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Voila! Nintendo quietly shares new details on Samus's motorbike in Metroid Prime 4
Game Reviews

Voila! Nintendo quietly shares new details on Samus’s motorbike in Metroid Prime 4

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Nintendo has revealed more details of how Samus’s motorbike will work in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.

At Nintendo’s Direct in September, the game’s release date was finally revealed, along with the new mode of transportation, which proved controversial for some.

Now, the game’s Japanese website has been updated with new details. The motorbike is called “Vi-O-La” and is used to explore expanses across the planet Byrus (spotted by VGC).

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Direct 9.12.2025Watch on YouTube

It seems the motorbike can only be ridden in specific areas, with players returning to Samus’s point of view afterwards – we saw this in the release date trailer.

While riding the motorbike, Samus can boost and power slide to deflect enemies and crush ores, as well as increase speed.

She can also fire projectiles, locking on to up to five enemies. The projectiles return to Samus akin to a boomerang.

The motorbike will also be available as an amiibo.

It’s not much to go on yet, but Metroid fans are keen to glean more information ahead of the game’s release on 4th December.

The motorbike section of the trailer certainly stood out for providing something novel among otherwise standard Metroid Prime gameplay, but also feels particularly flashy and un-Metroid. The games are known for their slow exploration, so the inclusion of a motorbike is certainly a surprise.

Samus will also have psychic powers, used to operate mechanisms, open doors, and control the trajectory of beams. Thrilling.



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Nintendo posts cute and mysterious animated short film, but is it teasing Pikmin?
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Nintendo posts cute and mysterious animated short film, but is it teasing Pikmin?

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Nintendo has posted a new animated short film on its Nintendo Today app and YouTube channel, so far completely devoid of context.

Called Close to You, the Pixar-esque film shows a baby following its toys around the room, seemingly moved by invisible creatures, all accompanied by a playful piano soundtrack.

The film has been posted purely with the name and no description, so it’s not initially clear what project (if any) this might relate to, be that a game or a film.

Close to You – NintendoWatch on YouTube

While the company doesn’t state which production studio created the film, some have speculated this is the work of Nintendo Pictures – its Tokyo-based animation studio that launched back in 2022, formerly known as Dynamo Pictures.

What’s more, the music references the main Pikmin theme tune at the start, while the focus on items being carried certainly alludes to the little plant creatures. And if you check under the bed at 1’41, a little red creature can be seen scurrying around.

What’s that under the bed? | Image credit: Nintendo

Could this be hinting at a Switch 2 version of Pikmin 4? That game does include levels themed around a child’s bedroom. But why go to the trouble of a new animated short?

At the very least, it’s a beautifully animated film and extremely cute.

What do you think Nintendo is hinting at?



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Nintendo seeks $4.5m against reddit moderator accused of pirating Switch games, in latest crackdown against piracy
Game Reviews

Nintendo seeks $4.5m against reddit moderator accused of pirating Switch games, in latest crackdown against piracy

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Nintendo is seeking $4.5m in damages against a reddit moderator the company has accused of pirating its games.

The lawsuit was filed earlier this month with the US District Court for the Western District of Washington (thanks OatmealDome), and according to a document, Nintendo is accusing James Williams (known as “Archbox”) of piracy having “facilitated a network of unauthorised ‘shops’…that have offered to the public extensive libraries of pirated Nintendo Switch games for download.”

Nintendo has accused Williams of copying and distributing its games, as well as actively promoting their distribution as a moderator on the SwitchPirates reddit group.

Super Mario Galaxy + Super Mario Galaxy 2 – Overview Trailer – Nintendo SwitchWatch on YouTube

“Since 2019, Williams has been either directly or indirectly the owner, manager, operator, creator, administrator, supplier, and/or overseer of several online Pirate Shops, and has worked to actively promote these Pirate Shops to communities consisting of many thousands of individuals,” the document reads.

Williams has been “instrumental in the planning, development, functioning, and proliferation” of these shops, while further promoting the shops, soliciting donations, and offering “technical advice and encouragement” through his position as moderator on reddit.

Further, Nintendo claimed Williams was “directly involved in creating, promoting, and distributing the Circumvention Software to facilitate widespread use of the Pirate Shops”.

Ahead of this lawsuit, Nintendo sent Williams a cease and desist letter back in March 2024. In response, Williams acknowledged his conduct violated Nintendo of America’s rights and “stated that he would work with NOA to satisfy its demands”. However, Nintendo claimed he did not agree to cease his conduct and denied involvement with the piracy shops.

“When NOA requested that Defendant confirm in writing that he would comply with NOA’s demands, he became combative and uncooperative,” said Nintendo.

Since then, some of the piracy shops (or their content) have become inaccessible, while Williams is also accused of deleting or hiding evidence relevant to Nintendo’s claims (such as social media posts).

Nintendo sent Williams a final opportunity to comply in May 2024, to which he stated an attorney would be in contact with Nintendo. However, “NOA never received any such outreach, and its efforts to contact Defendant’s purported counsel were ignored,” the document reads.

As a result, Nintendo has requested a default judgement be granted against Williams, along with damages of $4.5m due to a number of violations including copyright infringement, trafficking in circumvention devices, and breach of contract.

“Here, the amount of money sufficient to remedy NOA’s injury would be extremely difficult to quantify; but it is indisputable that such amount would be large,” the document reads. “Therefore, the money at stake by this Motion is nowhere near an amount that would compensate NOA for the seriousness of Defendants’ conduct.”

This lawsuit is the latest in Nintendo’s ongoing actions against piracy.

Back in March, Nintendo claimed its victory over French file-sharing company Dstorage was “significant…for the entire games industry”. Then, in July, the FBI seized a number of ROM piracy sites it claimed had seen cumulative downloads of 3.2m in just three months, representing “an estimated loss of $170m.



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Nintendo denies lobbying over genAI, but stresses it will continue fighting IP infringement "whether AI is involved or not"
Game Reviews

Nintendo denies lobbying over genAI, but stresses it will continue fighting IP infringement “whether AI is involved or not”

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Nintendo has denied reports that it has been lobbying Japanese lawmakers against generative AI, insisting it “has not had any contact with the Japanese government” about the highly controversial emerging tech.

The denial comes after Japanese politician Satoshi Asano posted an apology on social media after claiming Nintendo was lobbying the Japanese government. This was followed by a further apology earlier today, after which Satoshi deleted the original post.

Nintendo Switch 2 – Is It Good?Watch on YouTube

While the megacorp typically declines to comment on speculation, on this occasion Nintendo was keen to shoot the rumour down and stressed that while it was not lobbying, “whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights”.

“Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI,” the company wrote.

“Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.”

Contrary to recent discussions on the internet, Nintendo has not had any contact with the Japanese government about generative AI. Whether generative AI is involved or not, we will continue to take necessary actions against infringement of our intellectual property rights.

— 任天堂株式会社（企業広報・IR） (@NintendoCoLtd) October 5, 2025

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Nintendo recently shared its thoughts on generative AI, and assured fans that its games will always have “a human touch”, with Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser saying: “We still believe that what makes our games special is our developers, their artistic capabilities, their insight into how people play. So, there’s always, always going to be a human touch, and a human engagement in how we develop and build our games.”

Nintendo’s position is at odds with many of its contemporaries. Back in 2024, Square Enix CEO Takashi Kiryu stated the company would be “aggressive in applying AI”, with developers admitting they “dabbled” with AI for the ill-fated shooter Foamstars, Professor Layton studio Level-5 has used AI tool Stable Diffusion, and even Capcom has admitted experimenting with generative AI too. Sega also has an in-house AI team.

In fact, a recent survey conducted by the Computer Entertainment Supplier’s Association (CESA), the organiser of Tokyo Game Show, showed that over half of Japanese game companies are using AI in their development.





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Nintendo Switch 2 Camera review: a decent, if inessential accessory
Product Reviews

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera review: a decent, if inessential accessory

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Why you can trust TechRadar


We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: Review

If you’re looking to make the most of GameChat for online multiplayer, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is a decent way to go about it. Its basic design may lack the charm of the Hori Piranha Plant Camera, but rest assured that the official Switch 2 Camera is a significantly better product, even if I wouldn’t classify it as one of the best webcams out there.

I’m a believer that contemporary webcams should be aiming for at least 720p picture quality, with 1080p being the ideal. The Switch 2 Camera clears Hori’s product on this front, boasting 1080p picture quality over the Piranha Plant’s disappointing 480p. As a result, your face will come through crisply on GameChat, as well as on PC for work meetings or chats with friends.

Price will definitely be a bit of a sticking point, though. At $54.99 / £49.99 / AU$, it costs less than the Hori Piranha Plant Camera in the US, but a good deal more than it does in the UK. You’re basically paying for the official branding here, really, especially as you can pick up 720p and 1080p webcams that perform just as well for much less.

(Image credit: Future)

While the Switch 2 Camera can be used when you’re playing in handheld mode, its rigid design (not to mention the lack of a clip or mount) makes it best suited for when your console is docked. The tall stem upon which the camera sits is likely the way it is for this reason, so it can still reasonably capture your face while you sit back on the couch.

  • Nintendo Switch 2 Camera at Amazon for $17.99

It’s likely also designed to support its wide field of view, which is around 110 degrees. That’s a good deal more than most PC webcams, but it does make sense given Nintendo’s family-friendly approach. If you have a few folk sitting in the room while playing with GameChat, that wider viewing angle does a decent job of capturing everyone in the same frame.

You can also adjust the vertical angle of the camera itself by a total of around 30-40 degrees or so. That’s fairly acceptable when you take into account its otherwise unmoving design. And when you want to hide yourself, a privacy shutter is included via a circular dial around the camera. You can also manually turn off the camera feed in GameChat’s settings by hitting your controller’s ‘C’ button during play.

(Image credit: Future)

As for performance, the camera’s 1080p output is decent, if a little soft around the edges. While you’re using GameChat, the Switch 2 attempts to crop you out of the background and place you onto a blank one that takes on the color of your profile picture. That’s a nice touch, and also means you don’t have to fiddle around with blur settings.

One major problem I had, though, had to do with the space between myself and the blank background. I have a blank wall behind me in my office space, and the surroundings were still noticeably fuzzy. I also had moments during a Mario Kart World play session where I appeared to phase in and out of existence on the screen, so it’s not a perfect implementation by any means. To be fair, your mileage may vary here depending on your background and lighting conditions.

Thankfully, the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera is blissfully simple to set up. Being an officially licensed product, simply plugging it into the console via USB-C caused it to be registered immediately. That was the same case on PC, too, when using it as a webcam. There’s no fussing with drivers or installs. Just plug it in and you’re good to go. It also works with a USB-A adapter on both Switch 2 and PC, if you prefer that.

(Image credit: Future)

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: Price & Specs

Swipe to scroll horizontally

Price

$54.99 / £49.99 / AU$69.95

Resolution

1080p at 30fps

Field of view

Around 110 degrees

Dimensions

6.3 x 2.5 x 1.5in x 160 x 64 x 38mm

Weight

0.3lbs / 136g

Compatibility

Nintendo Switch 2, PC, MacOS

Should you buy the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera?

(Image credit: Future)

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: Also consider

How I tested the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera

  • Tested for one month
  • Used for Switch 2 GameChat multiplayer and as an office webcam
  • Largely tested with Mario Kart World and chat apps like Discord

I’ve been using the Nintendo Switch 2 Camera for a little over a month now, as both a Nintendo Switch 2 GameChat device and as a webcam for work and social gaming sessions over Discord. On Switch 2, I primarily played in docked mode while using the camera with an AOC Gaming 24G2SP 1080p gaming monitor.

While gaming, I tested the camera’s functionality with sessions of Mario Kart World with my TechRadar Gaming colleague Dash Wood. While here, I also made sure to test out GameChat’s various settings, including screen size and in-game face capture options.

  • Read more about how we test
  • First reviewed: October 2025

Nintendo Switch 2 Camera: Price Comparison



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New Sora 2 AI Mario And Pikachu Videos Seem Primed For Nintendo Lawsuits
Game Updates

New Sora 2 AI Mario And Pikachu Videos Seem Primed For Nintendo Lawsuits

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Nintendo has earned its reputation for being fiercely protective of its IP, including the Mario characters and the Pokémon universe. However, OpenAI’s newly released Sora 2 has included so many Nintendo characters that it almost seems like it’s inviting a legal response from the Japanese gaming publisher. Sora 2 is an AI-powered video and audio production tool, meaning that you can feed a prompt in, much like similar image generators, to create a video from your description.

According to The New York Times, OpenAI has reached out to major copyright holders and Hollywood stars about being retroactively removed from Sora 2. It’s not clear if a similar effort was made to reach out to Nintendo, but the sheer volume of Pokémon and Mario-inspired Sora 2 content suggests that the AI model was heavily trained on Nintendo’s IP.

i got into sora 2 and the only conclusion I can draw is openai is trying to get sued. this is like 99% of what it shows you immediately upon entering the app pic.twitter.com/BkAXqchK2T

— George Crudo (@GeorgeCrudo) October 1, 2025

Nintendo’s properties aren’t the only ones that appear to have been fed into Sora 2. Others like Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater and Portal have been mashed together as well.

How will Nintendo respond? It was only a year ago that Nintendo went after AI-generated Mario pictures. It seems unlikely that Nintendo will let Sora 2 pass without taking action, especially since the company is famously litigious.

A report earlier this year suggested that Disney is in talks with OpenAI, but the house of mouse decided to sue Midjourney over allegedly misappropriated movies and images. George R.R. Martin and a handful of other authors have previously launched their own lawsuit against OpenAI.

While more Japanese gaming publishers are embracing AI in game creation, OpenAI, Midjourney, and other AI-related startups aren’t acting in partnership with the affected companies. Nintendo has taken a cautious approach to AI, and Shigeru Miyamoto has said that the company won’t rush into AI like other developers. Outgoing Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser has stated that he believes AI will play a role in the creation of games, but he has also stressed the importance of maintaining a “human touch” in game development.





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Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection
Product Reviews

Lego Nintendo Game Boy review: a brick masterpiece just shy of perfection

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Is there a word that describes the feeling of “I want something to be just a bit better because it’s already so good it only needs one last kick in the pants”?

Because that’s how I feel about the $60 Lego Nintendo Game Boy. It’s better than the fan-made Lego Game Boy that I asked Nintendo to make. It’s even better than I hoped when Lego officially revealed the set. This isn’t just a statue that looks like my original 1989 Game Boy; it’s a joy to build and feels fantastic in the hands. You can press every button, spin every dial, roll the D-pad, and throw a satisfyingly snappy power switch.

Though it doesn’t light up one bit, its lenticular moving images were enough to momentarily surprise friends and family into asking: “Does it actually play games?” The set even has a few hidden Easter eggs.

And yet, I can’t help wanting more.

Let’s do something different for this review: Let’s make it a show and tell. If you’re a video person, start by tapping on my Instagram embed above, or TikTok, or YouTube, or Facebook, or perhaps my Bluesky. If you prefer photos and words, scroll down and I’ll tell you all about it!

Here it is, the photograph I’ve wanted to stage for months: the Lego Nintendo Game Boy next to the pristine 1989 original you might have seen in many a Verge photo before. It was my wife’s childhood Game Boy, though I had one just like it — and Lego designer Carl Merriam absolutely nails the size, shape, and look. It does overcompensate slightly with the Off-On switch and headphone jack labels that are gray instead of molded, three of the four corners of the gray screen bezel are square instead of slightly rounded, and the A and B buttons seem almost pink rather than purple.

It’s also clearly made of a mosaic of Lego tiles rather than a single smooth surface, but that’s part of the charm: it’s a wonder to realize the Game Boy can be re-created 1:1 out of Lego bricks!

Here, I have both displaying the exact same cutscene from The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening. If you’ve never played the original, you may not realize just how specific a moment this is — a bittersweet, heartstring-tugging scene you can only watch once per playthrough, so I had to save my game before a certain quest to get this photo.

Lenticular tech is still rad.

The Lego Game Boy comes with three of these little lenticular panels to make it look like the screen’s turned on and give it a sense of motion. If you tilt the handheld up and down, you can watch Mario jump, see the Nintendo logo fall, or watch the waves and seagulls fly above the Link’s Awakening beach.

But the one thing I don’t understand is printing on a gray background rather than a green one, so the Lego Game Boy’s screen doesn’t look green like the original’s. It feels like a bizarre miss to me.

A closer look at gray versus green:

I threw in an Easter egg of my own.

It’s not the only nit I could pick with the Lego Game Boy’s screen, which is recessed quite a bit more than the original, which in turn makes it even harder to light up than the original (and, like the original, you need an external light source to do that since it didn’t have a light of its own!).

But I don’t blame Lego for that — it’s because Lego’s using a regular Lego window frame and windowpane for the screen instead of creating new custom parts, which make it feel more authentically Lego. I just wish Lego would start protecting its big windowpanes better so they don’t come scratched right out of the box.

You need a lot of light to see the “screen” well.

Comparing the Lego Game Boy to the original from every angle, you can see lots of places where there are slight gaps between the tiles, sure. But you can also see that almost every complex curve and label is represented, and while it weighs a few ounces less than the original, it’s almost the exact same size.

Image slider: volume and contrast wheels, external connector port (though there’s no port underneath Lego’s cover) and the AC adapter jack. No AC adapter label on the Lego version.

That power switch may seem placed too high, but it’s worth it for the satisfying snap of its Technic peg action.

Headphone jack.

You shouldn’t take that for granted, because it’s not easy even for skilled Lego creators to build a dense real-life object to scale with moving parts. As an example, see how much thicker and blockier Lego Masters Australia finalist Nick Lever’s creation is below?

From left to right: Lego’s Game Boy, Nintendo’s Game Boy, and my attempt at Nick Lever’s fan creation.

I still love the Mario hat buttons, though.

BTW, both of the Lego Game Boys can technically squeeze in a real cart, but it stretches the build uncomfortably.

But as the Lego Group showed and told me in 2023, the thing that truly separates a great official Lego set from a fan creation is the incredible amount of thought that goes into making the set playable and fun to build, not just fun once you’re through.

You can get a better sense in my video, but after a certain point the whole set is built out of modular parts. You create a set of springy face buttons that slide into place, a D-pad that drops in, a screen that needs attaching. It contributes to the illusion you’re building electronics instead of just piling bricks together. And there are details you’ll only appreciate if you’ve seen inside — like how the springy Start and Select buttons are actually Lego car tires.

The rubber nub brick under the D-pad makes for a surprisingly good action.

Or how the springy “membrane” under the D-pad and A and B buttons are colored similarly to their real-life counterparts, even though you’ll never see them once it’s closed:

One rubber band makes both buttons springy.

Image: iFixit

Or how there’s a brick-built “speaker” underneath the Lego speaker grille, complete with yellow “wires,” at the lower right-corner of the build:

Image: iFixit

Or how Lego’s Link’s Awakening cartridge even features a “battery backup” for its save games, like the original, while the Mario cartridge appropriately does not.

Button battery!

Not a perfect apples-to-apples comparison, since my real cart is the Player’s Choice reprint from 1996.

The Lego cart can technically fit in an original Game Boy cartridge case if you remove the top tile.

It all takes such passion and attention to detail that I have to wonder: why stop short of doing everything you can when you’ve already come this far?

Here’s the back of the Lego Game Boy, and the real Game Boy, showing off one final Easter egg: the “serial number” that’s actually the date the original Game Boy first came out on April 21st, 1989. That part’s great. But it also contains two completely blank spots where the original Game Boy had an info panel with model numbers and regulatory markings, and the US version had a service sticker.

At $60 — I got mine early for $50 at Costco — I can understand why the Lego Nintendo Game Boy doesn’t have light or sound or actually play games just yet. (Fans will make it do all those things before long.) But the top panel is already a printed piece, and the set already comes with a small sticker sheet.

Just like my real copy of Link’s Awakening fixes bugs that Nintendo originally accidentally shipped, might I suggest Lego ship future copies of the Game Boy with greener screens and a few more lines of text?

Photography by Sean Hollister / The Verge

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Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2's ports bring two all-timers to the Switch 2, but I wish Nintendo made that just a little easier to celebrate
Game Reviews

Super Mario Galaxy 1 + 2’s ports bring two all-timers to the Switch 2, but I wish Nintendo made that just a little easier to celebrate

by admin


While Super Mario Galaxy has appeared on Nintendo Switch before, via 2020’s Super Mario 3D All-Stars, this week’s re-release is still momentous. For one, 3D All-Stars was bizarrely only for sale for a limited time – so this will be the first time this game has a ‘standard’, ever-available Switch version. More importantly, this is the first time that Galaxy 2 is on Switch, meaning we now have one of gaming’s finest duologies reunited and available on modern hardware. All of this is great news.

Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2

  • Developer: Nintendo
  • Publisher: Nintendo
  • Platform: Played on Nintendo Switch 2
  • Availability: Out 2nd October on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2

Having spent a fair chunk of time with each of the new ports, I’m looking forward to an inevitably reignited debate about which of these two games is better. The rare Nintendo direct sequel, Galaxy 2 is doubtless more refined, tightly organized to push its best ideas early and hard before offering up bold experimentation and fiendish late-game challenges. But that game can only exist because of the original Galaxy – experimental, charming, and wildly atmospheric.

The two form a fascinating one-two punch in this sense. Take the core structure of the games: Galaxy goes all-in on breezy hangouts in an attractive and story-rich but relatively inconsequential hub world. Galaxy 2 jettisons that for a very simple hub with a dialed-back narrative. The first title generally channels the levels of Super Mario 64, with multiple run-throughs and the like – Galaxy 2 embraces more of a linearity reminiscent of Mario’s 2D outings, in turn allowing for more attempts at joyous one-off level design spectacle.

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

Anyway, I digress. The funny thing about writing about a new release of games such as these is that there’s little point in litigating about the quality of the work. These are undeniably classics. The march of time is not going to change that for the Galaxies any more than it has for the very first Super Mario Bros. With that said, there are curious wrinkles in how these titles play that are only now visible because our minds have been collectively rewired by Odyssey – ways in which you realise Odyssey’s physics are slightly superior, its narrative waffling better delivered, and the game’s visual identity more refined. I feel if you showed that trio to somebody who had never seen them before, they’d easily identify which game is the newest – but none of this takes away from the brilliance of the Galaxy games.

What is more important, then, is the quality of the port. And it’s, you know… it’s fine, right? We know that Nintendo can port over GameCube and Wii games well enough to new hardware. Titles like the 3D Mario games have an art style that ages and scales exceptionally well, too. There was a time when this primarily benefited emulation enthusiasts who were running Wii or 3DS Mario games at much higher resolutions – but now, Nintendo can also reap such benefits first-hand.

Watch on YouTube

Both games run at 1080p on Nintendo Switch and 4K on the Switch 2. Things like the user interface have been tidied up, and everything is smooth. It’s nice, and from that perspective doubtlessly the new definitive way to play these games. I’m less enamored with the control setup, however.

The Mario Galaxy games were built as system-defining, hardware-shifting tentpoles for the Wii, and so they ooze that 2006 energy. The menus are all designed for the pointer interface, for instance – all great big buttons and the like. These of course can be navigated more traditionally and the UI has been subtly adjusted, but the design hasn’t fundamentally changed. The same is true of the game proper, which assumes you’re playing with a Wii Remote and a nunchuck – your right hand free to point at the screen to pick up or fire off starbits, or in Galaxy 2 to interact with the environment using Yoshi’s tongue.

You probably sense where this is going. If you want to play these games in handheld mode, or with a Pro Controller – in a more traditional way, more reminiscent of Odyssey – the act of controlling all of Mario’s skillset becomes uncharacteristically hard work. Some mechanics naturally fade to the background, which naturally is a shame. On the other hand, the Joy-Con is not a Wii remote. The gyroscopic-style cursor control is not as natural or as immediate as a sensor-powered pointer.

Image credit: Nintendo

Image credit: Nintendo

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

Image credit: Nintendo

Again, it’s fine and you do get used to it. You’ll gradually dial into a ‘zone’ where it becomes more natural over time, too. Still, it’s undeniable that this isn’t as intuitive or as good as on the Wii. I’m reminded of 3D All-Stars and its version of Super Mario Sunshine, which without the GameCube controller’s analogue triggers works just fine but is nevertheless somewhat compromised. In that case, support for the triggers was later patched in – but obviously, there’s no Wii Remote support on Switch, so that’s impossible here. What we have is what we’re going to get.

There’s also a sadly missed opportunity here, which is in the lack of mouse controls. The Switch 2 might not have a proper pointer, but it does have that going for it – but it’s unused! Or, well, not exactly. In a classic baffling Nintendo move, the Joy-Con 2 mouse is supported for the second player in the co-star mode, where a second player can join in the fun in a limited way – but the mouse can’t be used in any form when playing solo. It was probably deemed too awkward, given how your right hand also needs to liberally use the analogue stick to control the camera (though this is less important in this game, as the originals lacked camera control in the first place) and of course use those all-important action buttons. At the same time, I could easily see a scenario where a split Joycon player might seamlessly transition to temporary mouse control for pointer-intensive moments. No such luck.

I’d be more inclined to accept all of this without comment, by the way, if these were particularly cheap re-releases. At £34 individually and almost sixty quid for the pair, however, I’d expect every stop to be pulled out and a bit more bespoke tailoring to fit this Wii experience to the Switch machines. The one thing these joyous games aren’t remotely is cynical – but these releases might just be, a bit.

Image credit: Nintendo / Eurogamer

It has to be said that Nintendo has made smart changes, too. Assist Mode is lovely, and makes the elements of these games that did get surprisingly punishing a bit more accessible without damping the ‘core’ experience. The visual improvements are good, the new storybook stuff is cute, and while the soundtrack and amiibo support additions are basic, I appreciate them nevertheless.

So now I sit back, and scroll up, and think to myself: Oh. That’s a lot of negative words about perfectly fine ports of two of the greatest games of all time. And I suppose that’s the thing: these games are so good, and were so perfect in their original forms (we’re talking a pair of Eurogamer tens – remember those? – and a Eurogamer Game of the Generation) that to some extent all one is left with is nitpicks, frustrations, and unfavorable comparisons to near-perfect originals and an even-better-still successor in Odyssey.

And that’s the rub, really. The only thing one with any real light in their heart can do is to fully and loudly say that these games deserve to be played. They are always and forever an instant recommendation and a vital piece of platform gaming history. These ports are solid enough, and the best new, easily accessible way to play these games. So of course it’s a recommendation, in the end. I just wish the journey of my feelings to get to that recommendation were a little less complicated.



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Nintendo exec dances with 3DS characters.
Game Updates

Watch Nintendo Of America’s New CEO Dance, Sing, And Cosplay

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Nintendo’s North American subsidiary is about to have some new leaders. One of them is Satoru Shibata, a longtime veteran of the company who will become Nintendo of America’s CEO in just a few months. Most players probably have no idea who he is, but long-time industry watchers and fans in Europe will probably be at least somewhat familiar with the executive thanks to an impressive library of colorful videos in which he can be seen dancing, singing, and talking about his favorite handheld games.

Here’s NoA’s new CEO singing “Call Me Maybe” to promote Nintendo’s Karaoke games (via Tiny Cartridge):

And here he is dancing to promote Yo-Kai Watch:

Here is Shibata cosplaying to announce Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney:

The exec had a reputation for sending Swapnote messages directly to fans when he was head of Nintendo Europe:

He presented separate Nintendo Direct updates to fans throughout the early 3DS and Wii U days. In this one he traveled to a warehouse in Germany to show everyone where the games and consoles get packaged and shipped from:

And here’s the man’s 3DS collection. He says he’s bad at games and never beat Luigi’s Mansion 2, but his favorite way to relax before bed is playing Professor Layton. He had thousands of Miis stored in it, including one belonging to the now late Nintendo President Satoru Iwata:

Will modern Nintendo let this version of Shibata back out into the wild? Probably not. The company’s different now. So is the internet. But at least we have these time capsules from the past. Nintendo’s business strategy has always been a mix of ruthless and whimsical. Will see if more of the latter comes back again in the Switch 2 era. Shibata is joined by Devon Pritchard, who is taking over Doug Bowser’s role as President of Nintendo of America. You can go watch the latest Kit and Krysta podcast for an insider’s perspective on Bowser’s retirement and the new folks in charge.



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Bowser retires from Nintendo, succeeded by first female president
Game Reviews

Bowser retires from Nintendo, succeeded by first female president

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Nintendo of America president Doug Bowser is set to retire at the end of the year, and will be succeeded by the company’s first female president.

Bowser followed Reggie Fils-Aimé as president in 2019, and has spent over a decade in multiple leadership positions. His time as president has covered the majority of the Switch’s life, and the recent launch of Switch 2, and will end on 31st December 2025.

Devon Pritchard will take over as president, following 19 years in the industry. She is already a long-standing member of the NOA leadership team, currently serving as executive vice president of revenue.

Nintendo Switch 2 – Is It Good?Watch on YouTube

In addition to this change, Satoru Shibata will join NOA as chief executive officer. Shibata was previously president of Nintendo of Europe from 2000 – 2018, and was most recently general manager of the marketing division at NOA. He’s also outside director of The Pokémon Company.

“One of my earliest video game experiences was playing the arcade version of Donkey Kong,” said Bowser. “Since that time, all things Nintendo have continued to be a passion for both me and my family. Leading Nintendo of America has been the honour of a lifetime, and I am proud of what our team has accomplished in both business results and the experiences we’ve created for consumers.

“Now, it’s time for the next generation of leadership and Devon’s track record speaks for itself,” he continued. “She is an exceptional leader, and her promotion is a testament to her strong performance and strategic contributions to the company’s growth. I have full confidence that she will guide the company to even greater heights.”

Pritchard said she is “humbled and excited to take on this new role”. “Doug has been a fantastic mentor,” she continued, “and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation he has helped establish. With characters and worlds that offer something for everyone, my focus will be continuing to build on Nintendo’s legacy of surprising and delighting our longtime fans, while at the same time welcoming new players into the Nintendo family.”

Nintendo’s Japanese president Shuntaro Furukawa added: “During his tenure, Doug made numerous contributions to bring smiles to the faces of people connected to Nintendo. I would like to express my gratitude for his strong efforts. Devon, who will become the next president, has also made many contributions to Nintendo over the years. I am confident that, like Doug, Devon will continue to support Nintendo’s important mission of creating smiles.”



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