Mailbox: ‘Grasping’ Nintendo, New Horizons Vs. New Leaf, Boney M. – Nintendo Life Letters (Vacation Version)

Welcome, every body. We’re again for one more festive rifle by means of the Nintendo Life Mailbox.

Sure, it is time for our month-to-month letters web page characteristic. Received one thing you need to get off your chest? We’re prepared and ready to examine your game-related ponderings.

Every month we’ll spotlight a Star Letter, the author of which is able to obtain a month’s subscription to our ad-free Supporter scheme. Take a look at the submission tips on the backside of this web page.

So, seize your self a heat beverage and possibly a sweetmeat from underneath the steps and let’s sit back with some correspondence earlier than the king’s speech, lets?

Nintendo Life Mailbox – December 2025

“quite a lot of stick” (***STAR LETTER***)

Grasping Nintendo! Repeatedly we hear it, Nintendo are grasping! It’s a line that will get repeated so typically, I ponder if folks really contemplate what it means. Shareholders? Nintendo’s dividend funds place them simply behind Microsoft, in addition to many different corporations within the gaming sector like Koei Tecmo, Sq. Enix and Capcom. Executives? In 2024 Shuntaro Furukawa was paid simply over a fifth of what Phil Spencer earns at Microsoft. However Nintendo cost an excessive amount of, particularly for older video games! Perhaps that’s true, however they pay their workers fairly nicely and have actually excessive retention charges, in addition they appear to reinvest what they earn from their in style titles in additional area of interest titles, so possibly the most recent launch of Tremendous Mario Galaxy can pay fro a brand new Famicom Detective Membership, One other Code or Advance Wars. I additionally do not assume that Gameshare is a characteristic that screams greed. Nintendo are getting quite a lot of stick in the mean time, they usually do make some unsuitable headed selections at instances, however so far as huge companies go, they appear okay. We have all gotten used to low costs in gaming, however low costs, excessive growth prices and a fandom that’s typically reluctant to compromise on high quality, just isn’t a recipe for a sustainable business.Andrew Mcleod

I do not disagree that Nintendo, usually, appears to give attention to the precise issues on the subject of experimenting with new concepts, respecting workers, and doing issues that different corporations would not or could not do. That is why we’re all right here.

It could be nice if every part have been cheaper, however once more, usually Nintendo does a good job of threading the needle on pricing – though a $50 Kirby amiibo looks like an actual ask. Welcome Tour ought to completely have been a pack-in, too, so I get the frustration, particularly on this financial system.

Finally, although, I do not assume the corporate wants us defending it from a little bit infantile name-calling. – Ed.

“sweaty”

Hey there Nintendo Life!I needed to shout out a franchise that I believe does not get sufficient credit score: Simply Dance. I really feel like Simply Dance is commonly seen as simply that one yearly Ubisoft launch that no person bats a watch at. However this yr reestablished for me what a powerhouse it’s for social and energetic enjoyable.

This sense got here to me at Comedian Con. There was an enormous Simply Dance setup and it was always full of folks. Becoming a member of these crowds for the primary time was an expertise. There’s nothing fairly like being in cosplay, standing in a crowd of different con-goers and cosplayers, and leaping round to Boney M.’s Rasputin or teaming up with a stranger for Woman Gaga’s Abracadabra. No different sport there generated the form of loud and mass enjoyable that Simply Dance did, and that is an achievement.

Its attraction is sort of common. I’ve loved the sport with every kind of individuals and in every kind of locations, together with in gamer areas. There’s this beautiful gaming area I frequent, stacked with consoles and video games, so we will play absolutely anything we would like there. But a bit in the past I booted up Simply Dance, and it was a smash hit. We had a blast waving our arms and stepping across the room, with vast grins and loud cries of energetic pleasure. (Additionally, shoutout to the accessibility filter and accessible dance routines, so folks that may’t stand or bounce might additionally take part.)

And talking of shifting round, that is one other factor I’ve to reward Simply Dance for. I do not train almost sufficient: I discover it very arduous to push myself to take action and I really feel deeply uncomfortable and unsafe at gyms. However Simply Dance is enjoyable, motivating and accessible sufficient for me to stand up and transfer with it at the very least each couple of days. With Simply Dance+ there’s greater than sufficient songs to maintain issues recent, and making an attempt to be taught the tough professional routines to songs like Dua Lipa’s Houdini or Britney Spears’s Circus and Poisonous is genuinely a extremely enjoyable problem. I am not going to behave prefer it’s an alternative choice to correct train, but it surely’s a heck of lots higher than nothing and I assure you that a few of these routines will get you sweaty. You attempt doing Rasputin or Woman Gaga’s Judas with out your respiration intensifying, I might like to see it.

Simply Dance is a top quality sport with beautiful visuals, enjoyable and various choreo’s, and attraction everybody together with many hardcore players. I do know it is not for everybody, nothing is, however in so many teams it has been a assured good time for a few years, and it deserves extra credit score for that. Love you Simply Dance!Zander

Yep, it suffers from being the known-est of portions in 2025, however Simply Dance is first rate and I’ve had enjoyable with it over time.

Truthfully, “You attempt doing Rasputin or Woman Gaga’s Judas with out your respiration intensifying” is prime bonus letter materials, Zander. However we’re staunch Boney M defenders on this family, and I would not be capable to embed this video within the bonus part. Wunderbar. – Ed.

“throw my hat”

With all this speak about animal crossing I’ve seen quite a lot of debates about whether or not new leaf or new horizons is one of the best. I might figured I might throw my hat within the ring. I grew up enjoying new leaf so I’ve a really robust emotional attachment to that sport. I believe neither is healthier than the opposite. Once I play new horizons there are issues I want it had that new leaf, and after I play new leaf there are issues I want it had that new horizons had. For these on the NL towers who’ve performed each what do y’all assume?beltmenot

Wild World was my first, so the influence of something afterwards is lessened – in my mind, WW continues to be peak. New Leaf and New Horizons are just about on a par. For all of the enhancements, NH has gotten unwieldy with objects accessible in too many various locations for my style, and extra to return within the January replace. And I might give something for an icon that exhibits for those who already personal an merchandise on sale in Nook’s Cranny!

We now have mentioned this earlier than, and many of the crew are off on their hols now, however let me see who I can discover ransacking the workplace fridge for celebration leftovers… – Ed.

“NL is approach higher. An excessive amount of crafting in NH, it felt like a chore – NL was honed to close perfection.” – Ollie
“NL – love NH, however the fiddly island customisation, the extra homogenous villager personalities, and the massive give attention to adorning will get away from what I adored in NL. NL felt much more compact and impactful to me.” – Alana