Letterbox: Holiday Wishes, Remaster Hype, DSi Love – Nintendo Life Letters (Holiday Edition)

Ho ho holy moly, is Christmas here!?

Welcome, welcome – come and lose weight! Grab a cup of warm cocoa, pull up a chair and join us when we open our doors Nintendo Life Mailbox for holidays.

Do you have something you want to get off your chest? We’re ready and waiting to read about your thoughts, musings, and high/low ideas regarding the game. And the drawings! We’d love to see some wholesome Nintendo-related hand-drawn artwork, so feel free to snap a photo and send it to us.

Each month we will highlight a Star Letter, the writer of which will receive a month’s subscription to Our Ad-Free Support program. See submission instructions at the bottom of this page.

Okay, good mood, high spirits. Let’s get started.

Nintendo Life Mailbox – December 2024

“I will” (***STAR LETTER***)

I’ve been a fan of Nintendo games and consoles for a while now, and while I’ve enjoyed all of them quite a bit (except the Virtual Boy which I’ve never played) I believe they haven’t made the cut yet. Harder than DSi XL. Not only does it play the incredible DS series (one of Nintendo’s best imo) in great quality on a sharp screen, but along with DSiWare comes the regular DSI, which I think is awesome .
If Nintendo makes another dedicated handheld, would you like them to revisit smaller and cheaper digital games? I will.
Casey

The Switch can easily host many smaller scale games such as Jump rope challenge and it’s great to see Nintendo getting back into publishing experimental things between 2-8 USD. The eShop is full of quality games at that price point, but a little more first-party variety is always welcome. Nintendo is pretty good at it – certainly better than other platform holders – but I’d love to see internal teams come up with innovative, micro-scale games.

The DSi XL is a lovely piece of kit. You can play those games on the 3DS XL, but that way you’re missing out on the sharpest pixels possible, and I like my pixels crispy. A few years ago I bought a burgundy DSi with a normal cart slot, but these days I prefer a mint yellow or green DSi. Expensive! – Ed.

“love hate”

Why are people so excited about the remaster? People hated the copy/paste of the sequel (another full-priced sports game but with a different listing!) but happily bought the same game but with slightly better graphics.
Keith

The remake is intriguing in the same way I was interested in the 4K version of the movie I watched to death on VHS. This isn’t just an update to the list, it’s also a new way to view an old favorite. Metroid Prime remade? It’s like Singin’ in the Rain in UHD, Keith. Maximum resolution, color, exaggeration.

For me, it’s often an opportunity to catch up on something I missed with some of the mod’s shortcomings. I could take out my DS and grab a copy of Ghost Trick but having it on the Switch is much more convenient. If the remaster removes some of the rough edges, so much the better. – Ed.

“play Rhythm games”

Dear Nintendolife
I wonder if some of the Nintendolife staff are interested in Rhythm Games Arcade like Dance Dance Revolution, Beatmania IIDX, Sound Voltex, SEGA’s MaiMai Deluxe, etc.
Those Rhythm games are very popular in Japan and other Asian countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, etc
I don’t see many users on Nintendolife interested in talking or playing those Rhythm games on Arcade except me.
From: Antimatter

From my British perspective, it’s not a lack of interest, it’s a matter of access. Outside of the major cities, UK arcades (or my experience of them) are much less diverse and interesting than in other countries. When I was growing up, I might see a Time Crisis, a House of the Dead or a Daytona but that was about it.

Arcades in major cities have the latest and greatest equipment, but a DDR device tucked among the 2p machines at the end of the pier would be an event. Maybe that’s what’s influencing the conversation around these pieces. We can all do more with more DDR in our lives! – Ed.

“break down and understand”

This!

Are there any musicians in the NL group? As a musician and VGM artist myself, a big part of how I enjoy video games is using my musical knowledge to analyze and understand what makes the soundtrack and sound design sounds so good.

I think a basic understanding of how music works is essential to truly enjoy all aspects of a game’s soundtrack.

What are some of your favorite game soundtracks and why?

Keep digging trenches!
MetaCrystal

I play guitar to please myself, and I think Ollie has an ax or two. By far the most accomplished musician on staff is Felix from our video team. He plays several musical instruments, compose your own worksworks.

Everyone except Jim (“Does Guitar Hero count?”) isn’t fun and playful, but for me, Grant Kirkhope’s Banjo-Kazooie soundtrack brings that joyful, vibrant, fairy-tale feeling that I associate with gaming like no other. It’s a very specific sound from a huge palette of video game sounds, but it’s one I always return to when someone asks me for a favorite.

This year, we may soon get a soundtrack feature if it comes together. Watch this space. (Also, if you missed it, check it out NL VGMest from a few years ago – it would be great if more people read those books!) – Ed.