Welcome to Episode 147 of Nintendo Therapy, your weekly dive into Nintendo news, rumors, and everything happening across the worlds of Hyrule, the Mushroom Kingdom, and beyond. This week we kick things off with the big story: Nintendo finally released official photos of the live-action Zelda movie, and reactions are all over the place. Kevin talks through why Zelda is such a tough series to adapt into a film in the first place — from its puzzle-driven structure to its constantly shifting art styles — and why live-action may box the franchise into something it was never meant to be. We also get into the big questions: Will Link talk? Will the movie rely on Marvel-style climaxes? And can any adaptation really capture exploration and discovery the way the games do?
Harrison shares his first impressions as well, including why he’s hopeful but cautious, how the film can stand out in a crowded fantasy landscape, and why practical effects would’ve made a huge difference. We wrap up our Zelda talk with thoughts on how Nintendo Studios is positioning itself, what the future might hold, and whether the franchise is headed toward TV rather than film.
From there, we jump into our weekly game segment, “Guess Which Year This Black Friday Deal Is From?”, where we revisit wild Wii doorbusters, classic 3DS bundles, and the nostalgic chaos of early Switch holiday ads. That leads straight into our massive Black Friday 2025 Nintendo deals roundup, covering the best Switch 2 discounts, surprisingly deep price drops on Switch 1 titles, standout eShop specials, and collector-friendly physical releases. We highlight the biggest bargains, the strangest markdowns, and which deals are likely to get even better over the holiday weekend.
We also take a closer look at the unusual release schedule for late 2025 and early 2026. With a big 6–8 week gap after December 11th, we talk about why Nintendo might be holding back, what shadow-drops or remasters could fill the space, and what to expect from the almost-certain January Nintendo Direct. From potential Zelda remasters and Xenoblade ports to Switch 2 upgrade patches for major first-party games, there are a lot of possibilities for how Nintendo might keep momentum going into the new year.
This episode also features our spotlight section covering two standout Genesis titles: Vectorman and Pulseman. We dig into why Vectorman still looks so good today, how Sega pulled off its “vector piece” animation tricks, and why its late-era Genesis style has aged into something retro-cool. Then we jump to Game Freak’s electric platformer Pulseman — a game released in the U.S. only through the Sega Channel — and explore its fast movement, anime-influenced identity, experimental mechanics, and the early design DNA that eventually carried over into Pokémon.
We wrap up with some final thoughts on the Zelda movie and a look at the surprise shadow-drop of Tomb Raider 2013 on the eShop, which sparks a conversation about what other remasters might be quietly waiting in the wings.
Nintendo Therapy is part of the Sidepanel Network, and you can also catch Harrison’s weekly show on Harrison Talks Pod. Thanks for hanging out with us — and feel free to drop your Zelda movie hopes, fears, or jokes in the comments.
