September2015
Review Disney Infinity 3.0 (Wii U)
The Force is with it
This year's Disney Infinity game has a trump card in play, Star Wars. This, along with some triple-A development assistance from the likes of Studio Gobo, Ninja Theory and Sumo Digital adds up to an impressive overall pedigree. The game itself comes in the now-standard Starter Pack, although this year if you already have a...
October2014
Review Disney Infinity 2.0 (Wii U)
Marvel and the House of Mouse combine
Disney Infinity is back on Wii U with Marvel toys and adventures, expanded upgrades and harder difficulty levels. Less positively, Disney Infinity 2.0 drops Wii support and forces existing players to purchase another Starter Pack to access new Play Sets. The big ticket this year are the three headline Marvel...
September2013
Review Disney Infinity (Wii U)
Infinite possibilities, infinite potential
The first impression that some on the periphery have of Disney Infinity is that it can easily be written off as a direct copy of the Skylanders blueprint. In truth, what we have here is an action-adventure game that uses real-world figures and implements them in the video game as playable characters, which...
August2013
Review Disney's Planes (Wii U)
Plane sailing or just plane bad?
Disney's Planes — the movie, not the game — was originally intended to be a straight-to-DVD spin-off of the popular Cars franchise helmed by DisneyToon Studios instead of Pixar. Presumably Disney's executives looked at the release schedule for 2013 and decided it was looking a bit barren, because the movie was...
April2013
Review Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue (3DS)
Making a splash or a drop in the ocean?
Finding Nemo: Escape to the Big Blue's re-release would seem a little odd were it not for the fact that Finding Nemo is currently enjoying a second run at UK cinemas due to the wonders of 3D technology. Disney has clearly seen a good opportunity to improve its rate of return on the game — which was...
January2013
Review Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Wii U)
Port by numbers
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two should, on paper, be an excellent game. The original Wii-exclusive title showed a great deal of promise but flawed execution, so optimistic logic suggested that the sequel would resolve those issues and build on the strengths found in that début, making some Disney fans very happy. Not only...
December2012
Review Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two (Wii)
Golly gosh, Mickey
When Disney Epic Mickey arrived on Wii in time for the Holiday season in 2010, it attracted a lot of attention due to its concept and the development leadership of Warren Spector, one of the industry's most respected figures. Its relatively late arrival in the system's lifespan meant it pushed attractive visuals "for a Wii game",...
Review Disney Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion (3DS)
Mouse trapped
It takes a brave developer to tackle nostalgia head-on, even moreso when the original game was created by a completely different company and is considered one of the high points of an entire generation. For the first portable entry in the Disney Epic Mickey series, Dreamrift has peered back to the well-loved Mickey Mouse games of the...
October2012
Review Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure (3DS)
A royal pain
Disney has a long history of using video games to place its familiar characters into unfamiliar contexts, often mixing several disparate worlds together for the sake of effect. The best part? It quite often works. From Mickey Mouscapade to the Kingdom Hearts series to the upcoming Epic Mickey: Power of Illusion, it's usually great fun...
November2011
A dull new world
Disney Universe holds a great deal of promise. A game in which you can play as a large number of characters spanning Disney's rich and impressive history? Levels designed in honour of some of its most classic films? Multiplayer for up to four people simultaneously? Yes, yes, and yes. Which is why it's so disappointing that the...
May2011
Review LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Wii)
Pirates pillage the Wii
LEGO video games are plentiful on the Wii, and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean has arrived to claim its share of the spoils. Is this franchise another treasure in the series, or an empty chest? Fans will no doubt be delighted to see all of the films, including the latest release, included in this title. Playing through all four...
Review LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (3DS)
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...
March2011
JellyCar or SmellyCar?
JellyCar 2 is a tricky one. It's a quality driving-platforming game with a variety of content; and while that really should be all that matters, the fact is you can download the game for $4 cheaper on an iOS and get more content. Paying more for less stinks. That's obvious. But if the DSi is all you've got, the fact remains:...
January2011
Are you ready for this jelly?
Ports can be a tricky business. Change too much about beloved game and fans of the title will likely gripe, while not adding any new content earns the moniker “lazy port.” Still, lots of games on WiiWare have managed to straddle this fence successfully, like Lilt Line and Crystal Defenders, while others like Space...
December2010
Review Disney Epic Mickey (Wii)
A well painted canvas or a thin premise?
The very trademark of Disney itself, Mickey Mouse personifies the company's library of cartoon characters. How ironic then, that over the years Mickey himself has at times teetered on the brink of falling into the “Wasteland” of seemingly forgotten Disney characters no longer in use. In an effort to...
November2010
Review Disney Guilty Party (Wii)
Crime and funishment
The ideal Wii experience, as advertised, is that of friends and family members gathering around their sets and swinging their Remotes, no matter how old or young, and doing so together. It's unfortunate then that some developers seem content to target the desirable non-traditional players not as a legitimate, equally deserving...
April2010
Review Disney Fireworks (DSiWare)
All flash, no bang
Combining both loud noises and pretty colors (things we've been conditioned from birth to stare at in awe), there's something magical about a good fireworks display. Disney is well-known for the nightly shows put on at their assorted theme parks, and now their game-developing arm has brought the fun to the DSi Shop in the form of...
January2008
Review High School Musical: Sing It! (Wii)
Disney's unstoppable High School Musical franchise may represent permission to print money, but has the toe-tapping magic of the movies been retained for this Wii release?
In order to bring you the best Nintendo coverage we possibly can here at NintendoLife, we sometimes have to bite the bullet, pull up our socks and make some painful sacrifices...
April2007
Review Meteos: Disney Magic (DS)
Arguably the best DS puzzler in existence returns with a brand new appearance – but has this alliance with the House of Mouse sullied the game name of the series?
It’s never pleasant watching someone you admire sell out. Be it a band, sports personality or comedian, many of our heroes fall victim to the irresistible allure of cold, hard cash...
