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The golden age of Nintendo emulators on Android is over
Nintendo emulators need to tread cautiously from now on
I have always been a big emulation aficionado, and that interest has been indulged with the great emulation apps available on the Play Store, a wonderful selection of nostalgia for your trusty Android phone. While the majority of these apps are attractive, Nintendo console emulators are definitely the most notable, given the company's colossal library of beloved classics that people are champing at the bit to relive. However, recent litigious incidents between Nintendo and certain big names on the emulator scene have cast a worrisome shadow over the future of Nintendo emulation apps on the Google Play Store.
Another Nintendo DS emulator bites the dust following the folding of Yuzu
Drastic is now free on Android but will soon be pulled for good
It might not seem like a big deal to sideload an emulator on your Android to play a vintage game. However, some of these apps and games walk along the fine line between piracy and legality. In the case of Yuzu, a Nintendo Switch emulator, Nintendo felt like the line was crossed altogether — the video game giant filed a lawsuit against the developer, Tropic Haze, which will be settled for $2.4 million in Nintendo's favor. Now, it seems that other emulator developers are being scared off, including one behind a popular Nintendo DS app.
Pikmin Finder AR game launches just in time for Nintendo Live
The free augmented reality game works on phones and tablets directly in your browser
It took years for Nintendo to deliver on its promise of a new Pikmin game, but fans of the franchise couldn’t get enough when Pikmin 4 debuted in July. The sixth installment of the game was well-received by critics and longtime players alike. However, the simple gameplay and somewhat easy puzzles of Pikmin 4 left some wanting more. Just in time for the Nintendo Live event, hosted in Seattle, the developer launched Pikmin Finder for browsers in mobile devices.
Nintendo Switch emulator Yuzu launches hot off the heels of Skyline's death
You'll need a beast of a phone to run it though
Android has long been a home for emulation, but the business of developing and publishing emulators is a maze of thorny legal issues that have caused the demise of numerous emulators. While emulators for consoles no longer in production are relatively safe, the demise of the Nintendo Switch emulator Skyline earlier this month showed that it's easy to incur the wrath of companies when it comes to modern consoles.
Nintendo Switch Online finally adds friend requests... after five years
But you still have to accept requests on the Switch, the app can only send them
Nintendo has done the unthinkable, the gaming giant has finally added friend requests to its Nintendo Switch Online app, and it only took the company five years to see this basic feature come to fruition. Thanks to the latest update, users can now send friend requests directly from the Nintendo Switch Online app, but to accept any requests, you'll have to do so from the console. After all, did you seriously think Nintendo, of all companies, would actually implement a basic online feature without hobbling it somehow? To accept any request, you're forced to jump over to your console for invites sent from the very app that can't accept them. It's a head-scratcher for sure but lines up with Nintendo's long history of pitiful online support.
Pokémon Home finally supports transfers from Legends: Arceus
You can transfer from Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl, too
Diehard Pokémon fans should be familiar with Pokémon Home, the online service that lets players transfer their Pokémon between titles (including Pokémon Go) — or just hoard them in the cloud. According to the Home app's Play Store listing, the service now supports transfers to and from the latest Switch games, so you can finally stash your Sinnoh and Hisui collections.
Dragalia Lost's last update is this month — servers closing at a later date
The final campaign ends in July
The impermanence of mobile games is frightfully apparent whenever titles less than five years old are shut down at random. The latest title gearing up to join the mobile gaming graveyard is Nintendo's gacha game Dragalia Lost. The RPG initially landed on mobile back in 2018, offering bite-sized action-RPG combat. Well, seeing that the game is now four years old, the player base has dwindled to the point it's no longer profitable for Nintendo to keep the game running. Cue today's announcement that Dragalia Lost's last campaign begins on March 31st, concluding this July, with the game's end date still up in the air but coming all the same.
The Nintendo Switch Online 2.0 app update finally lets you see which friends are active
Plus, you can view your friend code for easy sharing
When it comes to online functionality in video games, Nintendo tends to struggle, and the Nintendo Switch isn't free from the company's short-sightedness, thanks to an Android and iOS app that's necessary to get the most out of your online games on the system. Standard functionality like in-game voice chat has been cordoned off to the app for many Switch games, and since Nintendo Switch Online is tied to a subscription service, the lackluster app has been a sticking point for ages.
How to get started in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp — A guide for beginners
Essentials to know before wandering into Animal Crossing's wilderness
Nintendo’s cutesy and addictive social sim doesn’t fail to make an impression on our Android devices. Released back in late November 2017, Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp is still going strong with updates, and many consider it one of the best Android games around. Like most free-to-play mobile games, there’s monetization, and it’s not shy about promoting its subscription service in-game either.
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Back in March, we learned that Nintendo had teamed up with Niantic to create a new augmented reality game for mobile, Niantic's bread and butter. Pikmin was chosen as the skin for this Niantic game (though there was no offical title at the time), and at the end of March the first public test was launched in Singapore. This AR game is now known as Pikmin Bloom, and its global release has already started rolling out in Australia and Singapore, with a wider rollout planned for the coming days. Despite the fact those of us in the West still can't play, it's clear that Pikmin Bloom's design revolves around the act of walking (much like a step counter) in order to grow Pikmin by making flowers bloom as you walk. In classic Niantic fashion, the company has created a free-to-play game with in-app purchases that range up to $99.99 per item, all without ever describing what these purchases are for.
Dr. Mario's about to lose his medical license
Nintendo will shut down Dr. Mario World on November 1st
It looks like all those pills Dr. Mario was prescribing willy-nilly have ended his career. Nintendo has announced that Dr. Mario World isn't long for this world, and so the game will be shut down on November 1st. Starting today, the title's in-game currency (Diamonds) are no longer being sold. Oddly enough, your play history will remain available after Dr. Mario World is shut down, which will be moved to an accessible web page once the servers are offline.
Valve's Steam Deck is the latest attempt to make portable PC gaming a thing
Aggressively priced to start at $399, but you'll probably want more storage
For the last 4 years, the Nintendo Switch has been out on its own as the best portable gaming experience outside of playing on your smartphone. Other attempts at a portable gaming PC have come and gone without much success, but for the first time, the Switch may have a real contender.
New OLED Nintendo Switch pre-orders open today — and what are you going to do, NOT buy one?
Because I'm sure buying one
Last week, Nintendo surprise-announced a new Switch model. The Nintendo Switch (OLED model) isn't quite the "Switch Pro" pundits had hoped for; it's a smaller mid-generation refresh, largely focused on quality-of-life hardware improvements like the eponymous larger, OLED display. But this week, another surprise: you can pre-order the thing starting today.
Who wants to buy a $2,000 Super Mario-themed Wear OS watch?
Only 2000 of these limited edition timepieces will be made
When luxury watch brand Tag Heuer announced its Connected Wear OS smartwatch last year, we were flabbergasted at the price — it started at $1,800 for the most basic version. The Swiss watchmaker has found an ingenious way to charge even more money for it, however. Enter the Super Mario Limited Edition version, costing a whopping $2,150.
Win a Nintendo Switch Lite from Ting Mobile (Update: Winner)
Or buy one with the money you’d save by switching to Ting Mobile
You can score a rare discount on a Nintendo Switch Lite today — with one caveat
It may have an accent, but it's on sale
It's become a running joke that Nintendo's games hardly ever go on sale. And it's true: while big-ticket releases from the likes of Ubisoft or EA are liable to be in a BOGO sale three months after release, Nintendo toes the MSRP line for as long as possible.
Before Switch, before smartphones, even before Game Boy, Nintendo released a line of handheld games (and watches) under the Game & Watch brand, and for Mario's 35th birthday last year, we got a special-edition one that runs the NES version of Super Mario Bros. Nintendo stopped production at the end of March, but you can still find these. In fact, they're cheaper than ever from multiple retailers.The Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch comes with Super Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 2 (the Lost Levels one, not the turnips one), and some other fun functionality like a Mario-themed clock. Its tiny little screen is backlit and it charges by USB-C, so it's both a collectible and something you might actually play.
The Nintendo Switch Joy-Con may just be a better Bluetooth camera shutter than game controller
At least stick drift won't affect your camera shutter's performance
Taking a group shot on your phone is more challenging than it has to be. Sure, you can set up a timer to go off after a few seconds, but there's no guarantee you'll be smiling with the shutter finally clicks. Remote shutters can make things a lot easier, but who wants to pay extra cash just for the occasional opportunity to capture a family portrait? If you're the owner of a Nintendo Switch, you're in luck. Just grab a Joy-Con the next time you need to take a photo remotely.
Niantic reveals its Pikmin App has entered into regional testing
Select users in Singapore can now test the app
Niantic has announced that it's partnered further with Nintendo to bring more augmented reality titles to mobile. The first game to come from this extended partnership is going to be themed around Nintendo's adorable Pikmin franchise, and it's expected to arrive later this year. This will be the first game from Niantic's Tokyo Studio, and more titles are planned for the future.
Pokémon Go plans to keep players around by increasing level cap to 50
Plus leveling up will be easier for newbies
Pokémon Go might not be as popular as it once was, but there are still plenty of trainers out there catching 'em all. Now the game has announced tweaks that should help make the leveling up process more fun than ever, as well as allow for players to reach up to level 50 — although that won't be easy to do.