Regional Accents, Judging Rabbids, and classroom Mario Kart - Player’s Voice Inbox March 2018

Every month we are sharing the best fan messages that land in the UK Player’s Voice inbox. From broad explanations about entire games, to laser focused examples of exemplery moments, we love finding out what the Nintendo gamers of the UK are enjoying on their Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS Family Systems, and then sharing them with the world! To learn more about how to contact us, and what you can win, please click here.

Given the huge number of entries we received over the last month, we will be posting more than merely the four promised, and the scribes of all the letters we post will receive a prize!

So, with the formalities out of the way, here are the top letters we received throughout February.

Lunchtime Mario Kart 8 Deluxe by The Tatlocker – Star Letter

"Since the Switch released on my birthday, I bought one and I still haven’t put it down. I’ve had some of my greatest moments on Switch and it has truly been a fantastic year for both me and everyone at Nintendo. One of my all-time favourite moments came from Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, when I once took it to school as I knew it would come in handy. Well, one thing I didn’t know was that 9 other people had brought their Switch in and were all playing Mario Kart, but everyone was playing on different modes/maps. So in a true hero moment, I opened up a [online] lobby and asked everyone to join. We had a 10 player lobby of people playing in school, and it was one of the coolest uses of my Switch I’ve ever seen. Only possible on Switch!"

The return of Pokkén Tournament by Adam Beckett – Star Letter

"One game I did not expect to make a glorious return was 2016’s Pokkén Tournament - but boy, am I glad I was wrong; Pokkén Tournament DX is a perfect fit for Nintendo Switch.

Every long-time Pokémon Trainer has dreamed of seeing how Pokémon Battles would unfold in real-time. How do the creatures actually manoeuvre? How do attacks connect? How do the Pokémon react to each other? Pokkén Tournament DX finally delivers on that dream, answering by painting a delightfully detailed picture, and continually impressing with its intricate animation.

Pokkén Tournament DX has so many more fighters than the original release, I just had to take a much longer look at the game this time around! Thanks to new modes like Team Battle (a 3-on-3 mode more similar to the main series’ Pokémon Battles) and Local Multiplayer on one screen (which is marvellous with friends), I’ve come to really understand the deep, rewarding mechanics of the fights. Pokkén’s minute to understand, lifetime to master ethos leads to giving you something to learn from each and every match against CPUs, friends, or online challengers - and you’ll have to take it all in if you want to rise up the ranks!

Upcoming DLC, online tournaments, and excellent local multiplayer keep bringing me back to Pokkén Tournament DX, and I hope it stays for years to come."

TextChipping away at Xenoblade Chronicles 2 by Alex Phillimore – Star Letter

"As many Nintendo Switch owners who are juggling video games with other life commitments will no doubt attest, there are currently more high-quality games on the system than there are free hours in the day to play them. Thankfully, the portable nature of the Switch and the clever design of many of its games means that it's the perfect console for diving into adventures for brief bursts of unbridled fun.

I very recently finished Xenoblade Chronicles 2. I've been chipping away at it for a few hours every day, but seeing the end credits turned out to be a mammoth undertaking for all the right reasons. There are so many hidden nooks to explore, enemies to fight and loveable characters to learn more about that it truly has become a journey I've treasured being taken on.

Some games weave magical narratives that you never want to end. Xenoblade Chronicles 2 introduces players to a unique world of breath-taking views on the back of herculean titans. The endless optimism of Rex, the game's young protagonist, and his cohort of companions is punctuated with some great regional voice acting scarcely heard within the industry, with characters being English, Welsh and more. As a player from England, it's cool to see diverse cultures being represented in gaming.

I look forward to revisiting the land of Alrest throughout the year as further content is released."

ARMS and underdog spirit by Lynne Rothwell – Star Letter

"I’ve been playing ARMS so much since it came out and I don’t regret it. For some reason none of my friends actually own the game yet and elsewhere it doesn’t get quite the same attention as other Switch titles. In my opinion, ARMS is certainly worth the time.

Only days after I finished collecting all the ARMS themselves I could spend my earned coins on unlocking pictures in the new gallery. That was a very quick response to a problem I’d been mulling over quite a lot – I didn’t want to stop playing ARMS over something so trivial. After all, the concept is so fun and the foundations so simple that it makes me feel like I have a chance in any fight if I develop my skills enough.

In that underdog spirit I choose Byte and Barq whenever there isn’t a Party Crash going on. Work together as a team, and even Max Brass, Ninjara and Dr Coyle herself are no match! They’re the ones I cheer on even when I fight against them, though all the characters have a charm all of their own.

And that’s the major draw to the game as well! Great character designs and personalities I can recognise anywhere! Though the game’s only been out for under a year, I feel like they popped right out of my childhood to come greet me.

I will continue to support all the effort that the developers put into ARMS, and keep stepping into the ring!"

Judging Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle by its fluffy ears by Jack Murphy-Jones

"Mario + Rabbids® Kingdom Battle is the title I am currently enjoying. Admittedly when this game was announced I was sceptical - my beloved Mario was teaming up with those pesky Rabbids from Rayman… However when I saw that Shigeru Miyamoto praised the development of this game, and the passion which oozed out of Davide Soliani and the team at Ubisoft, I had to try it out.

What a magnificently surprising game this is. The combat strategy works wonders with this world and cast of characters, puzzles in-between battles can vary from calm to complex and the music is a pure delight with some very standout moments. Seeing our dear Mushroom Kingdom in trouble truly makes you have something to fight for!

I judged the Rabbids before I played this and I will never do that again. This game is a delight and I will continue to enjoy it for some time."

My Miitopia adventure by Gina Clark

"Right now I'm currently enjoying Miitopia, I have so much fun with this game, as I did with Tomodachi Life, but [this has] more storytelling, I enjoyed placing my favourite fictional characters in certain roles (and it's even more funny when it suits them to a tee).

I'm still playing it and adding more characters (though I worry about when I'll run out of space). Right now I'm trying to get all the medals and I'm levelling up my Mii in all the classes. If this game gets a sequel I would pick it up on the first day! I hope for more Mii games in the future!

Thank you so much for this awesome game."

A 2 year old and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild by Jim Miskell

"As a parent of with children under 2 years old, the Nintendo Switch has changed how and when I play in a way that I never could have expected. I am currently playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - I take my Switch to work, I play at lunch in cafés while I eat, then when I am home I can play in bed when most parents get a little quiet time! Thank you so much for such an innovative console which works around people's lifestyles rather than requiring the player to sit in front of the television. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild has brought me joy in a way no game has since Ocarina of Time, I find myself exploring the huge world looking for items and Koroks, stopping from time to time to drink in a beautiful view."

Building and adventuring anytime, anywhere, in Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition by Alfie Broughton

"A title I'm enjoying is Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition. I can be building my town by myself in handheld mode and then, when my sister asks to play, all I have to do is drop it on the dock, give her a pro controller and voilà, splitscreen multiplayer Minecraft!

I was yet again building my town (Arcadia) and then my dad said we were going to my grandparents. I just took it off the dock and went. Easy as that. The game itself is really easy to get used to, [control-wise]. Yes, it is still normal Minecraft, but it is my favourite version because of the variety of options of how to play. Minecraft is an amazing game being able to build absolutely anything I want. I can make games to play with my family, I can build a city to roleplay with. I can try and collect every item in survival mode. The possibilities are endless!"

Daring Dandara by Gordon Graham

"I have a habit of buying far too many games that I never finish but Dandara is feeling like the exception that breaks the rule. I have been giving it the full Nintendo sSwitch treatment - playing it at the local sports centre whilst my kids attend a class, curling up on the sofa whilst my partner watches a TV show and up on the big screen when opportunity arises!

Dandara is charming, mysterious and punishing all at once, sort of like the child of Metroid and Dark Souls. You can pick up and play it for a while or settle down for a few hours. It's games like this that belong on Nintendo Switch! I can't wait to finish it and find my next great adventure!"

The Best Way to Enter the Gungeon by Drew Egan

"So a game I’ve been playing the hell out of is Enter The Gungeon. Fast paced, challenging but also accessible and with enough variety in guns, power-ups, bosses, enemies and NPC’s to prevent it from getting stale even after hours of playing. This game is perfect for anyone looking for the perfect portable rogue-like on the best console for it."

_{If you’d like to share your letter with us for a future Player’s Voice feature, write a short 100-250 word description of the title you’re currently enjoying – this can describe a particular moment or feature, or simply talk about the game in general – and send it to us via email at nintendocommunity@nintendo.co.uk with the subject line "Player’s Voice". Alternatively you may enter via post by addressing your entry to "Player’s Voice, Nintendo UK Community Team, Nintendo UK, The Quadrant, 55-57 High Street, Windsor, SL4 1LP". If you’re entering via post, please remember to include a contact method so we can reach you should you win!}

_{Please click here for more information, and hopefully we'll be publishing a letter from you next month!}