Balatro
Image: PlayStack

We made it out of February and it is finally the weekend!

Keen to keep the good vibes going, this week on Nintendo Life we celebrated the first Pokémon Presents of 2024. And what would you know, it wasn't all that bad! The big takeaway was the grand reveal of Pokémon Legends: Z-A coming to Switch in 2025, but we also got to see a neat new TCG app too.

Elsewhere, rumours picked up around the 'Switch 2' delay and we looked to the future of gaming as we asked what would make you happy to go 100% digital?

There was also a boatload of reviews too! Hot off last week's Direct shadow drops, we shared our thoughts on Pocket Card Jockey: Ride On!, Pentiment and Penny's Big Breakaway. We even found time to review Balatro, Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster and the new Shiren the Wanderer too — what a week, eh?

Now, let's check out what we're all up to in the world of gaming this weekend...

Jim Norman, Staff Writer

I wish that I could say that I will be playing something other than Balatro, I really do. Unfortunately, to do so would be a lie. Who would have thought that after a week of Pocket Card Jockey, the thing to distract my gaze would be... more cards? Who cares! The numbers are pretty and I can't get enough of the satisfying little ding whenever I do something cool.

I sure am glad that I am the only person who has heard of this game and nobody else will be playing it this weekend...

Ollie Reynolds, Staff Writer

I’m going to be playing a lot of Balatro this weekend, because my goodness, what a game. If you haven’t tried it yet, I’d urge you to give it a go. I’m also playing something for review at the moment, so more on that soon, and I’ll be diving back into Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster, which has proven a very pleasant surprise.

Over on the PS5, I’m sure many will be playing a certain JRPG this weekend, but I’ll be jumping back into Resident Evil 7: Biohazard for another run; it’s been a minute since I last played it, so it’ll be interesting to see if I can beat my speedrun record.

Kate Gray, Contributor

I've been playing nothing but Balatro. I don't remember life before Balatro. There is only Balatro.

Actually, no, that's a lie. I also played Heavenly Bodies with a friend. It's like two-player QWOP, but you're trying to fix a space station! Very fun.

Then, back to Balatro.

Gonçalo Lopes, Contributor

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown will be finished this weekend! The soundtrack will keep my memories of it for the foreseeable future. With that done it is back to Mad Max. Still have some hours left on my Unicorn Overlord demo before the real deal comes out. The absurdly long-titled Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island will make up the rest of the weekend. This is but the latest game in a long-running series that I love and easily put hours into without even realising the passage of time… assuming I can get away from Balatro for long enough, that is.

Game of the week is DUNE — the 1992 Cryo-produced game tie-in, if you’re wondering. Seeing my favourite sci-fi book turned reality on the big screen and in need of a game-fix equivalent of Arrakis, it is always this long-forgotten classic that best encapsulates Frank Herbert’s astonishing universe.


That's what we have planned for the weekend, but what about you? Fill in the following poll with the game that you will be maining over the next few days and then slide into the comments to let us know what other titles are on the cards.

What are you playing this weekend (2nd/3rd March)?