Review: NHL 26

Since EA’s latest hockey sim is offering Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers a no-cost trial today (through EA Play), I figured I’d lace up for the newest instalment—courtesy of a review key from EA Sports—and the outcome is an entertaining ride on the rink. Still, the franchise feels stranded in an odd spot lately, with Read More

Review: Star Wars Outlaws (Switch 2) -Solid Port

Your absence of belief is unsettling.I actually ended up in a slightly odd spot regarding Star Wars Outlaws on the Switch 2, since I already blitzed through the entire adventure and gave it a verdict over at our sibling site Pure Xbox back in 2024. Now it’s almost like I’ve been handed a second lap Read More

Mini Review: The Exit 8

Endless reel. To mark the arrival of the freshly-released silver-screen take on The Exit 8, the Nintendo Switch release has been granted a small but delightful boost for the Switch 2. In case you’re unfamiliar with the setup, the game traps you in an endlessly repeating passageway beneath a Japanese subway station, and your sole Read More

Review: Kirby And The Forgotten Land -Crossed World

Round two, but this time teeth taste like cogs! I caught myself leafing through my original write-up on Kirby and the Forgotten Land—just a quick refresher on my 2022 impressions (seriously, where do the years vanish?)—and, well, it turns my thumbs-up from back then still stands… Click for the Deep Dive Read More

Review: Gears Of War: Reloaded

An almost flawless active reload. We’ve stood in this exact spot more than once, haven’t we? Absolutely— the original Gears of War storms back, dressed up in a gleaming new coat tailored for Xbox Series X|S, carrying the title Gears Reloaded and drawing heavily on 2015’s Gears of War: Ultimate Edition. For the PlayStation 5— Read More

Review: Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution (Switch)

It’s never too late to turn things around. While Shantae now enjoys widespread recognition as a beloved indie mascot, the lavender-locked half-genie heroine first struggled to win over gamers. Her debut on the Game Boy Color in 2002 met with meager sales, souring publishers on WayForward’s pitch for a follow-up titled Shantae Advance: Risky Revolution Read More

Review: Herdling (Switch)

Have you herd?The last time I tried shepherding an unruly beast, I wasn’t exactly a fan. It was midnight, I was exhausted, and my dog simply refused to come back inside. Typical. Thankfully, Herdling offers a much cosier alternative, replacing a stubborn pup with fantastical beasties that actually listen to me.Developed by Okomotive…Read More Read More

Review: Turtle Beach Airlite Fit For Nintendo Switch 2 -Frills, All-Round Solid Bargain Headset

Image: PJ O’Reilly / Nintendo Life Between everyone at Nintendo Life, we’ve already got quite the heady (thanks) collection of gaming headsets for Switch 2 since the new console launched. You can find our in our Best Nintendo Switch 2 Gaming Headsets guide. However, one thing that we don’t have a whole lot of choice Read More

Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Drag x Drive?

Show off or take the leap? Photo: Nintendo Nintendo’s house-made titles keep rolling in, and the one that kicked off August’s duo has raced onto Switch 2. Drag x Drive landed a couple of days ago, and the reaction is split right down the middle. By fusing wheelchair basketball with the Joy-Con 2’s Mouse Mode, Read More

Review: Discounty (Switch)

Grabbed on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Ask anyone who’s clocked shifts behind a till and they’ll tell you retail feels anything but cosy. I still wake up haunted by late-night inventory discrepancies and queues of furious shoppers who seemed committed to ruining whatever remained of my evening. Danish studio Crinkle Cut Games, however, believes running a Read More

Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown (Switch) -Based Brawler Blend

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) A few times in 2024 I quietly wished the barrage of TMNT titles would ease up. We received three fresh adventures, and even though some doubled down on daring mechanics, the sheer oversaturation wore thin — naturally, a smash like Shredder’s Revenge and a blockbuster film such as Mutant Mayhem Read More

Madden NFL 26 Review

Madden NFL 26 finally pairs the series’ great on-field gameplay with a destination mode thanks to an impressive Franchise makeover. By Mark Delaney on August 12, 2025 at 12:23PM PDT The Madden curse is lifted. No, not that one–the one I alluded to at the end of my review last year. I’d said it felt Read More

Review: Heretic + Hexen (Switch)

Snap from Nintendo Switch (Docked Mode) I’m starting to ask myself how Nightdive keeps pumping out so many stellar ports. Throughout last year alone the studio dropped no fewer than five headline releases—The Thing: Remastered, DOOM + DOOM II, and Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster among them—and 2025 appears headed in the same direction. The Read More

Mini Review: Is This Seat Taken? (Switch)

A person’s already parked there, pal Edition Seen: European critique by Jim Norman Yesterday, 1pm I’m the kind of wallflower who has turned seat-picking into a finely tuned craft. With that calibration, I pictured a tile-swapper such as Is This Seat Taken? to be a breeze – and, well, by-and-large that was spot on. This Read More

Mini Review: The House Of The Dead 2: Remake (Switch)

Dead aim Version Reviewed: North American review by Ollie Reynolds Yesterday, 11pm I don’t think I’ve ever messed around with a game’s settings menu as much as The House of the Dead 2: Remake. And, unfortunately, try as I might, I could never get the game to feel ‘good’. Much like its predecessor on the Read More

Review: Gulikit Elves 2 Controller For Switch & Switch 2 -Up Support Can’t Make Up For The Downgrades

Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo Life Following the release of the Elves 2 Pro, accessory manufacturer Gulikit is back with the, uh, Elves 2. Yes, this is a cheaper model ($29.99 / £29.99) of the Saturn-inspired wireless pad for the Switch and Switch 2; one that shirks some of the more advanced customisation options of Read More

Review: Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound (Switch)

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Revisiting Ninja Gaiden’s 2-D lineage in 2025 is nothing short of delightful. After Dotemu secured the rights for a franchise revival, the Parisian publisher tapped Barcelona-based indie outfit The Game Kitchen to helm development. Widely praised for its punishing yet gorgeous Blasphemous games, the team worked under the supervision of Read More

Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Super Mario Party Jamboree TV?

NS2 Edition Hyper Partying Redux Deluxe ++ penned by Gavin Lane Yesterday, 3pm Image: Nintendo While Donkey Kong continues hogging the spotlight two weeks after the brilliant Bananza debuted, Nintendo has quietly slipped its second Switch 2 first-party download onto the eShop in as many weeks. Admittedly, it’s essentially an appendix to 2024’s Super Mario Read More

Review: Tales Of The Shire: A The Lord Of The Rings Game (Switch)

A Lord of the Rings comfort game? Crafted by Weta Workshop, the very team behind the props, sets, and outfits in Peter Jackson’s cherished trilogy? All the hype, right? Regrettably, Tales of the Shire is less the cosy hobbit-haven we’d prayed for and more a showcase of development practices that short-changed staff and gamers alike. Read More

Review: Nintendo Switch 2 Joy-Con 2 Wheel

Image: Damien McFerran / Nintendo Life Ever since Nintendo introduced motion control with its Wii console, we’ve had to contend with bolt-on plastic accessories getting in the way of perfectly good Mario Kart multiplayer sessions. The iconic Wii Wheel, while a novelty, was widely regarded by seasoned players as the worst way to control the Read More

Destiny 2: The Edge Of Fate Review – New Powers, Old Problems

The Final Shape ended the Light and Dark saga, but Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate might just end my will to log in By Cheri Faulkner on July 24, 2025 at 2:20PM PDT Bungie had a lot to prove going into Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate. After a year marred by shock layoffs, Read More

Review: Dungeons & Dragons Neverwinter Nights 2: Enhanced Edition (Switch)

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld/Undocked) Dungeons & Dragons has had a long and checkered history with video game adaptations, with every ascendant Baldur’s Gate 3 being matched by an equally disappointing Iron & Blood: Warriors of Ravenloft. Then there are the games that fall firmly in the middle, like Neverwinter Nights. After the success of Read More

Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Donkey Kong Bananza?

Return of the Kong Last week Donkey Kong returned to the world of 3D platforming over 25 years since his last fully-3D outing in DK64 – and what a return it was! Donkey Kong Bananza scored an ‘Excellent’ 9/10 in Jim’s review, and most of Team NL has spent this weekend having a smashing time Read More

Review: Gulikit Elves 2 Pro Controller For Switch And Switch 2

Image: Ollie Reynolds / Nintendo Life My first impression of the Gulikit Elves 2 Pro wasn’t particularly positive. Now, when I say ‘first impression’, I’m talking about the moment I laid eyes on the thing in a few press shots online. I suspect that some of you checking out the photos in this review might Read More

Mini Review: WaterField Designs CitySlicker For Switch 2

Image: Sasha Stowe The WaterField Designs CitySlicker is a design that has been around for at least 10 years, and it has barely aged a day. From its full-grain leather front flap to its pleasingly voluminous rear mesh pouch, it’s a case that oozes quality and style, which is just as well given the $129 Read More

Review: No Sleep For Kaname Date -Off

Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Docked) No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is the latest installment in Spike Chunsoft’s AI: Somnium Files franchise and serves as a spin-off to the first two titles. Acting as a ‘mid-quel’ between both narratives, No Sleep for Kaname Date proves to be an engaging Read More

Review: Savage Raven By Skull & Co. NeoGrip For Nintendo Switch 2

Image: PJ O’Reilly / Nintendo Life Skull & Co. launched a very impressive NeoGrip for the OLED Switch in 2021, which we assessed at that time, concluding that, aside from a tricky holding tab that could easily be misplaced, the grips significantly enhanced extended portable gaming sessions’ comfort. With this Switch 2 update, the Savage Read More

Review: The Wandering Village (Switch)

Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked) Our world is a volatile realm, laden with turmoil and financial uncertainty. Therefore, there’s always potential for yet another endearing city builder. Swiss creator Stray Fawn Studio adheres to the established genre principles while providing a quaintly innovative thematic variation. The Wandering Village places you in the role of the Read More

Review: Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 (Switch 2)

Captured on Nintendo Switch 2 (Handheld/Undocked) I must confess, I was rather anxious about Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4. I enjoyed the initial ‘1 + 2’ compilation back in 2021 and truly cherished it, but my formative adolescent years were influenced by the Birdman’s third and fourth console releases. Therefore, it’s fair to Read More

Mini Review: Rune Factory: Guardians Of Azuma -Perfect On The New Console

Sow much enjoyment Edition Evaluated: North American review by Jess Elizabeth Reed Yesterday, 7pm When I assessed Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma for Switch prior to its debut, I stated that the latest installment was a “must-experience for Rune Factory enthusiasts and would be thoroughly enjoyed by newcomers to the franchise as well”. Now, having Read More