Feature Articles about Nintendo

Link flying above the sky islands in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom on a glider powered by a fan.
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Tears of the Kingdom Turns Glitches Into Gameplay

How do you follow up a game that is considered by many to be the greatest game ever made? How is it even possible, and how does Tears of the Kingdom do it so well? The answer is remarkably simple:…

May 22, 2023 | 12:00 EDT

Link Skydiving in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
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How Fuse Solved Breath of the Wild’s Weapon Durability Problem

I always dreaded when my last reliable weapon started to flash red in Nintendo's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I knew the good times were almost over, and I prayed that Link’s bottomless…

May 21, 2023 | 12:00 EDT

professor layton games ranked header

Every Professor Layton Game Ranked

Widely acclaimed as one of the best puzzle game series of all time, Level-5’s Professor Layton stars the eponymous professor and his apprentice, Luke, following them as they travel around a bizarre…

March 7, 2023 | 11:00 EST

Pikachu versions all together
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The Most Unique Versions of Pikachu

Over the years, Pokémon's iconic mascot Pikachu has had a ton of different looks. While the main Pikachu in the anime has had a pretty standard look, there have been several others through the anime…

February 28, 2023 | 01:00 EST

Hestu in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild doing a dance.
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The Underappreciated Achievements in the Breath of the Wild Soundtrack

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild soundtrack is jaw-droppingly, brain-meltingly impressive. Of all the stunning and industry-changing heights that Nintendo reached with this game, from the…

December 28, 2022 | 12:00 EST

Best The Legend of Zelda Games Breath of the Wild
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The Best Legend of Zelda Games

The Legend of Zelda series has entranced gamers since its NES beginnings. The level of detail Nintendo adds to the world, in addition to the masterful puzzle design keeps players coming back time and…

August 19, 2022 | 11:00 EDT

Super Mario Odyssey Best Super Mario Games Switch
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The Best Super Mario Games

The Super Mario series has been with us for almost four decades, and since that time, we've seen our favorite plumber jump through castles, galaxies, and many, many different biomes across the years…

August 12, 2022 | 11:00 EDT

Fire Emblem Byleth
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Ranking All the Fire Emblem Avatars

Lords and Ladies usually take the spotlight as main characters for Fire Emblem games, with notable examples being the iconic Prince Marth and, more recently, the trio from Three Houses: Edelgard,…

August 8, 2022 | 11:00 EDT

worst legendary pokemon
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The Worst Legendary Pokemon

Legendary Pokemon always have a certain air around them, sporting some of the most gregarious and out-there designs in the entire franchise. The more creative they try to be, the higher the risk of…

April 19, 2022 | 08:21 EDT

Advance Wars Re-Boot Switch
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Behind the Early Advance Wars Copy: An Interview With Rachael Adamson

Celebrity can come fast, especially when it is through random chance. That is the case for Rachael Adamson, a young woman living in the United Kingdom who found herself an instant celebrity because…

April 16, 2022 | 02:42 EDT

fire emblem three houses
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The History of Fire Emblem Part 4: A New Beginning

Welcome to the final part of this four-part series on the history of Fire Emblem. With a half-dozen titles celebrating milestone anniversaries this spring, we at TechRaptor will elucidate on how the…

February 24, 2022 | 12:00 EST

Fire Emblem Path of Radiance Cast Artwork
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The History of Fire Emblem Part 3: Flickering Embers

Welcome to the third part of this four-part series on the history of Fire Emblem. With a half-dozen titles celebrating milestone anniversaries this spring, we at TechRaptor will elucidate on how the…

February 23, 2022 | 12:00 EST

Fire Emblem Blazing Sword Roy Lilina CG
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The History of Fire Emblem Part 2: Going International

Welcome to the second part of a celebration of Fire Emblem! With a half-dozen titles celebrating milestone anniversaries this spring, we at TechRaptor will elucidate on how the series has developed…

February 22, 2022 | 12:00 EST

Fire Emblem Heroes Anniversary Banner
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The History of Fire Emblem Part 1: Origins in Japan

Fire Emblem has grown to be one of Nintendo’s best sellers. Once a rather humble turn-based tactics game, it’s grown from an unknown entity outside of Japan to a flagship Nintendo franchise. But, how…

February 21, 2022 | 12:00 EST

Pokemon Gold and Silver Art
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Exploring the Pokemon Cryptodex Project with Historian Aaron George

Back in 2018, players worldwide got their first glimpse into what could have been, when data from the Spaceworld 1997 Pokemon Gold and Silver demo was leaked to the public. The Spaceworld 1997 demo…

November 17, 2021 | 12:00 EST

Official art of the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC
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15 Hidden Features in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons Happy Home Paradise DLC

There's a lot in the Animal Crossing: New Horizons 2.0 update and Happy Home Paradise DLC to yell in excitement about. Whether it's the long-awaited arrival of Brewster or the addition of moss, there…

November 15, 2021 | 12:30 EST

Kapp'n from the Animal Crossing 2.0 update
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How to Get Back Into Animal Crossing: New Horizons

So you just got the Happy Home Paradise DLC for Animal Crossing: New Horizons. You’ve squashed all the cockroaches in your house, talked to all your villagers after abandoning them for months, and…

November 13, 2021 | 12:00 EST

Haunted Pokedex
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Top 10 Creepiest Pokedex Entries in Pokemon

Pokemon may at first glance appear to be a playful and colorful world for players of all ages to escape into, but when you begin to peel back the layers of these games, you begin to uncover something…

October 31, 2021 | 11:00 EDT

Sora and Mario shaking hands from the reveal trailer
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Why Sora in Smash Bros. is More Important than You Think

It’s finally happening. The last DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate has been revealed: Sora from Kingdom Hearts is finally in the game, and most importantly, he’s shaken hands with Mario.…

October 21, 2021 | 11:30 EDT

Samus Aran in Metroid Dread
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Metroid Dread: How Nintendo Gets Horror Right

The newest Nintendo Metroid game to be released on Nintendo Switch, Metroid Dread, has quickly become more than just something to tide fans over while we wait for the Metroid Prime 4 trailer and…

October 18, 2021 | 11:30 EDT

Pokemon Unite
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How Pokemon Unite Compares to Other MOBAs

Pokemon Unite is the new kid on the block, offering exciting new gameplay for free on Nintendo Switch, and it’s coming out on mobile later this year. It is a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena that most…

July 24, 2021 | 12:00 EDT

Armoured figure crouching in the foreground with a monster in the background
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What Metroid Dread Could Mean For The Metroid Timeline

The Metroid timeline for many years has remained largely unchanged. Admittedly this has been due to a lack of new games in the series, but that isn’t the point, as even the last new game in the…

June 24, 2021 | 12:00 EDT

Aurora borealis in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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How Animal Crossing Ushered in the Age of Endless Games

Twenty years ago, the world was introduced to an animated raccoon (OK, technically a tanooki) real-estate investor, general store owner and probable mob boss. To say it was a simpler time would be an…

April 14, 2021 | 11:30 EDT

Concept art from Monster Hunter World
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A Brief History of Monster Hunter

Out of all the IPs that industry veteran Capcom boasts, Monster Hunter is still relatively new to its success in the West. Now one of the company’s top best-sellers, second to only Resident Evil, the…

April 2, 2021 | 01:00 EDT

best legendary pokemon
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The Best Legendary Pokemon

When it comes to the Pokemon franchise, legendary Pokemon are in a class of their own. Along with the more elusive mythical Pokemon, legendaries represent some of the strongest creatures in the…

March 8, 2021 | 12:30 EST

Best Worst Gen8
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The Best and Worst Pokemon Designs of Generation VIII

We finally come to Generation VIII. Personally, I like Gen VIII a lot. I enjoy the wild area, the quality-of-life improvements, max raid battles, and most importantly, the Pokemon and their designs…

March 1, 2021 | 01:00 EST

Pokemon Sword Shield
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The Year of Pokemon - Generation VIII

Alas, all good things must come to an end. The Year of Pokemon concludes here at TechRaptor, celebrating 25 years of the monster-collecting franchise with a look back at the games one generation at a…

February 26, 2021 | 12:00 EST

Legend of Zelda 35th Anniversary
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From Damsel to Defender: Princess Zelda's 35-Year Journey

As we near the 35th anniversary of The Legend of Zelda, now is the perfect time to reflect on the journey the Princess of Hyrule herself has gone through. There have been numerous games in the series…

February 19, 2021 | 11:00 EST

Mario in a cat suit jumping with joy
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Super Mario 3D World for Switch is Missing Something

This past week saw the release of Super Mario 3D World on the Nintendo Switch. Yet another one of the Wii U's excellent, underrated classics was getting its time to shine on a new, more popular…

February 17, 2021 | 01:00 EST

OOT Link Zelda Key Art
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Links to the Past: The Development Timeline of Ocarina of Time, Part 4

Last time, we went into the exhaustive development of Stage 3 of Zelda 64, at this point now officially called Ocarina of Time in development. From it, child Link was introduced, story beats were…

February 4, 2021 | 01:00 EST

OOT Cast Key Art
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Links to the Past: The Development Timeline of Ocarina of Time, Part 3

Last time, we looked into the exhaustive development of Zelda 64 through Stage 1 and Stage 2 of the game's life, going into the limitations of the 64DD, the growing press buzz, and the beginnings of…

February 3, 2021 | 01:00 EST

Zelda OOT Link vs Volvagia
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Links to the Past: The Development Timeline of Ocarina of Time, Part 2

Last time, we introduced the pre-production phase of Ocarina of Time, from its very early influences in chanbara swordplay to failed experiments using the FX chip. This article will continue the…

February 2, 2021 | 01:00 EST

Zelda Ocarina of Time Temple of Time Art
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Links to the Past: The Development Timeline of Ocarina of Time, Part 1

Recently, one of the biggest finds in gaming history occurred; several beta maps and assets from The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time were discovered on a few Nintendo 64 dev kits. For a whole…

February 1, 2021 | 01:00 EST

Super Mario 3D All Stars featuring three classic Mario games
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The Super Mario 3D All Stars Limited-Release Window Closes Soon. What’s Next?

When it comes to games and legacy content, few companies have quite the catalogue like Nintendo. Over three decades of game development and innovation, Nintendo has created a library filled with…

January 25, 2021 | 12:00 EST

Mario jumping across a tropical beach with a jet of water firing from his back.
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A Defense of Super Mario Sunshine

Super Mario 3D All-Stars has been out for a few days, and reception has been warmly received all told. The compilation of Mario's most iconic 3D outings did come with its fair share of minor…

September 25, 2020 | 12:00 EDT

Super Mario 64 Start Screen
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The Six Best Courses in Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 is a critical classic, a game that was innovative in its design when released in 1996. The development and design of Super Mario 64 has been well documented, and the recent Nintendo…

September 21, 2020 | 01:00 EDT

Mario Tennis 20 year anniversary
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Mario Tennis Turns 20 - A Look Back at a Classic

I learned tennis from Mario Tennis. Don’t think I picked up a rack and hit the local courts, mind you. I was too obsessed with playing the game to go outside and play actual tennis.  I was never…

July 21, 2020 | 11:00 EDT

Animal Crossing Quality-of-Life change cover
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Animal Crossing: New Horizons Needs These 21 Quality-of-Life Changes

After more than 200 hours, I've come to the conclusion that there are some Animal Crossing: New Horizons quality-of-life changes that are badly needed. While this is generally a pretty great casual…

April 30, 2020 | 11:05 EDT

acnh
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The Best & Worst Lazy Villagers in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Perhaps the most poignant personality during a pandemic, lazy is the perfect embodiment for all of us stuck inside. Lazy villagers love to sleep around, talk about snacks, and are sometimes just…

April 29, 2020 | 01:00 EDT

Games Where You Can Kill Hitler
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A Celebration of Video Games Where You Can Kill Hitler

It's 4/20! This is a day mostly known for other reasons. Reasons that involve Snoop Dogg, a pretty great guy that I just happened to see recently in the movie Starsky and Hutch. However, 4/20 is also…

April 20, 2020 | 12:00 EDT

Luigi can be seen shocked by a ghost
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Luigi's Mansion 3's Haunted House Makes Luigi Nintendo's Survival-Horror Hero | Bullet Points

If you like haunted houses as much as I do, Luigi's Mansion 3 likely holds an extra pull for you. Though the series is dispersed by release dates, they all share a common core: the timid character of…

March 30, 2020 | 11:00 EDT

Animal Crossing: New Horizons
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How to Get Bells Quickly in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

So, you've finally secured yourself a copy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Maybe it's your first game in the franchise and you're not quite sure what to do first, or maybe you're a veteran who just…

March 20, 2020 | 03:37 EDT

Tokyo Mirage Sessions Party Members
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Why Tokyo Mirage Sessions is for Persona Fans

  When it comes to stellar JRPGs in recent memory, Persona 5 quickly comes to mind. The turn-based juggernaut turned heads and stole hearts when it came out, earning the No. 2 spot in our game of…

January 30, 2020 | 11:00 EST

tokyo mirage
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Why Tokyo Mirage Sessions is for Fire Emblem Fans

What do you get when you cross Shin Megami Tensei with Fire Emblem? Apparently, it's a game called Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE Encore about monster-fighting idols and actors set in modern-day Tokyo. At…

January 29, 2020 | 11:00 EST

pokemon sword shield starters
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Our Thoughts on Generation 8's Best Starter Pokemon

Unless you've been hiding under a Graveler for the last 24 hours, you've probably heard that Nintendo just announced Pokemon Sword and Pokemon Shield for the Switch. In addition to a new region and…

February 28, 2019 | 10:30 EST