Nintendo Switch
On the occasion of Valentine's Day, Nintendo Italia has published a new commercial for Nintendo Switch dedicated to lovers and the ideal games to spend a fun evening as a couple.The spot, which you can view in the player above, highlights the sharing features of Nintendo Switch, local multiplayer through Joy-Con functions and celebrating life as a couple: everyone is unique and has their own rhythms, commitments and passions but in the end what unites is the desire to be together and share pleasant moments. And video games fall into this category.
But what are the best games to spend a pleasant evening between lovers? Nintendo Italy recommends Animal Crossing: New Horizons, to spend pleasant and relaxing moments on a dream island after a busy day. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is instead ideal for those looking for competition and want to test the stability of the couple. Certainly more relaxing, but no less fun, Mario Party Superstars and the more than 80 mini-games it offers, each crazier than the other.
On the eShop there are ideal games for a couple's evening. Galore and for all tastes, check out our special on Nintendo Switch's best Valentine's Day games.
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Mother 3 producer calls for English localization after Earthbound’s surprise Switch release
One of the Producers behind Nintendo’s lost RPG classic, Mother 3, states that he wants to see the game released in the West following the surprise launch of Earthbound and Earthbound Beginnings (Mother) on Nintendo Switch last week, Originally released on the Game Boy Advance in 2006, the third game in the Mother series – known as Earthbound in the West – has never been released outside of Japan.
In an interview with Nintendo Everything, Mother 3 producer Shinichi Kameoka stated he would “also love to see Mother 3 released in the US and Europe.” While the original Mother game launched in Japan in 1989, it wasn’t until 2015 that the game received a worldwide launch, courtesy of the Wii U Virtual console. No longer at Nintendo, it seems the decision is ultimately out of Kameoka’s hands, yet in the same Nintendo Everything, the producer goes on to say: “As a lover of games, I will continue to wait for Mother 3’s release worldwide release (in English).”
Mother 2, or Earthbound, released on SNES in the West in 1995, amassing a cult following. Since then, the surrealist role-playing franchise has largely been absent for players outside of Japan, with protagonists Ness and Lucas only notable for their continued presence in Nintendo’s beloved fighting game series, Super Smash Bros. The pair debuted in Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 64, and have remained a permanent fixture in the games ever since.
While Earthbound hasn’t been given the chance to flourish in the West, its influence is still keenly felt in gaming today. Serving as the main inspiration for the hugely successful indie RPG, Undertale, the seminal SNES RPG still manages to feel fresh and relevant today, largely thanks to its endearing and quirky writing.
It’s a fact that Kameoka himself acknowledges in the same interview, stating how the script transformed the game into something truly special: “I remember how Mr. (Shigesato) Itoi rewrote all the placeholder text that our staff had put in, and the atmosphere of the game changed completely. That was really eye-opening.”
Earthbound and Earthbound: Beginnings are free to download now for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers.
For more titles to dive into on Ninty's latest machine, here are our picks of the best Switch games.