So, how’s 2024 treating you so far? Hopefully you’ve had a great start to the year and are ready for a fresh batch of letters from the Nintendo Life Mailbox.
After a festive blowout on Christmas Day, we’re a little light on correspondence this month. Don’t worry, we understand — who wants to be writing letters over the holidays when there are so many delicious video games to be tucking into?
Got something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.
Let’s take a look through the letters on the doormat, shall we? Bill, bill, catalogue, double-glazing leaflet, bill…
Ah, here we are.
Nintendo Life Mailbox – January 2023
“mixed together well” (***STAR LETTER***)
With the overall bland diversity in genres and genre-mixes at this years’ Game Awards, I’ve been thinking about how some genres have the potential to be mixed together well that rarely get explored (like Rhythm x Side-Scroller), So I am curious, What are some underutilized genre mixes you think would work really well together?
DiamondCore
In his interview piece with Kit and Krysta, Alan had an idea for a rhythm-based American football game which I reckon has potential.
Or how about a roguelike dating/cooking game called Through the Stomach, where you have to charm your way into your date’s affections using your culinary prowess? Serving a great meal gives you extra time at the table to dazzle with your wit via an Insult Sword Fighting-style flirtation minigame. You progress through the years, Venba-style, and the tone of the minigame changes, with memories, relationship trials and tribulations, new people at the table, new topics, and finally, at the end, an empty table.
This probably already exists on itch. – Ed.
“a very punk rock way”
As a gamer fascinated by retro stuff, especially Gameboy, I have noticed that more and more developers are making new stuff for old consoles – some ports even make headlines here at Nintendo Life! Now, with that being probably a resurgence of old consoles, in a very punk rock way, will there ever be space for reviews of these new games in here – and, if so, could that lead to even more people making new stuff for old consoles?
Daniel Ruy Pereira
The growth of homebrew and boutique publishing which lets new games come out for 20-, 30-, 40-year-old systems is pretty amazing and I’d love to cover them all with reviews, just as I’d love to review every Switch game going.
The problem, as always, is resources. A feature here, a news post there is totally do-able (and our pals over at our sister site Time Extension have done a great job highlighting homebrew recently), but even if these games are also coming to Switch, it’s a very niche audience who’s buying brand-new NES/GB titles in 2024. Reviewing them inevitably means sacrificing something else.
We’re constantly gauging reader interest and weighing up where to spend our coverage points, trying to strike a balance and amplify cool projects regardless of scope, and embracing the ‘Nintendo life’ to its fullest. If you’re specifically after cool, retro-flavoured projects, though, absolutely get Time Extension bookmarked. It’s my second-favourite place on the web. – Ed.
Okay, that’s quite enough brown-nosing of Hookshot top brass. Next letter….
Oh.
On with the bonus bag, then!
Bonus Letters
“Dear Alana,
I need your complete, comprehensive and deep retrospectives complete with a tier list, ranking the Legend of Heroes series, that’s not just counting the Trails games, that’s the Dragon Slayer and Gagharv games too. AND YS VS TRAILS IN THE SKY.Because it’s not 1000 words is that ok” – imadeanaccount
Sorry, wait they’re on PC-88 and PSP? What are those? – Alana
“Ow’s me accent, mate? Rather pants, innit? Oi, wot? Naur, I’m not just tossing random words onto the barbie! This is ‘ow I speaks, the Yankee way!” – CaleBoi25
You can’t just write in any old rubbish and get into the Bonus section, you know. – Ed.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.
Got something you’d like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can’t contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.
Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelines
- Letters, not essays, please – Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn’t likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you’re after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)
- Don’t go crazy with multiple correspondences – Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!
- Don’t be disheartened if your letter doesn’t appear in the monthly article – We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we’ll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn’t chosen for the article, please don’t get disheartened!
How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life Mailbox
- Head to Nintendo Life’s Contact page and select the subject “Reader Letters” from the drop-down menu (it’s already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you’re done!
So, how’s 2024 treating you so far? Hopefully you’ve had a great start to the year and are ready for a fresh batch of letters from the Nintendo Life Mailbox.
After a festive blowout on Christmas Day, we’re a little light on correspondence this month. Don’t worry, we understand — who wants to be writing letters over the holidays when there are so many delicious video games to be tucking into?
Got something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your game-related ponderings. Each month we’ll highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Check out the submission guidelines at the bottom of this page.
Let’s take a look through the letters on the doormat, shall we? Bill, bill, catalogue, double-glazing leaflet, bill…
Ah, here we are.
Nintendo Life Mailbox – January 2023
“mixed together well” (***STAR LETTER***)
With the overall bland diversity in genres and genre-mixes at this years’ Game Awards, I’ve been thinking about how some genres have the potential to be mixed together well that rarely get explored (like Rhythm x Side-Scroller), So I am curious, What are some underutilized genre mixes you think would work really well together?
DiamondCore
In his interview piece with Kit and Krysta, Alan had an idea for a rhythm-based American football game which I reckon has potential.
Or how about a roguelike dating/cooking game called Through the Stomach, where you have to charm your way into your date’s affections using your culinary prowess? Serving a great meal gives you extra time at the table to dazzle with your wit via an Insult Sword Fighting-style flirtation minigame. You progress through the years, Venba-style, and the tone of the minigame changes, with memories, relationship trials and tribulations, new people at the table, new topics, and finally, at the end, an empty table.
This probably already exists on itch. – Ed.
“a very punk rock way”
As a gamer fascinated by retro stuff, especially Gameboy, I have noticed that more and more developers are making new stuff for old consoles – some ports even make headlines here at Nintendo Life! Now, with that being probably a resurgence of old consoles, in a very punk rock way, will there ever be space for reviews of these new games in here – and, if so, could that lead to even more people making new stuff for old consoles?
Daniel Ruy Pereira
The growth of homebrew and boutique publishing which lets new games come out for 20-, 30-, 40-year-old systems is pretty amazing and I’d love to cover them all with reviews, just as I’d love to review every Switch game going.
The problem, as always, is resources. A feature here, a news post there is totally do-able (and our pals over at our sister site Time Extension have done a great job highlighting homebrew recently), but even if these games are also coming to Switch, it’s a very niche audience who’s buying brand-new NES/GB titles in 2024. Reviewing them inevitably means sacrificing something else.
We’re constantly gauging reader interest and weighing up where to spend our coverage points, trying to strike a balance and amplify cool projects regardless of scope, and embracing the ‘Nintendo life’ to its fullest. If you’re specifically after cool, retro-flavoured projects, though, absolutely get Time Extension bookmarked. It’s my second-favourite place on the web. – Ed.
Okay, that’s quite enough brown-nosing of Hookshot top brass. Next letter….
Oh.
On with the bonus bag, then!
Bonus Letters
“Dear Alana,
I need your complete, comprehensive and deep retrospectives complete with a tier list, ranking the Legend of Heroes series, that’s not just counting the Trails games, that’s the Dragon Slayer and Gagharv games too. AND YS VS TRAILS IN THE SKY.Because it’s not 1000 words is that ok” – imadeanaccount
Sorry, wait they’re on PC-88 and PSP? What are those? – Alana
“Ow’s me accent, mate? Rather pants, innit? Oi, wot? Naur, I’m not just tossing random words onto the barbie! This is ‘ow I speaks, the Yankee way!” – CaleBoi25
You can’t just write in any old rubbish and get into the Bonus section, you know. – Ed.
Thanks to everyone who wrote in, whether you were featured above or not.
Got something you’d like to get off your chest? A burning question you need answered? A correction you can’t contain? Follow the instructions below, then, and we look forward to rifling through your missives.
Nintendo Life Mailbox submission advice and guidelines
- Letters, not essays, please – Bear in mind that your letter may appear on the site, and 1000 words ruminating on the Legend of Heroes series and asking Alana for her personal ranking isn’t likely to make the cut. Short and sweet is the order of the day. (If you’re after a general guide, 100-200 words would be ample for most topics.)
- Don’t go crazy with multiple correspondences – Ideally, just the one letter a month, please!
- Don’t be disheartened if your letter doesn’t appear in the monthly article – We anticipate a substantial inbox, and we’ll only be able to highlight a handful every month. So if your particular letter isn’t chosen for the article, please don’t get disheartened!
How to send a Letter to the Nintendo Life Mailbox
- Head to Nintendo Life’s Contact page and select the subject “Reader Letters” from the drop-down menu (it’s already done for you in the link above). Type your name, email, and beautifully crafted letter into the appropriate box, hit send, and boom — you’re done!
