Review: Gulikit Elves 2 Pro Controller For Switch And Switch 2 – A Small, Yet Refined Saturn Tribute

Sega would be proud.

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 be thinking the same thing. Yes, the obvious throwback to the Sega Saturn is great, but does a controller of this design really hold any weight in the modern age?

Well, thankfully, the answer to that question is a hearty “Yes.” When the controllers arrived and I unboxed them from their translucent cases (a nice touch to add extra protection when travelling), I immediately fell in love. The coloured ‘Retro’ model in particular, based on the ‘Model 2’ Japanese Saturn, is absolutely gorgeous and a lovely homage to Sega’s Mega Drive successor.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Random: Shigeru Miyamoto Did Exactly What We Did When Playtesting Donkey Kong Bananza

Makes a change from climbing up and down trees.

Cast your minds back to the year of our lord 2017, and you may remember we reported on how a certain Mr. Shigeru Miyamoto liked to play a pre-release version of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by climbing up and down trees repeatedly for treats that the devs would leave for him. No, this isn’t a wind-up, and he can do what he wants. He created the series. Jeez.

Now, as revealed in The Guardian‘s interview with Bananza’s producer, Kenta Motokura, (thanks, GamesRadar), it seems “Shiggy” has an equally unique and stylish way of playing Donkey Kong Bananza, which involved simply smashing and digging instead of doing anything that would further the campaign along whilst playing a pre-release version of the game.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

PSA: Struggling With The Donkey Kong Bananza amiibo? Here’s How To Use It

Have a little patience.

If you’ve gotten your hands on the new Donkey Kong Bananza amiibo to go alongside the new Switch 2 release, then you might be wondering how to actually unlock the Diva Dress for Pauline.

A quick glance on Reddit will reveal that many are struggling to nab the dress, with some even going so far as to say that their amiibo might be broken. Well, don’t worry folks, it’s not. Y’see, tapping the amiibo to the Switch won’t immediately unlock the dress; you need to speak to a specific character in order to get it.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Nintendo Still Doesn’t Want You To Talk About The Switch Online Playtest Program

Good luck with that.

Nintendo has announced it will be running another Switch Online Playtest Program later this month, and in the fine print of the application, it’s once again asked participants to “not discuss or disclose content” about this test.

This request from Nintendo to not share content also extends to not revealing details from the participant website or talking about the experience with “others”. One exception to this rule is if you participate “as a group” in the playtest, you may communicate and exchange information as long as it’s “within the bounds of your group”.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Review: No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES (Switch 2) – Fun Cast, Weak Twists In This Satisfying Spin-Off

It’s a date.

No Sleep For Kaname Date – From AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES is the newest entry in Spike Chunsoft’s AI: Somnium Files series and is actually a spin-off of the first two games. As a ‘mid-quel’ between both stories, No Sleep for Kaname Date is a good companion piece for fans of the series but not so much for those unfamiliar. Its visual novel elements are bolstered by new gameplay mechanics that keep the game, and series, from becoming stale.

This entry also sees the return of our original protagonist, Kaname Date. This time around, his idol friend, Iris Sagan, is kidnapped by a UFO and she’s forced to play escape room games in order to stay alive, while Kaname works around the clock to uncover the dark secrets behind Iris’s abduction.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Random: We’re Big Fans Of This Switch 2 Summer Gaming Solution

USB-C what we did there?

Summer! It’s hot. It’s ‘close’, as they say round here. And when you’re already hot and bothered, sometimes turning on your Switch 2 console in portable mode for a quick session, well, it’s not gonna make you any cooler, let’s put it like that.

And so, we’ve been delighted to see one gamer over on Reddit coming up with a very silly tip for hot days spent playing Donkey Kong Bananza, Mario Kart World, or whatever else it is you’ve got on the go (this writer is all over The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy right now, FWIW).

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Review: Shadow Labyrinth – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition – Sometimes ‘Good Enough’ Is Just That

For Puck’s sake.

Pac-Man, as iconic as he is, has felt like he’s been in a bit of a rut in recent years. The rather delightful PAC-MAN 99 aside, there’s an undeniable sense that the series has simply been unable to break away from its core concepts. So, regardless of what gimmicks are chucked in to justify a new entry — Battle Royale in Chomp Champs, endless runner in Pac-Man 256, co-op in Championship Edition 2 Plus — I often come away thinking, ‘Yep, it’s definitely Pac-Man.’ This might be enough for some, but more than 40 years after its arcade debut, many are hoping for a bit of a shake-up.

Enter Shadow Labyrinth. Developed at Bandai Namco Studios, this side-scrolling adventure is worlds apart from what you’ve likely come to expect from the pill-muncher. Set in a quiet, foreboding landscape with various biomes, the closest comparison that came to mind was Hollow Knight. Indeed, Shadow Labyrinth takes many cues from Team Cherry’s masterpiece, including the precise way that currency scatters on the ground from fallen enemies, hot springs to recover health, an eccentric merchant lurking underground, and a stylish, almost hand-crafted art style.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Danger Mouse Is Back With A New Game Tie-In For The Switch

“Plenty of toilet humour”.

Art of Play, Boat Rocker Media, and the BBC have announced a new Danger Mouse game based on the hit cartoon series from the ’80s.

Scheduled for launch in 2026, Danger Mouse will be a side-scrolling affair with 15 levels to work through. Co-op play will be available to include Penfold as a playable character, and the title is said to include “plenty of toilet humour”, so we’re definitely morbidly intrigued to see what that entails.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Mortal Kombat Releases Johnny Cage Teaser Ahead Of Official Sequel Trailer

It’s showtime in ‘Uncaged Fury’.

The Mortal Kombat II movie hype train is about to leave the station, with Warner Bros. today releasing a teaser tied to the upcoming action movie, which is arriving in cinemas on 24th October 2025.

It’s actually an “in-universe film trailer” for ‘Uncaged Fury’ starring Johnny Cage, who is played by The Boys superstar Karl Urban. Here’s the description via IGN. And just a word of warning, there is some swearing and a rude gesture (Johnny flipping the bird) in the video above.

Read the full article on nintendolife.com