Punching Up: A Nintendo Podcast

Another March 10th has come and gone, bringing with it a slew of new Mario-related announcements from Nintendo. These include new NSO games, two release dates for upcoming titles, Lego sets, and confirmation of a sequel to the Super Mario Bros movie! Additionally, there is a plethora of new awards and nominations for Nintendo from both the BAFTAs and Famitsu. While Nintendo may be rounding out the...

Nintendo’s reputation for being an extremely litigious company continues. Over the past two weeks, their latest target was Yuzu, a popular Nintendo Switch emulator. While there has been legal precedent that emulation and game backups are legal, Nintendo makes the case that Yuzu has opened the floodgates for piracy, specifically citing that The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom was downloaded o...

Nintendo fans have received some bad news: Nintendo’s next console, originally expected to release later this year, has been internally delayed to early 2025. While the reasoning may be sound, pointing to creating a better lineup of launch games, it’s still disappointing for those of us who are waiting. In the meantime, though, Nintendo still has other things to show us in the here and now, most n...

It’s been a chaotic few days as major rumors surround Xbox and the exclusivity of their games. Initial reports pointed to a few select older games moving over to Switch and PlayStation, but it appears the floodgates are fully opening, marking what could be a major shift in Xbox’s strategy. While most of the conversation has been around what this means for their most direct competitor, PlayStation,...

In a very short amount of time, Palworld has exploded to become one of the biggest games of the year. Combining numerous elements of other successful games, it’s easy to see why it’s been appealing to so many. Despite the successes, there’s one area of the game that’s been called into question: the so-called 'Pals' themselves and their Pokémon counterparts. When does inspiration cross the line int...

Console exclusives have been the standard for decades. Purchasing a console granted you access to each manufacturer's lineup of exclusive games that you can't play anywhere else. Nintendo has adhered to this strategy since the very beginning and has maintained a firm grip on one of its most valuable assets. While Nintendo won't be changing its approach anytime soon, what about its competitors? A r...

It's hard to believe, but all signs point to the Nintendo Switch reaching the end of its life. Nintendo will most likely release a new console in 2024, marking the end of the little hybrid console. So, with 2024 being the time to look ahead, I (Dustin) thought it would be a great opportunity to reflect on the Nintendo Switch — the reveal, the release, the best and worst moments, and, of course, th...

Another year has come and gone, and the Game Awards once again proved to be a bit of a mixed bag. Nintendo won three different awards, only to have awkward acceptance speeches that felt rushed to the point of being disrespectful. Additionally, Fortnite is on top with millions of players and a slew of crossover IPs, but where's Nintendo? Thanks to a recent interview, it's clear that Epic has tried....

Originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1996, Super Mario RPG is back in 2023 with a full remake for the Nintendo Switch. While the graphics are completely remade, along with quality-of-life updates, pre-rendered cutscenes, and newly recorded music, the remake remains faithful to the aesthetic and feel of the original. So, what does the Punching Up crew think? In this episode, we dive deep i...

This Is Dustin. We have created a new episode of Punching Up and it’s ready for you to listen to right now. The Legend of Zelda movie is real, but there are some deep concerns. First, is live action the right approach for the franchise? Second, are the people attached to the project the right choice? Lastly, Nintendo has opted to make the film with Sony instead of their recent partner, Universal....

Nintendo can't seem to resist a gimmick with new hardware, and some recent patents show they may be up to their old tricks. The patents show a device reminiscent of the Nintendo DS, but with an extra screen on the outside shell. Could this be a glimpse into the future of Nintendo's hardware? Maybe not, as Nintendo, along with many other companies, loves to patent any idea for safekeeping. Even wit...

A new Mario game is always a call for celebration, and it appears that Super Mario Wonder is a fantastic game. While we haven't had a chance to play it yet, it seems like it's going to be one of the greats. But Mario isn't alone; Splatoon is getting a Special Halloween-themed Splatfest. As always, we're delighted to include your questions and comments in the show. What is the most underrated Ninte...

While we're only getting small crumbs of rumors and leaks about the successor to the Switch, there's always just enough to get our minds going on the possibilities. It's rumored that the device will feature cross-gen games with the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X, and even the new Far Cry could be a launch title. Our biggest question is, what are the compromises, and will they be as significan...

The Nintendo Direct makes clear that we are nearing the end of the Switch life cycle, but there's still a lot of meat on the calendar. It's a lot of remakes, rereleases and remasters like Luigi's Mansion 2 HD, Paper Mario A Thousand Year Door, and Mario vs. Donkey Kong, all strong signals that their big teams are working on new projects. But Princess Peach Showtime! shows that Nintendo is still ex...

Nintendo surprised us all this past week by giving us a deep dive into the highly anticipated new game, Super Mario Bros. Wonder. With details about new characters, game mechanics, and locations, there's a lot to look forward to. Is it possible that Nintendo could have another Game of the Year contender? Also, this week, there's a new NES-style Rugrats game coming, and unfortunately, the Suikoden...

For 30 years, Charles Martinet has brought Mario to life through his incredible voice. It's the end of an era with Nintendo announcing his departure from the role. It's not all bad news as Charles will step into a brand new role Nintendo is calling the "Mario Ambassador." So, what does this mean for Mario? Could Nintendo be looking to change up the voice of the character after the success of the M...

After what feels like years of speculation, we finally have our first substantial leak about Nintendo's next console. Video Game Chronicle has reported that the successor to the Switch is coming next year. While this is clearly exciting, there was also some concerning information in the leak. Nintendo could be reverting back to the LCD screen instead of the premium OLED screen found in the OLED Sw...

Pikmin 4 is finally out in the wild, and the Punching Up crew consists of a bunch of newbies! Despite being new to the IP, Pikmin 4 has really impressed us, and we have a lot to say about our early impressions of the game! Along with that, Nintendo once again is taking a firm stance against emulation by blocking the Dolphin emulator from coming to Steam. Is this a big deal, or was this always goin...

Welcome back to another episode of Punching Up! Nintendo has a spotty history of backwards compatibility. We've seen examples where they went above and beyond, like on the Wii with GameCube backwards compatibility, but also completely left the prior console behind, like NES to SNES. However, the world has changed, and we have a glimmer of hope that Nintendo is changing with it. Recently, during a...

Surprise! A Nintendo Direct was announced and aired, so naturally, we knew we had to cover it as soon as possible. So what were the heavy hitters? Nintendo is naturally leaning into the success of Mario with two new releases this year, a remake of the Super Nintendo Classic, Super Mario RPG, and a new 2D Mario called Super Mario Bros. Wonder. In addition, we got a new look at the upcoming Pikmin 4...

Nintendo is riding high on the massive success of the Super Mario Bros. Movie. Who wouldn't be thrilled after making billions of dollars? But, as with any triumph, the next question on everyone's mind is, what's next? The rumors are already swirling about a potential Legend of Zelda film. Unfortunately, these rumors suggest another collaboration with Illumination, the same team behind the Mario Mo...

The release of a new Zelda feels like an Olympic-level event. This release feels a little different due to the total domination not only in sales but also in cultural saturation. It feels like everyone is playing Tears of the Kingdom, and it makes sense since it sold 10 million copies in just three days. So, while we dive deep into the game once again, we are also lucky enough to have Gene, who in...

Welcome to Punching Up, a brand new Nintendo podcast from Last Stand Media! I (Dustin) am so excited to be doing this new show with an awesome lineup of co-hosts, including Gene Park, Dagan Moriarty, and Mama Micah! In our inaugural episode, we lay out what this show is all about, along with how it stays true to the Last Stand Media style while charting its own path. So, once all of the celebrator...