Switch Pro rumours, the Mario trailer looms, and a look inside the Nintendo hotel

REVIEW Return to Monkey Island — "a phenomenal point-and-click adventure, bubbling with passion and fun".

Roland Ingram // Nintendo Life

REVIEW Does Shovel Knight Dig stand on its own in the franchise? — "this entry in the Shovel Knight universe is a near-perfect translation of Treasure Trove's original vision to the roguelite genre, and a brilliant addition to the many great indie games on the Switch". Patrick Klepek writing for Vice also digs it, noting that this platformer tunred roguelike "makes a strong case for its huge and successful pivot".

Nadine Dornieden // iMore

Inside Marufukuro — This is a beautiful account of staying at the former Nintendo HQ, now hotel Marufukuro, and how the place pays homage to Nintendo's history in an exceptional, tasteful way. I can't wait to make my booking.

Martin Lindell // Superjump

Nintendo is releasing the first Mario movie trailer next month

Jay Peters // The Verge

Nintendo Switch 2 rumored to use Nvidia Technology — That old 4K Switch Pro rumour is back this time via an 'Nvidia employee' sharing supposed details of a new system on a chip (SoC).

Sean Murray // The Gamer

REVIEW The DioField Chronicle — "surprised me with just how much depth its combat system offered".

Zhiqing Wan // Twinfinite

▶ REVIEW Beacon Pines: A story about change

Seth Sturgill // All N (YouTube)

REVIEW Spiderheck

Ted Hazell // Pure Nintendo

REVIEW Wayward Strand is a new classic of video game storytelling

Steven Nguyen Scaife // Uppercut

The Making Of: Star Fox Adventures, the game that was once Dinosaur Planet

Damien McFerren // Time Extension

Why gamers (and that's all of us) are swapping guns for house plants

Kylie Northover // The Sydney Morning Herald

How 'Splatoon' carved a welcoming niche in the brutal shooter game genre

Josh Broadwell // NPR

Tunic's manual was physically made for in-game authenticity — This one is out on Switch next week.

Victoria Kennedy // Eurogamer

Splatlands Travel Guide — Remember that extensive Animal Crossing companion app for iOS? Well, the same developer is back with a Splatoon-themed take. The app (iOS only) lets your browse Splatoon 3 gear, weapons, and collectibles, and you can even set up neat widgets for your homescreen to see which maps are live/upcoming.

Jeffrey Kuiken // App Store

Is the timing right on Logitech's plucky foray into handheld gaming? — Ok, this isn't Switch related, but I had thoughts on the new handheld Logitech announced earlier this week. I kinda feel it's gonna be DoA at that price point.

Chris Brandrick // Overkill