Tag: Anniversary
Talking Point Is Shovel Knight Now A Retro Gaming Icon?
Let's dig in
Shovel Knight is the very definition of an indie darling. Bursting onto the scene in 2014, Yacht Club Games’ slick, throwback platformer caught the imagination of gamers both old and new. Its stunning aesthetic, tight controls, and humorous writing made it a must-play, while its ample secrets, tough but never punishing difficulty, and...
Soapbox Game Boy Tetris' True Genius Was Teaching A Generation How To Play Video Games
Building gaming literacy one tetromino at a time
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Tim thinks back on 35 years of Tetris on the Game Boy and considers how it taught a generation — multiple generations, in fact — how to play...
Video Donkey Kong '94 - The 101-Level Sequel To Arcade DK
It's on like (101 stages of) Donkey Kong
14th June 2024 marks the 30th anniversary of Donkey Kong for the Game Boy's Japanese release. It's one of the finest games on the system and a hybrid arcade port/spin-off that ushered in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series which recently came to Switch. In honour of the occasion, we thought we'd highlight this...
Anniversary Mario Golf On N64 Is Now 25 Years Old
Par-fect
Believe it or not, Mario Golf for the N64 is now 25 years old following its Japanese release on 11th June 2024. 25 years! A quarter of a century! We need to sit down... The game has received multiple re-releases since on the Wii, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack, so if you're a paying member of the higher tier on Switch,...
Talking Point amiibo Were First Revealed 10 Years Ago Today, And We Still Want More
Will they continue with 'Switch 2'?
10th June 2024 marks the 10th anniversary of the reveal of Nintendo's toys-to-life line of figures at E3 2014. A stop-gap project for Nintendo to fill a void between the foundering Wii U and the company's next 'NX' hardware, it's hard to argue that the interactive potential of these little Near-Field...
The sweat, the tears, the evil babies
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Mario Kart 8, George recently enlisted a troupe of willing racers (at least that's what he told us) to tackle every single track in the upgraded, DLC-laden Deluxe version in a local four-player blowout to end them all. What follows is a twisting tale of glory and grief,...
Feature "It's Fun, So It's Okay!" - Celebrating Takashi Tezuka's Astonishing 40-Year Nintendo Career
A look back at a glittering catalogue
Takashi Tezuka seems like a good laugh, the kind of chap who knows how to have fun. Despite all the Master-Sword-waving and PR-related hijinx from fellow Nintendo luminary Shigeru Miyamoto over the years, you still get the impression he's merciless in the workplace — an exacting, intimidating,...
Soapbox 20 Years On, Pikmin 2's Waterwraith Remains Nintendo's Scariest Moment
H2Oh no
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim is reliving a childhood trauma to mark Pikmin 2's 20th anniversary... To the casual observer, Pikmin must seem like a pretty relaxed experience. Everything is colourful. The characters...
Feature 10 Game Boy Deep Cuts That Aren’t On Nintendo Switch Online
And should be
The Game Boy turns 35 years old today, and we've been running features over the past couple of days celebrating the handheld and its games. Today, Nile digs up 10 lesser-known gems in the system's remarkable library. 35 years ago, the Game Boy changed handheld gaming – not because it was powerful, but because it wasn’t. Premised...
Feature Can We Track Down Every Cart In Our Top 50 Game Boy List In One Week?
Collection Quest GB
The Game Boy turns 35 years old today, 21st April 2024, and we've run several features over the past few days celebrating the system and its games. Today, George goes on an epic quest to see if he can acquire the 50 finest GB games — as ranked by you — in physical form with just 100 pounds sterling in his pocket... I’ve...
Feature Meet Four Developers Making Brand-New Game Boy Titles In 2024
35 years and stronger than ever
The Game Boy turns 35 years old on 21st April 2024, and we'll be running several features over the next few days celebrating the system and its games. Today, George speaks with four talented individuals keeping the candle burning for the DMG-001 in the 21st century... The humble Game Boy may be turning 35, but that...
Feature Evolving With Pokémon: How The Games Helped Me Navigate A Confused Childhood
This coping mechanism was super effective!
The Game Boy turns 35 years old on 21st April 2024, and we'll be running several features over the next few days celebrating the system and its games. Today, Tim thinks back on how Pocket Monsters came to his aid in his formative years, and how the series that started on Nintendo's iconic portable would...
Guide Best First-Party Game Boy Games
Nintendo-developed Game Boy games, as ranked by you
21st April 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of Nintendo's Game Boy. Over the next few days, we'll be publishing various features to celebrate three-and-a-half decades of the humble handheld. We kick things off with this reader-ranked list. Remember, this is based on each game's User Rating in our...
Soapbox Vanillaware's Most Underrated Game Is More Than Just A Pretty Picture
Deserving of a Rebirth
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Alana is talking about a Vanillaware oldie — Muramasa: The Demon Blade, a Wii title that is celebrating its 15th anniversary. And, in the wake of 13 Sentinels and Unicorn...
Press 'A' to dance madly
When reminiscing on Final Fantasy VI, what first comes to mind? It’s possible your answer is Kefka’s iconic maniacal laugh, or a final boss battle that makes you dance madly, or searching for friends in a world of ruin. But somewhere in that mix—and for many, probably foremost—is the majestic-yet-silly Opera House...
Talking Point Should 'Third' Pokémon Games Make A Comeback?
Crystal clear
If you can believe it (and, to be honest, we can't) it has been a whopping 15 years since Pokémon Platinum first arrived on Western shores. It has been a decade and a half since we first met Giratina and co. A decade and a half since we stepped foot in the Distortion World. And, most importantly perhaps, a decade and a half since we...
Poll What's The Best Pokémon Spin-Off Game? Rate Your Favourites For Our Upcoming Ranking
Sideline 'mon
21st March 2024 is the 25th anniversary of Pokémon Snap for the N64, a great little on-rails shoot 'em up from HAL Laboratory where you attempt to catch 'em all in your camera lens. It's available to play on Switch with a Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack subscription, and we'd thoroughly recommend checking it out if you haven't...
Soapbox 30 Years Later, Super Metroid's Foreboding Atmosphere Is Still Unmatched
Zeb-easily the best
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate Super Metroid's 30th anniversary, Ollie sings the praises of the game's enduring foreboding atmosphere... The Metroid series is perhaps best known for its...
News Triangle Strategy Producer Celebrates Second Anniversary With New Artwork Reveal
Confirms no new announcements this year
Believe it or not, TRIANGLE STRATEGY is now two years old. Yep, Square Enix's brilliant HD-2D RPG was released two years ago today (4th March) and producer Yasuaki Arai has taken to the game's official Twitter account to celebrate the anniversary. In a message thanking the fans for their continued support,...
Anniversary Switch Turns Seven Today, With Over 11,000 Games On The eShop
Thank you, NX
We struggle to remember a time that we thought of the Switch as a 'new' console. Maybe back in 2021 with the release of the OLED and the pandemic popularity of Animal Crossing? Perhaps. For the most part, everyone is keen to jump on the "god, the Switch is sooo old" bandwagon. The thing is, they are right and boy are we reminded of...
Anniversary Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze Is Now A Decade Old
Time for a new one?
Just in case you weren't feeling old today, it's now been a decade since Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze was released for the Wii U in Japan (13 February, 2014). Yes, the latest platformer in the Donkey Kong Country sub-series is now basically old enough to sneak a tenner out of Dad's wallet and laugh incessantly at toilet...
Anniversary Pokémon FireRed And LeafGreen Are 20 Years Old Today
Can you Diglett?
Get your appropriate ageing GIF at the ready (Matt Damon in Saving Private Ryan, the Tenth Doctor, that Titanic one — the choice is yours) because we have to break it to you that Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen are now 20 years old. While we let that sink in, let's run through some facts. Released on the Game Boy Advance on 29th...
Guide Best Ace Attorney Games Of All Time
Every Ace Attorney game, ranked by you
Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy launches today on Switch, and in honour of the occasion we're republishing this ranked list of the Ace Attorney games that make up its constituent trilogies and off-shoots. Let the cross-examination commence! <related ids="159819"> It's been well over two decades...
Talking Point Which Feature From Each Smash Bros. Game Should Make A Return?
Smash Ultimate... Ultimate?
The Super Smash Bros. franchise has come a long way since the original launched 25 years ago in 1999. Yes, you read that right — the original Super Smash Bros. is 25 years old tomorrow, 21st January. If we look at the character roster for a start, we began with a humble offering of 12 playable fighters in Super Smash...
News Yes, The Nintendo Switch Showcase Really Was Seven Years Ago
Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, and Xenoblade 2 were shown off
On 13th January 2017 in Tokyo, Japan, the Nintendo Switch was fully unveiled to the world via a live stream. Yep, it really has been seven years since we saw the Switch, and we're starting to feel very old now. Geoff Keighley, host of Summer Game Fest and The Game Awards,...
Feature Game Boy Color - A Quarter Century Of Colour Nintendo Handhelds
GBC memories
It's now 25 years since Game Boy Color launched, and for many of us in the West, it was on this system that we first caught and traded Pocket Monsters with pals back in 1998. Backwards compatible with the entire Game Boy library, the Game Boy Color refined the DMG and the smaller Game Boy Pocket with its sharp little colour screen...
Memory Pak Secret Of Mana's Dazzling World Of Colour Opened My Eyes
You're looking a bit green
Welcome to the latest instalment in our nostalgia-inducing column, Memory Pak, where we deep-dive into some of the most memorable moments in gaming – good and bad. Today, Secret of Mana turns 30 years old in Japan, and to celebrate this seminal action RPG's anniversary, Alana is reminiscing about how the game's use of...
Soapbox Fortnite On Switch Is Five Years Old, And I Have No Idea What It Is Anymore
Was that Ariana Grande shooting Spider-Man?
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Jim returns to Fortnite to celebrate the Switch port's fifth anniversary, and he's not sure what he's dropped into... When Fortnite first made the jump...
Feature From Banjo To Mario - Grant Kirkhope Talks Big Huge Troubles And Composing For Massive IPs
Part Two: "How the f*** am I going to write music for a Mario game!?"
Last week, in celebration of Banjo-Kazooie's 25th anniversary, we published the first part of our career-spanning interview with Mr. Grant Kirkhope, composer extraordinaire and the man responsible for some of our favourite music ever, video game or otherwise. Part One covered his...
Feature From Bon Jovi To Banjo - Grant Kirkhope On The "Complete Fluke" Of His Rare Musical Journey
Part One: Mr. Banjongles
Grant Kirkhope is an interviewer's dream, and not just because he's responsible for some all-time great video game soundtracks. He’s great company — frank, funny, and loquacious. We spoke to him most recently for our Nintendo Life VGM Fest back in 2021 and only ended up publishing a small fraction of our chat in our...
Soapbox 1080° Snowboarding Is The Coolest Nintendo Ever Got
Work your body, w-work your body
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on its 25th birthday, Gavin recalls an atypical Nintendo first-party game where the only goofy thing is your stance choice in the lodge at the start... Tuesday...
Soapbox Donkey Konga Introduced Me To One Of My Favourite Songs Ever
A mighty impression
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Donkey Konga in Japan, Ollie recounts how the game introduced him to a song that remains one of his all-time favourites... I used to love...
Talking Point What's Next For The Super Smash Bros. Series?
Smashing expectations
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is celebrating its 5th anniversary today, 7th December 2023, and we're publishing a handful of pieces to celebrate. Here, we'll be discussing the future of the Smash series — what's next? Is there even a next? And where do we think Sakurai will be involved? It's hard to believe that Super Smash...
Feature The Best Smash Bros. Ultimate Character Trailers, Ranked By You
Who is the winner?
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is celebrating its 5th anniversary today, 7th December 2023, and we're publishing a handful of pieces to celebrate this gargantuan fighter's birthday. First up, we asked you to vote for your favourite Smash Ultimate character reveal trailers... Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is a phenomenal game; of that,...
Soapbox 20 Years Later, Why Do We Still Not Have A New Sonic Battle?
Bare Knuckles
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, on the 20th anniversary of Sonic's last fighting game, Paul looks back and wonders why Sonic hasn't in two decades... In the early- to mid-2000s, Nintendo handhelds were home to many...
Anniversary Zelda II And Castlevania II Both Turn 35 This Month
True underdogs
Gosh, they grow up so fast, don't they? Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest are both celebrating their 35th anniversaries this month. The former is the direct sequel to The Legend of Zelda and was released in North America on December 1st, 1988. It received positive reception upon launch, but more...
Guide Best Castlevania Games, Ranked - Switch And Nintendo Consoles
Far from a miserable pile
This was originally ordered by us here at Nintendo Life, but we've rejigged things to transform it into a reader-ranked list governed by each game's User Rating on our games database. As such, it is subject to real-time change as the ratings fluctuate. Feel free to get in there and rate the games you've played if you...
Talking Point Would You Like To See A Professor Layton Collection On Switch?
A true gentleman never gives up on a dream
Somehow, it has been 15 years since Professor Layton and the Lost Future (or 'the Unwound Future', depending on your region) made its debut in Japan. As with every entry in the mainline series to date, it took another couple of years until the third entry received a Western release, but when it finally did,...
Anniversary Zelda: A Link Between Worlds Is 10 Years Old Today
Worlds apart
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds on the Nintendo 3DS is celebrating its 10th anniversary today. Released in North America and Europe on November 22nd, 2013, the 3DS title represents one of few instances in which Nintendo created a direct sequel to one of its Zelda games. Directed by Hiromasa Shikata and produced by Zelda...
Site News Nintendo Life Turns 18 Today
All grown up
Wow. Today marks eighteen years since the first post on Nintendo Life, and by any measurement, that is a long time. The site is officially all grown up and will likely celebrate down the pub with a beer tonight with its best friends Push Square, Pure Xbox, and Time Extension. Whether you've discovered the site recently or you've been...
Talking Point Which Version Of Super Mario Bros. 3 Do You Prefer?
OG, remake, or re-remake?
Time really flies, doesn't it? Can you believe it's nearly November 2023 already? Mad. Not only that but it's also now been 35 years since the debut launch of Super Mario Bros. 3 on the NES (as highlighted by our gorgeous pals over at Time Extension) in 1988. That's an awfully long time, and we've seen the Super Mario...
Soapbox Pokémon X & Y - The Series' Greatest Paradoxes
You can’t be groundbreaking without leaving a few cracks
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Andy looks back at a pivotal juncture in the Pocket Monster series which hinted at the path it would take over the following decade...
Anniversary Happy Birthday To Nintendo's Ugliest, Most Indestructible Console
Slated
It's that time of year when video game anniversary enthusiasts can enjoy the birthday of a significant game or console nearly every day of the week. It's the turn of Pokémon X & Y which turns 10 today (look out for a feature on that coming up a little later), but it's also a decade since one of Nintendo's lowest-key console launches...
News Pokémon's "Beautiful Tribute" Video Celebrates Ash And Pikachu's Journey Over 25 Seasons
"Thank you for the journey"
It's hard to believe, but the original Pokémon journey starring the Pallet Town trainer Ash Ketchum and his electric pal Pikachu has finally called it a day. If you weren't already emotional about this, The Pokémon Company has now released a special tribute video highlighting Ash's journey in just under a few minutes...
Poll Do You Prefer Zelda: Wind Waker HD's Bloom Lighting Or The "Flat" OG?
Cel-sword
We know the game didn't look like this, but the box art for both versions cannot be ignored. And just like that, ten years have sailed by — The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD was released on the Wii U ten years ago today, and while we spend most of our days now pining for this incredible seafaring adventure to swim onto Switch, we...
News Ash Ketchum's Voice Actor Shares Final Emotional Moments Of Last Recording
"We put so much love into Pokémon"
As you might have seen, the original Pokémon journey starring the famous trainer Ash Ketchum and his pal Pikachu is finally coming to an end. It lines up with the show's 25th anniversary in North America. While we've already heard from Ash's current voice actor, Sarah Natochenny, about how much of an...
Talking Point What Do You Want From A 'Splatoon 4'?
New stories? Fresh game modes? MORE Big Man?
It has been an entire year since Splatoon 3 was released (don't worry, we're just as shocked as you are) so, naturally, our minds are beginning to drift towards what comes next. The correct answer is that mysterious 'Side Order' DLC — which is meant to show what would've happened if Team Order had...
News The Pokémon Anime Pilot First Aired In North America 25 Years Ago Today
And Ash's journey has only just finished!
Those who have grown up with the Pokémon animated series, prepare to feel old. Today marks 25 years since the show's pilot was first broadcast in North America. Yes, twenty. Five. Years. On 8th September 1998, the US was first treated to episode one, 'Pokémon - I Choose You!', which would go on to...
Soapbox Rayman Legends Blew My Mind Then Broke My Heart
Prince of Persia fans beware - he may suffer Rayman’s fate yet!
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Francisco shares his love of Rayman Legends as it celebrates its 10th anniversary — but also laments that it may have been a...
Anniversary Tales Of Symphonia Became A GameCube JRPG Favourite 20 Years Ago
"Dwarven Vow #10: Play hard, play often"
On 29th August 2003, the Journey of Regeneration began... Tales of Symphonia is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Japan today. The action RPG made a real splash when it launched on the GameCube — its international release followed a year later in 2004, and it has seen numerous ports to the PlayStation 2...
