Scottish games journalist for over 15 years, formerly of Official Nintendo Magazine UK & CVG, now Features Editor at VGC. Gaming since the mid-'80s.
Review Arcade Archives Mario Bros. (Switch eShop)
Sibling rivalry
While we Switch owners continue to cross our arms and stamp our feet as we wait impatiently for the merest sniff of news regarding a Virtual Console service, it’s worth noting that Nintendo has given the nod for something that could be of greater importance to those with a keen interest in the company’s past. Hamster...
Review Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)
Welcome back
You know, there’s a reason why they call it 'Metroidvania' and not 'Castletroid'. As much as the Castlevania series took the whole ‘interconnected 2D map’ ball and ran with it over the past decade while Metroid fans had to do without, it’s Nintendo’s series that first defined the rules and, when handled properly, did it best...
Review Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition (Switch)
Everybody Loves Rayman
It’s funny how things come full circle. It may be hard to remember now, but way back at E3 2012 when Rayman Legends was first revealed, it was declared a Wii U exclusive. Any Wii U owners who were eagerly awaiting Legends will recall the frustrating events that took place over the year that followed: originally planned as a...
Review Sky Ride (Switch eShop)
Sky’s quite limited
When you first boot up Sky Ride, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d accidentally downloaded an early alpha version by mistake. After selecting it from your Switch home menu you get a brief loading screen and are then immediately presented with your character sitting there, ready to go with a basic title logo up in the...
Review Puzzled (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Blocking our enjoyment
Not all Neo Geo games are created equal. Although the majority of titles on SNK’s system offer great blasts of arcade goodness, there were also a number of Neo Geo games back in the day that didn’t quite meet the high standards set by other gems like The King Of Fighters or Metal Slug. Puzzled, sadly, is a perfect example...
Review Shock Troopers 2nd Squad (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Shock and slightly less awe
There are few games that enjoy the sort of cult status Shock Troopers does. As one of the few Neo Geo games that was only released in arcades and not the Neo Geo console as well, the original Shock Troopers wasn’t as widely played as the likes of Metal Slug and SNK’s various fighting games. Those who did manage to...
Review Magician Lord (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Casts ‘impedimentia’ too often
It’s funny how over the years some big titles can fade completely into obscurity. There’s a good chance most modern gamers will never have heard of Magician Lord, but back in the early ‘90s it was actually quite a well-known title. That’s because in the early days of the Neo Geo, Magician Lord was one of...
Review Fatal Fury 2 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Not quite Special enough
Back in the day, the power of the Neo Geo meant that SNK was the first publisher to release home console games that were over 100 Mb in size (that’s megabits, so around 12.5 MB). It commemorated this by launching the 100-Mega Shock series, which basically involved slapping a lovely splash screen at the start of any game...
Review The King of Fighters 2000 (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
The crown slips?
Although Hamster Corporation is doing God’s work by bringing a horde of classic Neo Geo games to the Switch, by this point it’s starting to become pretty clear that there’s no logical rhyme or reason to the order they’re being released. On the day the Switch launched in March we were treated to The King Of Fighters ‘98,...
