Mailbox: A Good Switch 2 Console Pairing, Fun With Strangers, Sterility

Welcome back, lovely people, to the Nintendo Life Mailbox.

This month’s been a surprisingly busy one for games, and we’re all on tenterhooks, waiting to see if RE9 is any good. Perhaps all that excitement was too distracting, as correspondence (and, indeed, correspondents) have been few and far between. So, prepare yourself for a slight, ‘Lite’ edition of our monthly letters page feature!

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.

So let’s open it up, poke around the bills, and see what the postie’s brought us this month…

Nintendo Life Mailbox – February 2026

“thrives when parallel” (***STAR LETTER***)

Hello, Nintendolife!

This letter in particular is probably gonna be a bit different, since it’s less focused on Nintendo and more on a different console.
As I mentioned the last time I wrote here, recently, through this website’s recommendation, I got into the Trails series. I’ve been really enjoying it, but after Sky 1st, there was a break of a few games in between the next game playable on Switch 2, since at the time, Zero and Azure weren’t fully functional. So, I decided to pick up a Steam Deck to play the series.
Now that the groundwork and backstory has been laid, let me just say that I have come to realize that the Steam Deck and the Switch 2 complement each other perfectly. If there’s a subpar Switch port, you can play it on Deck. If the game needs just a bit more processing power, you can play it on Switch 2. Need to just boot into a game? Switch. Want to overcustomize and use mods? Steam Deck. Got a group and just want to play some party games? Switch 2 all the way, baby.
Whenever the Deck came out, I was hesitant to buy one. The only discourse about it you heard was “oh, its the Switch killer!” But through using it on my own, I’ve come to realize that it thrives when parallel with the Switch, not competing with it.
I feel like sometimes we tend to forget in the gaming community that every console has its place. Nintendo focuses in on larger, higher-budget games, and without it I wouldn’t have found Octopath, Ace Attorney, or Trails. But Steam gives so many really small indie games so much more visibility. Without it, I wouldn’t have found 100% Orange Juice (which I really hope arrives on Switch soon, it’d be a perfect fit!), Super Ledgehop, Sora, or all the other really small games I play.
In short, I love both my Steam Deck and Switch 2 and hope we can see them appreciated on their own merits. Next letter might be a 1000 word rumination on Trails and asking Alana for her personal opinions on each, we’ll see.
Bluelink

Happy to hear you’re enjoying Trails! The Steam Deck is a fine machine. I imagine that for many the barrier to entry is justifying two fairly pricey portable systems, so it’ll be fascinating to see how the Steam Machine fits into the hardware landscape. If Sony continues closing its best studios and Microsoft keeps stepping on rake after rake, could Switch 2 and a Steam Machine become this generation’s ‘Wii60’?

(I spent longer than I care to admit trying to crush ‘Switch 2’ and ‘Steam Machine’ into a snappy portmanteau. See what you can do in the comments, lovely people.) – Ed.

“if only”

Dear Nintendo Life,
With the revealing of the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition of Super Mario Bros. Wonder, I have to ask…What is the point of an online multiplayer mode that you can only play with friends? I thought that the whole point of online multiplayer was that you’re like me and you don’t have any friends, let alone friends who actually play video games! If I can go online to race against strangers in Mario Kart, why can’t I go online to race against strangers in Super Mario Bros. Wonder? It’s a shame because the competitive multiplayer modes in Super Mario Bros. Wonder look like they could be fun, if only they were playable.
Person With No Friends But Still Has Self-Worth

It feels like the brief for this particular NS2 Edition was ‘We need a Mario game on shelves when the Galaxy Movie comes out,’ and whacking Rosalina in Wonder did the job.

We’ve all had fun with strangers online. We’ve all had fun playing video games with strangers online, but I wonder (heh) if these minigames will have real longevity. As with a lot of S2 upgrades, for me they’ve been an excuse to revisit and 100% games I already played, not something I’m pumping dozens of hours – Animal Crossing notwithstanding. – Ed.

“sterile experience”

Nostalgic for 8th Gen Nintendo

As a Nintendo Fan my whole life, I feel like the WiiU/3DS era was the time where Nintendo was the most fun. Customizable themes on the 3DS, rotating eshop music on the WiiU, checking Club Nintendo every month for the new rewards…it’s these little things that made the Nintendo experience have so much whimsy and charm in contrast to the sterile experience we get nowadays. Even the excitement of getting a new console, the Switch 2, is diminished slightly because you boot it up and it’s the exact same experience as the Switch. Maybe they don’t prioritize the “little” things anymore, but I sure miss it.
Dave Driver

A splash of colour on the Home screen wouldn’t go amiss, and those Club Nintendo bonuses were neat, although My Nintendo Store does get bits and pieces. I agree, the Switches aren’t quite as homely.

Nintendo is best when it gets weird, and given that Switch 2 is so familiar and we’re seeing so many enhanced versions of old games, I’m hoping for some big software swings this gen. Rhythm Heaven is coming soon, although even that is familiar. Fingers crossed for some more personality and…, erm, what’s the opposite of ‘sterility’? Fertility? Filth?…

Ahem. Well, I’ve got myself all worked up now. – Ed.

Bonus Letters

“May I share a detailed report of these issues along with our pricing?” – Lucy

Nah, you’re alright, Lucy. – Ed.

That’s all for Feb! Thanks to those who wrote in, and get those keyboards tapping if you want more priceless bants next month.

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!