Retro Reviews
Review Samurai Shodown IV (Neo Geo)
Another victoly
It's only taken 18 months since Samurai Shodown III for the fourth instalment, Samurai Shodown IV, to reach Virtual Console in Europe. As part of something of a Neo Geo resurgence following King of Fighters '97, Sam Sho IV is another strong addition to VC's fighter library. SSIV takes the basic three strengths of slash from its pre
Review Zuma's Revenge (DSiWare)
An expensive addiction
We'll say one thing for PopCap — it sure knows how to transform simple tasks into madly addictive experiences. And from Peggle and Bookworm to Plants vs. Zombies, Nintendo fans have been able to enjoy excellent ports of some of its most popular games. Zuma's Revenge is the most recent PopCap title to make the jump to...
Review Kid Icarus: Of Myths and Monsters (3DS eShop / GB)
Heavenly
When the original Kid Icarus hit the NES, many gamers weren't sure exactly what to think of it. For starters the game's protagonist was a cute little winged angel (at least we thought so) who ran around shooting tiny arrows at mythological enemies. Of course it didn't help matters that the game was released around the same time Nintendo's...
Review Punch-Out!! Featuring Mr. Dream (3DS eShop / NES)
Dreamy
With ten NES titles originally released on the 3DS for Ambassadors only, it wasn't much of a stretch to expect the first ten put up for sale to be the same games. But we've already received a title that actually wasn't part of the Ambassador batch, and Nintendo has picked one of the best possible games. Originally released in 1987,...
Review Metroid (3DS eShop / NES)
The classic that inspired so many still holds up today
The NES section of the 3DS's Virtual Console expands by another notch with the addition of Metroid, regarded by many as one of the best entries that amazing series has to offer. The great news is that it's every bit as wonderful as you remember; the bad news is that it's no more interested in...
Review Aahh! Spot the Difference (DSiWare)
Spot the indifference
Greetings, fans of two-pictures-that-are-seemingly-identical-but-are-actually-slightly-different-to-one-another! Aahh! Spot the Difference is here to make you happy people indeed — as long as you don't mind the fact that it's short, bland and totally forgettable, that is. Adding another log to the bonfire of similar titles,...
Life and soul
Nintendo's never been afraid to capitalise on the success of its franchises or, as some would say, beat its successful games to within an inch of their lives. Who knew when the very first Mario Party hit N64 in 1998 that, 14 years later, we'd be staring at the 11th — 12th if you count Mario Party-e — instalment in the series? After...
Review Super Mario Bros. (3DS eShop / NES)
Yet another way to experience a masterpiece
Mario. Say it loud and there's music playing. Say it soft, and it's almost like praying. Super Mario Bros. was, is, and will always be one of gaming's great masterpieces, and its availability on any additional format is a good thing. Now it's come to the 3DS Virtual Console, and we couldn't be happier. For...
Review Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 4 (DSiWare)
Successfully Testing Mathematics
The Successfully Learning series from Tivola has, it its own way, become the most prolific franchise on DSiWare. That’s not necessarily surprising considering there's a range of subjects to cover, and we’ve now reached Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 4. It’s edutainment with Freddy the Vampire, so we...
Review 2 Fast 4 Gnomz (WiiWare)
Gnome mercy
WiiWare first met the Gnomz four months ago with the release of the appropriately named Gnomz. This time they're back with a mission to rescue a princess — and bring back lots of socks. The game opens with the king blisteringly commanding you to do these seemingly disparate things, and it's a riot. The visuals and the soundtrack come...
You certainly can't claim false advertising
So far, GameOn has made its name on DSiWare with simple games executed well. Box Pusher does nothing to buck that trend, offering a gaming experience that manages to be both vast and shallow, but what this game lacks in personality it easily makes up for with its strong and clever central conceit. Box...
Review May's Mystery: Forbidden Memories (DS)
Never send a kid to do a professor's job
We've seen the rise in popularity of a few new or previously underappreciated genres within the current generation, among them rhythm-based games, brain training titles and life simulators. Another is the puzzle- and brain teaser-centric adventure, which rose to popularity with Level-5's Professor Layton...
A memorable tale
As the Wii prepares to be usurped by its successor, you could argue the console's getting some exceptional adventures in its twilight. European gamers had the pleasure of working through epics such as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and Xenoblade Chronicles in 2011, with North America due to receive the latter soon. For those...
Review Metal Gear Solid (Game Boy Color)
Snake sneaks onto Game Boy Color in his first portable op
Metal Gear is a series born from limitations. Originally intended as a military shooter game for the MSX2 computer system, creator Hideo Kojima found the hardware unable to handle the large amount of on-screen action required for such an adventure. Instead of loud and overt blasting, the...
The multiplayer is the real difference
Fans of spot-the-difference puzzles will know exactly what to expect from EnjoyUp Games' latest release, iSpot Japan. Players are presented with two similar photographs, and they must identify any details that differ between them. It's simple, and it's a perfect fit for touch screen gaming. Unfortunately,...
Review Strider (Wii Virtual Console / Mega Drive)
From Russia with love
When you consider that he hasn’t starred in his own game since 2000, Strider Hiryu’s popularity in Capcom fan circles is impressive, which is largely down to the high regard in which players hold his 1989 coin-op début. Powered by Capcom’s CPS hardware, Strider was an arcade action platformer that redefined the genre;...
Review Rhythm Heaven Fever (Wii)
Fever pitch
Rhythm Heaven games are the kind whose sole purpose is to make you smile. You might even say that it's a lot like a not-terrifying clown at a kid's party, actually: colourful and light, uncomplicated and wacky yet determined in its mission to entertain the masses. With Rhythm Heaven Fever marking the series' home console debut, Rhythm...
Review Wario Land: Super Mario Land 3 (3DS eShop / GB)
Third time’s a charm?
While Nintendo kept things fairly standard with the first two Super Mario Land releases, it obviously decided to make some changes when it got ready to create this third title in the series on Game Boy. Instead of featuring Mario, it decided to give players a chance to shake things up and take on the role of its newest bad...
Review BurgerTime World Tour (WiiWare)
Severely undercooked
While never really regarded as a smash hit in arcades, the original BurgerTime has always been an entertaining little game. We recently got what is arguably the best older version, BurgerTime Deluxe, on the 3DS eShop, and now we finally have a completely new title that other platforms received a couple of months ago. But is it...
Review Kirby's Block Ball (3DS eShop / GB)
Ball breaker
Outside of the popular platformers for which he was first known, Nintendo is always more than happy to take advantage of Kirby’s robust, rotund appearance for spin-offs. In the past the happy little chap has been flipped and lobbed about in Kirby’s Pinball Land and abused with golf clubs in Kirby’s Dream Course. It was never a...
Review The King of Fighters '97 (Wii Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
The once and future king
Despite being the fourth in the series, The King of Fighters '97 is only the third to reach the Wii Virtual Console, SNK Playmore having skipped King of Fighters '96 in favour of its bigger, beefier brother. Without '96 to bridge the gap, the jump from King of Fighters '95 to '97 is huge: there are six more characters for a...
Review Maru's Mission (3DS eShop / GB)
Mission: Unbearable
Several months ago, the eShop saw the release of Avenging Spirit, a gleefully eccentric title that made us all sorry we missed it the first time around. Lightning doesn't strike twice for Jaleco with Maru's Mission, however, as this time the publisher has dusted off a forgotten title that really should have stayed that way. The...
Review Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Great Gateway Grab (WiiWare)
Not so great
Last time we checked in on her, Carmen Sandiego had sent her minions out to steal St. Basil’s cathedral in Russia. This week, Sandiego has made her way over to India in Carmen Sandiego Adventures in Math: The Great Gateway Grab. With her eyes set on the Gateway of India, it’s up to you as an agent of ACME to solve the mystery and...
Keep on truckin'
It’s not about the winning, it’s about the taking part. Though it’s technically of the racing genre, TNT Racers often encourages you to do all but grab the chequered flag first. Far more important is the ability to unleash timely havoc upon competitors to send them sputtering off-screen; consider it the driver’s guide to...
Review GO Series: Undead Storm (DSiWare)
Frighteningly good
To date, the GO Series has been a bit of a mixed bag, ranging from the disappointingly average GO Series: Pinball Attack! to the brilliant dungeon-crawling puzzler PicDun. As such, it's understandable that one might be sceptical of the latest title in the series, GO Series: Undead Storm. We're pleased to report, though, that...
Review Back to the Future: The Game (Wii)
Make like a tree and read this review
They say that if you were to travel back a million years and step on a butterfly, you could wipe out an entire species and change the world forever with that one seemingly infinitesimal move. When Marty McFly took a shorter excursion, back three decades to 1955, he almost erased his own existence in a similar...
Review Wicked Monsters Blast (Wii)
Monster mash
Cute cartoon creatures; simplistic shooting; a mixture of mini-games. Wicked Monsters Blast is a kids game by-the-numbers, but its charm and heavy nods towards arcade classics such as Point Blank could have youngsters going crackers for these animals despite a slim number of levels. Wicked Monsters Blast is easy to pick up, with scant...
Review Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 3 (DSiWare)
It all adds up
Another week, another dose of edutainment. Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 3 arrives on DSiWare, allowing another generation of eager young pupils to indulge in some mathematics on their favourite handheld. This title is, in form, identical to Successfully Learning Mathematics: Year 2, which is no surprise as they were...
Review Lola's Alphabet Train (DSiWare)
On the right track
Lola's Alphabet Train is both a learning tool and a game, but it's quite clearly more the former than the latter. This isn't a bad thing at all, but it's important to know that when setting your expectations. Lola is a chirpy panda bear who, aboard her titular train, presents children with a series of spelling and vocabulary based...
Review Newton Vs The Horde (WiiWare)
An experiment to be ab-horde
We're going to say this up front because there won't be much room to say nice things later on in the review: Newton Vs The Horde has an utterly fantastic concept. The idea is to destroy approaching zombie-like creatures by using physics puzzles either found in your environment or created by you. That's an interesting...
