3DS Reviews - Page 6

Waka waka waka

Pac-Man and Galaga have provided 30 years worth of entertainment, coin shortages, hit songs and waka-wakas across the world, and to celebrate Namco has cooked up a number of presents for fans. One such present is Pac-Man & Galaga Dimensions, a six-layer cake iced with 3D. But instead of a tasty bakery delight, some dead bugs have...

"Anything I see in my mind, I cannot create"

The premise behind the superhero powers of the Lantern Corps, in which a Green Lantern can use their willpower to create solid green light constructs based upon anything they imagine, is a near impossible ability to recreate in a video game. It would take a brave developer to truly innovate in a game...

More is less

Whenever a title advertises a unique, never-before-seen element, the test of whether it's a true innovation or a simple gimmick largely comes down to whether it improves gameplay. DualPenSports is built around one such thing: two oversized plastic yellow styluses are included in the case. But, wait, the 3DS has a single-touch interface, meaning that it can only read a single touch at..

Transformers! Now with less transforming

When you think of Transformers, you likely recall the catchphrase “robots in disguise.” Autobots and Decepticons can go from behemoth robot to your average GMC in a heartbeat, able to fool unsuspecting eyes into thinking they are no more than your everyday automobile. So it seems a bit strange to then transform halfway back into a robot and dub your new..

Score-based survival horror

Resident Evil 4 was a real turning point for Capcom’s survival horror series. Prior to its launch, the franchise was in serious danger of losing its relevance, but the changes introduced in the fourth instalment did much to reassert its dominance of the genre. It's also notable as the birthplace of the popular...

Is it hip to be square?

The first generation of games for new hardware is a funny batch. Titles that may go overlooked once the software library is defined and rolling full-steam ahead get their chance to shine, partly because there isn't much else out yet and partly because people want to justify all that money just spent by not letting their new gadget collect dust. These games aren't necessarily..

Losing the way of the ninja

By publishing Tomy’s Naruto Shippuden 3D: The New Era, 505 Games is clearly counting on the popularity of the anime show outside of Japan. With over 200 episodes aired the show has accrued a loyal fan base, so it's hardly surprising that this 3DS entry has made it to European shores, with a US release later in the year. The question is, does this title reward fans with..

Smash Bros. Lite

Punching a Powerpuff Girl in the face is always a welcomed experience. So is hitting Dexter in the head with a giant candy cane, or drop-kicking Samurai Jack off of a cliff. In Cartoon Network Punch Time Explosion all these things happen and more, as numerous Cartoon Network franchises come together to duke it out in an Super Smash...

A masterful quest

The wait is finally over. When the 3DS was announced at E3 2010, one game announcement garnered the most attention from long-term Nintendo gamers: The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. With the promise of enhanced visuals and stereoscopic 3D, it didn’t take much to build up the hype. It is now here, with a variety of new...

Keeping the 2D brawlers alive and well

The catalogue of 3DS launch games has, arguably, been a mixed bag. Unlike the DS before it, however, the 3DS is quickly building a fantastic stable of fighting games with Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Dead or Alive: Dimensions; BlazBlue: Continuum Shift II is no exception. Until now, this stylish 2D brawler has been missing from Nintendo consoles, but..

Are you ready, kids?

Who lives in a pineapple under the sea? So begins the theme song to one of the longest-lasting cartoons to come along in some time, SpongeBob SquarePants, enjoyed by kids and adults alike for 12 years and running. But a license is only as good as the developer handling it, and luckily SpongeBob SquigglePants 3D comes to us courtesy of the more than capable WayForward..

A bad dream

Given the anaemic flow of 3DS games as of late, the mere fact that Dream Trigger 3D was a new release for the system after the initial launch caused a lot of gamers to sit up and take notice; toss in the fact that the game was a shooting title and things got even more interesting. While it looks like a wealth of unique ideas on paper, Dream Trigger ends up being a bit too frantic and..

The greatest LEGO pirate you’ve ever seen?

The LEGO series is becoming a prominent part of gaming culture, bringing new twists on mainstream franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter to fans. It is little surprise that Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean has signed up for the LEGO treatment, but is LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean a blockbuster or missing the vital pieces? As with..

Dead or Alive, you're coming with me!

The 3DS is the first console to bring us a glasses-free 3D experience, and now it's home to another genuine first: Dead or Alive: Dimensions is the first Dead or Alive game on a Nintendo platform in the series’ 15-year history, and it contains everything that's made the franchise so popular among fans and so...

Shogun fun or just ho-hum?

Tecmo Koei's Warriors franchise is a bit of a strange beast. While many entries in the series have garnered little critical acclaim, the games have a dedicated fanbase and continue to support the series after countless entries. It's no wonder, then, that the company decided to bring its hack-and-slash franchise to the 3DS...

Hold on to your butts

Indisputable fact: dinosaurs are awesome. Giant, majestic beasts who would just as soon munch a twig as rip your face off with their crazy teeth, they really have few equals on this planet in terms of sheer cool. Dragons and giant sharks are pretty rad too, but neither of those girls are clever enough to figure out a door...

Let’s do the time warp, again

If you’re a Nintendo gamer and have never seen a Rabbid before, you might be the only one. Whether you’ve bought the titles or not, these wacky critters have had a number of releases, of varying standards and styles, released on the Wii and DS. Their ubiquitous nature has made them mascots of sorts for Ubisoft, and the release of Rabbids 3D on the 3DS sees them..

Emerging from the shadows

The debut of the 3DS has seen a number of releases and ports tailored to show off 3D effects, with some perhaps coming up short in terms of depth and content, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D aims to set itself apart from the field. There is pedigree behind the development: the project lead, Julian Gollop, is...

Burst bubble

Bub and Bob may have started out capturing foes with their crazy dinosaur bubble breath by day and moonlighting as arcade puzzle game stars, but the latter of which we can only imagine to be the more lucrative field as it morphed into their full-time job. It's easy to see how this happened: Bust-A-Move/Puzzle Bobble is incredibly fun and addictive. So it's with mixed feelings that the..