comments.See AlsoShare:01 Jim came to Nintendo Life in 2022 and, despite his insistence that The Minish Cap is the best Zelda game and his unwavering love for the Star Wars prequels (yes, really), he has continued to write news and features on the site ever since. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Nintendo Power Artist "Hadn't Actually Played Any Zelda Games" Before Creating His Take On HyruleAnd he'd like to turn his talents to MetroidNintendo Has Renewed Some TrademarksIncluding its famous 'Seal of Quality'Switch 2 Units Are Reportedly Selling For $40,000 On The Chinese Black MarketOr $50 trade-in at GameStopFeature: "I Was Seeing Him In My Dreams" - Nintendo Veteran Just Can't Shake Shigeru Miyamoto"He got a good laugh out of that"

An EUIC special.Ahoy, Trainers! It's European International Championships 2025 weekend, and you know what that means... Pokmon Scarlet and Violet's latest limited-time distribution event is now underway.This one gives you a chance to pick up a Jumpluff based on the one used in Marco Silva's game-winning run at this year's Latin America International Championships and you only have one week to make the most of it, with the event wrapping up on 28th February 2025 at 23:59 UTC.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

All eyes are on the Birdman.Earlier this week, professional skater Tyshawn Jones mentioned how he was in a new Tony Hawk remaster "coming out" soon.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

More will be revealed next week.Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP has received all sorts of updates since Juliet's return last September, and the next one appears to be another update fans won't want to miss.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Try it out before launch.NetEase Games is promoting its upcoming action platformer Rusty Rabbit with a brand new demo for Nintendo Switch.This demo allows you to play through the beginning of Stamp's adventure, with save data carrying over to the full release when it launches on 17th April 2025. Here's a bit more about what you can expect:Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Image: NintendoMario Day takes place next month and it looks like Nintendo will be offering a new Switch bundle in celebration.This deal will be available at Best Buy in North America and includes a Switch OLED model (with neon blue and red Joy-Con) and a copy of Super Mario. Bros Wonder. Along with this, you'll also get a three-month subscription to the Switch Online service.This bundle will set you back $349.99 and is due out on 1st March 2025, with pre-orders now live.Image: NintendoNintendo hasn't officially revealed its plans for Mario Day this year, but we should be finding out soon considering the 10th of March is just weeks away now.In a recent sales update, Nintendo revealed the Switch has now sold over 150 million units worldwide. This latest bundle offer follows the announcement of the Switch 2, with a full reveal to take place during a special broadcast this April.Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube Something's waiting in the wingsIt's time for Switch 2Including 12 months of Switch OnlineWhat do you think of this latest bundle offer? Let us know in the comments.[source gonintendo.com]Related GamesSee AlsoShare:450 Liam is a news writer and reviewer for Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of Mario and Master Chief. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Funko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reportedHands On: Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition - A Decade On, Mira's Still Got ItA Skell of a good time

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kFollowing some teasers, pre-orders for the Metroid Prime 'Samus Phazon Suit' PVC statue by First 4 Figures have now officially gone live.The Collector's Edition is priced at $149.99 and there's an early bird offer for the Exclusive Edition reducing it from $164.99 to just $149.99. Both figures are estimated to release in Q3, 2025. Here's a look and some additional details:"First 4 Figures proudly presents a painted PVC statue of Samus in her Phazon Suit from the classic Metroid Prime video game series! The Phazon Suit is an upgrade to the Power Suit that appears in many iterations of the Metroid series. For this painted PVC statue, the First 4 Figures team faithfully recreated the Phazon Suit with its sleek design and iconic components, including the distinctive Phazon Beam arm cannon. The statue's base is a version of the Screw Attack emblem, which has since become the logo of the Metroid series itself."Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube Samus Phazon Suit - Collector's EditionImage: First 4 Figures"The Collectors Edition incorporates an LED light-up function to bring Samus to life. When activated, all of the appropriate elements of the suit glow, including the helmet, arm cannon, and orange stripes. The LED lighting on the arm cannon perfectly captures the glow of the Phazon Beam."High-quality and lifelike painted PVC statue of Samus in her iconic Phazon SuitBase of the statue based on the Screw Attack/Metroid logoLED light-up functionProduct Size: Statue including base: H: 11" / 27.9 cm, W: 7.9" / 20.0 cm, D: 8.7" / 22.0 cm, Weight: 0.678 kgSamus Phazon Suit - Exclusive EditionImage: First 4 Figures"The Exclusive Edition incorporates an LED light-up function that brings Samus to life. When activated, all of the appropriate elements of the suit glow, including the helmet, arm cannon, and orange stripes. The LED lighting on the arm cannon perfectly captures the glow of the Phazon Beam."High-quality and lifelike painted PVC statue of Samus in her iconic Phazon SuitBase of the statue based on the Screw Attack/Metroid logoLED light-up functionPremium deluxe boxLimited-edition numberingAuthentication cardRechargeable battery with USB charging cableProduct Size: Statue including base: H: 11" / 27.9 cm, W: 7.9" / 20.0 cm, D: 8.7" / 22.0 cm, Weight: 0.678 kgWould you be interested in this Metroid Prime statue? Let us know in the comments.

Mo' dimensions, mo' problems.The 3DS has one of those libraries where the more you think about it, the better it gets. Ocarina of Time, Majora's Mask 3D, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Super Mario 3D Land, Kid Icarus: Uprising, Kirby: Planet Robobot, WarioWare Gold, Samus Returns... you get the picture. If only someone had a list of the best 3DS games, eh? Our point is, that delightful little stereoscopic sweetheart had more bangers than a tin of hot dog sausages. And we want to play them on Switch 2.Of course, we're not asking for everything to come over. Some of the handheld's best titles have already made the jump to Switch in remastered form (Captain Toad, Luigi's Mansion 2, Monster Hunter Stories, etc.), and another group landed follow-ups that borrowed so heavily from its 3DS predecessor that a full-blown port would feel silly does anyone actually want Mario Kart 7 when so much of its DNA can be found in 8 Deluxe? But, with Majora's Mask 3D celebrating its anniversary last week, rumours of a Kirby: Planet Robobot remaster ever rumbling and still no sign of a Rhythm Heaven on Switch, we're craving even more 3DS action in 2025.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Now coming in July.Wt Workshop has announced that the cute and cosy life sim Tales of the Shire: A The Lord of the Rings Game has been delayed from 25th March to 29th July 2025.The developer, which is known for special effects, prop creation, board games, and miniatures, shared a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) earlier today stating that the game "needs a bit more simmering..."Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Though numbers are falling across the board.Over in Japan this week, after Super Mario Party Jamboree briefly managed to claim the top spot last week, Donkey Kong Country Returns HD has once again given its first-party brethren the ol' one-two to take gold once again.Selling a further 14,752 copies, Forever Entertainment's remaster of Retro Studios' classic is now just 4,551 sales away from that sweet 200,000 milestone. Pretty good considering its mixed reception, really! Elsewhere, the Switch version of Civilization VII is the only one to crack the top ten, while Urban Myth Dissolution Center makes an admirable debut at number four.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kIf you cast your mind back to the wonderful world of '90s cartoons, you might recall Saban's Samurai Pizza Cats, an action-comedy that saw three sword-wielding kitties keeping the peace in the futuristic world of Little Tokyo.It's the type of show that had almost disappeared from our minds, quite frankly, but today developer BLAST ZERO and publisher Red Dunes Games have announced that it will be making a comeback in 2026 as... wait for it... a 2D action RPG.Samurai Pizza Cats: Blast from the Past will see you switching between the titular trio of Speedy Cerviche, Polly Esther, and Guido Anchovy (yep, we had to Google them) to solve puzzles and complete platforming challenges. While the above trailer doesn't show off too much gameplay, we appreciate how it captures the '90s anime aesthetic with that cel-shaded look and OTT voiceover.Speaking of VO, Blast from the Past will feature the cartoon's original cast in both its English and Japanese versions. That means you'll be able to hear Rick Jones, Sonja Ball, Terrence Scammell and Dean Hagopian for the English dub, and Kappei Yamaguchi, Ai Orikasa, Ikuya Sawaki, Naoki Tatsuta and Kenyu Horiuchi for the Japanese original Seiichir Yamashita takes over from Jurota Kosugi as Sukashii (Guido).Here's a handful of screenshots from the publisher:Images: Red Dunes GamesWhile no launch consoles have been officially confirmed at this early stage, developer BLAST ZERO has said that the action RPG will be heading to "all major platforms". 2026 might end up being a little too late for Switch, but surely Switch 2 will be included in that group.Do you have any fond memories of Samurai Pizza Cats? Are you looking forward to seeing the game in action? Let us know in the comments.

Image: KonamiThe latest Nintendo Download update for North America has arrived, and it's bringing new games galore to the eShop in your region. As always, be sure to drop a vote in our poll and comment down below with your potential picks for the week. Enjoy!Switch eShop - New Releases2222 Abyss of the Universe (D-O, 20th Feb, $9.99) - It's a casual gamejust press a button and you're off! Collect rings of fuel and travel far and wide!Subscribe to Nintendo Life on YouTube796kWatch on YouTube Anime Dance-Off Space Party (EpiXR Games, 20th Feb, $9.99) - In this captivating adventure, you'll have the chance to dance alongside your favorite characters through 35 mesmerizing levels, each offering two distinct difficulties to challenge and delight players of all skill levels.Arcade Archives KITTEN KABOODLE (HAMSTER, 13th Feb, $7.99) - "KITTEN KABOODLE" is an action game released by KONAMI in 1988. The main character is a cute cat! The objective is to defeat enemies, collect keys, and advance to the next stage. Sometimes you can find the entrance to the secret stages. You may find various ways to play, such as shopping at secret stores or getting rich at the casino!Bee Flowers (Afil Games, 19th Feb, $4.99) - Immerse yourself in the enchanting world of Bee Flowers, a delightful puzzle game where you guide busy bees through hexagonal grids to pollinate vibrant fields of flowers. With its relaxing mechanics and progressively challenging puzzles, the game offers the perfect blend of strategy and serenity.Bing in Wonderland Power Up Edition (indienova, 20th Feb, $14.99) - Bing in Wonderland is a fast-paced 2D action-platformer roguelike featuring quirky and humorous dialogue, a bizarre and imaginative world, a variety of unique enemies and environments, and a deep arsenal of weapons and equipment.Build Lands (Silesia Games, 20th Feb, $3.99) - Theres nothing quite like a bit of creative, relaxing fun in the form of block-building ^^ Reconstruct three sets of islands in the Build Lands mode, or build and share your own ones in the Land Editor! With a wide choice of blocks, the sky (and island size) is the limit to what you can make! Will it be pretty mountain cabins, castle premises, forests or something else entirely?Cabernet (Akupara Games, 20th Feb, $19.99) - Cabernet is a 2D narrative RPG set in a 19th century Eastern European inspired world, with a modern twist. Guide Liza, a young vampire struggling with her morality and the supernatural world she has been pulled into. Will you retain your humanity or descend further into the horror you have become?COSMIC FANTASY3 (Edia, 13th Feb, $26.50) - The third game in the series, the midpoint of the five titles, is a commemorative title that can be said to be the origin of cosmic fantasy.COSMIC FANTASY4 Prelude to Legend (Edia, 13th Feb, $26.50) - The prologue to the series' final chapter. New to this game is an adventure part, which adds depth to the puzzle solving. In battle, you can enjoy strategy with a new system of action parameters that allow you to attack more powerfully by accumulating a gauge.COSMIC FANTASY4 Vans Return (Edia, 13th Feb, $26.50) - In this work, the Little Fox team of Van, Rim, and Pick play the leading roles in the story. At the end, the Algernon team also assembles, bringing the final chapter to a close!Crime Opera Fandisk: The Caterpillar Candids (eastasiasoft, 26th Feb, $2.99) - In this new anthology release of Crime Opera, explore a variety of short stories that take place before, during and after the events of the original visual novel, all presented in beautifully crafted hand-drawn style to convey the drama, emotion and gritty truth surrounding characters lives in the criminal underworld.Crime Opera II: The Floodgate Effect (eastasiasoft, 26th Feb, $14.99) - Experience a new chapter in the mafia tale surrounding the Gallos family! This story begins 9 years after the original. Xander Gallo is now bitter, alone and out of control. Hes causing problems for not only other families within the syndicate but also for younger Gallo members as well.DAMN (7 Raven Studios, 21st Feb, $6.99) - DAMN! is an electrifying twin-stick shooter that propels you into a whirlwind of action and intensity. Dive into an immersive experience with lightning-fast gameplay that will keep your adrenaline pumping and your reflexes sharp. Campaign Mode: Embark on an epic journey through 25 meticulously crafted missions, each presenting unique challenges and objectives.Desvelado (Purple Play, 20th Feb, $9.99) - Desvelado is the first Bed-Time-Vania game in history! Help our hero Vampy fight insomnia one last time by turning off every light in the castle before going to sleep in his cozy coffin.Die by Anything (Dojo System, 21st Feb, $9.99) - Survive a normal day in the life of an ordinary student! Welcome to this peculiar world where death lurks around every corner! Make the decisions that will make you have a peaceful day or die in a cruel, absurd or surprising way!EGGCONSOLE Burai: Jokan PC-8801mkIISR (D4 Enterprise, 20th Feb, $6.49) - Burai : Jkan is an RPG released by Riverhill Soft in 1989 in Japan. It features eight brave heroes, including pirates, fortune-tellers, and the leader of the dragon clan, and follows their heroic adventures. With as many as eight protagonist-level characters, it can be hard to become emotionally invested.Flames of Damnation (Grizzly Games, 15th Feb, $7.99) - Dive into a relentless adrenaline-pumping action game with Flames of Damnation, where classic 90s shooter elements collide with modern mechanics! Inspired by legendary titles of the genre, this game offers a challenge you wont forget.Galagi Shooter Ultimate Blast (Pix Arts, 22nd Feb, $7.99) - Blast through waves of relentless alien invaders across intense, action-packed levels, each culminating in epic boss battles that will test your reflexes and strategy. Upgrade your ship, master advanced maneuvers, and unleash devastating firepower to reclaim the galaxy!I See Red (RedDeer.Games, 26th Feb, $10.99) - I See Red is a twin-stick shooter that will put you in the shoes of Matthew Taurus, who is looking to get revenge on his tormentors. In fact, he is so focused on his quest that he stops paying attention to anything else except his targets, constantly glowing RED.Jump YOU+ (G-MODE, 13th Feb, $2.99) - The rumored 'Jump YOU' has powered up! Now with multiplayer and score rankings, it's even more fun! This is an enhanced version of the mini-game 'Jump YOU,' featured in 'KUUKIYOMI 4: Consider It.Jumper Jon (Ogre Pixel, 25th Feb, $9.99) - Jumper Jon is a 30-second metroidvania-style platforming adventure! Jon is a tiny devil who lives in Limbo. One day, something fell from above and caused a big impact. Jon decided to explore and found it was a girl named Jane. Together, they will discover the source of the imbalance between good and evil on Earth and fight against it.Jupiter Hell (Hyperstrange, 20th Feb, $24.99) - Do you miss the good old days when games weren't holding your hand? Then you're in the perfect place. In Jupiter Hell - Action follows your every move. When you act, your enemies act. But when you die. You die for good.Kanon (PROTOTYPE, 14th Feb, $29.99) - Kanon is the debut work from the visual novel studio Key, known for titles such as AIR, CLANNAD, Little Busters! and many more. It received great acclaim and was even adapted into an anime series. Enjoy this tale of small miracles that occur in a northern town, now available on the Nintendo Switch!Lone Fungus (Clickteam, 21st Feb, $19.99) - Lone Fungus is a true Metroidvania set in a world built by mushrooms where you play as the last mushroom alive. Explore an ancient world, acquire new abilities and discover secrets! Explore ten distinct areas, each with its own unique set of challenges.Lulus Temple (Ratalaika Games, 21st Feb, $4.99) - Play as a curious archaeologist who foolishly traps himself inside a temple after stumbling his way in. Use your powerful gun to blast the undead and your torch to light your path ahead.Marrons Day (RAWRLAB GAMES, 20th feb, $9.99) - Play as a curious archaeologist who foolishly traps himself inside a temple after stumbling his way in. Use your powerful gun to blast the undead and your torch to light your path ahead.Mimi the Cat: Meow Together (Afil Games, 20th Feb, $4.99) - Mimi the Cat: Meow Together is the cutest puzzle adventure you'll ever play! Get ready for a purr-fect mix of strategy, laughs, and irresistible feline charm. Whether you're flying solo or teaming up with a friend in local co-op, your goal is simple (but oh-so-challenging): help Mimi and her fluffy friends solve puzzles and find their cozy beds.Ninja Five-O (KONAMI, 25th Feb, $24.99) - One of the most sought-after titles for the Game Boy Advance, Ninja Five-O (also known as Ninja Cop) is an action platformer game that tasks hero Joe Ostugi with eliminating a terrorist group corrupted by a set of mystical masks. This re-release features the true-to-release controls and playability that the Carbon Engine is known for, along with rewind features to put players in control of the game.Ninja Issen () : The Scroll of Dimension (CFK, 20th Feb, $14.99) - Welcome to Lust Angels! Lust Angels is a cyberpunk setting covered with neon signs and holograms. Our fugitive must navigate this metropolis filled with violence, danger, and chaos. Will Kiba ever be able to survive. . . ? !Paint by Cubes (Last Qubit, 14th Feb, $4.99) - Paint by Cubes is a colorful puzzle solving game. Take control of a painting cube and move in 4 possible directions, where each direction is locked to a particular color. Enter a field from a direction with a matching color to paint it and initiate special mechanics connected to it.Piczle Cross: Rune Factory (RAINYFROG, 20th Feb, $11.99) - Based on the world and characters of Rune Factory 3 Special, 4 Special and 5, work your way through hundreds of puzzles. Complete puzzles to unlock the real-world counterparts and use them to customise your farm, plant vegetables, recruit monsters, and choose your farm location to create your own unique Rune Factory 3D scene!Please Be Happy (Sometimes You, 21st Feb, $15.99) - Please Be Happy is a comfy, slice-of-life visual novel set in a fictional version of Wellington, New Zealand. Featuring over 220,000 words, character designs and CG's by Kobuta, with additional art by adirosa, 2 different routes with 2 happy endings each, full English voice acting, a brand new original soundtrack by Sarah Mancuso.Pro Wrestler Story (Kairosoft, 20th Feb, $12.00) Take control of your very own pro wrestling team, building up your members to seize the title of undisputed industry best! Diet, training, even the occasional R&Revery facet counts when you're going for gold!Rabbit Raid (Sometimes You, 26th Feb, $9.99) - Collect berries, find secrets with bonuses, throw objects at enemies or jump on them to win. Find secret stars and change costumes. Defeat the bosses and get to the last one to save the little rabbits from captivity. Explore green fields, caves, rivers, snowy mountains, icy lakes, deserts and ruins.Shadowforge Chronicles (Grizzly Games, 22nd Feb, $7.99) - Shadowforge Chronicles is a dark fantasy first-person shooter where magic and weaponry become your only allies in the fight against ancient forces of evil. Experience dynamic gameplay, an engaging storyline, and unique mechanics that make every playthrough unforgettable.Spot the Odd Pictogram! (MASK, 20th Feb, $2.99) - Can you find the odd one out? In this exciting spot-the-difference challenge, one pictogram character is moving differently from the rest. Your mission is simple: find it before time runs out!Star of Providence (Bigmode, 20th Feb, $14.99) - Descend into the facility and seek out power eternal in this tough-as-hell, shoot 'em up masterpiece! Engage in pulse-pounding battles with over 120 enemies in an ever-shifting gauntlet loaded with oncoming bullets and game-changing powerups! Only the most hardcore will survive!Stickman Odyssey (Gametry, 14th Feb, $2.99) - Embark on an epic journey with the nimble and fearless stickman in Stickman Odyssey! This fast-paced action platformer takes you through stunning, otherworldly landscapes filled with perilous traps, towering platforms, and menacing foes. Leap, dodge, and fight your way through challenging levels, mastering precise movements and timing to survive.Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog (Astrolabe Games, 20th Feb, $19.99) - Take on the role of the Gun-Dog's security officer as you attempt to save the ship from an unknown assailant whilst navigating the paranoia, conspiracies and vendettas that break out amongst the crew. As camaraderie falls apart can you overcome the challenges that await? - Read Time Extension's Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog reviewSunshower (Studio Kumiho, 19th Feb, $4.99) - Sunshower is a colorful, casual arcade action game that follows a robot's survival in a rain storm! Use the plant installed on your head to reach for the sky as you achieve high scores and stop the rain from washing away the world.TactiCats (Pineapple Works, 20th Feb, $5.99) - Dodge, roll, block incoming cats! Use power-ups to turn the scores. If you've always wanted to catch your friends with a giant laser pointer or shoot'em with a cheese cannon you can do it all! Just watch out for those flying yarn balls.Taiji (Low Tide Productions, 25th Feb, $24.99) - Taiji is an adventure puzzle-solving game set in a mysterious world full of puzzles. Unlike many adventure games, the puzzles in Taiji all use a consistent interface: a grid of tiles which can be toggled on or off.The Backrooms 1998 (Feardemic, 20th Feb, $9.99) - The Backrooms 1998 is a first-person found footage psychological horror survival game where it tells the story of a young teen after accidentally falling into the depths of The Backrooms in 1998. Roam freely, mark, explore and try to unravel the story - however you are not alone. Don't scream.The Jackbox Party Trilogy (Jackbox Games, 17th Feb, $59.99) - Great news! The greatest collections of party games have been bundled into one gigantic deal! For one great price, The Jackbox Party Trilogy gets you each of The Jackbox Party Packs, which are sure to turn your next party or family gathering into a real giggle-fest.The Jackbox Party Trilogy 2.0 (Jackbox Games, 17th Feb, $67.99) - Why settle for one Party Pack when you can get three? The Jackbox Party Trilogy 2. 0 includes all the games from The Jackbox Party Packs 4, 5 and 6! You dont need a bunch of controllers to join the fun.The Jackbox Party Trilogy 3.0 (Jackbox Games, 17th Feb, $76.49) - What is The Jackbox Party Trilogy 3. 0? The Jackbox Party Trilogy 3. 0 is a collection of the 15 hit games from The Jackbox Party Packs 7, 8 and 9. Draw your heart out with Drawful Animate, crack your friends up with a game of Quiplash 3, or bluff your way to victory with Fibbage 4.West Escape (QubicGames, 14th Feb, $5.99) - West Escape throws you into a chaotic frontier where the law is on your tail and alien invaders are wreaking havoc. As a fugitive desperate to reunite with your lost love, you'll need to collect scrap, upgrade your gear, and face off against relentless extraterrestrial threats.X-Out: Resurfaced (ININ Games, 20th Feb, $19.99) - You thought theyd come from space? Wrong! Its up to you alone to stop an alien invasion from the depths of the ocean in this legendary, home computer era shoot em up, dredged up and faithfully rebuilt for modern platforms X-Out: Resurfaced!Note: As always, not all of the games mentioned in the Download above are featured in the poll. We've also combined some of the games together into one entry, such as the Cosmic Fantasy games.What will you be downloading this week? (15 votes)2222 Abyss of the Universe 0%Arcade Archives KITTEN KABOODLE7%Bing in Wonderland Power Up Edition 0%Build Lands 0%Cabernet 0%Cosmic Fantasy 3 / 4 0%Crime Opera Fandisk /II 0%Damn 0%Desvelado 0%Die by Anything 0%EGGCONSOLE Burai: Jokan PC-8801mkIISR 0%Flames of Damnation 0%Galagi Shooter Ultimate Blast 0%I See Red 0%Jumper Jon 0%Jupiter Hell 0%Kanon 0%Lone Fungus 0%Lulu's Temple 0%Marron's Day 0%Mimi the Cat: Meow Together 0%Ninja Five-O20%Ninja Issen () : The Scroll of Dimension7%Piczle Cross: Rune Factory13%Please Be Happy 0%Pro Wrestler Story 0%Rabbit Raid 0%Shadowforge Chronicles 0%Star of Providence 0%Stories from Sol: The Gun-Dog13%Sunshower 0%TactiCats 0%Taiji 0%The Backrooms 1998 0%The Jackbox Party Trilogy / 2.0 / 3.0 0%West Escape 0%X-Out: Resurfaced7%Something Else 0%Nothing for me this week33% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%So that's your lot for this week's North American Nintendo Download. Go on, be a sport and drop a vote in the poll above, and comment below with your hot picks! Time ExtensionOut of this world!Related GamesSee AlsoShare:01 Alana has been with Nintendo Life since 2022, and while RPGs are her first love, Nintendo is a close second. She enjoys nothing more than overthinking battle strategies, characters, and stories. She also wishes she was a Sega air pirate. Hold on there, you need to login to post a comment...Related ArticlesNintendo Is Discontinuing Gold Points, One Of The Switch's Best IncentivesNoooo, don't do it!Toby Fox Shares Development Update On Deltarune Chapter 3 And 4"Still console testing"Hollow Knight: Silksong Briefly Vanishes From US Switch eShop, But It's Back NowUpdate: Restored after a few hoursSonic Racing: CrossWorlds Adds Characters From "SEGA Universes"Update: IGN has an exclusive preview upFunko Fusion Is Deemed A "Complete Commercial And Critical Failure"Around 20 unconfirmed layoffs reported