Lofoten

Even though Nintendo have not released any new amiibo for new games for a long, long time, this could possibly be the exception:

1. All the mainline Zeldas released on cart on Switch did get amiibo so far:

• Breath of the wild
• Links awakening
• Skyward sword
• Tears of the kingdom

2. Links amiibo for Links awakening is the only amiibo in this style. Poor lonely Link. A Zelda amiibo in the same style would go very well with it and probably boost sale for the Link-amiibo as well.

If there is an upcoming Zelda amiibo for Exchoes of Wisdom, would it be her classic look in the start of the game or her desguiced look?
I would guess her classic look, as it is more iconic.

@Scarmucci

But not all games with amiibo support gets their own new amiibo.

There already are a lot of Zelda amiibo that could work with the game.

@Scarmucci
"But Super Mario Bros Wonder never had amiibo support to begin with - which is probably why we never got a Mario Elephant amiibo."

Well, I don't have an uncle who works at Nintendo, so I can't say for sure, but I would imagine amiibo support and new amiibo are probably discussed and decided upon around the same time - not too late in the development of the game. (If they hadn't already decided "no more new amiibo for Switch" by then.)

What comes first: the amiibo idea or the amiibo functionality idea, who knows, maybe it differs.

If they wanted to have new amiibo for Mario Wonder, I think they could have easily added some sort of amiibo support to the game before release.
The amiibo support is usually not earth shattering functionality.

I have a hard time imagining a meeting going like:

Nintendo person 1: We should really have a Mario elephant amiibo!
Nintendo person 2, 3 and 4: Wowie zowie!
Nintendo person 1: But, what kind of amiibo functionality can be added to Wonder?
Nintendo person 2: Hm.
Nintendo person 3: Hmm.
Nintendo person 4: Hmmm.
Nintendo person 1: Seems we have run out of ideas. There will be no Mario elephant amiibo.

(A continuation of my previous comment.)

I think it was somewhat strange that Pikmin 4 did not get any amiibo either.
Oatchi would have been a nice amiibo.

Here are some of the bigger Nintendo releases of later years:

Did they get new amiibo?

YES - Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury (Febrary 25, 2021)
YES - Zelda: Skyward Sword HD (July 16, 2021)
YES - Metroid Dread (October 8, 2021)
NO - Mario Party Superstars (October 29, 2021)
NO - Kirby and the Forgotten Land (March 25, 2022)
YES - Splatoon 3 (September 9, 2022)
NO - Metroid Prime Remastered (February 8, 2023)
YES - Zelda: Tears of the kingdom (May 12, 2023)
NO - Pikmin 4 (July 21, 2023)
NO - Mario Wonder (October 20, 2023)
NO - Super Mario RPG (November 17, 2023)
NO - Princess Peach: Showtime! (March 22, 2024)
NO - Mario vs. Donkey Kong (February 16, 2024)
? - Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom (September 26, 2024)

(Did not include the sport games in the list, as Nintendo does not seem to make amiibo-figures for their sport games. Well, not counting Super Smash Bros.
Also did not include Paper Mario, as i think maybe its a bit too flat for amiibo figures, the Game and Watch man did get one though..)

I would not be shocked if there turns up a Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom amiibo, but I don't see it as very likely.
It seems Nintendo stopped making amiibo to their own games after Splatoon 3 and Zelda: Tears of the kindom. Not counting completing the Super Smash Bros collection.

I think we might not get any "Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom" amiibo.

Mainly becasue we did not get any amiibo for Super Mario Wonder.
And come on! Elephant Mario was such an obvious amiibo!

Amiibo release statistics: number of figures, cards and compatible games by year.
https://amiibo.life/releases
2024 is looking slim.

As we did not get an elephant Mario amiibo I think
something is going on with the amiibo production.

Maybe one of these:
1. Nintendo are focusing on amiibo for Switch 2 games and there will be no more amiibo for Switch 1 games. Maybe even some sort of amiibo 2.0
2. Amiibo sales might be dropping and Nintendo is phasing out the whole amiibo production.

For me the most interesting game of the June 2024 Direct.

We haven't had a NEW top down Zelda for 11 years!

After watching the trailer and seeing the cover art:
I wonder what part Link will have in this game.

Will we just see him in a cutscene in the start and end of the game?
Will we see him sometimes before the ending?

Will he be playable in the first few minutes of the game?
Will he be playable later in the game in the purple place?

Will he be part of the last boss battle as a playable or not playable helper?

Link is rather prominent in the cover art - which could mean he does have a larger part in the story than the first trailer made it seem.

OR he is simply in the cover art to:

• Make clear that the figure in front is Zelda, and not Link in a purple robe.
• Show visually that Link is "in the back" this time.
• Show Link, as he is a very recognizable figure.

Ganons design seems to be based on Zelda: A Link To The Past.

"How would you rate the June 2024 Nintendo Direct, on a scale of 1-10? (833 votes)

(...)

5 - Average
2%
16 votes

4 - Poor
1%
12 votes

3 - Bad
0.1%
2 vote

2 - Terrible
0.1%
1 vote

1 - Abysmal
0.1%
1 vote"

How is this possible.

If one like Nintendo games, and I would asume that is the reason for reading a site like nintendolife.com, how can one think this Direct was 1-5 out of 10?

I would asume there was something for any Nintendo fan in this Direct to be excited about.

If you rated this Direct 1-5, please write an explanation as to why.

@SleeplessKnight

What did you want?

Sweet!

The return of top down Zelda!

A Link to the past, Link's awakening and A Link between worlds are among my favorite games ever.

Hope Echoes Of Wisdom does not have frame rate issues like the remake of Link's awakening..

I enjoyed Ace Attorney Investigations 1 on the DS.

The HD artwork looks good!

The HD editions of Ace Attorney 1, 2 and 3 did not look right..
It was the only reason I never upgraded from my DS editions.

Yes!

The release date at the end of the trailer was a real bummer though.

"Available January 16, 2025"

7 months.

I was hoping for a summer or autumn release.

Super Metroid: The Remake

@Tom-Massey
"Rocket Knight Adventures is a series comprising two fine games and one stellar, timeless piece of work. While the sequels are above average for '90s platform gaming, it’s the series debut that really informs this review’s score."

If you had to give a separate score to each of the games, what would they be?

New Donkey Kong!
New Donkey Kong!

...

Or an old Donkey kong:
Donkey Kong Country Returns HD Deluxe.

"Is Summer Game Fest a good replacement for E3? (64 votes)
Yes, I like this more than E3
2%"

= "1 vote (1.6%)"

Is that you Geoff?

How is this Crazy Taxi (mostly) staying at the bottom of this ball while the ball is rolling around..

Physics where are you?

The wheels are not even touching the ball.

Maybe it is super heavy and has greazy corners.

Somehow it made a lot more sense with the monkeys walking and running inside these balls.

Kororinpa had a taxi-ball first!

A ball of taxies:
https://www.nintendolife.com/games/wii/kororinpa#enlarge-9

@Olliemar28
"We're also quite fond of the visuals here; it's almost like a cross between Gato Roboto and Zelda: Link's Awakening."

Don't forget the lovely little game called Minit (2018)

Gato Roboto (2019) is a fun and pretty little catroid.

Links awakening (1993) is one of my favorite games ever!

Master key is doing good on metacritic so far:
https://www.metacritic.com/game/master-key/

I will wait for some more reviews.

@PJOReilly

The 3DS screenshot in the "3DS vs. Switch version" comparison in the article does not do the 3DS justice. It looks like a blurry mess, which it was not: Luigis Mansion 2 looks very sharp on the 3DS.

The blur problem is noticeable both when viewed, as is, in the article and also when it's clicked on to be enlarged.

Seems it's been upscaled in a way that does not preserve the pixels.
Can it be fixed?

If the website software used for nintendolife.com does this automatically with lower resolution images, and there is no option to preserve the pixels, then the image can be upscaled in a program before it's uploaded to nintendolife.com

For example, in my (not at all new) edition of Photoshop:
Image Size
Resample Image: Nearest Neighbour (preserve hard edges)

Pixels should be enlarged in steps of 200%, 300% and so on in both hight and width to keep them square and crisp.
For example, if you have an image that is 100x150px and upscale it to 200x300px, then each pixel will be represented as 4 pixels.
The file type and compression can affect the sharpness of the pixels as well.

The 3DS/2DS Screen is 400x240px.
(The 3DS screen is actually 800x240px, but that is because it’s used to display two images at once, each image is 400x240px.)
Retaining the pixels in 3DS pictures can cause another little problem: It looks pixelated when viewed big on larger screens. It should be said that games on the 3DS does not look very pixelated while playing them, because of the smaller screen sizes.
3 different screen sizes:
3DS / 2DS: 90mm
New 3DS: 99mm
3DS XL / New 3DS XL/ 2DS XL: 124mm
Luigis Mansion 2 has a bit harder pixelated edges when playing in 3D-mode as opposed to 3D switched off. But the 3D looks really nice.

The pixelated resolution of the 3DS in screenshots is always more true to the console than blurry enlargements though.

Here is a comparison that retains 3DS resolution with sharp pixels:
VGC: Luigi's Mansion 2 HD - 3DS vs Switch comparison
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkxYbBlGPFo

Here is another comparison that makes the 3DS version looks like a blurry mess:
GameXplain: Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Intro - Graphics Comparison (Switch vs. 3DS)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XC_CkonPfXY&t

@Fizza

Such innocence.

Be aware:

Life before Balatro: Life, life, life
Life after Balatro: Balatro, Balatro, Balatro

A Short Hike
£3.77 (-40%)

A lovely little game.

I don't think I have ever heard about Bluesky or seen that butterfly logo in my life.

Did I just turn 95 years old?

Where am I? Who am I?

@dartmonkey

Maybe Nintendolife could reach out to Nintendo and ask if they can release updated sales data for amiiboo figures and cards?
Numbers by year or just total numbers.

Could be worth a try.

If they do not want to release these numbers it could possibly be a sign that sales are falling dramatically.. and that we might not see amiibo on Switch 2..

I think they are probably doing ok though, as they have continued releasing new amiibo even in 2023 and 2024.
And also rereleasing older amiibos.

But where did the Elephant Mario amiibo go?

I found some amiibo release statistics:
number of figures, cards and compatible games by year.
https://amiibo.life/releases

That it's been less figures, cards and compatible games the latest years does not have to mean they are phasing amiibo out, it could also be related to the fact that Nintendo is focusing on games for the Switch 2.

It is a little strange they did not make amiibos for Super Mario Wonder though. Elephant Mario anyone?

I think Nintendo will continue with amiboo as long as it earns them reasonable money.

And as for now I think it does indeed earn them reasonable money.

The latest sales data I have been able to find is from 2022 (and the source was Nintendolife!):
"By September 2016, Nintendo reported that 39 million amiibo figures had been sold, along with more than 30 million amiibo cards.[4] By September 2022, total sales reached 77 million toys.[5]"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiibo

That is alot of amiibo.

Is everybody tired of it as of 2024? Probably not.

@dartmonkey

"Do you think we'll see new amiibo in the future?

• Absolutely! Love 'em, want more
• Sure, why not? I'd probably buy a few
• Don't know
• Hmm, seems doubtful
• Absolutely not. Begone, vile wallet drains!"

Seems 3 different polls fell into a pool of radioactive material and came out of it as one.

These 3 things does not have to be related:
1. How strongly one think there will be new amiibo figures (or cards) on Switch 2 not
2. How much one likes amiibo or not
3. How many amiibo figures (or cards) one is going to buy or not

SCHiM sticks out in a positive way.

Both the concept and visual style are original, simple, elegant and appealing.

Just hope it is as plesant and fun to play as it looks.

"The cute, cosy puzzle game A Little to the Left is getting its second piece of DLC in just a few weeks."

Yes, please!

Nintendolife predicts one Splatoon game in 2025-2031, and it's set for a 2027 release.

I think Nintendolife might be off here.

Splatoon releases:
2015 Splatoon (Wii U)
2016
2017 Splatoon 2 (Switch)
2018 Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion DLC (Switch)
2019
2020
2021
2022 Splatoon 3 (Switch)
2023 Splatoon 3: Inkopolis DLC (Switch)
2024 Splatoon 3: Side Order DLC (Switch)

Nintendolife prediction:
2025
2026
2027 Splatoon 4 (Switch 2)
2028
2029
2030
2031

Just because it was 5 years bewteen Splatoon 2 and 3, does not mean it will be 5 years between Splatoon 3 and 4.

2 and 3 were both for Switch.
It only took two years between Splatoon 1 and 2.
The main reason for this, I think, is that these were on two different consoles. The fact that Wii U was not a very successful console probably helped shorten the gap as well.

Sale numbers (from Wikipedia):
Splatoon: 4,95 millions
Splatoon 2: 13,30 millions
Splatoon 3: 11,71 millions

When Switch 2 comes out, a new Splatoon is needed.
And I do not think Nintendo will wait very long, especially since the main focus of Splatoon is online play.
I predict Splatoon 4 will show up in 2025 or 2026.
And then Splatoon 5 maybe 4-5 years after that: 2030-2031.

@Dinglehopper

It's an easy mistake to make though.

I also had the impression it was mostly a graphical upgrade after watching the trailer.

1. The Nintendolife headline just says "remaster", which is often used about a graphical upgrade:
«'Yooka-Replaylee' Brings Back Playtonic's Love Letter To Banjo In Remastered Form»

"A remaster is a change in the sound or image quality of previously created forms of media, whether audiophonic, cinematic, or videographic."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remaster

"A video game remaster is a cosmetic update to an existing game that gives it a more modern look. Of all the types of game modification, the remaster is the most delicate. Nobody changes the game. We are talking about only minimal updates, for example, new textures for models."
https://kevurugames.com/blog/remasters-remakes-reboots-and-ports-in-video-games/

2. The trailer focuses on the graphical upgrade, transitioning from the old look to the new look twice and saying: "Looking better than ever".

It does hint at other changes, but rather vaguely: "Playing better than ever" "and more to come!"

They also do show the new coins - but says nothing about them, so I'm not sure that many noticed.

Not focusing on the specific changes and talking about them in the trailer is a strange marketing choice I think - as a graphical upgrade is probably not enough for most to double dip.

I think the trailer would be much more effective if it really focused on all the improvements and additions, because I assume many of the people watching the trailer are people that have already played the original or are already familiar with the original and it's mixed reviews:
https://www.metacritic.com/game/yooka-laylee/
PC: 73 "Mixed"
PS4: 68 "Mixed"
XBOX ONE: 73 "Mixed"
Switch: 75 "Generally Favorable"

Me and my brother played the original, but stopped somewhere along the way.
I am willing to give the new version a go if it gets good reviews. It looks and sounds promising so far.

@Dinglehopper
"So, it's literally the exact same mediocre game...but with a new coat of paint?"

It's not?

"Key Features:

• MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER – With an art and animations overhaul and enhanced performance and resolution, the favourite buddy duo has never looked or moved better.
• NEW AND IMPROVED CHALLENGES – Improvements to existing in-game challenges and many entirely new challenges to discover and undertake!
• NEW COLLECTIBLE CURRENCY – Capital B's inept minions have dropped their hard-earned coins all over the place. Collect the official currency of the Hivory Towers to spend on video games' most beloved sentient vending machine.
• NAVIGATING THE WORLD – Now you can get lost in the game, not in the world! A brand-new world map and challenges tracker helps you know where you are and what needs to be done. Hooray!
• VENDI HAS PLENTY TO OFFER – Tonics are back with all new flavours! With the option to equip multiple game-changing enhancements, you can truly customise your playstyle. And as if that wasn't enough, Vendi has new lines of merchandise for the modern fashionable adventurer.
• REVISED CONTROLS & CAMERA – A new tweaked move set allows you to combine moves more fluidly while the new camera controls makes framing the action a breeze.
• A DREAMY ORCHESTRAL SOUNDTRACK – The original score from famed video game composers Grant Kirkhope (Banjo-Kazooie) and David Wise (Donkey Kong Country) returns but as a beautifully arranged orchestral score. Now seriously, clean out those ears."

I would not be surprised if the main reason for this remasters existence is the Switch 2.

I guess Playtonic would like a game on Switch 2 early on, and maybe they do not have the time to finish a totally new game for that.

If so - maybe the trailer is representative of what the Switch 2 game will look like. The first Switch 2 game trailer ever?
I did notice the trailer says Steam, but IF the game was made with Switch 2 in mind, the graphics might be the same or rather similar.

Ofcourse - as long as the Switch 2 is not revealed - it cannot be confirmed as a Switch 2 title.

Where are the side by side comparison screenshots?

Will this be a Switch or Switch 2 release?
I lean towards Switch 2.

Digital Foundry did call the original "A Superb Switch Port!":
https://www.digitalfoundry.net/yooka-laylee-a-superb-switch-port

I'm not sure Playtonic could pull off the same thing with this remaster - and if not, what would be the point.

Then there is also this:
"Is Yooka-Replaylee coming to Switch? We reached out and Playtonic gave us the following statement:

“We have nothing more to announce at this time, stay tuned for more updates.”"

Rolling balls without monkeys or hedgehogs inside can be fun as well.

Any Kororinpa fans around?

(The title reminds me of Tingle.. Kooloo-Limpah!)

The Kororinpa series was made by Hudson Soft.

Kororinpa/Kororinpa: Marble Mania (Wii. JP: 2006, EU/NA: 2007.)
Marble Saga: Kororinpa (Wii. JP: 2009, EU/NA: 2009.)
E3 2010: Kororinpa game announced for the 3DS.

2012: Konami buys Hudson Soft. Hudson Soft is no more.

Kororinpa game for the 3DS: Cancelled.

...

Konami? Are you there?
Maybe it's time to make Kororinpa 3? ^___^

Nintendo might be planning or working on their own remake of The Legend of Zelda (JP: 1986, NA/EU: 1987).

Zelda 3 (SNES JP: 1991, NA/EU: 1992) got a direct sequel using the same world:
The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS JP/NA/EU: 2013)

Zelda Links awakening (GB JP/NA/EU: 1993) got a remaster and a remake:
Zelda Links awakening DX (GBC JP/NA: 1998, EU 1999) Now in color, a new dungeon and a mouse that take photos!
Zelda Link's Awakening (Switch 2019)

Also Zelda 1 is commercially available right now:

• Nintendo Switch Online (2018)
• Game & Watch: The Legend of Zelda (2021)

"Empty has also clarified that the game will not be released as a playable demo, so folks will simply have to make do with the video for now."

As long as this is just images and video, Nintendo might not interfere with this fan project.

@JimNorman

An update from 404 Media:
https://www.404media.co/google-contractor-used-admin-access-to-leak-private-nintendo-youtube-video/

How can multiple leaks by one person be "non-intentional"?

The chiptune sound of retro 80s nostalgia:

Fight Dragons - Rewind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slwI6f4LjX0

I was born in the middle of the 80s.

Retro for me is:
NES (JP: 1983, NA: 1985, EU: 1986)
Sega Master system (JP: 1985, NA:1986, EU: 1987)
Game Boy (JP/NA: 1989, EU: 1990)
Sega Mega Drive (JP: 1988, NA: 1989, EU: 1990)
Game Gear (JP: 1990, NA/EU: 1991)
SNES (JP: 1990, NA: 1991, EU: 1992)
GBC (JP/NA/EU: 1998)
GBA (JP/NA/EU: 2001)

To some degree:
PlayStation (JP: 1994, NA/EU: 1995)
N64 (JP/NA: 1996, EU: 1997)

I can understand that GameCube (JP/NA: 2001, EU: 2002) is retro - it came over 20 years ago. But all the same, it doesn't feel very retro to me.

I think what feels retro has to do with:

• What you played when you were young. Nostalgia here we go!
• The greater gaps in technology. Like the leap from 2D to 3D. And early 3D vs. later 3D.

The top of the the Ocarina of Time version of The Great Deku Tree looks a lot better now than in the leaked image that popped up a year ago!

At the time of writing 3%, 9 ratings out of 284, gave the switch version of Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: 1/10 - Abysmal.

Hm.

Would be interesting to read their reasoning.

1993-1997 FIFA by Extended Play Productions
1997-2022 FIFA by EA Vancouver / EA Romania
2024- FIFA by 2K Games

So now there will be two "FIFAs".
The old FIFA that no longer bears the FIFA name: EA Sports FC
And the new FIFA: FIFA 2K

Is the town big enough for both?

How many Amiibos do you own?
How many Amiibos do you own that are still in the box?

Do you want a Classic Mini Game Boy?
Do you want a Classic Mini Game Boy Color?
Do you want a Classic Mini Game Boy Advance (Original/SP)?

How many joycons have you owned?
How many joycons you have owned had drifting issues?
How many joycons you have owned with drifting issues were fixed?

How many times have you tasted a Switch cartridge?

@AlanaHagues

"Excellent 9/10"

If you had to give seperate scores to "new players" and "returning fans", would it still be 9/10 for both?