Tag: Anniversary - Page 2
Poll Super Mario All-Stars Is 30 Years Old - Do You Prefer The NES Or SNES Versions Of The Classics?
NES is more?
Video game compilations might feel like a new-ish thing — a bevvy of digital treats all packed into one cartridge (or disc, or download), but they're practically as old as the medium. When we think of classic compilations, one of the first that springs to mind is the SNES's Super Mario All-Stars. This 16-bit collection launched on...
Feature That Time Mario & Luigi: Dream Team Made Mario Bros. Go Full Inception
Pi’illo fight
The worlds of Mario and Christopher Nolan rarely overlap, and for good reason. Cillian Murphy may make an excellent Oppenheimer, but he’d be a painfully miscast Professor E. Gadd. Yet somehow, ten years ago, that didn’t stand in the way of AlphaDream adding a strong vibe reminiscent of Leonardo DiCaprio’s dream heist in...
Feature What's The Best Version Of Street Fighter II On Nintendo Systems?
All Nintendo versions of Street Fighter II, ranked by you
Street Fighter is having its time in the light once again. Street Fighter 6 is pummeling down the competition on PS5, Xbox, and PC, and it feels like another jewel in the crown of Capcom's resurgence over the past five years. But while we Switch owners can't join the likes of Luke and other...
News Level-5 Launches Yo-Kai Watch 10th Anniversary Website
A number of initiatives are planned
Although Level-5 is busy with a new Professor Layton game for the Nintendo Switch, it's also found some time to celebrate the 10th anniversary of its spirit-themed RPG series Yo-kai Watch. The original game made its debut on 3DS in 2013 in Japan and was followed by a local release here in the West in 2015/16...
News Square Enix Announces Octopath Traveler 5th Anniversary Broadcast, Airing Next Month
The sequel released on Switch earlier this year
Square Enix has announced it will host a special 5th anniversary live stream for its HD-2D RPG Octopath Traveler. This event will take place next month on 13th July at 8 pm JST and will apparently include a "memorial corner" reflecting on the history of the series, the results of a user survey, and...
Anniversary Two Years On, Here Are Some Amazing Game Builder Garage Creations
Two years of tools
The rather brilliant Game Builder Garage is two years old today. Created from Nintendo EPD 4, the team behind the Nintendo Labo, Game Builder Garage was designed to help budding developers get creative and learn how to create their own games. Over the past two years, we've seen some sublime creations, many of which are inspired...
Soapbox The Shame Of Revisiting My Abandoned Pokémon Ranch
See you, PokéCowboy
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 15th anniversary of the game's release, Ethan heads back to the ranch... It’s a guilty feeling that Animal Crossing fans know all too well — the shame that comes...
News Suda51's Grasshopper Manufacture Teases 25th Anniversary Announcement
Update: "Grasshopper Direct" & remaster announced
Update [Fri 9th Jun, 2023 04:30 BST]: In a video update, Grasshopper Manufacture has announced it will be hosting a special anniversary "Direct" program next week on 14th June. In addition to this, it's also revealed a Shadows of the Damned Remaster is "currently in development" and is "coming...
Talking Point Which Version Of Zelda: Link's Awakening Is Your Favourite?
Three decades of dreamin'
Link's Awakening turns 30 today, having launched in Japan on 6th June 1993. Despite the very modest hardware that hosted it, the developers turned out a full-featured, full-fat Zelda adventure on Game Boy which left a mark on the series. It was in Link's Awakening that trading sequences were introduced, not to mention...
Anniversary LostWinds First Launched 15 Years Ago Today
Let's Toku 'bout it
Today marks the 15th anniversary of LostWinds in North America, a launch title for WiiWare and (in this writer's opinion) one of the console's finest bite-sized games. The title was developed and published by Frontier Developments out West, though Square Enix took care of publishing duties for LostWinds' Japan release in...
Poll One Year On, What Other Events Should Be Added To Nintendo Switch Sports?
Was golf really enough?
If you can believe it, it has been one whole year since we first got our hands on Nintendo Switch Sports and immediately decided, "Huh, it's just like Wii Sports. Only smaller. And £50." Of course, some of these impressions were improved somewhat by the free addition of Golf in November of last year, but for the most part,...
Anniversary Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade First Launched 20 Years Ago Today
The West's first Fire Emblem game
Today marks the 20th anniversary of Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, the seventh entry in the Fire Emblem series, in Japan. But what makes this title extra special is that this was the game that brought the tactical RPG series to the West. A North American release followed in November 2003, with Australia and Europe...
Anniversary Five Years Ago, Nintendo Unboxed Its Most Joyful, Harebrained Experiment
A Labo of Love
Five years ago today, Nintendo told the world to get creative and create pianos, fishing rods, and — eventually — a giant cardboard VR headset. That's right, Nintendo Labo is half a decade old, and as we look back, we're feeling a little bit fond. Debuting in April 2018, this quasi-toys-to-life creation may have essentially been...
Poll Did You Use Motion Controls In Mario Kart Wii?
Wii Wheel, Wii Wheel rock you!
Picture the scene: the year is 2008 and you, a massive Nintendo fan, are gearing up for the next instalment in the Mario Kart series after the incredible online experience of Mario Kart DS and having poured many, many hours into the former home console endeavours on Mario Kart: Double Dash!! But something is different...
News Nintendo Is Officially Done With Kirby's 30th Anniversary Celebrations
NEXT!
We're not entirely sure if this one needed to be announced, but it has been... and it's the confirmation on Nintendo's end that celebrations of the pink puff are now officially over! Yes, don't even try to celebrate his 30th anniversary past this date, because according to a message on social media, Nintendo is moving on - just like it did...
Anniversary Capcom's Breath Of Fire Series Is 30 Years Old, And We Miss It
Come on, Capcom...
Today marks a milestone anniversary for Capcom's very first traditional RPG series. Breath of Fire launched on the Super Famicom on 3rd April 1993, kickstarting what would become a beloved franchise for many turn-based RPG fans. While North America would have to wait until the following summer to get their hands on Capcom's first...
Anniversary Soulcalibur II Is 20 Years Old, And So Is Nintendo's Best Cameo
A tale of souls and Master Swords, eternally retold
Bandai Namco's Soulcalibur II turns 20 in Japan today. The classic fighting game — a sequel to what many already considered one of the best fighting games ever, Soulcalibur on Dreamcast — launched on 27th March 2003 in Japan on GameCube, Xbox, and PlayStation 2. But, c'mon, we all know the...
News Konami Teases "More" Bomberman On 6th Anniversary Of Super Bomberman R
A sequel is arriving this year
It's been six years since Nintendo launched its hybrid device known as the Switch. While many fans of the system remember the launch for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, there were some other unique offerings available. One of these other titles was Super Bomberman R. Konami at the time launched the game...
Poll Six Years On, Which Was Nintendo Switch's Best Year So Far?
Which brought you the most Joy(-Con)?
The Switch has been out for a whopping six years today! Can you believe it? We're not sure what the more mind-blowing fact is here, the idea that we haven't had anything new from Nintendo for over half a decade or the realisation that 2017 was six years ago... Either way, making it to a sixth birthday while...
Guide Best Star Fox Games Of All Time
Every Star Fox game, ranked by you
21st February 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of Star Fox on Super Famicom in Japan. To celebrate, we're republishing this reader-ranked list of every game in the series. Remember, this is a dynamic ranking that changes in real time according to each game's User Rating in our database. If you haven't...
Talking Point 20 Years Of The Best Game Boy Ever - How Did You Get Your GBA SP?
Love letters to our SPecial ones
On 14th February 2003, Nintendo gave Japanese gamers a Valentine's to remember when it released the Game Boy Advance SP. Those outside Japan would have to wait until March to get their hands on this gorgeous clamshell redesign of the GBA which came — mercifully — with a front-lit screen (the back-lit AGS-101...
Soapbox Switch Is Great, But The GBA SP Was The Pinnacle Of Public Transport Gaming
SP-icy takes
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, nearly 20 years to the day since the GBA SP launched in Japan, Jim argues the case for why it still has a very important role to play in his day-to-day... Ok, let's get this out of...
Talking Point Who Did You Marry In Fire Emblem: Awakening?
Fire of love
For better or for worse, Fire Emblem today is a different beast to what it was a decade ago. Fire Emblem Engage brought back the weapons triangle, a combat-first focus, and the wonderful Engage mechanic, but at what cost? The social aspect (one of the biggest selling points in previous games) takes a tumble in the most recent entry. The...
Talking Point 15 Years On, Should Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary Return?
In Smash Space, no one can hear you brawl
Well blimey, Super Smash Bros. Brawl is celebrating its 15th anniversary in Japan today! That's right, the third entry in what is one of the most iconic Nintendo franchises launched on 31st January 2008, and for many — even with how huge Melee was — this is what created some of the most iconic Smash...
Talking Point Where Should The Next Pokémon Legends Game Take Place?
And who should be the 'legend'?
It's hard to believe it, but Pokémon Legends: Arceus is a year old today. This Pokémon game took us back to the distant past and completely shook up the formula of what we all expected from a mainline Pokémon entry. And, quite frankly, we want more of what it gave us. Legends: Arceus sees you get thrown back in...
Random This Nintendo Direct Feels Incredibly Quaint Just 10 Years On
Wind Waker HD! Virtual Console! Mr Iwata!
It's an easy business to sit and discuss the failures of the Wii U — lacking purpose, chunky design, confusing name — but what about its successes? It's a much shorter list, we'll admit, but one of the things that many of us will agree on is its stellar games library (we mean, just look at how many have...
News Taito Corporation Preparing For 70th Anniversary Celebrations In 2023
One of the oldest game companies still in operation
The famous video game developer Taito Corporation - known for legendary arcade hits like Space Invaders and Bubble Bobble - will celebrate its 70th anniversary on 24th August 2023. To prepare for this epic milestone, the company has already kicked things off by opening a commemorative website and a...
Poll The Year Of Luigi Was A Decade Ago, So Whose Turn Is It Now?
'Technically' starting in February, but you get the picture
Cast your mind back to the hazy days of 2013. In that year the Game Boy Advance SP was celebrating its 10th anniversary, we contemplated the squareness of the Nintendo 2DS, A Link Between Worlds brought us back to the glory days of Zelda. All of this, weirdly, took place in 'The Year of...
Soapbox After 10 Years I Finally Got A Wii U, Here’s What I Thought
The good, the bad, and the ugly
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, following up on his piece from a few weeks back, Jim delivers his verdict on the ten-year-old console and how it holds up in 2022 ... Picture the scene. The year...
Talking Point Professor Layton And The Lost Franchise: Where Did The Beloved Puzzle Series Go?
This reminds me of a puzzle...
From the late 2000s to the mid-2010s, my gaming experience was all about learning to become a gentleman. This was a central topic which ran throughout the Professor Layton series. If Professor Hershel Layton wore a trench coat, I wore a trench coat; if he drank fruity tea, I drank fruity tea; if he was reminded of a...
Feature 25 Years Of GoldenEye 007 - 25 Facts You Didn't Know (Or Forgot You Knew)
I watched you from the shadows as a child
As you've probably noticed, GoldenEye 007 is now 25 years old and can legally hire a car in a foreign country. The influence of Rare's seminal shooter on the FPS genre and console video gaming in general is enormous, and gamers have now been poring over it and picking apart its secrets for the last...
Soapbox Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie Is Still One Of The Greatest Adaptations Ever
Shoooryuken!
If you're into anime, then chances are you can remember the first movie or TV show that got you hooked on the medium; your "gateway drug", if you will. For some, it might be TV shows like DragonBall Z or One Piece, others perhaps a specific movie like Ghost in the Shell or Akira (indeed, I had to really go back through the memory...
Feature Hot Zelda: Link To The Past Takes From '90s Game Mags, 30 Years Later
A link to the Link to the Past past
Let us set the scene: The year is 1992. You are sitting in your living room, wearing something with massive shoulder pads, probably. Guns N' Roses is playing on the radio. Social media does not yet exist. Raise your sword if you miss the '90s It is into this peaceful scene that we can add a sprinkling of video...
Soapbox Sega's Greatest RPG Is 20 Years Old And Long Overdue A Remaster
A (sky) pirate's life for me
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 GameCube port's 20th anniversary, Alana is desperate to see Skies of Arcadia Legends on modern consoles... Sega isn’t really known as an RPG developer, but it...
Feature Remembering The Newest Nintendo IP You'd Forgotten All About
We've been expecting you, Buddy Mission BOND
Did you know that every year Nintendo publishes at least one new IP? It’s true, they haven’t missed a year since 1983, the year the Famicom launched in Japan. [Editor's note. Except for 2022, it seems. You were on a roll, Nintendo!] In 2020 we had Good Job!, Astral Chain in 2019, Sushi Striker in...
Anniversary Metal Gear Sneaked Its Way Onto The NES 35 Years Ago
Metal Gear?!
Hoo boy, we're sure starting to feel old now... 35 years ago, on December 22nd, 1987, Hideo Kojima's Metal Gear launched on the NES (or Famicom) in Japan, kickstarting a rather scattered relationship between Kojima and Nintendo. The game itself was the first title in a series that would go on to thrive for a total of 28 years, ending...
News N64 Classic Yoshi's Story Celebrates Its 25th Anniversary Today
What's your favourite memory of it?
The Nintendo 64 era was loaded with plenty of exciting first-party releases, but one that you might not always consider when reflecting on this generation is Yoshi's Story. This delightful side-scrolling platfomer was first released in Japan in 1997 and today marks a special milestone. Yes, believe it or not, but...
Feature Final Fantasy's 35-Year Legacy Of Innovation - How Square Evolved A Genre On The NES & SNES
A Prelude to all future RPGs
Final Fantasy is now 35 years old, and that feels a little bit weird to say. While not the first RPG series to ever grace a home console or even the first Japanese-developed RPG, Final Fantasy is, arguably, the JRPG. Everyone knows it, and everyone has played at least one. There’s a lot of debate about what Final...
Talking Point What Would You Want To See In A 'Mega Man 12'?
Mega (old) Man
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the first Mega Man, the game that kickstarted a remarkably iconic franchise in the video game industry, spawning ten direct sequels, multiple spin-off games, comics, tv shows, and more. The latest entry to the series, Mega Man 11, launched back in 2018 and we thought it was excellent. In our 9/10...
Talking Point As Zelda: Wind Waker Turns 20, Doesn't Toon Link Deserve A Second Chance?
Big eyes, big dreams
Today marks the 20th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker’s Japanese release and after all of these years, we think that it is finally safe to say that Nintendo’s punt paid off. By ‘punt’ we don’t refer to the idea of putting Link on a boat – whatever will they think of next, putting him on a train??...
News Atlus Remembers N64 Classic Snowboard Kids On Its 25th Anniversary
And the soundtracks are coming to streaming services
Hold the phone, readers — it's Snowboard Kids' (Snowboard Kiiiiiiids~) 25th anniversary, and we now feel really ancient. More importantly, the game's publisher, Atlus, acknowledged the game's birthday by announcing that all the games' soundtracks would be available on streaming services on...
Anniversary Super Famicom Favourite 'Final Fantasy V' Is 30 Years Old
A Tycoon of the series
Final Fantasy V is celebrating its 30th anniversary in Japan today! Geez. Released on the Super Famicom on 6th December 1992, Final Fantasy V was a return to the Job System set-up of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy III on the NES. It's also sandwiched between what many consider two of the best Final Fantasy games ever —...
News Monolith Soft Celebrates Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Fifth Anniversary With Special Artwork
Download some free wallpapers
Today marks a special milestone for the Xenoblade series - with the second game in the series Xenoblade Chronicles 2 turning five years old. Yep, it's now half a decade old! To celebrate this very occasion, Monolith Soft has actually released some special wallpapers on its official website. You can get a mobile one of...
News Arcade Archives Nintendo Collection Goes On Sale For The First Time Ever, 30% Off
Grab a bargain
We've extensively covered the Switch's Arcade Archives series over the years, and November 24th marks the 300th week (5 years and 9 months, to be precise) of Hamster Corporation rolling out these updated retro releases. To celebrate this milestone, the Nintendo Switch eShop is hosting a special sale. All 20 Nintendo titles from the...
Video The Wii Is Now Old Enough To Drive
The Wiil of Time
While we were all caught up with the Wii U turning ten over the last week, there was also a big anniversary for the Wii which turned a wrinkle-inducing, hair-greying, grand total of 16 years old! Yep, that's right, the Wii is now old enough to drive. Once you have finished staring off into space at the sudden realisation of how...
Feature Every Metroid Prime Location, Ranked
From Phazon to Phendrana
Note: the YouTube embeds featured in this article will naturally contain footage of some of the boss encounters within Metroid Prime, including the final boss. If you've never played the game, take this as your spoiler warning! (Also, you've never played Metroid Prime!? *tuts and shakes head for several minutes*) The...
Feature Wii U Memories - Our Pre-Launch Thoughts On Nintendo's Charming Misstep
You Wii-n some, U lose some
It's the 10th anniversary of the Wii U's North American launch and to mark the occasion we invited erstwhile Nintendo Life editor and all-around thoroughly nice chap Thomas Whitehead to reminisce about the machine, the time he first got his hands on it, and the hot takes he had pre-launch... The Wii U is now 10 years...
Anniversary Fans Celebrate As Metroid Prime Turns 20 Years Old
Still the best GameCube game..?
Metroid Prime, the iconic first-person adventure game from developer Retro Studios, celebrates its 20th anniversary today. Originally launched in North America back on November 18th, 2002, the game marked a drastic change in direction for the Metroid franchise, moving from 2D spaces to a fully 3D rendered world,...
Poll What Was The Best Wii U Launch Game?
What do U reckon?
We have arrived at the eve of the 10th anniversary of Wii U's launch. Yes, it was a decade ago when the hardcore Nintendo fans began queuing outside stores across North America at midnight (12 days later in Europe, and 8th December in Japan) to pick up and take home a shiny new piece of Nintendo hardware. It's always a special...
Soapbox Resident Evil Zero's Train Scenario Is Still One Of The Franchise's Best
Choo choo, zombie express
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, as RE0 turns 20, Ollie remembers one of the series' best openers... Resident Evil Zero gets a pretty bad rap. When it launched on GameCube on 12th November 2002 —...