Retro News
September2011
This cuts it
There has been much debate in gaming circles about Nintendo’s digital offerings and the competition from smartphones and tablets. Now one of the biggest hits from those rival platforms, Cut the Rope, has finally arrived on DSiWare. The question is, does this title succeed on the DSi, or does it miss out on the candy? The premise of...
Talking Point The Most Memorable Nintendo 64 Games
Get N, to the Nintendo Life Poll
It seems like the year of major anniversaries in all things Nintendo, as this week we celebrate the 15th Anniversary of the Nintendo 64. The good old N64 was released on 29th September 1996 in North America and introduced 3D polygon graphics at a level that hadn’t been seen before. Throughout the course of this...
Review Escape Trick: Ninja Castle (DSiWare)
Escape while you still can
Escape Trick: Ninja Castle is the second game in the Escape Trick series that we've seen here at Nintendo Life. The first game, Escape Trick: The Secret of Rock City Prison, failed to really grab us: its ambition was laudable, but its execution consisted of dull visuals, underwhelming gameplay, and nonsensical puzzle...
Don't touch this
When a genre of game saturates a market it's fair to expect that any new title coming out within that style of play must do a good impression of the leaders in the field, in the very least aping what made the forerunners successful, hopefully providing an interesting alternative. As the number of first person shooters, mini-game...
Review Defense of the Middle Kingdom (DSiWare)
Middle of the road
Many games take the history of Asian nations as their focus, from the Japanese combat-based Samurai Warriors series to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms games, which use the warring kingdoms of first-century China as their basis. The newest to enter the ring is Defense of the Middle Kingdom, which also focuses on the latter's...
Feature Staff Memories of the Game Boy Advance
Remembering the last ever Game Boy
This week we have been celebrating the 10 year anniversary of the Game Boy Advance. It was the last handheld of the Game Boy era, and is fondly remembered for vivid graphics, multiplayer gameplay and for the portable gaming experience that it offered. To round off our GBA celebrations, we’ve invited some of our...
Review Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker 2 (DS)
Joker's wild
When Enix released the original Dragon Quest Monsters for Game Boy back in 1998, many quickly dismissed it as just another vain attempt to cash in on the Pokémon craze. But over the past 13 years, the Monsters series has developed quite a following and become more in-depth and multiplayer-friendly with each new release. Where the first...
News A New Zelda Figurine is Available for Pre-Order
Link rides into view
Some of you may already be aware of the Twilight Princess "Master Arts" series of figurines from First 4 Figures. There have been two models up to now, the first represents Zant, the villain from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, while the second portrays Midna and Wolf Link. The third figure is now confirmed,...
Feature Remembering the Game Boy Advance
The end of an era
For many years, the Game Boy brand was as synonymous with Nintendo as Mario and, perhaps, it still is. Have you ever been playing on your DS or 3DS and had someone who’s not particularly games savvy refer to it as a Game Boy? After all, the Game Boy was a worldwide brand phenomenon, penetrating the public consciousness and...
Talking Point The Most Memorable Third Party Game Boy Advance Games
We’re a bit late to the party
Back in June, the Game Boy Advance was celebrating its 10 year anniversary. We’re sure there was a party, with lots of balloons and a GBA shaped cake, but we weren’t there. We were a bit tied up with the excitement of E3 and the unveiling of the Wii U, while also looking ahead to what was next for the 3DS. Now we...
News Would You Trust a Goomba to Clean Your House?
The uprising starts now
Goombas are so much more than their common portrayal as easily vanquished stomp cushions would have you believe: they have other skills, like cleaning the house. That's right: someone made the inevitable leap and combined the Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner with the Goomba and created... well, the Goomba Roomba, presumably. The...
Ten for the price of one
It's no secret that Kirby has been a huge part of Nintendo's portable systems over the years, even making his debut on the original Game Boy back in 1992. When Kirby Canvas Curse was released, it took the traditional button controls away and replaced them with the touchscreen controls of the DS. While some die-hard fans of...
In pole position
If there's one letter of the alphabet that, when included at the end of a title should instantly tell you not to buy that game, it's the letter “z”. The quality of a product with a name that has the linguistic audacity to inappropriately replace the sensual sweeps of a sexily shaped "s", is for the most part awful:...
Feature Luigi's Mansion 10th Anniversary
No longer the other brother
It may not be grabbing the headlines at the moment, but a notable anniversary has just passed: September 14th was the 10th anniversary of the release of Luigi’s Mansion in Japan. With the sequel due to arrive on 3DS in 2012, Downloads Editor Corbie Dillard and writer Jacob Crites have taken up the challenge of exploring...
Great Britain, average game
Is it OK to be competent? Is it OK, not to excel, not to push the boundaries, but just to be totally fine? It's fair to say that we all want this medium to drive forward and provide us an experience you can't find elsewhere, but when a product doesn't claim to be groundbreaking should we really expect a revolution in game...
A blast, easel-y
Painting is a lot of fun, and as it happens, it's even more fun with a group. Why it's taken so long for a game studio to realise this is beyond us – and it was beyond the man behind Paint Splash and father of three, Uffe Flarup, as well. That's why he created Kidspaint, a homebrew application that let families everywhere enjoy...
Review Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge (3DS eShop / GB)
Slightly less than mega
Back when the Mega Man franchise started with the release of the original NES game, Capcom never thought it would do well — the first game was expected to bomb horribly, as almost nobody at the famous developer thought people would like it. Fast forward to today, and Mega Man has become one of their best-known franchises...
Review BIT.TRIP COMPLETE (Wii)
Aptly titled
The BIT.TRIP titles have been wildly popular on WiiWare, but despite being able to purchase the games individually, fans of the series have been clamoring for a Wii compilation disc release since the series was completed. With the release of BIT.TRIP COMPLETE, fans not only get the collection they've wanted, but also a wealth of brand...
Feature Nintendo - Gaming in Black and White
The continuing appeal of retro
In the midst of lively, colourful menu tiles that spin with a blow into the microphone and play charming tunes when selected, many 3DS's are littered with other tiles that are glaringly less interesting. They don't play charming animations on the top screen, and when selected, the greeting is nothing more than a little...
Not quite on point
Welcome to DotMan, the game of driving in circles. And that's it, basically. There's also a small amount of strategy, along with boredom and frustration, but we'll deal with those shortly. DotMan has its roots in classic games like Dodge 'Em and Pac-Man, but that's a bit like saying Twilight has its roots in Bram Stoker's Dracula:...
Podcast NLFM Episode 20: It's Alive!
Thanks for hanging on to those RSS feeds
Had you going there for a while, didn't we? Weekly. Ha! Sorry for the absence, fearless listeners, but Nintendo Life's chip and game music podcast NLFM is back on track after a too-long hiatus. And boy do we have some doozies for your ears! 1. Shiryu — The Goddamn Batman (Shiryu’s Arcade vol. 4)2. Yoko...
Yep. It's golf.
Rare is the game that leaves us truly speechless, but the Game Boy version of Golf is certainly one of them. Of course that's just because there's not really much to talk about. Golf, as you might expect, is a golf game. Whatever comes to mind when you hear that, that's what you get. No less, and no more. It consists of two courses...
Review House, M.D. - Episode 2: Blue Meanie (DSiWare)
Blue all over
Earlier this summer saw the release of Legacy Interactive’s first DSiWare game, House, M.D. - Episode 1: Globetrotting. If you played the game, or simply read our review, then you’ll know that this maiden voyage was not a very successful one for the company. Now, several months later, the series continues with House M.D. -...
News The History of Nintendo Book Gets English Release
Know your roots
Pix'n Love Publishing's book The History of Nintendo was until now only available in French, but after a pre-order run last year it's now available to buy. The 240-page book spans Nintendo's humble beginnings in 1889 until the early 1980s, with more than 2,000 exclusive pictures illustrating the story along the way. The book costs...
News Fox McCloud Returns As Star Fox 64 3D Launches Worldwide
The whole crew's here
After a lengthy absence — his last starring role was back in 2006 — Fox McCloud is back, as Star Fox 64 3D takes off across North America and Europe today. The updated version of Star Fox 64 (known as Lylat Wars in Europe) is one of the better games we've seen released for 3DS so far, as our Star Fox 64 3D review explains:...
Review Trenches Generals (WiiWare)
Fun with guns or suicide mission?
The blood. The smoke. The little exploding cartoon men. War is Hell. Recreating the feel of battle with a cartoony spin is Trenches Generals, the latest spin on the tower defence subgenre, updated from the recent iOS version for WiiWare with updated AI, levelling-up system, content and more. But is this an explosive...
News You're Not Alone in Finding the First Zelda So Hard
So does Eiji Aonuma
The re-release of Legend of Zelda as part of the 3DS Ambassador program has reminded gamers just how hard Link's first outing is. If you haven't finished it yet, don't give yourself a hard time about it: neither has series producer Eiji Aonuma. In a recent interview with Game Informer, Aonuma revealed to this day he has never...
Feature Star Fox - Pioneering 3D Shoot-em-ups Since 1993
Shoot everything in sight
This week sees the release of Star Fox 64 3D. As you're no doubt aware, it's a remastering in the same vein as Ocarina of Time 3D, so updated visuals are naturally present. Given the updated hardware, Fox McCloud and the team will be appearing in true 3D for the first time. On the 3DS, a true sensation of depth should...
Review 1950s Lawn Mower Kids (DSiWare)
A bit of a chore
When it comes to attempts to turn boring, low-paid jobs into exciting DSiWare downloads, Zordix AB jumped to the fore with Valet Parking 1989. It was an intriguing but flawed game, jam packed with nostalgia and 80’s humour. The developer is now continuing the theme of decade-specific chore simulation with 1950s Lawn Mower Kids...
News After 25 Years, The NES Gets A New Magazine
Oh happy day
The humble Nintendo Entertainment System: responsible for bringing so many to sip from the cup of gaming, and now enjoying yet another lease of life via the recent 3DS Ambassador games. As with all Nintendo consoles it has a dedicated following online, but it could soon have a bigger presence in the print world as website NES-Bit.com...
News Replay Expo Expands to Celebrate More Nintendo History
Now twice the size
The annual Replay Expo in Blackpool, England has become a highlight of the gaming year for many retro enthusiasts: featuring plenty of classic and obscure games from Nintendo, SEGA, Atari and more, it's a gamer's dream. This year's show is promising to be better than ever, with a second ballroom added to accommodate twice as many...
Over troubled water
It’s one of the simplest forms of entertainment: if all electronic entertainment is unavailable, when there is nothing else to do, a simple pack of playing cards can save the day. Card games can be simplistic or confusing and complex, with straightforward options often seeming suitable as cheap downloads on the DSi shop. More...
August2011
Review Let's Create! Pottery (DSiWare)
Let's not
Let's Create! Pottery may have the least appealing title this side of Let's Perform! Complex Trigonometry and Let's Compose! A Musical About Kobe Bryant's Lunch, but its problems run much deeper than that. Mainly, it’s just not very fun. The game begins with a title screen that offers several options, but none of them involve starting...
Review Magical Whip: Wizards of the Phantasmal Forest (DSiWare)
Magically delicious!
Puzzle-style games have proven to be quite a good fit for the DSiWare service, but some gamers have expressed concern at the growing number of puzzlers that have flooded DSiWare in recent months. Thankfully, Agetec's Magical Whip: Wizards of the Phantasmal Forest brings a fun experience to the service, and while not the most...
Review Aya and the Cubes of Light (WiiWare)
A game with gravity
If there's one system on the landscape of modern gaming that has an abundance of quality 2D platformers with a novel twist, it's the Wii. Kirby's Epic Yarn, And Yet It Moves, Donkey Kong Country Returns, New Super Mario Bros. Wii – all superb side-scrollers that mix the classic play mechanic of precision movement in an...
A bit of a fixer-upper
The year was 2008. Mario and Sonic were on their way to the Olympic Games, the 3DS was but a twinkle in Satoru Iwata's eye and the housing bubble was on its way to bursting. You wouldn't know that last fact, however, from MumboJumbo's 2008 real estate celebration Build-a-lot, a retail DS adaptation of HipSoft's 2007 PC game of...
Review Gargoyle's Quest (3DS eShop / GB)
Firebrand is so hot right now
The Game Boy enjoyed one of the longest lifespans of any system to date, outlasting rivals and finding its way into the hearts of gamers the world over. Following a very basic logic, a system with a long lifespan will typically have a large amount of titles worth your time. In fact, games were being released for the...
Review Blockado - Puzzle Island (DSiWare)
Too tried-and-true
Bitfield's Blockado series has already enjoyed success on Apple's iOS devices, but now the game is looking to take on Nintendo's DSiWare service with a little sliding-block puzzle action. And while there are a few interesting new twists in Blockado: Puzzle Island, it's still basically the same gameplay idea the series has been...
Review Flight Control (WiiWare)
Near miss
The secret of Flight Control's incredible success on iOS devices was that it was perfectly suited to the platform it launched on. It very simply transposed the immediacy of direct touch controls that iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch benefit from within a game that is superficially nothing more than drawing lines on a screen. Yet the key phrase...
Review My Asian Farm (DSiWare)
Enter Old McDonald-San
Farming comes in many forms. Sometimes it's exotic. Sometimes it's Australian. And sometimes it's just regular, old-fashioned farming. But nothing you've seen in this DSiWare series, consisting of split-up portions of 2009's retail release My Farm Around the World, could have prepared you for this: My Asian Farm, featuring
Review Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
A true epic
It's been a strange year for the Nintendo Wii, with a sparse release schedule and many proclaiming the death of the console. Yet here we have Xenoblade Chronicles, which debuted in Japan simply as Xenoblade in June 2010. This current release is only available in Europe and PAL regions, prompting fan-group protests in North America. To be...
Talking Point What Was the Best Super NES Game Ever?
It's time to decide
It's 20 years ago today since the Super Nintendo saw official release in North America, and over the following years it amassed a truly incredible library of games still thought of today as some of the finest ever. But what really was the top dog on Nintendo's 16-bit wonder machine? Did the 96 levels of Super Mario World do it...
Feature 20 Years of the Super NES
Time flies when you’re having 16-bit fun
It’s been a year of major anniversaries, proving the fact for many of us at Nintendo Life that we are, indeed, getting old. We’ve seen anniversaries for Zelda, Metroid and Sonic, with Mario enjoying a celebratory cake with Princess Peach only last year. Next up is the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Review GO Series: Fishing Resort (DSiWare)
Luring you in…
Fans of both Nintendo and fishing have been given plenty of opportunities to don the virtual wellies and cast the line, on WiiWare. While the Wii Remote is an ideal opportunity to simulate fishing, the humble DSi stylus and touchscreen have largely missed out. As has often been the case, publisher Gamebridge has come to the rescue...
News How Do Bowser, Toad and Luigi Really Feel About Peach?
Let them rap about it
Life lesson #1: you can never have too much Nintendo-themed hip hop. Last month we told you about Heath McNease's album Straight Outta Console, and now we have Letters to Princess by rapper I B. Detailing the agony and frustration felt by Toad, Luigi and Bowser that Mario always manages to capture the heart of Princess Peach,...
Review Crazy Hamster (DSiWare)
Crazy cool
The idea behind this game is simple: Crazy Hamster forgot to store supplies for the coming winter, so now it’s up to you to guide the rushed rodent through each level and collect all of the fruit. Make it safely to the end of the level with these supplies and you’re home free. While there may not be much here in terms of plot, this...
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery
Horizontal shoot 'em ups have become quite scarce in recent years, even on the WiiWare and DSiware services, so when one does pop up from time to time, fans of the genre tend to sit up and take notice. With Kyotokei, Microforum have crafted a fairly basic shoot 'em up that borrows heavily from such classic...
Review Avenging Spirit (3DS eShop / GB)
Like Kirby... if Kirby were SERIOUSLY TERRIFYING
It's a story as old as time itself: boy meets girl, boy takes girl out for a walk, boy is murdered by mobsters who kidnap girl, boy possesses vampires and kangaroos to get her back. Jaleco not only provides us with a bizarre and attention-grabbing backstory for the game, but they made sure to craft a...
Review Play & Learn Spanish (DSiWare)
¿Plus ultra?
A good pocket translator can cost hundreds of dollars, so it's no surprise that some smart software studios would see an incentive in offering DSi and 3DS owners an affordable alternative. So far we've only seen the average 4 TRAVELLERS – Play Spanish on the service, so it's good to see a challenger appear. But is this a helpful...
Dog's dinner
With Go Fetch!, ICM took the simple activity of playing fetch with a puppy and added a timer, health bar and obstacles to create a unique racing game-esque experience that was unfortunately let down by imprecise controls, lack of depth and repetitiveness. The developer doggedly returned to the drawing board to remedy these issues and...
Feature What Happened to Metroid 64?
Samus got lost
As a week of Metroid Anniversary celebrations draws to a close, we thought we’d look back at a Metroid game that never was. We’re not talking about Metroid Dread, which could still happen, but Metroid 64, which will obviously never see the light of day. We’ve made the title up, but in light of the trend of adding ‘64’ after...
Review Go! Go! Kokopolo (DSiWare)
Koko-crazy
DSiWare is, quite rightly, well known for providing a diverse range of quirky titles to give DSi owners small downloadable gaming fixes. We’ve seen a few ‘off the wall’ concepts on the service, and Go! Go! Kokopolo deserves its place in this category. The title says it all; this is a game that doesn’t want to be taken seriously...
Review Pac-Man (3DS eShop / GB)
Pac's back to steal your money
Everybody knows Pac-Man. The game's been ported to just about every platform under the sun, including the NES version on the Wii Virtual Console. It's now being released yet again on the 3DS Virtual Console, but is it worth another investment? Of course, there is absolutely nothing different about the gameplay in this...
Feature Samus Aran, Gaming's Leading Lady
We take a look at the famous female bounty hunter
Historically, just about every form of media has seen itself dominated by men, and gaming is as guilty as the rest. You could chalk it up to the playing population remaining largely scant of females for reasons too complex and debatable to delve into here, but that's only half the story. The...
Review Monochrome Racing (WiiWare)
Unintelligent design
One of the best modes in the Micro Machines games was undoubtedly “Head-To-Head”, in which the goal was to reach the furthest edge of the screen while pushing an opponent to the opposite side. The balance of risk and reward resulted in a nail biting play experience where one mistake would cost you dearly, the most talented...
Review B Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom (DSiWare)
New name, same game
May of 2011 saw the DSiWare release of B Team - Episode 1: Dust & Steel. Now, a short three months later, the gang is back in B Team - Episode 2: Ice & Venom. Anyone who played the first game (or read our Dust & Steel review) will know exactly what to expect here. As this game clearly shows, consistency is not always...
News Pixel, Team Ninja and More Join Metroid 25th Celebrations
All in one video
We've been having our own Metroid anniversary celebrations here at Nintendo Life, inviting your Metroid memories as well as reviews of every Metroid game. Metroid fansite Shinesparkers put together a special video containing tributes from community members as well as Cave Story creator Daisuke
Review Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube)
For super players
Back when Super Mario Bros. 2 came out in Japan — the real Super Mario Bros. 2, known here overseas as The Lost Levels — there was a little label on the box that said “For Super Players.” It meant it, too: Super Mario Bros. 2 is a ridiculously difficult game, often using your knowledge of the first game against you while at...
Review Metroid Prime (GameCube)
Prime cut
You know the story. By now, everyone does. In 2002, a new Metroid game was released after nearly a decade of silence, and it was done by a little studio in Texas that no one had ever heard of. Oh, and it was 3D. And first person. It shouldn't have worked, but it did, and the ensuing trilogy would secure that little studio as one of the...
Talking Point Your 25 Years of Metroid Memories
Charge your beaming smiles
Today is the 25th anniversary of Metroid and we want to know your favourite Metroid moments. Do you remember the first time you faced off against Ridley? Touching down on Tallon IV for the first time in Metroid Prime? Whatever your favourite moments and memories of Metroid, we want to know. Leave them in a comment below...
News Metroid Celebrates its 25th Anniversary Today
A quarter-century of hunting bounties
25 years ago today, 6th August, Samus Aran took her very first steps into the gaming world in Metroid on the NES, and she never looked back. To celebrate we have a great week of content planned, but for now let's recap on some of our past Metroid coverage. Want to know which game rises above the rest? We have...
Review Successfully Learning German: Year 5 (DSiWare)
The end of an era?
Another week, another instalment in the venerable Successfully Learning series from Tivola. Successfully Learning German: Year 5 is on DSiWare so young German speakers have another opportunity to return to Freddy the Vampire’s classroom. It’s the final instalment in the series, so prepare to graduate and say goodbye. How does...
Review Artillery: Knights vs. Orcs (DSiWare)
A misfire
Most of us have played one of them before: one of those free online Flash games where your goal is to hit something by firing a projectile, after deciding what angle and what speed the object should be thrown or shot at. Of course, you'll also be familiar with this concept if you've played any Worms game. Artillery: Knights vs. Orcs takes...
News Super Mario Converse High-Tops Let You Jump Real High
(May not be true)
Converse high-top sneakers are iconic. Super Mario Bros. is iconic. Combine the two, and you get an iconoblast. These four officially licensed pairs of Mario sneakers might be a little garish for some wardrobes, but if you've ever wanted World 1-1 on your feet then they're your best hope, as long as you live in Japan or don't mind...
Review Captain America: Super Soldier (DS)
Save the fireworks
Stars. Stripes. Rockets' red glare and bombs bursting in air. Deer and antelope playing. America. The United States is a country with enough national pride to fuel a superhero, and that's exactly what Captain America is all about. Does his movie tie-in handheld outing Captain America: Super Soldier channel these well enough to...
Review My Australian Farm (DSiWare)
You call that a farm? THIS is a farm
Ahh, life on the farm. The sweet taste of buffalo milk, sheep and crocodiles playing together... OK, perhaps My Australian Farm isn't the most realistic agricultural simulator, but at least it makes for a decent money-management time-waster. This, along with My Farm, My Exotic Farm and the upcoming My Asian Farm,...
Review Burn the Rope (WiiWare)
A game that'll rope you in
Step one: create a simple, fun and addictive activity. Step two: throw in an interesting twist. Step three: build on that foundation with something that adds variation and challenge while channelling the essence of what makes it fun. These are the steps to making a great puzzle game, and it's that first task at which many...
Review GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars (DSiWare)
Shinto to go
What do you get when you mix Mikoshi (portable Shinto shrines) and top-down shooters? Oddly enough, you come up with Gamebridge’s newest DSiWare release, GO Series: Portable Shrine Wars. But is this bizarre combination a match made in yomi, or is it just too weird to work? The goal in Portable Shrine Wars is to race your Mikoshi...
Too little, too late
What do Arzest, ChunSoft, Good-Feel Co, Mitchell Corporation, Prope, Skip Ltd, Vanpool, NdCUBE and Nintendo have in common? They all worked as developers on Wii Play: Motion, which acts as a companion to the Wii Remote Plus. It also serves as a sequel to Wii Play, a compilation largely criticised for its mediocre mix of...
Review Successfully Learning German: Year 5 (WiiWare)
Erledigt
The final outing for the Successfully Learning German WiiWare series is now among us and it's business as usual for the Tivola-developed edutainment tool. As with earlier entries, Year 5 makes no attempts to actively teach participants anything new, instead providing interactive exercises for students of a particular level to practice the...
Review Oscar's World Tour (DSiWare)
Around the world, around the world
Oscar's World Tour marks the fourth instalment of the series on DSiWare, and once again finds Oscar in the familiar situation of tracking down Baby Oscars and heading for the Pig Stop. While the game stays very close to its predecessors in terms of gameplay, the developer has tossed in a few new visual twists to...
Review Bobby Carrot Forever (WiiWare)
At last
Few titles have successfully combined the puzzler and adventure genres like Chip's Challenge and its ilk. Bobby Carrot Forever is one such derivative, removing the Sokoban-influenced box-pushing and building on a foundation of collectible items and manually-set traps. But is it good enough to make you hop or would Bobby have been better off...
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...
Rock you like a Hurricane
While it may be difficult to achieve the recognition and greatness of Shantae: Risky’s Revenge or Cave Story, platform adventure games are still very welcome on DSiWare. Antipole, the newest title from Saturnine Games, might not be the most original genre entry in the universe, it is still a very gravitating game with a...
Review Captain America: Super Soldier (Wii)
Shield your eyes...
There's been a fair amount of hyperbole thrown around for Captain America: Super Soldier in the gaming community, with many people making wild claims that SEGA has done for The First Avenger what Rocksteady did for The Dark Knight. While there are definite hints of Batman: Arkham Asylum in High Voltage's Wii outing for Cap', the...
Review Jagged Alliance (DSiWare)
Watch out for sharp edges
On paper, Jagged Alliance looks like a must-have for fans of tactical role-playing games. A mid 90s PC classic that was originally distributed as a DS retail release in 2009, now available at a significantly lower price of 500 Nintendo Points – it’s a win-win, right? Well, two areas that hit the mark are storyline and...
Review Kung Fu Dragon (DSiWare)
Since you're climbing a waterfall, you're more of a Kung Fu Salmon
If there's one thing we can say about Kung Fu Dragon, it's that there's really not much to say about Kung Fu Dragon. It's a game that's content to limit itself in nearly every respect, and that's going to earn it its share of detractors, but it's also a game that makes surprisingly...
Review Extreme Hangman 2 (DSiWare)
Extreme Sequel
If you’ve played the first Extreme Hangman game, then you know exactly what to expect with Extreme Hangman 2. While the word categories and visuals may have changed a bit, the core gameplay remains exactly the same. Though there is little different between the two games, that doesn’t necessarily detract from what Extreme Hangman...
As good as Bill Nye, or would it make him cry?
Pokémon and its ilk channel a sense of wonder as players explore new worlds to learn about their inhabitants. It seems that someone over at Abylight had the revelation that our own planet is filled with fantastic creatures as well – they're just too small to see. AfterZoom has you go about collecting...
News GameCube to See New Downloadable Life on Wii U
WiiWare just got more interesting
Many have wondered whether the Wii U will include a Virtual Console service updated with GameCube games, and now NOA executive Amber McCollom has revealed that the answer is yes – through WiiWare. In an interview with NintendoGal, she is quoted as saying: GameCube discs will not be compatible with Wii U, but a...
Review Successfully Learning German: Year 4 (DSiWare)
What’s the German for deja-vu?
Successfully Learning German: Year 4 has arrived, looming on the DSiWare landscape with a sense of inevitability. The decision by Tivola to convert a retail release into multiple downloads means that fans of edutainment titles have been spending a lot of money on their DSi. Moving on from Year 3, Freddy the Vampire...
Review Jewel Keepers: Easter Island (DSiWare)
Semi-precious stones
No one knows what it is that makes match-three puzzle games so fun and addictive to play, but it’s unavoidable. Wherever you turn, match-three puzzles exist, and it’s clear that DSiWare is no exception to that rule. With games such as Bejeweled Twist and Ikibago already available, Jewel Keepers: Easter Island is in good...
Review Successfully Learning German: Year 4 (WiiWare)
A dezent learning tool
As the overall level of education across the world rises, the pool of talented young people becomes much deeper, wider and more competitive. Consequently we've seen a general increase in home tutors, after school classes and educational software. Of this latter method of out-of-school learning, very few have the capacity to...
Review Game & Watch Gallery (3DS eShop / GB)
More than a fresh coat of paint
Most fans of the Game & Watch series likely enjoy it for its simplicity. The nature of the original devices meant that certain allowances had to be made for the primitive visuals, sounds and rigid controls. All three of these things are charming in their own right, but what really made people fall in love was the...
Review Baseball (3DS eShop / GB)
The Babe Ruth of bad games
Hey, kids! How would you like to revisit a game from the Game Boy's early years that wasn't very good to begin with and, in addition, has aged horribly? Sounds exciting, we know, but it gets better: the only marginally redeeming feature of the game – the ability to play it with your friends – has been disabled,...
Review Donkey Konga (GameCube)
Moving to a new beat
Donkey Konga is a pretty average rhythm action title when purely viewed as a piece of software engrained upon a small disc that one slaps onto the GameCube's spindle. Without a "true" Donkey Kong platformer on the horizon Nintendo rather shamelessly took the beloved characters of the franchise and transposed them into...
Review 3D Pixel Racing (WiiWare)
Even the pixels can't save this one
Long-time gamers have a unique love affair with the pixelated visual style of yesteryear, so it comes as no real surprise to see developers like Silicon Studio, creators of PlayStation 3 game 3D Dot Game Heroes, have success melding the nostalgic look of pixelated sprites with the modern visual capabilities of...
Review Solatorobo: Red the Hunter (DS)
This hunter should become the hunted
Solatorobo: Red the Hunter isn’t a game title that is likely to storm to the top of the sales charts. There are no well-known franchise names, no mainstream marketing campaign, and no hint of generic, dull gaming characters and designs. Being a Japanese action RPG, this game is different from the vast majority...
Review Make Up & Style (DSiWare)
Shaky foundation
Looking good is hard work. For those who want to learn or just enjoy playing around with lipstick and powder comes Make Up & Style, attempting a fun and informative take on facial beautification. But is this title good enough to make you blush, or is it only the eye-shadow of a good game? While Beauty Academy went for a...
Review Mario's Picross (3DS eShop / GB)
Fun with numbers
Picross has always been one of the weirder puzzle games at which Mario has tried his hand. It seems very boring to slowly create a picture using nothing but numbers, but once you get the hang of it the time simply flies by and you'll find yourself playing for hours on end. Mario's Picross was the first game in which Mario attempted...
Cock-a-doodle-don't
Running a farm is hard work – there are animals to feed, goose eggs to collect and bears to capture and sell to market. Such is the setting of Farm Frenzy, an agricultural time and resource management adventure. But is this a prize pig or should it be put out to pasture? The small, symbiotic playing field divides between...
Review ANIMA: Ark of Sinners (WiiWare)
Time to repent
Recent history in the WiiWare platform hasn’t seen an over-abundance of must-have, exciting releases. There is little surprise, then, that the release of ANIMA: Ark of Sinners was met with some optimism. With trailers giving an impression of an old-school Castlevania style of gameplay, a lot of gamers’ interests were piqued. The...
Don't catch it
Cast your mind back a few months to the launch of Ubongo on DSiWare. In that instance, Korner Entertainment took a popular board game and turned it into a mediocre puzzle/board game; here, Korner has removed the board game licence, the story and the gem-grabbing puzzle mode to reduce the package right down to its barebones. Is it...
News Would You Pay $150 for this Metal Sonic Statue?
We know someone who would
First 4 Figures has made a name for itself with high-end statues and dioramas, but quality doesn't come cheaply. The company has opened pre-orders on its new Metal Sonic statue, starting at just $155. As with previous lines, there are two versions available: a 'standard' edition at $154.99 and a more expensive exclusive...
News The King of Kong Remake Could End Up as a Mockumentary
Seth Gordon talks directorial influences
Seth Gordon's The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters documentary about Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe ― two gamers on a quest for a world record-breaking high score on Donkey Kong ― is still on course for a remake, but the style in which the film will be presented might in some ways end up being a...
Review Fortified Zone (3DS eShop / GB)
Link goes Commando
Jaleco seems to be good at making a game of just about any genre. We've seen fighters, sports games, a firefighting game and more, and this one can probably be best described as a mix of The Legend of Zelda and Commando, similarly to the original Metal Gear, in a way. Like many old games there's not much of a story. You play as...
Review Roller Angels (DSiWare)
Angelic
Roller Angels doesn't know what it wants to be; it's torn between Canabalt's forward-moving platforming action, Jet Grind Radio's alt-rock rebelliousness and de Blob's sense of beautification, without really committing fully to any one of them. Maybe that's a good thing. Yes, it lacks the first's pitch-perfect mechanics, the middle one's...
Review Big Town Shoot Out (WiiWare)
John Marston died in vain
You're stuck in traffic on a rainy day. Positioning yourself between the cars ahead and behind you, avoiding collision with the merging vehicles, occasionally reading street signs; these things don't require skill so much as a sort of passive awareness. It's not your first time in traffic. You know the drill. It's a test...
News Metroid Remix Album Sounds Pretty Sweet So Far
Samus it ever was
Next month marks the 25th anniversary of Metroid, and dedicated fan community ShineSparkers has just released a preview of remix album Harmony of a Hunter. The OCRemix project contains tracks spanning Samus Aran's gaming history, from 8-bit to today, with styles ranging from electronic to choral. The snippets provided so far...
News Videogame History Museum Needs Your Donations
Needs to raise $30,000
In the UK, the Retro Computer Museum just moved to a new home, and now the Videogame History Museum over in Silicon Valley needs to raise funds for its own bricks-and-mortar initiative. The non-profit charity needs to raise $30,000 to build itself a permanent building in which to house its classic coin-ops, consoles and gaming...
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