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Nintendo

Ex-Nintendo Staffers Talk Nintendo Secrecy Amid Fresh Direct Leaks

by admin September 11, 2025

Will Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 actually have better cheat protection? Is another big Nintendo leaker getting overly zealous before the coming Thwomp stomp? Why does Ubisoft want to shove PVP multiplayer back into Far Cry? It’s another edition of Morning Checkpoint, Kotaku‘s daily roundup of gaming news and culture. I was up until 3:00 a.m. ET last night grinding the Depths in Elden Ring Nightreign‘s new Deep of Night mode. Who knew the answer to my Destiny 2 burnout was an even more punishing loot chase that resets every 45 minutes?

Why are there so many leaks at Nintendo?

That’s what former Nintendo of America marketing staffers Kit Ellis and Krysta Yang ask on their latest video breaking down recent rumors about the upcoming Nintendo Direct. “They really do run a pretty tight ship on the first-party side still like we were saying,” Yang says. “Like, you’ve literally got the fear of God and being fired from your job. That fear was really real at Nintendo and you know we joke around about the Nintendo ninjas, like this is actual employees at the company. That is their job to investigate leaks. They’re a team at Nintendo that gets paid to do this and they are very elite. They’re very good at their jobs and and they will solve these cases.”

The pair said a recent series of leaks from a user called SwitchForce reminds them of Pyoro, an infamous leaker who appeared to be using a source with access to the backend of Nintendo’s websites to get information early. Pyoro later leaked his own source to Bloomberg, failed to break any more news after Nintendo changed how its new game pages go live online, and all but disappeared from the video game leaker-verse.

“We all know what happened to Pyoro,” Ellis says. “So, I think just a word of advice to SwitchForce is be careful because, you know, yes, this can be an exciting thing of like, oh my gosh, everybody’s on pins and needles for my next update. You’re on pins and needles until you get that phone call or somebody shows up at your door and you disappear.”

Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 will make progress in the war on cheating

That’s what Activision is promising in its latest blog post. It outlines how Ricochet anti-cheat features like Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 will help prevent more players from ruining matches with aim-botting and other exploits. “RICOCHET Anti-Cheat uses Remote Attestation, a process that verifies critical PC security settings directly with Microsoft, as part of its implementation of TPM 2.0,.” the company writes.

It continues, “Other games may lean on Client or Local Attestation, where the system checks itself and reports back. The limitation with that method is clear: cheats can sometimes disguise or manipulate what’s being reported, effectively tricking the local system into giving a false ‘all clear.’ By contrast, Remote Attestation places the verification step with an external, trusted authority, making it exponentially harder for tampered machines to pass as legitimate.”

Cheating will still be a thing online, but Activision says it’s getting better. “What matters, and where we’ve seen real improvement, is how quickly we adapt,” it writes. “In Black Ops 6, detections are faster, mitigations are stronger, and enforcement is cutting deeper into the networks that try to harm fair play. With Black Ops 7, hardware protections like Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 will add another layer of defense.”

Ex-Pokémon Company lawyer thinks developers will just ignore Nintendo’s latest patent

The company recently acquired another patent for what sounds like the auto-battling feature from its most recent Pokémon Violet and Scarlet games. It comes amid the ongoing legal fight with PocketPair over Palworld, but could seemingly have repercussions for lots of other creature collecting games. Or maybe not. “I wish Nintendo and Pokémon good luck when the first other developer just entirely ignores this patent and, if those companies sue that developer, the developer shows decades of prior art,” former chief legal officer at The Pokémon Company Don McGowan told Eurogamer. “This isn’t Bandai Namco with the loading screen patent.”

A 2023 shooter finally gets a kill-cam, but not on Xbox Series S

Free-to-play multiplayer FPS The Finals has received a familiar feature nearly two years after launch, but only for the most powerful consoles (via IGN). “We had to calculate everything that matters: player movement, environmental destruction, object interactions in a level of data fidelity that’s hard to pull off in a Dynamism Shooter,” Embark Studios writes in a new season 8 blog post. “Then take all that info and quickly reconstruct the moment.” Microsoft usually requires feature parity between current-gen console versions, but has been bending the rules more and more. The Finals‘ kill-cam won’t be on PS4 either.

A tiny new update just sneaked out for Cyberpunk 2077

Patch 2.31 has fixed AutoDrive so that cars will now drive more smoothly when taking players to their destinations. No more getting stuck behind other cars or jerking to a stop at lights. Johnny also no longer always spawns in the passenger seat when using the Delamain Cab service. Plus, the Photo Mode is gender neutral when it comes to poses now. My favorite bug fix? The Yaiba Semimaru no longer flips over during the Motorbreath chase, which was breaking the quest.

Far Cry will push multiplayer more in the future

That’s according to Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot who recently spoke at Saudi Arabia’s New Global Sport Conference. “On Far Cry, it’s really to bring the multiplayer aspects more predominantly pushed so that it can also be played for a long time by players,” he said, according to Game File. Alongside the unannounced Far Cry 7, Ubisoft has also reportedly been working on a Far Cry extraction shooter spin-off. Unlike Far Cry 5, which had an entire map editor for multiplayer, Far Cry 6 backed away from online PVP gameplay.

But wait, what was Guillemot doing in Saudi Arabia to begin with? He was there to publicly reveal a Saudi-based DLC for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, among other things. Is it funded by Saudi Arabia’s controversial Public Investment Fund? Ubisoft won’t say one way or the other. Game File notes that the person on stage interviewing Guillemot said, “Well, congratulations on the deal. It sounds very exciting.”

ICYMI:

Watch this:

The sword of the Faithful. pic.twitter.com/dL9erhNJdC

— The Lord of the Rings (@TheRingsofPower) September 10, 2025

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

There’s a new Nintendo Direct this Friday (and it’s just before a major Mario anniversary)

by admin September 11, 2025

There have been rumours circulating for a while, but now we have confirmation: Nintendo is hosting its next Nintendo Direct presentation this week.

Per the platform holder, the stream will be broadcast online on Friday, 12th September at 2pm BST (that’s 9am ET or 6am PT, 3pm CEST if you’re in Europe).

The show will run for 60 minutes (which is quite long for a Direct these days!) and promises to include updates and releases for both Switch and Switch 2.

It’s actually quite peculiar timing for Nintendo: we’ve had a general Direct on 31st July, and then another specifically dedicated to Kirby Air Riders, too, on 19th August. This is quite close concentration for these events (no that I’m complaining).

It is not year clear what the showcase will present, though it is worth noting there is a very substantial anniversary coming up as the world gets ready to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros (which takes place on Saturday). Will we see anything special to mark the occaision? Will get get a second year of Luigi? Will Waluigi ever be let out of whatever cage he’s been crammed in? Only time will tell.

Outside of Mario, everyone is hoping for a release date of Metroid Prime 4 Beyond – after all the nonsense we’ve seen about the game in the past few months, you’d hope Nintendo is actually finally ready to pull the trigger and release the damn game.

We’ll find out more on Friday. What are you hoping to see?

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

There’s A 60-Minute Nintendo Direct Happening This Friday

by admin September 11, 2025

Nintendo has announced that a Nintendo Direct is coming this Friday, on Sept. 12. It will begin at 6 a.m. PT/9 a.m. ET and run for about 60 minutes.

As for what to expect, Nintendo simply says, “Tune in for roughly 60 minutes of information on upcoming Nintendo Switch 2 and Nintendo Switch games,” noting that it will be streamed on YouTube and via its news-focused Nintendo Today app.

If we put our speculation caps on, it seems likely we’ll see more of Pokémon Legends: Z-A, which launches on Oct. 16 and has the potential to be the best Pokémon game in years, Metroid Prime 4, which doesn’t yet have a release date despite Nintendo stating it’s launching this year, and Kirby Air Riders, which launches in November. Beyond that, it wouldn’t be surprising to get some game reveals and more.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too long to find out because the Nintendo Direct happens this week, on Friday, Sept. 12.

In the meantime, read Game Informer’s Metroid Prime 4 preview, and then check out everything we learned in the recent Kirby Air Riders Direct. After that, check out how Mega Hawlucha and Mega Victreebel are coming to Pokémon Legends: Z-A.

What do you hope to see during Friday’s Nintendo Direct? Let us know in the comments below!

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September 11, 2025 0 comments

Game Reviews

What Switch 2 Leaks Tell Us About The Upcoming Longest Nintendo Direct Ever

by admin September 10, 2025

The Nintendo Direct that fans have been waiting for is finally here and it’s a big one. September is usually when the company has its annual blowout showcase, and after a messy first half of 2025 ahead of the Switch 2 launch, it seems like we might be getting back into a familiar flow. After a quiet couple of years, the drought may finally be over. The Switch 2 is out and Nintendo can finally wheel out the big guns.

With Nintendo promising an hour-long livestream, the September 12 Direct will be the longest in the company’s history outside of the April one earlier this year for revealing the Switch 2 hardware. It also comes just ahead of the 40th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. on September 13, suggesting plenty of Mario-themed announcements may be in tow as well. And then there’s the flurry of recently leaks from self-proclaimed insiders, some with a good enough track record to take them seriously going into the event. Here’s what we’re likely to see at the latest Nintendo Direct this Friday, from rumors and best guesses to some wild longshots that are too cool not to think about.

Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and more ports

According to Resident Evil leaker Dusk Golem, we should expect a whole lot of Capcom’s horror series to be coming to Switch 2 in the year ahead. That includes Resident Evil 7 and Resident Evil Village, as well as the Resident Evil 2, 3, and 4 remakes. Notably, all of these were created on the current RE Engine, which Capcom has been using for all of its new games. Dusk Golem has suggested the newest sequel, Resident Evil: Requiem, will arrive on Switch 2 at some point as well.

While only a port of RE7 has been claimed to be getting revealed at this week’s Direct, fans have already started speculating about what this will mean for Capcom’s other franchises on Switch 2. Both Dragon’s Dogma 2 and Monster Hunter Wilds were also developed in the RE Engine, as was Street Fighter 6 which was a launch game for the hardware back in June.

Final Fantasy VII Remake isn’t out on Switch 2 yet, but there are already rumors that Rebirth isn’t far behind. Reliable Switch leaker NateTheHate recently claimed the sequel is headed to Nintendo’s new console sometime in 2026. He’s also previously reported that Red Dead Redemption 2 is being ported to Switch 2, which seems likely to arrive sooner than later. That doesn’t mean either will be at this week’s Direct but they are certainly in the mix. There are rumors that Starfield and Assassin’s Creed Shadows will end up on Nintendo’s handheld hybrid at some point, too.

Then there’s a very messy riddle from leaker SwitchForce who was the first to reveal that a Nintendo Direct was happening on September 12. The tease is that there will be three games at the showcase with the number seven in the title. Outside of FF7, there’s been speculation about Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 and Ace Attorney 7 being the others, though SwitchForce said the long-running courtroom series definitely wouldn’t be in the livestream. A more obvious choice is 007 First Light, which was recently at the PlayStation State of Play as well.

The year of Super Mario Bros.

SwitchForce has also been teasing big Mario news at the event. “They buy the new systems for the mustache,” read a tweet featuring a GIF of Mario from Super Mario Odyssey. One theory is that the Odyssey team split in two, with a younger offshoot working on Donkey Kong Bananza and another developing the next 3D Mario game. The timing makes the reveal of Super Mario Odyssey‘s successor feel all but assured, though it probably won’t be the only Mario announcement in the Direct.

We’re also less than a year out from The Super Mario Bros. Movie 2 with no real info about what the story will be or which celebrities will be joining the English-language cast. At least an initial teaser, if not a full-blown trailer, could be in the cards. Maybe we’ll even get a double feature with a tease for the upcoming Zelda movie in 2027 as well? It could be as simple as confirmation of whether it will be a brand-new story or not, or whether it will be another isekai tale (people from the real world magically appearing in Hyrule).

But back to Mario. It’s his time to shine after all. The way Nintendo usually likes to handle these anniversaries means we could get a new anthology of remasters or remixes of older games in the series, or ports of more recent entries that have been languishing on old hardware like Super Mario Galaxy (I’m still holding out hope for Super Mario Galaxy 3 myself). Another Switch Online exclusive multiplayer spin-off like Super Mario Bros. 35 doesn’t sound out of the question either. Maybe this time it’ll go from 2D side-scrolling to a Fall Guys-style 3D battle royale mode.

Finally, we know Nintendo loves its limited-edition accessories and merchandise. A Mario Bros. 40th anniversary Switch 2, new Amiibo, and new Switch 2 Joy-Con colors feel like an easy prediction. More exciting would be some new sort of dedicated device like the Nintendo Game & Watch: Super Mario Bros., only this time with more than just the first two games. And what’s going on with that detachable dual-screen add-on that Nintendo patented? Could the Switch 2 finally get DS games coming to its subscription service?

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 deserves a Switch 2 upgrade

If the original Switch taught us anything, it’s that Nintendo loves double-dipping. Half of the first-party library for that console was just Wii U games. And I fully expect the company to maintain that pattern with Switch 2 by continuing to roll out free and paid upgrades for older games. A recent Monolith Soft job posting on social media included fresh footage of Xenoblade Chronicles 2 that appeared to show it running at a much higher resolution. Those open-world RPGs have always struggled on the first Switch, leaving fans pining not only for Xenoblade Chronicles 4 on Switch 2 but also upgrades for the last two numbered entries. They’re also still waiting to see what’s up with Xenoblade Chronicles X‘s hidden 60fps mode.

There are also still lots of other old games Nintendo can pull onto the Switch 2 in one form or another. A Wii U HD remaster of Twilight Princess is still MIA on modern platforms, and the original Luigi’s Mansion could be remastered or added to the GameCube library on Switch Online. Nintendo’s also getting ready to release Metroid Prime 4: Beyond (a release date reveal at this Direct would be nice!) and yet two of the games in the original trilogy still aren’t available to play on Switch.

Smash Bros., Animal Crossing, and Mother 3

Beyond the next Mario, there are plenty of other Nintendo franchises that are ripe for their next entries. Animal Crossing: New Horizons is five years old now, and Smash Bros. Ultimate got its last DLC character in 2021. Despite multiple remakes in the series since, the last new Luigi’s Mansion was in 2019. It’s not quite time for a new Fire Emblem but we are getting close. And what about Nintendo’s back-bench franchises like Star Fox, Punch-Out, and Pilotwings? The company loves pulling from the past just as much as building new things.

Speaking of new things, a new Splatoon spin-off called Raiders was teased earlier this year and will no doubt make an appearance at the Direct if it’s coming out any time in the next 12 months. It would also be nice to see more of FromSoftware’s upcoming Switch 2 exclusive The Duskbloods. There’s also no word on what Platinum Games is working on for the console. Could Switch 2 be getting Bayonetta 4 or Astral Blades 2 anytime soon? And I know Team Ninja has been very busy lately, but it would be neat to see Marvel Ultimate Alliance 4 confirmed.

The deepest cut of all would be Mother 3, the GBA game never officially localized in the West but which is already available through Switch Online in Japan. There was a big exhibit for the series in Tokyo this summer, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of Earthbound coming out in the U.S. Meanwhile, 2026 will mark the 20th anniversary for Mother 3. Series creator Shigesato Itoi is already 76 and not getting any younger. It’s time. Seriously. Just give us Mother 3. Hell, give us Mother 4! Or even a 3D remake of Earthbound. How much money do I need to spend these Earthbound figures to make it happen?

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Nintendo patents in-game characters summoning others to battle

by admin September 10, 2025

Nintendo has secured a new patent that protects a common gameplay mechanic wherein an in-game character to summon another sub-character to support it in battle.

As noted by Games Fray, the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) granted Nintendo patent number 12,403,397 on September 2, 2025. Submitted in March 2023, the patent application was approved uncontested despite the mechanic already existing in prior games, both within and outside of Nintendo’s own portfolio.

This means games that use features like those detailed below could now be in breach of Nintendo’s copyright.

There must be a PC, console, or other computing device, and the game is stored on a drive or similar storage medium.
You can move a character in a virtual space.
You must be able to summon a character. They call it a “sub character” by which they mean it’s not the player character, but, for example, a little monster such as a Pokémon that the player character has at their disposal.
Then the logic branches out, with items 4 and 5 being mutually exclusive scenarios, before reuniting again in item 6.
This is about summoning the “sub character” in a place where there already is another character that it will then (when instructed to do so) fight.
This alternative scenario is about summoning the “sub character” at a position where there is no other character to fight immediately.
This final step is about sending the “sub character” in a direction and then letting an automatic battle ensue with another character. It is not clear whether this is even needed if one previously executed step (4) where the “sub character” will basically be thrown at another character.

As Games Fray stressed, the ramifications for the wider industry cannot be understated, and may now prompt other developers and publishers, in turn, to file patents to protect other common in-game mechanics.

“The ‘397 patent poses a fundamental threat to creativity and innovation in the games industry,” the report stated. “That question is not specific to [the existing copyright lawsuit concerning] Palworld, but to a large number of games that already have that mechanic as well as future releases that will have it.”

Yesterday, we reported that Nintendo had secured a $2 million stipulated judgment and injunction against one of the modders Nintendo of America filed lawsuits against back in July last year, accusing them of violating its copyright by trading and selling “circumvention devices.”

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

A Ton Of Nintendo Switch Games Are Really Cheap Right Now

by admin September 10, 2025

We’re about to get a ton of new games coming out this fall, but if you want to catch up on older stuff you already missed, a recent sale on physical Switch games is a great place to start. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Pokémon Brilliant Diamond/Shining Pearl, and more are all decently discounted right now.

The sale is going on at the Amazon-owned daily deals site Woot which frequently unloads extra inventory of physical video games at cheap prices. The current sale is especially good, with just about ever major first-party Nintendo Switch game being $15-20 below the standard sticker price (which the company notoriously never lowers no matter how old the game is).

Here are some of best deals:

Super Mario Party Jamboree – $44 (27 percent off)
Luigi’s Mansion 3 – $43 (28 percent off)
Super Mario RPG – $35 (42 percent off)
The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening – $47 (22 percent off)
Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze – $44 (27 percent off)
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe – $46 (23 percent off)
Animal Crossing: New Horizons – $45 (25 percent off)
Super Mario Bros. Wonder – $45 (25 percent off)
Super Mario Odyssey – $45 (25 percent off)
Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury – $45 (25 percent off)
Metroid Dread – $47 (22 percent off)
Splatoon 3 – $45 (25 percent off)
Mario & Luigi: Brothership – $45 (25 percent off)
Pokémon Shining Pearl/Brilliant Diamond – $45 (25 percent off)
Pokémon Scarlet/Violet – $47 (22 percent off)

If you already own a Switch 2, this is a great opportunity to snag any of these games you might have missed last generation. Not only do they work thanks to backwards compatibility, many of them even play better on the new, more powerful hardware. Super Mario Party Jamboree has an upgraded version on Switch 2 with new DLC for $80, so with this deal you can effectively save $16 off that completely new release. Unfortunately, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, which both look outstanding on Switch 2, aren’t part of the current sale.

Mario Kart World is already on sale for $10 off

It’s also worth noting, for anyone who didn’t get the Mario Kart World Switch 2 bundle, that Nintendo’s newest racer is part of the current Woot sale. It’s currently $70 for the physical edition, which doesn’t feel like saving much, but hey, welcome to the world of $80 games. Of course, if you were somehow coming to the Switch ecosystem for the first time and had to choose between either Mario Kart World or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, I would definitely recommend the latter. It’s cheaper and it feels like a more classic Mario Kart experience that benefits from years of post-launch updates and support, including dozens of extra characters and tracks in the form of a paid DLC add-on.

Go buy Xenoblade Chronicles X

Monolith Soft’s remaster of the Wii U open-world RPG only came out earlier this year and the Woot discount is its cheapest price yet. It’s $47 for a physical copy (the international version) which is 22 percent off the standard $60 price. It’s the definitive version of a great game that belongs in every RPG lover’s Switch collection. I suspect physical copies of it will become harder and harder to find, too. The soundtrack is great, the mechs are fun, and the world is sci-fi as hell.

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Esports

Nintendo wins $2 million settlement and permanent injunction against Switch pirate

by admin September 10, 2025

Nintendo has secured a $2 million stipulated judgment and injunction against Ryan Michael Daly, one of the modders Nintendo of America filed lawsuits against back in July last year, accusing them of violating its copyright by trading and selling “circumvention devices.”

Daly, who sold devices like the MIG Switch and MIG Dumper via his Modded Hardware website, initially denied any wrongdoing, but has now agreed to pay the company $2 million in a settlement to avoid going to court.

Accused of trafficking in circumvention devices, copyright infringement, breach of EULA contract, and tortious interference with contract, Daly has now admitted as part of last week’s order to violating both copyright and the DMCA’s anti-circumvention law.

“[The] Defendant’s conduct has caused [Nintendo of America] significant and irreparable harm. For example, the MIG Devices, Mod Chips, Hacked Consoles, and Circumvention Services allow members of the public to create, distribute, and play pirated Nintendo games on a massive scale,” the court papers said.

“Thus, the MIG devices, Mod Chips, Hacked Consoles, and Circumvention Services harm NOA’s goodwill, detract from NOA’s consumer base, and enable widespread illegal and difficult to detect copying.”

The defendant was also ordered a permanent injunction that prevents Daly or anyone else working on his behalf from “selling, providing, marketing, advertising, promoting, distributing, or otherwise trafficking in any devices whose purpose is to circumvent any technological protection measures contained within Nintendo video game consoles or video game software, including but not limited to devices such as Mod Chips, MIG Dumpers, MIG Switches.”

In July this year, the FBI seized Nintendo Switch piracy site, Nsw2u, as “part of a law enforcement operation.”

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September 10, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Nintendo and accessories manufacturer Genki settles Switch 2 trademark infringement lawsuit

by admin September 9, 2025

Nintendo’s lawsuit against accessory manufacturer Genki, which earlier this year debuted a mock-up Switch 2 unit before the console had actually been officially unveiled, has come to an end.

Back in May, Nintendo filed a copyright claim against Genki, when it accused the manufacturer of “capitalising” on demand for Switch 2 news and giving “contradictory and inconsistent” statements.

Nintendo and Genki have now reached a settlement, without any further need for a trial. As per official court documents, Genki is required to pay an undisclosed amount to Nintendo for damages.

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In addition, Genki along with all other subsidiaries of its parent company Human Things are banned from using any Nintendo logo, design or “anything confusingly similar thereto”, in “any manner in connection with its business”.

Genki is now also prohibited from using approximations such as ‘Glitch’, ‘Glitch 2’, ‘Genki Direct’ and ‘Genki Indirect’ when promoting its own products, with these of course being very close to Nintendo’s own Switch and Nintendo Direct-related branding.

The accessories manufacturer is also no longer able to use colour schemes in any of its products or packaging which are “confusingly or substantially” similar to Nintendo’s. The court document states: “Namely, red and white, red and blue, green and pink, blue and yellow, purple and orange, pink and yellow, and purple and green.”

You can read the full court document here.

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata laughed at the prospect of localising the original Animal Crossing

by admin September 9, 2025

Late Nintendo president Satoru Iwata laughed at the prospect of localising the original Animal Crossing, as he believed the game was so specific to Japan it would be too difficult.

In an interview with Time Extension, former Nintendo localisation manager Leslie Swan discussed some of the challenges of the job, citing the original Animal Crossing – first released in Japan on N64 as Animal Forest, before a localised version was released in America on the GameCube – as a particularly tricky project.

Nintendo’s Takashi Tezuka, who worked as a producer on Animal Crossing, asked Swan to localise the game. She agreed, despite not playing the game herself in advance as she usually would. “But then he said, ‘No, Leslie, I’m not sure you understand, it’s going to be difficult’,” she said. “And I kept having to assure him that we would make it happen.”

She continued: “Then like a month or two later, I was in a meeting with Mr. Iwata and some other heads of the development group, and we were just kind of going around saying, ‘Here’s what we’re going to be working on’, and I just said, ‘Well, Mr. Tezuka is asking us to work on Animal Forest’ and he just burst out in laughter. He just laughed and said, ‘I don’t know how you’re going to do this.’ And it’s true, just everything in that game was so specific to Japan.”

The localisation team had to rename every character, every catchphrase, and all the events, Swan explained. “So we wanted whatever it was to be something that would be useful in as many areas as possible so we would do things like call it ‘Fireworks Day’ or something so other cultures, not just the US, would be able to use it without it being tied to Independence Day,” she said.

“Then there were also some items that didn’t make sense at all. They would have so much charm in the Japanese version, but they wouldn’t have provided the same kind of charm for Western audiences. I can’t tell you the number of hours we spent on that game, all hands on deck. We were so lucky at that point that we didn’t have other big projects, as we pretty much had the entire staff dedicated to that game.”

In addition, the legal department had to clear every name, as the team were sure merchandise would be an option if the game sold well.

“It must have been at least six months or maybe a year for us to clear the name Animal Crossing,” Swan continued. “I remember we had so many other names that we were in love with and then we would be crushed when they would be rejected. My favourite was ‘Animal Acres’, because the grids of the town lent themselves to being called acres. But again, that didn’t clear.”

Hundreds of names were considered, before finalising Animal Crossing. “We really wanted to maintain ‘Animal’ in the name,” said Swan. “And we did try to keep ‘Forest’ in the name too, but legal told us, ‘No, that’s not going to happen’.”

Swan was also the voice of Princess Peach in Super Mario 64, in addition to working in the localisation team and on Nintendo Power. Eventually, she left Nintendo and retired in 2016.

“I have to say, I was so lucky to be able to work at Nintendo,” she reflected. “It was a lot of work. It was a lot of stress. But one of the things that kept me there as long as I stayed was I just felt like I was learning something new with every single product we worked on. There was new technology and there was always something new to be learned, and the teams I worked with were just so energetic. The whole of the company was just oozing energy. It felt like such a family.”

This is a news-in-brief story. This is part of our vision to bring you all the big news as part of a daily live report.

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September 9, 2025 0 comments

Game Updates

Court Orders Man To Pay Nintendo $2 Million To Settle Modding And Piracy Lawsuit

by admin September 8, 2025

Nintendo has secured another payout from a lawsuit it pursued against a producer of products designed to help pirate Switch games. Already notorious for its hardline approach to piracy, modding, and emulation, Nintendo has been granted a monetary judgment under which the target of the lawsuit must pay the company $2 million.

As spotted by X user OatmealDome, Ryan Michael Daly was found by a district court in Washington to have damaged Nintendo through his production and sale of modded devices. According to the court document reviewed by GameSpot, he created products “primarily designed for the purpose of circumventing the TPMs [technological protection measures].” The court also found that Daly’s actions “caused NOA [Nintendo of America] significant and irreparable harm.”

Along with having to pay $2 million to Nintendo, the modder is also permanently prohibited from taking any future action to evade Nintendo’s security or digital rights protection systems or to give guidance to other people in modding or pirating Nintendo property. The court order also mandates the seizure and destruction of any devices that Daly used in running his modding business.

This is not the first time that Nintendo has pursued stringent penalties against individuals who create software or hardware that can be used to pirate games. In one of the most notorious cases, the hacker Gary Bowser (really his name) was ordered to pay $15 million to Nintendo after serving prison time, and the company is allowed to garnish his wages until the whole amount is paid.

Nintendo has also increasingly cracked down on creators and advertisers of emulation software. Last year, for instance, it worked with YouTube to apply copyright strikes to creators who show off emulated Nintendo games and devices.

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September 8, 2025 0 comments