January2016
Review Lionel City Builder 3D: Rise of the Rails (3DS eShop)
A smooth ride
Oddly enough, there's a small trend of train simulator games coming to the Nintendo 3DS. Why developers prefer to put these on the portable console is anyone's guess, but there's a surprisingly large selection in the 3DS library considering the niche appeal of the genre. Lionel City Builder 3D: Rise of the Rails is the latest arrival...
April2015
Review Cube Creator 3D (3DS eShop)
A proper substitute for Minecraft?
It's a rather unfortunate reality that Minecraft has never made it to Nintendo platforms. The multi-billion dollar franchise has reached millions of people all over the world in the course of its run and it would seem to be a good fit for Nintendo platforms given its extremely approachable, yet deep gameplay...
August2014
Review Thorium Wars: Attack of the Skyfighter (3DS eShop)
Thor' real
It’s not that space shooters don’t exist on Nintendo systems, but there’s certainly not enough of them to keep cockpit-hopping fans from feeling parched. 3PM Games took advantage of this vacuum by releasing Thorium Wars on DSiWare and now, just like the alien antagonists of the series, it's back with Thorium Wars: Attack of the...
July2014
Review Strike Force Foxx (3DS eShop)
Get to the chopper!
Not to be confused with a certain furry-tailed Nintendo character, Big John Games' Strike Force Foxx is a helicopter rescue game starring humans. Heavily inspired by the 1982 computer game Choplifter, its retro roots show in its simple, action-oriented gameplay and tongue-in-cheek '80s action movie story. There is charm to be...
November2013
Review Ohno Odyssey (3DS eShop)
Ohno or Ohyes?
Everyone loves to play an epic adventure, but there's also a place for lighthearted, bite-sized gaming — especially when it comes to portable titles. Despite its "epic" title, Ohno Odyssey, a physics puzzler from Big John Games, offers a bite-sized experience with addictive trial-and-error gameplay and a fair amount of charm. While...
August2013
Review Smash Bowling 3D (3DS eShop)
Bumpier bowling
Smash Bowling 3D, the latest from Big Bass Arcade developer Big John Games, feels like a proof-of-concept for a potentially great bowling game. While the bowling simulation is fun while it lasts, the bare bones presentation and lack of variety in game modes ultimately bring down the experience. Big John Games has touted Smash Bowling...
June2013
Review Big Bass Arcade: No Limit (3DS eShop)
Fish it to the limit
Two years ago, Big John Games angled two fishing simulators towards Wii and DSi owners on the then current gen gaming consoles. It's now decided to take a leap upstream, diving headfirst onto the 3DS with Big Bass Arcade: No Limit. While this third entry in the series does well to live up to those that came before i, does it...
April2013
Review Working Dawgs: Rivet Retriever (DSiWare)
A dog's breakfast
Working Dawgs: Rivet Retriever is a platformer doomed to be forgotten. An uninspired follow-up to puzzle game Working Dawgs: A-maze-ing Pipes, every facet of this downloadable title succumbs to the dark side of video games, thoroughly beating down what simple enjoyment might be found in a side-scroller this basic. If the underlying...
March2013
Review Coaster Creator 3D (3DS eShop)
Layin' down tracks
Anyone who's ever stepped off of a roller coaster with a huge grin and an idea for a ride of their own will appreciate the immense appeal of Coaster Creator 3D's concept. It combines the classic video game experience of going really fast with the medium's unique ability to let you do things you wouldn't necessarily be able to in...
November2012
Review Working Dawgs: A-Maze-ing Pipes (DSiWare)
Working class
Taking a page almost directly from the book of Pipe Mania, the hilariously titled Working Dawgs: A-maze-ing Pipes is a puzzle game that involves moving water from one place to another using a complex series of tubes. If you've played this type of game before, then you know exactly what to expect, while newcomers to this particular form...
Review Spot It! Mean Machines (DSiWare)
I spy a decent game
At a glance, Spot It! Mean Machines is simply a collection of grainy photographs of piles of junk. If you continue to explore this title, you'll find that your initial assessment was astute, but you will also find that it’s amazing how much fun can be had while staring at these still images. If you’re a fan of classic Spot...
October2012
Review Kart Krashers (DSiWare)
A party worth krashing?
Kart Krashers has a plan to shake up the kart racing genre: keep the karts, erase the race. Sure, it sounds rather pointless, but stick with us. The basic idea is to drive your kart around arena-like courses, shooting for a high score by collecting stars and rings and taking out baddies. The "Krashers" in the name implies a...
December2011
Review Big Bass Arcade (WiiWare)
Cast from the past
Just six months back, Big John Games released Big Bass Arcade on DSiWare, offering up pick-up-and-play fishing action on the go. While the game certainly did what it said on the box, the overly simplistic design left us wanting a bit more content-wise. Enter Big Bass Arcade on WiiWare, a revamped port of that game offering updated...
July2011
Your own personal mixing board
Although the music/rhythm genre has fizzled a bit recently, we are still seeing a few releases here and there. And while Just JAM is nowhere nearly as deep or engaging as a Guitar Hero or Rock Band title, it does put quite a bit of musical direction in the palm of your hands via the Wii Remote and Nunchuk, but with a...
May2011
Review Big Bass Arcade (DSiWare)
Nice catch
Big Bass Arcade seems to be as good an adaptation as DSiWare can reasonably offer the sport. We say that not in a back-handed way, but knowing that whatever potentially horrible type of fishing game could have been released on DSiWare, Big Bass Arcade manages to break on through and be kind of fun anyway. True to its name, Big Bass is as...
December2010
Review Fantasy Slots: Adventure Slots and Games (DSiWare)
500 Point bandit
Gambling is fun. It must be. Millions of grandmothers and potential homeless people can't be wrong. But what, exactly, is fun about it? Is it the glitz of the casino? The pulsing energy of the crowd around you? The free drinks? The wandering magicians and entertainers? The risk? The rush of joy that comes with winning a particularly...
Review Spot It! Challenge (DSiWare)
Spot It or Ignore It?
Spot It! Challenge, if nothing else, has to be commended for making an incredibly boring idea (that's usually relagated to children's books that you'd find in the waiting room at the pediatrician's office) frantic and fun. At its core this is is still very much a portable version of the Spot It! search-and-find books on which...
August2010
Review Fantasy Slots: Adventure Slots and Games (WiiWare)
Eye roller
The Wii has sold brilliantly, more than even Mr. Iwata dreamt, due partly to its let's-get-up-and-have-fun image. Here comes Fantasy Slots: Adventure Slots and Games to prove that sitting down and pressing one button just isn't as much fun as it used to be. With eight variations of the slot machine on offer, each with a theme ranging from...
February2010
Home improvements needed
Mouse House is the latest game to make the jump from iPhone to WiiWare. Not all of these transitions are very successful, but Mouse House is a basic enough puzzle game that it survives the leap intact and without bringing any shame upon developers Plaid World Studios. Unfortunately, in the competitive WiiWare marketplace,...
October2009
One more proton and you'd be playing Protactinium Wars.
It's always refreshing (to us at Nintendo Life and also, we imagine, to you folks at home) when a game is released for WiiWare or DSiWare that fills a tangible gap, and the first thing you'll notice about Thorium Wars is that it's like nothing else available through DSiWare. That uniqueness...
