Retro News
January2009
Review Kirby's Dream Land 3 (Wii Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Kirby for beginners
Kirby's Dream Land 3 obviously had a lot to live up to - It was released not long after the amazing Kirby Super Star (Kirby's Fun Pak in Europe), which is still regarded as the greatest Kirby game ever. The game returns to the gameplay from the second Dream Land game for Game Boy - It's got rather standard Kirby platforming, but...
December2008
Review Zoda's Revenge: StarTropics II (NES)
Revenge of Zoda
While the original StarTropics was a great game, it did have some nagging problems. In 1994, after the SNES was already out for 3 years in the US, Nintendo saw fit to finally make a sequel to one of the (sadly) most underrated games on the NES. But they didn't make it for the SNES - They actually made it for the NES as well! In...
Review 100 Classic Book Collection (DS)
100 classic books write their way into the DS’ history
100 Classic Books has had me intrigued since it was first announced. Being the massive bookworm that I am, I’ve been itching to give this a go for a while now. It’s here at last, and the selection on offer is simply fantastic: 22 Shakespeare; 12 Dickens (Charles, not Anthony); 5 Austen;...
Will Tiki Towers build Wiiware to new heights or crash under its own weight?
Some might see this jungle themed construction game as a bit of a cash in on the success of World of Goo. After all, both games command you to get from point A to point B by building a structure. However, this is where the similarities end. For starters, the structures...
Review Fun! Fun! Minigolf (WiiWare)
So much fun they named it twice, but it is really up to par?
Wii Sports golf - which, lest we forget, comes bundled for free with the Wii console - offers a taste of what playing golf with a Wii Remote can be like. However, with only nine holes and a clunky putting mechanism that can often feel inaccurate, the game is just not satisfying enough to...
Talent borrows, genius steals. The developers of Dinosaur King have IQs in the thousands.
Over the years we’ve seen many companies try to beat the success of Pokemon, each with their own set of cuddly and heavily market researched monsters. Of course, nobody can beat Nintendo at their own game, but that hasn’t stopped Sega trying with Dinosaur...
Review Niki - Rock 'n' Ball (WiiWare)
Not completely on the ball
This second WiiWare release from Bplus is a bit of a departure from their "everything-and-the-kitchen-sink" debut outing Plättchen, attempting to recapture some arcade magic via simple goals and score attacking. Whilst the presentation and controls do the job, odd choices in level design and lacklustre gameplay...
Review Big Kahuna Party (WiiWare)
Is WiiWare puzzler Big Kahuna Party a beach party or a shipwreck?
Big Kahuna Party is a "match-three" game in the style of Bejeweled. This style of play has been around for a while now and there is not much left to add to the genre, though this doesn’t mean there isn’t room in your collection for a fun variation on the theme. So is...
The crazy world of Shawnimals comes to life in this excellent take on the 'Tower Defence' genre
Like bread always falling butter-side down and buses coming two at a time, it’s one of life’s universal truths that whenever ninjas are added to something, it becomes infinitely cooler (with the possible exception of the lamentable Ninjabread Man, of...
Review Need For Speed: Undercover (DS)
EA attempts to cram a living, breathing city into the DS - the results aren't pretty...
It’s easy to be pessimistic about EA’s Need for Speed franchise. Considering the staggering number of titles to bear the brand name (this is the 12th game since the franchise’s inception in 1994), there have been precious few true classics. However, we...
Review Enduro Racer (Virtual Console / Master System)
Enduro Racer takes you on an intense set of adrenaline-designed courses
Enduro Racer started out life as an arcade machine by Sega; it was a normal racing game like its better known stable mates Hang-On and Out Run. The idea was to ride your dirt bike through the rocky roads pulling wheelies over jumps. It was quite a popular game at the time and...
Review Strong Bad Episode 5 - 8-Bit is Enough (WiiWare)
Strong Bad goes 8-bit in the final installment of the SBCG4AP series
Dry those tears, folks - it’s finally time for the last episode of Strong Bad’s Cool Game for Attractive People! Surely they’ve saved the best for last? At the very least, they do tie up some loose ends. For example, we’ve seen a broken Trogdor arcade cabinet in the last...
Review Animal Crossing: City Folk (Wii)
The wait is finally over... let's go to the city.
Wii owners have been waiting for quite some time for this new Animal Crossing title to be released on the Wii console, especially given how long ago the game was first announced for the system. It's this long wait that might have actually hurt the game more than helped it since expectations have...
A work of art, or a real mess?
With the DS’s touch screen and wireless communications, it’s a wonder there’s no Pictionary game available. Lucky for us, here comes Sega to plug the gap with PictoImage, their take on the classic draw-it-guess-it game. The single player mode consists of 300 pictures drawn by people of all ages, from 4 upwards,...
Review Last Ninja 3 (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Epic fail...
Eagle-eyed readers may have noticed that we have revised this review in light of the game-breaking bug which prevents the player from progressing beyond level one in the game. We raised this with Commodore Gaming at the time of release and was assured that a patch would be made available ASAP. As this patch is still not available we did...
Review Impossible Mission II (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Elvin Atombender is up to his old tricks again!
As soon as Impossible Mission II loads up, the improvements are immediate and obvious. The producers clearly went to work on almost every aspect of the original game, polishing, adding and fixing until this sequel was the result. There are no great changes to the concept; players familiar with the...
Review Bruiser & Scratch (WiiWare)
Does Steel Penny Games debut WiiWare puzzler have that Naughty Dog magic?
It seems only natural that a game being developed by former members of such an accomplished developer as Naughty Dog would garner some serious hype when it's announced. While it's always nice for a developer to get some type of recognition ahead of time, it can also prove to...
Review Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Virtual Console / Master System)
Sonic is back for a second 8-bit outing
In 1992 if you weren’t lucky enough to have upgraded to a Sega Mega Drive / Genesis system and still had a humble Master System you might have picked this up. Interestingly the Master System version was released slightly earlier than its 16-bit counterpart so no one can accuse this of being a soulless...
Review Hockey Allstar Shootout (WiiWare)
Nevermind hitting the post, this "allstar" barely makes it onto the rink
It's easy to see why hockey fans will feverishly download Hockey Allstar Shootout. The only alternatives for Wii-toting rink rats are a half-baked port and a few crude NES classics that you had to play back in the day to appreciate now (Blades of Steel and Ice Hockey, in case...
Will Engine Software’s WiiWare debut give you much bang for your buck?
Bang Attack is a puzzle game involving hammers, fruit and other random objects. The concept is very simple. Your screen is loaded with refilling objects: fruit on the first level, seaside objects on the second level, etc. To clear the objects from the screen you must “hammer...
Review Pit Crew Panic! (WiiWare)
Is Hudson's crazy pit crew game a hit or is it the just the pits?
Pit Crew Panic! marks the sixth WiiWare release from Hudson and easily their most unique release to date. While the title of the game would lead you to believe that you're in for a little auto racing pit crew action, you'll quickly find that you're in for a very different pit crew...
November2008
Review Metal Slug 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
More run and gun fun
Not many games at the time could go toe-to-toe with Konami's Contra series quite like the Metal Slug titles. Not only did they feature the same run-n-gun arcade action of Contra, but they also took things to new levels of intensity and sported some of the largest and most creative boss encounters ever seen in a game of their...
Review Sudoku Challenge! (WiiWare)
This WiiWare puzzler truly sticks "by the numbers"
Although books of Sudoku puzzles can be found at your local dollar store, the 100 million puzzles promised in this game will set you up for life and should be enough to tempt any Sudoku fan. But is the game as fun with a Wii Remote as it is with a pencil? For those who don’t know, Sudoku is a...
Does Boingz offer enough unique ideas to stand out from the crowd?
With the recent success of such innovative titles as World of Goo and the Art Style series, it comes as no surprise to see yet another unique offering pop up on the WiiWare service. Boingz takes the simple Wii Remote-friendly gameplay idea of stretching and flicking and attempts to...
Review Boogerman: A Pick and Flick Adventure (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
While investigating Professor Stinkbaum's lab, Boogerman stumbles upon a strange machine that opens a portal to another dimension.
Almost everybody knows Earthworm Jim - But Boogerman, which was created inbetween the first two Jim games, is much less familiar. This is a bit unjust, as it's every bit as quirky and fun as the aforementioned series...
Review Need For Speed: Undercover (Wii)
Need For Speed is back with its latest career adventure, it's time to go Undercover.
You play a wheel man, hired by Federal Agent Chase Linh (played by Maggie Q) who is sent out, undercover, into the world of illegal street racing and other criminal activities. You'll need to progress through events and earn the respect of fellow criminals, getting...
Review Cue Sports: Snooker Vs Billiards (WiiWare)
Will Hudson’s Cue Sports have you cueing-up to buy it or leave you snookered?
Hudson’s Cue Sports aims to add a degree of fresh realism in contrast to Gameloft’s Midnight Pool, which is a much more light-hearted affair. Will its boast of Wi-Fi support and extensive game modes give it the edge as the definitive cue sports game on WiiWare? The...
Review Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (Wii)
Wabbit, wabbit.... wabbit wabbit wabbit... Bwaaaaaaaaah!
Rayman runs for cover as the Rabbids return for a third instalment on Wii in Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party (RRR TV). As the title suggests this latest game has a heavy emphasis on the world of TV and Movies, the title "story" goes something like this: Rayman is being chased through...
Review FaceBreaker K.O. Party (Wii)
Ever wanted to break someone's face? Well now you can!
Legendary names like Hatton and Calzaghe might give you the impression that boxing is a serious sport, however these are not the views of EA Freestyle. So here we are, introducing their new box-em-up descriptively named, FaceBreaker, Knock Out Party for Wii. You'll instantly realise that this...
Review Forgotten Worlds (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
You will never forget this one!
Forgotten Worlds was an interesting shoot-em-up arcade game back in the days. Not only was it developed by Capcom, it featured 2 player simultaneous play and a innovative control system were you rotated a second joystick on a 360 degree axis to determine what direction you wanted to fire in. On the shiny new CPS-1...
Review Space Invaders: The Original Game (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Experience one of gaming's iconic franchises
In 1978 Space Invaders was the talk of the town, people were lining up in their droves to part with pocket change for a turn on this new groundbreaking videogame from Taito. Of course as videogame technology moved on this humble game was surpassed by many cocky new contenders to the shoot-em-up throne,...
Review Target Toss Pro: Bags (WiiWare)
This is one cornhole you might want to take a closer look at!
Nintendo’s Wii Remote is truly a marvellous thing. With it you can throw a ball, swing a bat, slash with a sword, or shoot a gun. It can even make even bland, boring games more enjoyable. Thank goodness for the Wii Remote, because it makes games like Target Toss Pro: Bags not only...
Review Strong Bad Episode 4 - Dangeresque 3: The Criminal Projective (WiiWare)
Is Dangeresque 3 another box office hit?
The time has arrived - after 4 years, one of the most anticipated Strong Bad-related things is finally here! In Dangeresque 3, the sequel to Dangeresque 1: Dangeresque, Too? and Dangeresque 2: This Time, It's Not Dangeresque 1, you once again need to search for clues and talk to various characters to advance...
FIFA returns once again, its time to kick off season 08/09.
FIFA is the longest running video game footballing franchise. Some ten years ago they lost their place on top of the video football pile by new upstart Pro Evolution Soccer (PES). Hard work and innovation have now seen a resurgence in FIFA's critical reception. Testament to this is the...
Review NBA Live 09 All-Play (Wii)
It's that time of year again, basketball fans get ready for NBA Live 09.
NBA 09 combines EA strong basket balling franchise with their solid controls on the Wii. We see this more clearly than ever with the family friendly controls that, along with FIFA 09 Wii, Madden 09 Wii and Tiger Woods 09 Wii, complete the All Play set for 09. Sports games...
Review Celebrity Sports Showdown (Wii)
EA Freestyle invite some celebrities to come play a Sports Showdown, but who gets embarrassed?
EA sports freestyle want to throw Wii gamers yet another party, this time in the form of Celebrity Sports Showdown, a 12 sport strong mini-games package with the added promise of celebrity glamour. Aimed clearly at the casual, multi-player market EA have...
Review Phantasy Star IV (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
In the year AW 2284, planet Motavia is once again plagued by strange biocreatures.
After two successful Phantasy Star releases, Sega decided to change things up a bit for their third release in the series Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom. The game featured more of a medieval look to it instead of the science fiction theme that had been such an...
Review Yummy Yummy Cooking Jam (WiiWare)
Is this Cooking Jam crummy rather than yummy?
Cooking is certainly not what you would consider a common theme among video games, but with the success of Cooking Mama it would seem that the unique control functions of the Wii Remote would lend themselves heavily to the type of gameplay you'd expect from a cooking simulation. Having said that, those...
Review Mega Man 3 (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Good to be three
After two successful Mega Man releases on NES, Capcom decided to upgrade the series with a few new twists for Mega Man 3, adding a little more variety to an already amazing series. With eight brand new Robot Masters for players to take on, the game would prove to be a huge success and went on to become a fan favourite among gamers...
Review Space Invaders Get Even (WiiWare)
Finally the roles are reversed and those fiendish Space Invaders can get their own back!
After the excellent Space Invaders Extreme, released to coincide with the 30th anniversary of original arcade game of Space Invaders in 1978, it seemed that Taito had finally brought the franchise back after a series of half hearted cash-ins and remakes over the...
Review Brain Challenge (WiiWare)
It's time to dust off the old grey matter and challenge your brain
If a WiiWare review can be judged on the sheer amount of notes taken then Brain Challenge deserves an award. We tried hard to fit everything on two sheets of A4 and still failed. While essentially being a copy-cat of Nintendo’s immensely popular Brain Age games; Brain Challenge is...
Review Alien Crush Returns (WiiWare)
Crushing nefarious xenomorphs with your trusty pinball - welcome to the gloriously deranged world of Alien Crush Returns
Over the years, the original Turbografx-16 Alien Crush title has become quite the cult favourite among classic game fans, so it certainly comes as no surprise that Hudson's decided to give this classic a fresh new look and feel in...
We know you've heard of it, we know what people think of it - but most of them haven't played it, we have.
Manhunt 2, released in the UK exactly one year after the original US release. The infamous game has made headlines everywhere and is often used as a tool for politicians to empower censorship concerns. We thought it only fair to review this...
Review Devil World (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
A devilish Pac-Man clone from Miyamoto
Devil World is one of extremely few Nintendo titles that was released in Europe, but not the US. Most likely this was due to Nintendo of America's strict rule not to feature any "religious" factors in games, and seeing as the game includes a devil, that just wouldn't slide with them. It's actually a pretty fun...
Review Castlevania III: Dracula's Curse (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Drac's back!
After the success of the original Castlevania title on the NES system, Konami decided to change things up quite a bit for Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. Gone was the straight-ahead platforming action of the original, replaced with a much more rpg-flavored approach that placed more emphasis on item collection and exploration. While...
October2008
Review Art Style: Rotohex (WiiWare)
Is this hexagonal puzzler a welcome addition to the Art Style series?
The one constant of the three Art Style games that have seen release on the WiiWare service so far has been their simplicity. There are no fancy visuals, no epic musical tracks, and no complicated play control schemes to tarnish the "less is more" theme of these unique...
Review Strong Bad Episode 3 - Baddest of the Bands (WiiWare)
Does Strong Bad’s third WiiWare outing rock as much as the plot?
The third part of Strong Bad’s episodic series is pretty much the same as the previous two. You’ll visit various locations and obtain a variety of items, which you must use on the correct objects to advance the plot. The plot in this episode is just what you’d expect from the...
Review Home Sweet Home (WiiWare)
Does Home Sweet Home have a strong enough foundation or does it totally collapse?
If you are a sucker for those home improvement shows that clog up television schedules so much these days, then perhaps this game is the one for you. Home Sweet Home started out life as a downloadable PC game but now it's seeking to expand its audience by making its...
Review Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood (DS)
Is Sonic’s first foray into the unknown land of RPG actually any good?
Let’s face it; Sonic has been a bit of a dick lately hasn’t he? You can mark the start of Sonic’s dive into mediocrity from a point in the late 90’s when someone at SEGA decided it would be “cool” to give him a “rad attitude”. From that moment onwards we’ve...
Amigo and Linda crack out the maracas, it's time to Samba!
It's a fact that summer is now over, it's getting colder outside and the clocks are going back. However SEGA want to change all that, releasing Samba de Amigo we can cling onto that summer atmosphere allowing us all to samba all winter long. Samba de Amigo is an incredibly sunny, happy, up...
Grab yourself a WiiMote, it's time you became a maestro!
Miyamoto is Nintendo's legendary games developer, he's responsible for the majority of Nintendo's success over the past 30 years and proves a lot of people wrong time and time again. The release of Wii Music takes me back to earlier in the year, when Wii Fit was first released. Wii Fit was...
Review The Incredible Maze (WiiWare)
This WiiWare maze game certainly is incredible - incredibly bad, that is
Let's cut straight to the chase here - The Incredible Maze follows in the tradition of virtual labyrinth adaptations like Super Monkey Ball and Kororinpa, but utterly lacks any of the creativity or polish that make those games fun and rewarding. At a mere 500 points this should...
Hudson grants us yet another version of the famous Russian puzzler, but how does this one stack up?
Tetris may be 23 years old, but the game is still going strong even after all this time. While some versions have been better than others, people still can't seem to get enough of this addictive puzzler. With this in mind, is this latest instalment...
Review Space Harrier (Virtual Console / Master System)
Blow your mind in a fantasy zone
When Sega released the Master System back in the ‘80s the company was facing an uphill struggle against Nintendo’s NES. The NES had the software support and thanks to Nintendo’s nefarious practice of making developers agree to keep their titles exclusive, it left Sega with little in the way of third party...
Review Mayhem in Monsterland (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Mayhem is an unhappy dinosaur, as Monsterland is an unhappy place, due to an apprentice magic dinosaur who decided to practice some of his master's spells, after drinking too much cactus juice.
The year 1993 saw the last of the full-price commercial games for the C64 hit the shelves as the market for 8-bit fare was finally grinding to a halt. In...
Review Art Style: Cubello (WiiWare)
Is Nintendo's latest Art Style game a triumph of style over substance?
When it launched, WiiWare signalled a shift in Nintendo’s attitude toward developers and gamers. After Dr. Mario and My Pokémon Ranch hinted that it was really just another outlet for them to spawn pedestrian versions of their tremendously popular franchises, many gamers lost...
Review Secret of Mana (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Good and evil battle for a young warrior’s heart. There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance.
As action rpgs started to gain in popularity during the 16-bit era, many game companies began cashing in on this new trend. Some were good, and some not so good. Enix had already created a hit with their action rpg Soul...
Review Street Fighter II: Special Champion Edition (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Street Fighting SEGA style.
Back when Street Fighter II-mania was gripping the global gaming community, Capcom’s decision to release the first home port of the game on Nintendo’s SNES spoke volumes. This move showed that the company was backing Nintendo in the 16-bit war (up to this point all of Capcom’s Megadrive/Genesis games had actually...
Will World of Goo leave gamers all warm and gooey inside?
It's certainly no secret to WiiWare fans that World of Goo has seen more hype than just about any other WiiWare title to date. While this generally leads to unrealistic expectations, every so often a game somehow manages to not only fulfil the hype, but exceed it. Say hello to World of Goo...
Review Midnight Bowling (WiiWare)
How many points does a game score for a gutter ball?
Gameloft has given Wiiware some of its best titles like Midnight Pool and Wild West Guns, so it was with great anticipation that we sat down to enjoy their latest offering, Midnight Bowling. Although some would argue that Wii Sports renders any other bowling game redundant, we feel that there is...
Is WiiWare collapsing under an avalanche of 'falling block' games?
If there’s one thing you can learn by looking at the current WiiWare release list it’s that the Wii certainly has no shortage of quick and casual puzzle games. Some might say that there are too many, but can we ever have too much of a good thing? Madstone is, literally, another...
Review Earthworm Jim (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
A crow is chasing a worm named Jim, while in outer space, Psy-Crow is chasing a renegade ship.
If you were at all interested in videogames or cartoons in the early 90's you were no doubt a fan of Earthworm Jim. Originally appearing in this game, the unusual hero went on to star in his own cartoon and a number of sequels to the videogame. Earthworm...
Review Shining Force II: Ancient Sealing (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
It’s a dark and stormy night in the kingdom of Granseal when a thief steals two jewels from the Tower of the Ancients.
The original Shining Force was a massive success for Sega, granting the Genesis/Megadrive with a strategy RPG to rival Nintendo’s popular Fire Emblem franchise. A sequel of some description was inevitable and when it arrived the...
Review Art Style: Orbient (WiiWare)
Does this bit generations remake keep the spirit of the original game intact?
Back in 2006, Nintendo published a series of games on the Game Boy Advance in Japan called bit Generations, which were a sister series to the DS’s Touch Generations games meant to illustrate the beginnings of video games. One of the games released in this interesting...
September2008
Review Super Turrican 2 (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
As the last survivor of the United Freedom Forces, it is your duty to destroy the Machine’s forces that have devastated the galaxy.
The Turrican series began life on the Commodore 64 computer and would soon see quite a few releases on the various personal computers of the time period. The series made its first appearance on a console with the Sega...
Feature Hardware Focus - NEC SuperGrafx
In 1989 the PC Engine was still selling quite well in Japan, but Sega's 16-bit Mega Drive system was beginning to pick up steam and Nintendo's Super Famicom console was looming just around the corner. Sensing this, NEC decided that they needed a true 16-bit console if they were to have any hope of continuing their success in the Japanese console wars.
The successor to the PC Engine was originally planned to be an entirely new system with true 16-bit architecture, but somewhere along the lines NEC decided to instead go for a 'quick fix' and thus the SuperGrafx console was born. Instead of designing a whole new system, NEC basically...
Review Mario Super Sluggers (Wii)
Mario plays rounders
Baseball, a sport that we Europeans don't really care to understand, is the scene for the latest Mario Sports title. Developed by Namco on behalf of Nintendo, can Mario (in probably his last game of 2008) and his buddies do enough to make the game a little more exciting? Anyone who's familiar with previous Mario sports games...
Review Super Dodge Ball (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Not too dodgy
The characters from River City Ransom (of which the main character is known in Japan as Kunio-kun) are back for a friendly game of dodge ball. Or are they? If you've played the aforementioned game, you'll know that the Kunio series hilariously overdoes everything. You were able to smash enemies around not just with chains, but also...
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...
Review Jumpman (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Jumpman is a bomb disposal expert. He is called on to save the Jupiter headquarters after the evil Alienators invade it and booby-trap its 30 levels.
While the video game industry was crashing down around us, personal computers were beginning to invade households around the world. The Commodore 64 was one such computer and went on to become one of...
Review Boulder Dash (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Oh Boulder Dash!
Boulder Dash is a fondly-remembered classic and was so popular back in the day that it spawned umpteen sequels and numerous ports and remakes which continue to appear even today. It was perhaps inevitable that the game would appear in some capacity on one of the Wii's download services, so how does the old classic stand up today?...
A puzzler for all seasons?
While many of our readers bemoan the reality of the increasing abundance of puzzlers on WiiWare, we at WiiWare World welcome any games that try something new and original like Potpourrii does. That said, even original and innovative games have to offer decent gameplay. So where does this latest puzzler stand? As with most...
Review Strong Bad Episode 2 - Strong Badia the Free (WiiWare)
Strong Bad is placed under house arrest. Can you still handle his style?
If you're a fan of Homestar Runner and you downloaded the first episode of Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, Homestar Ruiner, you probably enjoyed it. It was hard not to notice a few minor flaws though; some solutions were a bit strange (you had to use certain items...
Review Plättchen: Twist 'n' Paint (WiiWare)
Does Plättchen have the unique twists puzzle fans are looking for?
Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is certainly one of the more mysterious WiiWare games to date. It was the very first title to be announced last year before the WiiWare service went live but has been plagued with several delays. Aside from the fact that it was a "puzzle shooter"...
Review Bomberman Blast (WiiWare)
Everyone's favourite arsonist is back with a blast from the past!
Of all well-known videogame characters, Bomberman has got to be the one who has stayed the closest to his roots. Almost every single Bomberman game features the exact same goal: grab power-ups, avoid the blasts of your opponents' (and your own!) bombs and then blow them up! While some...
Review Groovin' Blocks (WiiWare)
Is Groovin' Blocks really that groovy or is it more of a square?
Unless you've been stuck on a deserted island or in a coma for the past few months, you know that there's been a barrage of puzzle games released on the WiiWare service during its short time in existence. You can now add one more puzzler to the list with the release of Empty Clip...
Review Clu Clu Land (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Clu Clu a choo
First, a lesson in linguistics – ‘Kurukuru’ in Japanese means ‘turning around’. Why are we telling you this? Well, it neatly explains Clu Clu Land’s rather unusual title, and also gives some insight into the mechanics of the game. You assume the role of a funny-looking fish called Bubbles, who due to some cruel...
August2008
Review MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade (WiiWare)
Three games in one - Triple the fun or triple the terror?
MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade is a rather unique game from Mindware, a company that's relatively unknown outside of Japan. As the title suggests, MaBoShi is based around three shapes - Circle, Stick and Square. The gameplay comprises three mini-games based on these shapes, which all...
Review Super Swing Golf: Season 2 (Wii)
It's golf, but much less boring.
Super Swing Golf: Season 2 (known as simply Super Swing Golf in Europe) is all about the "Pangya!", Korean for "Bang!". It's an over the top, heavily Japanese inspired Wii golf title. Expect some completely unrealistic characters and extravagant locations and courses. Unlike simulation golf games...
Pick up your Wii Remotes and prepare to burn off some calories in this WiiWare music rhythm game.
If you haven't yet had enough of looking foolish by moving to the groove or rocking out on toy guitars, fret not! Now there is a new way to get people to have a laugh at your expense: Helix - a curious hybrid of rhythm action and workout exercise. Like...
Review Ys Book I & II (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom.
Even the most hardened TG16 fan will admit that the machine wasn’t exactly a massive success when it was released in the States. It struggled against the Genesis and SNES despite having some great...
Review Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (Virtual Console / Super Nintendo)
Mario + RPG = WIN!
What do you get when one of the best RPG creators in the world decides to build an RPG around one of the most recognizable video game characters in history? What you get is a video game that is considered one of the greatest ever made and an RPG that's not only unique, but extremely playable as well. Many were skeptical when the...
Review Midnight Pool (WiiWare)
Gameloft's best selling mobile hit comes to WiiWare, but does it clear the table?
This week's WiiWare download is something we’re sure every Wii owner was waiting for with bated breath... an adaptation of a mobile phone pool game! However, before you dismiss this casual game as a redundant substitute for Wii Play, read on to find out why every one...
If you are too busy to take care of real fish then Hudson’s virtual aquarium might be perfect for you.
Let’s make this clear right from the very start of this review -- My Aquarium is not a game. Unlike Nintendo's deep sea diving title for the Wii, Endless Ocean, there is no adventuring or exploring of any sort. My Aquarium consists solely of...
Review Strong Bad Episode 1 - Homestar Ruiner (WiiWare)
Are you cool and attractive enough to handle Strong Bad's style on WiiWare?
Telltale Games have been developing some of the most prominent and downright hilarious adventure games of the past several years, while Homestar Runner has been responsible for one of the most popular and ridiculously enjoyable Flash cartoons of this millennium. It may seem...
Review Pitstop II (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Pitstop II is the first racing game that brings you the thrill of battling an opponent, the excitement of fighting for the lead out on the track and the suspense of struggling to be the first out of the pits.
Racing games, as a whole, haven't exactly aged as well as games from other genres over the years, but there's still something to be said for...
Review Samurai Shodown II (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
First released in 1994, this fighting game follows 15 samurai in their individual quests.
Let's face it, the majority of SNKs existence is based around their unrelenting quest to come up with a fighting game for their system that could stand toe-to-toe with Capcom's immensely popular Street Fighter II arcade game. Samurai Shodown has the unique...
Review Sonic the Hedgehog (Virtual Console / Master System)
Sonic's back in 8-bit style.
Following the undoubted success of Sonic The Hedgehog on the Mega Drive it seems only fitting that a version of the game was created for the Sega’s 8-bit wonder, the Master System which still had strong support in Europe at the time. This game was also something of a swan song to North American gamers who had took a...
Review Splatterhouse 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
Rick, once again encounters the Terror Mask and must use its powers to rescue his beloved Jennifer.
Rick is back! After the Terror Mask from the first Splatterhouse comes back and tells him his girlfriend (Who seemingly meets an unpleasant fate in the first game) can still be saved, Rick puts on the mask again, and goes back to the remains of the...
Review Wild West Guns (WiiWare)
Saddle up the horse and reload your six shooter - it's time to earn your badge, partner...
As children many of us spent several lazy afternoons watching old cowboy flicks, so it seems almost criminal that this classic Hollywood genre hasn't been granted a decent videogame adaptation for some time. Last generation's GUN was a modestly successful...
July2008
Review Frat Party Games: Pong Toss (WiiWare)
Is Pong Toss the life of the party, or just another sobering WiiWare experience?
Before we start, it's worth noting that Pong Toss began life as "Beer Pong" but due to worries about references to alcohol, developer JV Games opted for a more family-friendly name and removed all the naughty drinks as well. We're sure Nintendo and the ESRB...
Review Chase H.Q. (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Let's go Mr. Driver!
Back in 1988 Taito released Chase HQ into arcades around the world. It took the driving aspects from many other racing games of the time period and coupled them together with the intense action of a high-speed police pursuit. While this offered a nice change of pace from the typical and often redundant racing experiences found...
Review Neo Turf Masters (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Golf in Neo Geo style.
There are basically two good golf games available for the Neo Geo. Top Player's Golf was released in 1990 and is a solid and playable golf game in and of itself, but Neo Turf Masters, which was released 6 years later, is clearly a much more refined and enjoyable golfing experience. The game features some very playable game...
Review International Karate + (Virtual Console / Commodore 64)
Karate fighting has never been so much fun.
After the original was released as one of the two debut C64 titles on the VC, we didn't have to wait too long for the even better sequel to appear. At heart the same game, the plus in IK+ refers to a key difference - a third fighter. Whilst you could previously compete against a friend or the computer one...
Review The Incredible Hulk (Wii)
He's big, he's green and he's made us angry!
Bruce Banner is back in his second major blockbuster, The Incredible Hulk, the movie of which the video game is designed to follow. Hollywood very rarely has a mega blockbuster movie without a tie-in video game, this time the difficult challenge was left with Edge of Reality to try and break the mould and...
Review Pirates: The Key of Dreams (WiiWare)
Is this pirate based game worth your pieces of eight or should it walk the plank?
Pirates: The Key of Dreams was originally meant to be released as one of the launch titles in Europe. For whatever reason, this failed to happen, but two months it has finally come out and perhaps lost some of its thunder. Interestingly it is a prequel to an upcoming...
Review Major League Eating: The Game (WiiWare)
What goes down must come back up in this gut-wrenching ‘sport’.
People have been competitively stuffing their gullets with exorbitant amounts of various foods for over a hundred years, but not until the release of Major League Eating: The Game on WiiWare has this activity been immortalised in a videogame. Now, before you ask yourself whether or...
Review Donkey Kong 3 (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Bug off
Poor old Stanley the Bugman, not only have all the bugs got into his greenhouse, there’s a big ape pestering him too. To add insult to injury, he would never feature as a playable character in another Nintendo game again and be forgotten forever, whilst Mario went on to international stardom. Donkey Kong 3 started out life in the arcades...
Review Art of Fighting 2 (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Garcia is back
The original Art of Fighting may not have threatened Street Fighter II in terms of gameplay but it certainly turned a few heads and stole some of the trade away from Capcom’s seminal 2D fighter. This second game takes the core concept of the first title and gently refines several aspects to create a far more enjoyable (but sadly...
Review Ninja Commando (Virtual Console / Neo Geo)
Ikari Warriors with ninjas - awesome!
Ninja Commando is often confused for Ninja Combat or even its sequel, but in fact, it's neither. Ninja Commando is basically an overheard run 'n gun game that feels a lot like the arcade classic Ikari Warriors at times, although it doesn't quite have the same level of playability. While the game is an earlier...
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