Latest Previews
April2017
Preview Battle Mode is Back On Form in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Back with a vengeance
We had one major complaint with Mario Kart 8 when we reviewed it on Wii U - its so-called Battle Mode was lazy and barely worth a look. It simply took place on Grand Prix tracks, so you'd drive around unaware of where your foes were (as a track map wasn't added until a post-launch update), which was a vacuous and pointless...
March2017
First Impressions Splatoon 2 - What We Learned About Weapons, Visuals and Controls
A step up on Nintendo's latest hardware
Over the past few days Nintendo Switch owners had a chance to try out Splatoon 2 in its first Global Testfire. There's no firm release date for the colourful shooter as yet, and much about it remains a mystery; as a result it's not unreasonable to wonder whether it was simply the first Global Testfire with...
February2017
Hands On Striking a Chord with Yooka-Laylee
UPDATE: Switch version reconfirmed, coming "very soon"
UPDATE: Mere moments after we published this feature, it was confirmed during the Nindie Direct that the Switch version of Yooka-Laylee will be launching "very soon" and will feature all of the game's multiplayer modes. ORIGINAL STORY: The employees over at Playtonic have been through a lot to...
Preview Immersing Ourselves in the World of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A potential game changer
Nintendo faced a big challenge when developing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Primarily a Wii U project, since Summer 2014 series producer Eiji Aonuma has spoken of the most ambitious title yet in the franchise, of an open world that's truly alive and fantastical. Some remarked that we'd heard bold statements...
Preview Nintendo Switch Hands-On: UI, Size, Mii Maker, Micro SD Cards And More
Take a tour of Nintendo's new console
March 3rd is hurtling towards us and with it comes that most tantalising of promises: fresh Nintendo hardware. The Switch is just a matter of days away but we've been lucky enough to spend a substantial amount of time with the new hybrid console, putting it through its paces to give you - our dear readers - an...
Hands On Trying Out the Nintendo Switch on its Public Tour
The UK console tour comes to Manchester
Whilst we're counting down the final two weeks before the Nintendo Switch launches on March 3rd, Nintendo has been hosting special hands-on events in which the public can get their first experiences with the console and several of its games. We managed to grab ourselves some tickets for the first of the three...
Hands On Creating a Quest in RPG Maker Fes
World-building
It's no secret that the 3DS is an RPG paradise, with new entries in both fresh and familiar franchises coming out faster than most fans can keep up with. It's an almost infinite bounty of adventure. But could it be more infinite? Enter RPG Maker Fes. A portable version of the long-running RPG-creation toolkit that lets players...
January2017
First Impressions Feeling Young Again With Sonic Mania
A delicious blend of the retro and modern
On occasions in the past we've bemoaned Nintendo's tendency to shut down work by talented independent developers remixing and re-imagining their games, when an alternative is to embrace them. Capcom did this with the quirky free PC release of Mega Man X Street Fighter, which was fun if a tad flawed, but SEGA...
First Impressions Getting Some Laps In With FAST RMX
The popular racer makes the switch
FAST Racing NEO was easily one of the best indie titles on the Wii U; in our review we referred to it as one of the few titles that is "...able to stand to-to-toe with Nintendo's first-party offerings." Unfortunately it didn't get the level of attention it deserved due to being released on a console with such a...
First Impressions Getting Strategic in Disgaea 5 Complete
Layin' the smackdown on jabronies
One of the most unexpected titles coming to Nintendo Switch is Disgaea 5 Complete, a tactical RPG in the vein of genre classics like Final Fantasy Tactics. We spent quite a bit of time with the game at Nintendo's New York Switch event, and came away quite impressed with the port. If you haven't heard of the Disgaea...
Preview Feeling Warm and Fuzzy With Poochy & Yoshi's Woolly World
This is how 3DS ports should be done
In recent times we've seen a very deliberate attempt by Nintendo to broaden the audience for key Wii U titles through 3DS ports. Hyrule Warriors Legends set the tone, and then Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS gave an offline spin on the home console title. In both cases the ports had tweaks to suit the...
First Impressions Revisiting Hyrule in Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch
Link has never looked this good
Steve Bowling and Narelle Ho Sang collaborate their thoughts on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on Nintendo Switch. At E3 2016, Nintendo showed little from upcoming games in the Wii U's twilight year. Understandable given the Switch was on the horizon, and details were still under wraps. Instead, the...
First Impressions Taking Aim in The Colourful World of Splatoon 2
Ink or sink
2015 was a funny time for Nintendo, against all the nay-sayers and all the 'Nintendoomers' the company managed to successfully re-evaluate what makes a shooter tick with Splatoon. Now it's at it again with the aptly named Splatoon 2 - sadly not Spla2oon - and we thought we should sit down to ink out the details of the preview event demo...
First Impressions 1-2-Switch is an Ideal Pack-In Game That's Missing Its Chance
Milking the release
The Joy-Con controllers are a key part of the Switch appeal. Though the core mechanic of 'switching' between the TV and portable play is right there in the name, Nintendo's messaging has put plenty of stock in the controllers and what they can bring to the party. As we outlined in our Hands On write-up on the Nintendo Switch, the...
First Impressions Round One With Ultra Street Fighter II On Nintendo Switch
Evil and Violent
Many modern-day Street Fighter fans cut their teeth on the Super NES version of Street Fighter II, the fighting game by which all others continue to be measured even to this day. It's therefore fitting that 25 years later, Capcom is releasing a new version for the Nintendo Switch. We were on-hand to play the latest entry in both...
First Impressions Going Hand-to-Hand With ARMS
Fun with fisticuffs
One of the biggest surprises during Nintendo's Switch Presentation was ARMS, a new one-on-one fighting game directly from The Big N in which you slug it out with springy, stretchy arms. We had the opportunity to spend some time with it at Nintendo's New York Switch event; we're not 100 percent sold, but there's no denying this...
First Impressions Explosive Action in Super Bomberman R
Bombs away!
One of the more pleasant surprises to come out of the weekend's Nintendo Switch announcements is Konami's Super Bomberman R. This pick-up-and-play title will be ready for the Switch's launch, and looks to be very charming, fun and accessible. For those unfamiliar with the 33-year-old franchise, Bomberman is a series in which the title...
First Impressions A Switch Surprise - Cutting Snipperclips Down to Size
A potential gem for the launch month
If this writer is pressed on his favourite game from the Nintendo Switch preview event, it isn't one of the big-hitters. Some of them were grand, for sure, but tucked away in a corner - somewhat unloved in the shadow of the section for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - was Snipperclips - Cut it out,...
First Impressions Back on Track with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Switching gear
Given that a number of gamers who pick up the Nintendo Switch may not have owned a Wii U, it makes a lot of sense to have Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in the launch window for the new system. Not only is it one of the most fun games on the Wii U, but it has also been the best-selling too — with over eight million copies sold worldwide...
Hands On Putting the Nintendo Switch Hardware Through Its Paces
We consider its features, build and general performance
As you're no doubt aware, press events are currently taking place to showcase the Nintendo Switch, with some also open to the public this weekend. We attended the London event and took the opportunity to put the hardware through its paces, testing out its varied control options and functions...
December2016
News Nintendo UK Opens Contest to Attend Nintendo Switch Preview Event
Check your email
Nintendo of America has started to give My Nintendo members in some areas a chance to get tickets for a Switch preview in early January, and now Nintendo UK is getting in on the act. An email newsletter being sent out now to UK users offers a simple prize draw to get a place at a Switch event in London on 14th or 15th January. A...
Preview Running Wild in Super Mario Run
Born to run?
Considering the fact that the Super Mario series started out as a precision platformer, it seems mad to think that this formula could translate into a mobile app with only a single input. As such we picked up the game with few expectations and a healthy dose of scepticism, but thankfully our fears were allayed. Super Mario Run has...
November2016
Preview Getting Creative in Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
Making it to the small time
When Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS was revealed recently in a Nintendo Direct, it wasn't necessarily surprising. Nintendo has seen some top notch titles achieve only modest sales on Wii U, and where possible is clearly looking to get stronger results through the larger userbase of the 3DS. This, along with Poochy...
October2016
Hands On Pokémon Sun and Moon - Special Demo Version
Demonstrative indeed
Demos have come an awfully long way over the years, even to the point where these bite-sized chunks can be considered full games in their own right; you only have to look at the Bravely series to know what we're talking about. So it was no surprise when Nintendo announced the arrival of a demo for the upcoming Pokémon Sun &...
Hands On Checking Out A New Generation In Pokémon Sun and Moon
Talking 'bout our generation
From the off it's clear that here's been a tremendous level of effort from Game Freak to make Pokémon Sun and Moon another notable evolution of the Pokémon series; whilst the jump from Black and White to X and Y was like a Bulbasaur becoming an Ivysaur, the jump to this generation is more like a Magikarp becoming a...
September2016
Hands On A Blast From the Past With Gurumin 3D: A Monstrous Adventure
Monster Masher
You're probably not alone if you've never heard of Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure. First released as a PC game way back in 2004 and a PlayStation Portable title shortly after, Gurumin has stayed largely off the map since its initial launch. Despite the favourable reviews that it received, this action-adventure RPG never saw a sequel,...
Hands on Getting Down With Chicken Wiggle
An unlikely pairing, together at last
We recently reported on the disbandment of indie developer Renegade Kid and followed it up with an interview featuring both founding members, Jools Watsham and Gregg Hargrove. As part of their surprisingly amicable split, both devs have already formed new teams and star
Preview Singing and Dancing in Disney Magical World 2
"Oh boy!"
Cast your mind back to approximately two years ago and you may remember the release of Disney Magical World, a 3DS simulation game similar in style to titles such as Animal Crossing: New Leaf but set – completely unsurprisingly – in a Disney universe. Rush yourself back to the present and here we are with a sequel on the horizon –...
Preview Being Fashionably Late With Mario Party: Star Rush
A good workout for the A button
The Mario Party series has, believe it or not, had a relatively interesting history. Despite being a minigame series that most don't take too seriously, it prompted injuries and glove distributions on N64, was developed by Hudson Soft for a long time until that studio went out of business, and nowadays attracts...
First Impressions Monster Hunter Stories Borrows Liberally From Iconic Nintendo Franchises
And it's not afraid to show it
Nintendo didn't show up to the Tokyo Game Show this year - it rarely does - but that didn't stop Capcom from bringing one if its most popular franchises on the 3DS along. In fact, Monster Hunter Stories was one of the only Nintendo exclusive games prominently displayed. Fitting, because playing the game felt like an...
Preview Buckets Of Fun With Paper Mario: Color Splash
Colour us impressed
Paper Mario: Color Splash is one of the Wii U's last major releases of the year, and by all accounts it should be cause for some real excitement among fans. It's the latest entry in a series that's filled with humour, character, charm and amazing environments, with an interesting new paint mechanic to keep things fresh. Our time...
Preview Taking the Temperature of Sonic Boom: Fire & Ice
It's not a bust
When you say 'Sonic Boom' to a Wii U owner that wants the best for SEGA's veteran mascot, they may react in any number of ways - they could turn red and embark on an explosive rant, they may quietly cry in a corner, or potentially just stare vacantly into the distance, their gaze devoid of all hope. That's the fault of Sonic Boom:...
July2016
Hands On Painting a Clearer Picture of Paper Mario: Color Splash
"This is more of an adventure game"
There was an elephant in the room inside of Nintendo's off-site Comic-Con Nintendo Play Lounge. Not to be confused with a small stage shaped like an oversized Nintendo 3DS console, or the mammoth, room-sized inflatable Kirby set up to greet guests, this elephant took the shape of a video game kiosk. The game was...
Hands On Squashing Space Pirates in Metroid Prime: Federation Force
Insane in the Mother Brain
It's safe to say the general - or at least loudest - response from Metroid fans upon the reveal of Metroid Prime: Federation Force was one of disappointment. One year on and things have calmed down a little bit, but is there enough in this game to sway those who spoke so strongly against it at E3 2015? First and foremost...
Hands On How Will the "Open World" Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Suit a Traditional Gamer?
Anthony Dickens feels too old to play in a sandbox
I'd consider myself to be quite a traditional gamer; I tend to prefer games that have a simple core structure and a finite length. Now in my 30's I've found that whilst getting older has many benefits it has also restricted the amount of time I spent playing games, typically an hour or two here and...
First Impressions Exploring Whether Toad is a Fungi in Mario Party Star Rush
Getting the party started
Mario Party Star Rush was one of only a few new Nintendo announcements out of E3, with Ever Oasis by Grezzo (due in 2017) being the other major reveal. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was arguably a reveal too, but that was perhaps more of an unveiling, as it's a game we'd known about for around two years before it...
First Impressions Looking Back With Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past
The old and the new
There are a small group of titles coming to the 3DS in 2016 that will target a broad audience, but one Summer release in particular has engaged a dedicated group of RPG fans - Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past. The wait for localisation certainly made some rather unhappy, especially in Europe where the PS1...
June2016
Hands On Painting the Walls Red with Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night
Oh, it's good. Very good.
Back in 1997, Koji Igarashi made gaming history with the extremely successful Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. The reason that Castlevania shares half of the name with "Metroidvania", Symphony of the Night was lauded for its fantastic art direction and intricately designed castle. Later on, the formula established by...
Preview Over-Sized Swords and Athletic Finesse in Monster Hunter Generations
Bigger and more monstrous than ever
When a series gets to a decade old it naturally becomes ripe for experimentation and evolution, as fans crave fresh gameplay and executives dream of bigger sales. It's no surprise, then, that Monster Hunter Generations dabbles with a range of new ideas that allow players to approach the hunt in different ways...
Hands On Exploring Blocky Worlds with Cube Creator 3D's New Update
Better with friends
Cube Creator 3D launched a little over a year ago for the 3DS, in a time when Minecraft on Nintendo systems was nothing but a pipe dream. We liked the game then and we still like it now, but the development team hasn't been content to simply rest on its laurels and leave the project as is. A free update is due out for Cube...
First Impressions Working the Lands in Story of Seasons: Trio of Towns
Meanwhile, back at the ranches
This year's E3 was notable for many reasons, but for farming sim fans the bumper crop of 3DS agricultural adventures on display was one of the best. Along with the internally-developed Harvest Moon: Skytree Village at Natsume's booth, there was also the latest game in the Bokujō Monogatari series (formerly localized...
Hands On Dealing Death by a Thousand Cuts with SEVERED
The latest from DrinkBox Studios
Many of you will no doubt recall Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, a wildly inventive and colorful 2D Metroidvania that set the eShop alight when it released back in 2014. We absolutely loved it, and if early impressions are anything to go by, it seems as though DrinkBox Studio's next game - coming to...
Hands On Skylanders Imaginators Brings Crash To Wii U For The First Time
Family Gamer TV's Andy Robertson gets back in touch with a gaming icon
Getting hands on with Skylanders Imaginators at E3 was something of a revelation. We had heard a lot about the character creator before the event but it wasn't until we tried it for ourselves that it became apparent just how in-depth and flexible this is. The interface works...
First Impressions Cowering in Fear in Corpse Party on 3DS
The kids aren’t alright
With Shantae and Story of Seasons filling XSEED's E3 booth with so much colour and cheer this year, there was one title that stood out starkly with its bloodstained logo and bleak look: Corpse Party on the 3DS. This inimitable Japanese indie horror game has been scaring people silly in various forms since 1996, and is now...
Hands On Waiting for the End of the World in Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse
In like Flynn
While Atlus' booth at E3 this year was decked out from top to bottom in Persona 5's deep red regalia, tucked in between artwork of the Phantom Thieves and attendees swarming for swag was a single splash of neon green, representing a hidden gem for 3DS gamers: Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse. This upcoming RPG is a sequel of sorts to...
First Impressions Kicking It With Kunio-kun in River City: Tokyo Rumble
Return of the King
If you're a retro fan, chances are you've come across at least one game in the longstanding Kunio-kun series. Running steadily for the past 30 years in Japan and localized under such varied names as Renegade, River City Ransom, Street Gangs, Crash 'n The Boys, and Double Dragon, the series has been incredibly prolific and...
First Impressions Going Under the Gavel With Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney - Spirit of Justice
No objections here
Nestled between the rowdy Street Fighter V stage and a rather impressive Monster Hunter airship at Capcom's E3 2016 sat an orange-tinted oasis of calm, in the Tibetan-esque temple of justice dedicated to Phoenix Wright's latest lawyerly adventure: Ace Attorney: Spirit of Justice. We had the chance to go hands-on with a 20-minute...
Hands On Embracing Freedom in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Where even the smallest details can surprise Zelda veterans
In our third and final hands on preview of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from E3, Alan Lopez breaks down what makes it a unique new direction for the series. Links to our previous write-ups by Morgan Sleeper and Mitch Vogel can be found at the end. To really understand the...
Hands On Whipping Hair Back and Forth in Shantae: Half-Genie Hero
Half-genie, all hero
WayForward's popular half-genie mascot hasn't starred in a game in since 2014's Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, and now the wait for her next adventure is nearly over. Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is due to arrive both digitally and physically this Fall, kicking off something of a new beginning for the series. Given that the...
Hands On Taking a Deep Breath with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A fresh, new approach
In our second Hands On piece for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Mitch Vogel shares his analysis of the demo experiences offered at E3. You can find a link to our first article by Morgan Sleeper at the end, while Alan Lopez will pitch in with his thoughts in our third impressions piece very soon. When Nintendo made...
Hands On Digging into Harvest Moon: Skytree Village
Getting back to the land
With its giant inflatable tree, pastoral picket fences and fully-stocked stables of farm-animal plushies, Natsume's booth at this year's E3 represented a rustic respite from the show floor madness, and we happily headed down to the farm to check out its newest title: Harvest Moon: Skytree Village. This latest is Natsume's...
Hands On Wide-Open Wanderlust in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Legendary
Instead of the open-floor plan filled with dozens of demo kiosks we've come to expect from its showings, Nintendo's booth at E3 this year looked rather different, featuring a single space shielded from the rest of the showfloor and dedicated to a single game: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. While it may have seemed like an odd...
April2016
Preview Mechanised Cuteness in Kirby: Planet Robobot
A gem from HAL
Occasionally Nintendo reveals a game out of the blue with a nearby release date, reminding us of the company's ability to deliver delightful spontaneity. Kirby: Planet Robobot is one such release, announced in the early March Nintendo Direct and all set for an early June release in the West. Having sampled what it's offering over a...
Preview Star Fox Guard Just May Be the Scariest Game of 2016
No, really
Star Fox Guard is a strange spinoff of a beloved franchise, taking on an entirely unorthodox gameplay loop for Fox and friends. You can glean as much from a quick peek at screenshots and videos. What you won't see in your fancy screenshots and schmancy videos is just how much Guard is secretly a horror game. Nintendo Life, we hear you...
Preview Preferring the Air in Star Fox Zero
Well, Alex does
It's been the best part of a decade since we last received an original title in the Star Fox series, a time only briefly broken up by the release of the admittedly excellent Star Fox 64 3D. It feels like this entry could be make or break for these anthropomorphic adventures in space, so can Star Fox Zero meet the lofty expectations...
March2016
Feature Getting Friendly in Surprising Ways With Miitomo
Knowing Mii, Knowing You
The pressure has been on Nintendo for many years from some fans (and not to mention shareholders) to create games and apps for smart devices. It resisted for quite some time but a partnership with DeNA was announced in early 2015; thoughts of a Mario endless runner sprang to mind, but Nintendo's first entry into the crowded...
February2016
Preview Hyrule Warriors Legends Takes The Battle On The Road
Smaller in stature, but not in spirit
On paper at least, Hyrule Warriors Legends is a solid business decision. As the 3DS enters its twilight years (no pun intended) AAA software is becoming increasingly hard to come by, and seeing as Koei Temco's Warriors engine already exists on the handheld, Hyrule Warriors is, on face value, a pretty...
First Impressions Finding Ojipockles Is More Addictive Than You Might Assume
Hands on with the mobile title that's coming to 3DS
Yesterday's news that Bandai Namco is bringing Appliss' Android and iOS title Finding Ojipockle! to the 3DS was something of a surprise, mainly because the game had completely passed under the radar of a great many people, despite already being freely available on the Google Play store. Featuring...
Preview Punching Pikachus in Pokkén Tournament
Electrifying
Having been available as an arcade game in Japan for some time, Pokkén Tournament is at last making its way to Western shores on the Wii U. Unlike Super Smash Bros., Nintendo's previous collaboration with Bandai Namco, this title takes a much more traditional approach to the fighting genre. You're tasked with knocking out your opponent...
Hands On Searching for Clues in Detective Pikachu: Birth of a New Duo
It's elementary
Joe Serebii Merrick goes hands on with the intriguing eShop release that recently arrived in Japan. Back in October 2013, when the NHK television show The Professionals focused on The Pokémon Company President, Tsunekazu Ishihara, it showed him going through the early work for two titles. One title became Pokémon Link! Battle on...
Preview Looking for the Light in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
We sense a true adventure
This has been the generation of The Legend of Zelda remasters, with two Nintendo 64 titles on 3DS and one GameCube HD release. Following The Wind Waker HD we now have GameCube / Wii title The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD, which has the tricky task of kicking off the 30th Anniversary of the franchise. It's also...
January2016
Hands On Crossing Over With Project X Zone 2
A character bonanza
When Project X Zone was originally announced, the news came somewhat out of left field. The massive crossover was an RPG lover's dream, featuring characters and content from three popular and prolific companies. The final result was a success, though there were some complaints to be had with the basic gameplay structure,...
Hands On Finding Work and Adventure in Bravely Second: End Layer
Any game with a Catmancer is on our radar
Bravely Default was an interesting title for Square Enix to release, as it was a classic Final Fantasy-style game in essentially all but name. Though it featured many well-trodden JRPG tropes, it mixed these in with modern gameplay standards and conveniences that made the experience all the more enjoyable...
Hands On Seeking an Awakening in Fire Emblem Fates
Now with feet
Though it was unknown to gamers at the time, Fire Emblem: Awakening was something of a last ditch effort by the development team to make the tough SRPG series a sales success. Failure to do so would've resulted in the series suffering the perma-death that so many of its characters have experienced. Diamonds can only be created in high...
November2015
Hands On Getting Pinned Down By Nintendo Badge Arcade
Down the bunny hole
We will try our best not to associate the free-to-start Nintendo Badge Arcade with drug use - even if the first sample is free it's easy to get hooked, and visions of pink rabbits will fill your life more the farther you go into it. The Badge Arcade is perfectly legal, for one, and its pink rabbit will not whisper at you to burn...
Preview Getting Lost in the World of Xenoblade Chronicles X
That's a positive, mostly
When an individual has spent well over a hundred hours of their life playing Xenoblade Chronicles and Xenoblade Chronicles 3D, there's an initial instinct that jumping into the enormous world of Xenoblade Chronicles X will be like putting on a big woolly jumper. Sure, it's larger and less snug, but it's also warm, inviting...
Preview Crossing Over With Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam Bros.
A real page-turner
Transforming a platformer into an RPG never did seem like an easy recipe for success, but somehow the Mario series has caught this rare form of lightning in a bottle not only once, not only twice, but three times over. The classic SNES title Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars established a winning formula of comedy,...
October2015
Preview Hitting the Courts in Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Called out
Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash is one of a couple of key Holiday releases on the Wii U, fitting snugly into being familiar, accessible and inviting for families, in particular. As it has Mario in the title and is a 'wacky' sports game there's certainly the prospect that it could win over a few households for some multiplayer fun over the...
Hands On Learning to Enjoy Death in RIVE
Two Tribes isn't cute and cuddly any more
Two Tribes, prior to its closure and restructuring in early 2014, had a broad range of games and genres both developed in-house and as part of its publishing arm. Toki Tori was the best known of its titles, a cute - albeit tricky - puzzler that branched out across consoles and smart devices. The company's...
Hands On Aperion Cyberstorm is Bringing a Welcome Slice of Twin-Stick Shooting Action to Wii U
We play, and play, and play, in the score chasing mode
Sometimes we get an interesting perspective - based on our readership at least - of what 'clicks' with the eShop audience and what doesn't. Some games get a lot of buzz right off the bat while other equally deserving games continue to be largely overlooked. At times reasons can be discerned but,...
September2015
Preview Fabulous Fashion and Questionable Game Design in The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes
It's frustrating to go alone...
The Legend of Zelda: Tri Force Heroes is now less than a month away, but there's certainly a perception that it's struggling to generate the usual Zelda hype levels. It's the nature of spin-offs, with similar vibes about Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer - it's not that Nintendo fans have no interest, but there's a...
Hands On Reaching the Depths of Space in SteamWorld Heist
We dive into an extended play session with the 3DS title
SteamWorld Heist is certainly one of the most anticipated releases heading to the 3DS eShop this year, coming to the portable first ahead of a slew of HD iterations. The success of SteamWorld Dig on the portable was an integral part of Image & Form's recent momentum, with numerous ports...
Hands On Digging Deeper With Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
An explosive addition
The new Shovel Knight expansion has finally dropped, and while it may not be an entirely new game in the Shovel Knight franchise it still brings enough new content and ideas that it warrants a sort-of-review. Remember, this expansion is entirely free with the game, we're just going to share our thoughts on it and how it differs...
Hands On Popping Wheelies In Pumped BMX+
Becoming the raddest & baddest
Curve Digital is a publisher and developer that rarely fails to impress, and when we were invited down to its HQ to play a new title it's bringing to the Wii U we couldn't refuse. Pumped BMX+ is a game not dissimilar to OlliOlli, a previous title from Curve, the difference being that this time not only are you riding...
First Impressions Digging into Shovel Knight: Plague of Shadows
Fiendishly good
When Shovel Knight was Kickstarted in March 2013 and subsequently met its funding goal, Yacht Club Games announced additional content to follow its release if stretch goals were met. The developer is now delivering on its promise with the release of a new downloadable campaign titled Plague of Shadows. We recently had the opportunity...
