Author: Nicole Scott

Update: There was no official announcement from Nintendo. However, retailers, including GameStop and Walmart, have begun increasing the prices for all amiibo releasing alongside the Switch 2. The new Tears of the Kingdom amiibo have increased $10 each, from $19.99 USD to $29.99 USD. Original: North American pre-orders for the Switch 2 have been in flux since Nintendo decided to delay the initial date due to tariffs in the United States. Today, Nintendo announced the new date. The Switch 2 will be…

The Kinstone mechanic is one of the most singular gimmicks in the Zelda franchise, melding the quiet frustrations of randomness with a desire to treasure-hunt. The first time I played The Minish Cap, I remember feeling so enthralled by the novelty that it made me eager to talk to every NPC (more than I am already inclined to). As you can see in our deep-dive about the Kinstone function, it succeeded in encouraging players to interact with  NPCs. Unlike other some other…

An objectively unique component of The Minish Cap is the Kinstone mechanic. The Kinstones are creations of the Picori, who are determined to bring joy and good fortune to the people of Hyrule by hiding these symbols of happiness throughout the land. Players traverse Hyrule to find one-half of a Kinstone shard, discovering them by slashing tall grass, digging through dirt, and opening chests. To find one is a good omen, and to engage in Fusion with another being should…

While Nintendo fans didn’t get DS or 3DS games introduced to Nintendo Switch Online, they have gotten something arguably even more exciting. The newly renamed application, Nintendo Classics, will launch its GameCube library on the same day as the Switch 2’s release on June 5th, 2025. The Wind Waker is one of its first inclusions, with other GameCube Zelda titles like Twilight Princess and Four Swords Adventures being absent. While it isn’t the HD edition many had hoped for, fans can still…

Nintendo is building out its suite of multiplayer options for Switch 2 buyers. With the original Switch, players gaming locally would typically share one half of a Joy-Con set to game together. A new free feature for the Switch 2, GameShare, will make it easy for people to play games with a single physical or digital copy. GameShare supports local and online multiplayer on multiple machines, including compatibility between Switch and Switch 2 consoles. However, sharing games is only possible…

Nintendo has finally answered the gaming community’s most burning question. The Switch 2’s release date is Thursday, June 5th, 2025 — just two months away. The Direct focused on launch titles from Nintendo and third parties, alongside tons of information about the hardware and peripherals. Hardware details include surprising multiplayer functionalities with new chat and camera components, upgrades for Switch games, and countless technical spec upgrades to support higher-end games. The presentation demonstrated the console’s ability to make the transition…

Summer Farah is an accomplished Palestinian-American poet and editor, nominated for numerous awards like the Pushcart Prize and the Hugo Award. She is an organizer with the Radius of Arab-American Writers and has many editing credits to her name, including work with FIYAH Literary Magazine and Violet, Indigo, Blue, Etc. In 2024, Farah, alongside Game Over Books, published I could die today and live again, a collection of Zelda-inspired poetry. Farah describes the chapbook as “giving voice to non-player characters…

There are many notable, mythological whales in the Zelda series. In the timeline, Levias from Skyward Sword is the undeniable first. He is a warden of the skies, tasked by the Goddess herself to guard the residents of The Sky from the horrors of the Surface below. Traveling down the path of the Fallen Hero, Link also encounters the Wind Fish’s dream of Koholint Island, another godly whale sitting atop Mt. Tamaranch. Finally, you have the unsuspecting Ocean King, who created…

The most famous multiplayer experiences in the Zelda series are in Four Swords, Four Swords Adventures, and Tri Force Heroes. A recent replay of the original Four Swords had me thinking about what it would look like if four, colorful Links had ran to the edge of the Great Plateau and overlooked Hyrule like our solo hero did so famously eight years ago. When you think about it, the original Four Swords is linear in its progression but drops players in the level in a similar way to the…

Nintendo fans this week might have received a sneak peek at what the Switch 2 Direct on April 2nd might reveal. Recent filings made with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) list several technical specifications reflecting the console’s potential power and quality-of-life features. The first confirmation is near-field communication (NFC) and radio frequency identification (RFID) functionality in the right Joy-Con. Nintendo has not specifically confirmed amiibo compatibility, but many suspect these inclusions are enough to support an educated guess. Charging is…