July2018
Long haul flight
Everything from Go Vacation’s appearance, style, gameplay, and pure existence hark back to those strangely repetitive days of the Wii, where everyone and their cat was releasing a party-type sports game for Nintendo’s remote-waggling sensation. There’s good reason for that, too, as the game is an HD port of the original Go...
June2018
Review One Piece: Pirate Warriors 3 Deluxe Edition (Switch)
A Pirate's Life For Mii
In terms of sheer longevity, it’s hard to beat Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece. The long-running adventure started out as a manga in 1997 — still running today! — and along the way has picked up every form of cross-licensing known to humankind, with anime, video games, novels and even theme parks retelling the tale of Monkey...
May2018
Review Little Nightmares: Complete Edition (Switch)
A little bit Maw
Bestowed with a disquieting atmosphere and visual imagination, Little Nightmares makes a terrific first impression. A side-on platform-puzzler in the vein of Playdead’s exceptional Limbo and Inside - with a similarly dark palette - the game casts the player as Six, a nine-year-old girl who must navigate her way from the depths of...
Review Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Trilogy (Switch eShop)
Naruto on the Switch? Believe it!
Naruto and Nintendo have long been cozy with each other. The earliest Naruto games appeared some 15 years ago on the GameCube and Gameboy Advance, but the Ultimate Ninja series of Naruto games skipped Nintendo’s consoles in favour of other platforms, but all that has changed with the release of Naruto Shippuden:...
February2018
Review Pac-Man Championship Edition 2 Plus (Switch eShop)
I've got a fever, and the only prescription is more Pac-Man
In 1980, Pac-Man took the world by storm, introducing arcade players to an entirely new kind of gameplay style. The titular pill muncher went on to become a universally recognised icon of gaming, while also spawning numerous sequels and spinoffs to the inaugural debut over the decades that...
September2017
Review One Piece Unlimited World Red - Deluxe Edition (Switch)
Shōnen Switch
There aren’t many licensed properties that can claim to have a game on both the Bandai Wonderswan and Nintendo’s Switch, but that’s the case with Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece — this evergreen manga megahit has had a steady stream of video game adaptations over its 20-year-plus run, with One Piece Unlimited World Red - Deluxe...
Review Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 (Switch)
We gotta (portable) power
To those of us in the West it may not seem like it, but Dragon Ball and Nintendo have always been cozy. Nearly every Nintendo console, home or portable, has been host to at least one if not several Dragon Ball games. Unfortunately, the Wii U was one of the few Nintendo consoles not to receive a Dragon Ball game. Bandai aims...
Review Pokkén Tournament DX (Switch)
Nintendo used Double-Dip!
The unholy lovechild of Tekken and Pokémon, Pokkén Tournament caused quite a stir when it was first announced, yet Bandai Namco's one-on-one fighter exceeded expectations when it eventually arrived on the Wii U last year following a successful run in arcades. Given that almost all Pokémon games focus on...
July2017
Review Namco Museum (Switch eShop)
"It belongs in a Museum!"
With arcade hits such as Pac-Man, Galaga and Ridge Racer to its name, it's fair to say that Nakamura Manufacturing Company – better known as Namco – has a proud history behind it. Founded in 1955 with ride-on mechanical toys as its main focus, Namco would find global fame with the arrival of the arcade video game in the...
January2017
Review Dragon Ball Fusions (3DS)
Better together
There have been many Dragon Ball games over the years, and one universal truth exists: they seem to get better as time goes by. Early efforts on the SNES, Mega Drive, PlayStation and Saturn left a bad taste in the mouths of series fans, but lately Bandai Namco's Dragon Ball Xenoverse sub-series has redressed the balance neatly...
October2016
Review Disney Magical World 2 (3DS)
Disney World in your own home... sort of
What happens when you combine life in a fantasy world, lots of the most recognisable fictional characters on the planet, some bonus magic, sparkles and cheery songs into a tiny 3DS cartridge? Theoretically, the answer you're looking for is "success". Luckily in the case of Disney Magical World 2 this is also...
May2016
Review Lost Reavers (Wii U eShop)
Keeping up with the Indiana Joneses
Nestled away in the busy excitement of a Nintendo Direct last January, Bandai Namco first announced Project Treasure; a 4 player co-op title set to release exclusively for Wii U. With famed Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and a team of young developers on board, their admirable goal was to create a game that...
March2016
Review Pokkén Tournament (Wii U)
Nintendo used Smash Hit. It's super effective!
Pokkén Tournament: it's not quite what a select few may have imagined when they dared to concoct a Pokémon / Tekken crossover game in the recesses of their wildest dreams, but few had even considered such a ludicrous idea until it actually came to fruition. Nevertheless, it's a real thing that...
Review Dragon Ball Z: Super Butoden 2 (SNES)
Just Saiyan
Dragon Ball Z fever was very much a real thing in the '90s, but this blonde hair, Kamehameha-throwing insanity hit the UK and America much later than the rest of Europe. As such, it might still not be common knowledge that all four of Super Famicom's Dragon Ball Z one-on-one fighting games received PAL localization and distribution -...
February2016
Super Smash Zone
It's difficult to know what to expect out of such a massive crossover like Project X Zone 2. When one game includes characters, places and references to dozens of franchises from across five different companies, one must wonder whether there will be balance to all of the different parts at play. Fortunately, Project X Zone 2 pulls...
November2015
Review Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Waka-waka, or just plain wak?
If you were to download recent Virtual Console release Pac-Man 2: The New Adventures to your Wii U with no prior knowledge of what to expect, you'd be forgiven for anticipating a spot of maze-based pill-munching entertainment. In reality, this 'sequel' to arcade classic Pac-Man is a bizarre take on the point-and-click...
October2015
Review Dig Dug II (Wii U eShop / NES)
Dig in
The original Dig Dug was fairly popular, so naturally a sequel had to follow eventually. Dig Dug II ended up being not nearly as widespread as its predecessor, only seeing release in arcades and on the NES, so you'd be forgiven for not even knowing it existed! Dig Dug II takes a massive departure from the first game. True to its title that...
Review Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden (3DS)
Not so extreme
Outside of Super Smash Bros., it feels like there's something of a gap in the 3DS library when it comes to fighters, so the overseas arrival of Dragon Ball Z: Extreme Butoden is a welcome one. A 2D, sprite based brawler that features characters and storylines from the perpetually popular manga and anime property, it's a solid if...
May2015
Review Metal Marines (Wii U eShop / Super Nintendo)
Modern(ish) warfare
Strategy is a somewhat niche genre among gamers. While there have been excellent strategy games released on consoles - turn-based RPGs like Fire Emblem to the RTS-style Swords and Soldiers series come to mind - the gameplay has always lent itself more to the PC, where players can be more methodical and control units with relative...
April2015
Review Klonoa 2: Dream Champ Tournament (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Sweet dreams
Klonoa's never really gotten the recognition he deserves, has he? The floppy-eared hero's original adventure, released for PlayStation in 1997 and given a superb Wii remake in 2008, was an extraordinary 2.5D platformer that forced players to take a different perspective on the action. Following this, Klonoa got multiple releases on...
March2015
Review Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)
Bombs away
Originally an arcade game, the 1986 Namco NES title Sky Kid draws hard battle lines from the start, though exactly who the warring parties are is unclear. This quirky game is iconic of Namco's early days and even earned a song and a cameo in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. The action here is a combination of unforgiving and short,...
Review Pac-Attack (Wii U eShop / SNES)
When worlds collide
Originally a multi-platform release in 1993, Pac-Attack – otherwise known as Pac-Panic – was derived from Namco's arcade game released in the previous year, Cosmo Gang the Puzzle. On first glance, Pac-Attack may appear to be an average run-of-the-mill puzzle game with one of the prominent videogame characters of the time...
Review Mappy-Land (Wii U eShop / NES)
Cats vs. Mouse
Mappy, a plucky mouse detective, is one of many arcade game mascots lost to time, having only starred in a few games over the years. While the character has guest-starred in various Namco games over the years (and makes a clever cameo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS), the biggest role Mappy's had is in a web series from the...
February2015
Review Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+ (3DS)
On Cruise control
Ace Combat Assault Horizon Legacy+ is a slightly peculiar release - it's an arrival with little to distinguish itself from the original aside from New Nintendo 3DS-only features, yet it's naturally being marketed for the original portable models too. The additions are minor yet fun, so it feels rather like an update of content...
January2015
Review Penguins of Madagascar (3DS)
Likely to ruffle a few feathers
Everybody loves penguins, right? Well, judging by the success of the Madagascar movie spin-off Penguins of Madagascar it would seem so. The success of a family CGI movie almost certainly results in two things - more movies in the same vein, and a video game adaption for the franchise. Penguins of Madagascar is...