The classic Space Invaders returns.
Last year in January, Hamster’s Arcade Archives series for the Switch and multiple other platforms reached 400 releases. Now, in an update at the end of 2025, it’s been officially confirmed that the retro-specialist has now hit 500 releases!
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“I hope creators and audiences alike can recognize AI as a tool”.
Back in June, Level-5 CEO Akihiro Hino acknowledged that, like a great many companies working in the games industry, his firm was exploring the use of Generative AI as “a tool for communication and efficiency improvement.”
Fast forward to the end of the year, and Hino’s view of GenAI appears to have become a little more positive. As noted by Kotaku, he posted a lengthy response to the online “commotion surrounding AI,” pointing out that many companies in the gaming sector are now incorporating AI into their development process at some point.
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“In this age of diversity, the manufacturer itself has stubbornly refused”.
Nintendo may have originated the concept of the cross D-Pad, but the company has practically abandoned this control method on both the Switch and Switch 2 (although thankfully not on the Switch Lite and Pro Controller), leaving some old-school players feeling a little left out.
One of those people is legendary game designer Hideki Kamiya, who has been speaking to 4Gamer about his gaming impressions of 2025 (thanks, Stealth).
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Go on, tell ’em.
Fans of the long-running RPG Final Fantasy have a chance to tell Square Enix their thoughts about the series in a new online survey. It’s available until 9th January 2026 and features over 30 questions.
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Enter today.
If you’re a Metroid fan and happen to be located in the United States or Canada, Nintendo is currently running a Metroid Prime ‘Legacy Sweepstakes’ featuring a “bounty” of prizes.
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“We resolved to move forward with our original vision”.
As you’ll know if you’ve read our review, we adored Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and consider it to be one of the highlights of the Switch 2’s library.
However, with a Metacritic rating of 79 at the time of writing, it’s clear that Samus’ latest adventure didn’t strike the same chord with many players.
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Tormented souls.
Switch owners already have access to Layers of Fear: Legacy and its sequel, but Bloober Team is back with a new port for Switch 2. Utilising Unreal Engine 5 to achieve some truly impressive visuals, Layers of Fear: The Final Masterpiece Edition is neither a sequel nor a remake, but rather the definitive vision of the series so far, packaging both titles into one enhanced experience.
The result is mixed. Although this is new for Switch 2, it launched elsewhere in 2023, before the studio significantly upped its game (in my opinion) with Silent Hill 2 and Cronos: The New Dawn. As such, what you’re getting here is a perfect representation of what I’d call ‘old’ Bloober; one that focuses on scripted, linear events with minimal player agency.
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Best ‘squirrel with a gun’ game, most ‘Huh?’ Nintendo moment, and more!
Hello, well met stranger, and welcome to Jurassic Park! Nintendo Life’s Alternative Awards 2025!
It’s been…well…it’s been a year in which we have all existed, that’s for sure, and as a result games happened. Loads of them, in fact. Of course, and as is tradition at this time of year (it’s Christmas, mate, wake up), you’ve got your usual shoe-ins for Game of the Year, your fancy writing awards, nice acting, and good gameplay nods. All that stuff and nonsense for people who do everything right all the time.
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The Corridors of Time.
Over the holiday season, we’re republishing some of the best articles from Nintendo Life writers and contributors from 2025. This article was originally published in March. Enjoy!
Note: If you haven’t played Chrono Trigger to completion…what are you playing at? If you’re sensitive to spoilers, come back when you’re done as we discuss end-game details below…
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