February2023

July2022

March2022

January2022

July2021

  • Review Blaster Master Zero 3 - A Masterful Conclusion To The Trilogy

    What a blast

    Few could’ve guessed that a Blaster Master reimagining would’ve been one of the standout releases of the Switch launch window line-up, yet Blaster Master Zero proved to be a potently enjoyable take on the retro classic. Then, a couple of years later, Inti Creates opted to follow it up with an all-new sequel that built upon the ideas...

February2021

  • Review Gal*Gun Returns - A Mechanically Basic Yawn-Fest

    Absolute pants

    Inti Creates' 2011 on-rails ecchi shooter Gal*Gun, a bishōjo game that has only ever seen the light of day in Japan, finally makes its way onto western consoles in this remastered edition that comes complete with dolled-up visuals, full voice-acting and all previously released DLC. But does it improve on the decidedly-average Gal*Gun...

July2020

September2019

July2019

March2019

January2019

May2018

  • Review Bloodstained: Curse of the Moon (Switch eShop)

    Out with the new, in with the old

    Without context, Bloodstained: Curse Of The Moon sounds horrendous. A title that offers nothing other than a few words thrown together seemingly on a whim, it may as well just be another under the radar game that comes and goes without anyone realising. With context, however, it’s a sleeper hit that celebrates the...

April2018

  • Review Gal*Gun 2 (Switch)

    Bare-bones

    If you’re already a fan of the Gal*Gun series then you’ll likely have a pretty firm idea of what this game is all about; if you’re not, you’ll still probably have a pretty good idea based on the screenshots and artwork currently covering this page. Gal*Gun 2 is actually the fourth entry in this fantasy, over-the-top world, with a...

August2017

June2017

  • Review Mighty Gunvolt Burst (Switch eShop)

    A mighty burst of pixel platforming perfection

    In the vacuum left behind by the absence of Capcom’s popular Mega Man series, two major alternatives have sprouted up in an effort to take the top spot as the definitive run ‘n’ gun action platformer. These projects — created in parallel — have been headed by various staff that had a hand in...

March2017

October2016

  • Review Azure Striker Gunvolt 2 (3DS eShop)

    Electrifying, for the right player

    Azure Striker Gunvolt, released in 2014, played like a true successor to Mega Man, though with its own ideas at the forefront. Two years later we've received its sequel, Azure Striker Gunvolt 2. With the disappointing mediocrity of Mighty No. 9 just a few months ago fresh in everyone's minds, a project in which...

April2015

  • Review Mega Man Zero 3 (Wii U eShop / GBA)

    (Mostly) Zero changes

    After releasing the previous two Mega Man Zero titles and having them almost universally liked, it would've been crazy to end the series there; so, naturally, Capcom produced Mega Man Zero 3 for the Game Boy Advance. Just as before, the game follows the events of the previous instalments pretty directly. Picking up two months...

December2014

  • Review Shantae And The Pirate's Curse (Wii U eShop)

    More like a blessing

    While WayForward has been working away on the crowd-funded Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, which will be released on every platform under the sun, it hasn't forgotten its Nintendo roots. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the final game of the "original" series, wraps up the storyline started in the original Game Boy Color title and...

  • Review Mighty Gunvolt (3DS eShop)

    Mighty good mini

    First appearing as a free download to those who purchased the exceptional Azure Striker Gunvolt on the 3DS eShop, Mighty Gunvolt is a run-and-gun platformer from the mind of Keiji Inafune and produced by Inti Creates. Aiming for an old-school vibe, it’s no surprise that this new title from one of gaming’s pioneers feels a lot...

September2014

March2013

  • Review Naruto: Powerful Shippuden (3DS)

    He's a laugher, not a fighter

    The first thing that's going to strike you about Naruto: Powerful Shippuden is the super deformed art style. After all, Namco Bandai has plastered it everywhere, so it must be quite proud of how it turned out. That's probably a smart move, because the visuals rank among this game's main strong points. It's only when you...

September2008

  • Review Mega Man 9 (WiiWare)

    The Blue Bomber is back - but has this trip down memory lane been worth the wait?

    There's no denying that the NES Mega Man series was a huge hit for Capcom during the 8-bit era. The games enjoyed mammoth success for Capcom and probably single-handedly sold many an NES console in the process. Although the series and its spinoffs have continued to...