3DS eShop Game Reviews
Review Quell Memento (3DS eShop)
Worth remembering
Creating a working puzzle takes a certain level of skill, even more so if you wish to make it interesting. The Quell series really seems to pay a special mind to the puzzle as a form of craft, presenting its challenges to the player while also attempting to build a serene journey through them. Quell Memento, the latest iteration to...
Review Undead Storm Nightmare (3DS eShop)
Dream sequel
Publisher Gamebridge's GO Series of DSiWare games seems to have faded out with 2012's release of GO Series: Undead Storm, but that doesn't mean the properties are completely gone. In a move that no one expected developer G-STYLE has released a sequel to the aforementioned property on the 3DS eShop titled Undead S
Review Gunman Clive 2 (3DS eShop)
Panda-ing to its fans
When Gunman Clive arrived as a budget, bite-sized slice of action platforming on the 3DS in late 2012 it unsurprisingly earned a lot of praise. Its intentionally grubby paper aesthetic and simple, highly polished gameplay seemed like a loving - and skilful - homage to franchises such as Mega Man; that didn't go unnoticed by...
Review Monster Combine TD (3DS eShop)
Plants vs. Monsters
When you think of a tower defence game, what usually comes to mind is a long, winding path, with various build spots situated around it. As you defeat enemies, you earn more money to place units on these spots, and they will automatically attack any enemies that come within range. However, while that might be the most common...
Review Best of Mahjong (3DS eShop)
A lovely pair
Mahjong is a tile-based game that is utterly steeped in history and mystery – nobody really knows how old it is, as many different sources claim different dates of conception, and it seems nobody's keen to agree any time soon. This Chinese game is highly regarded in the East, but its presence in the West is significantly less...
Review Scarygirl Illustration Kit (3DS eShop)
Not exactly high art
With the delayed release of Flipnote Studio 3D - now finally confirmed as a Club Nintendo farewell freebie - there have been other drawing apps for creative gamers to try their hand at, such as Colors! 3D, Comic Workshop and Nintendo's own Art Academy seri
Review Space Lift Danger Panic! (3DS eShop)
Repetitive Tapping Sci-Fi Game!
If you're looking for a bizarrely named game that does interesting things with what little it has to offer, look no further than Space Lift Danger Panic! The flagship 3DS eShop title from developer Springloaded, this provides very basic gameplay but manages to combine it with a mysterious and alluring story to balance...
Review Battleminer (3DS eShop)
Like stepping on a landmine
Mojang's Minecraft, a small indie title that has become a pop culture phenomenon, would seem like a perfect fit for Nintendo platforms, with a large sense of wonder and creative gameplay. Unfortunately, Nintendo is the only major gaming platform without a version of the venerable franchise. At first glance, Wobbly Tooth...
Double-plus-ungood
One of the quirkier titles to hit the 3DS eShop recently, Rocket Studios' Kemonomix+ is the sequel to a Japan-only DSiWare game from 2010: a streamlined simulation featuring a combination of exploration, time-management and monster rearing set on a faraway pastel planet. It borrows good ideas from excellent influences, but leaves...
Review 3D After Burner II (3DS eShop)
The need for speed
Classic ports always fare better when handled by a team that approaches the source game's legacy with the utmost respect, and without a hint of hyperbole 3D After Burner II is a truly exceptional retread. Developer M2 has worked wonders with this re-release of Sega's 1987 arcade cabinet, presenting a faithful port that captures...
Review Best of Solitaire (3DS eShop)
All by myself
Who doesn't love a good old card game? They're enjoyable, relaxing and you can even play them by yourself if you're socially lacking at the time. Best of Solitaire may seem like a tempting purchase if you're a fan of the solo four-suit adventure, but is it worth spending your money on? Best of Solitaire loads up almost instantly after...
Review PUZZLEBOX setup (3DS eShop)
Flip the script
It's always refreshing when a game comes along that challenges norms and makes its players rethink the standards of a genre. The modern gaming market is so abundant that even the least common genres are saturated with new titles, making it even more appreciated when something that feels new makes its way onto consoles. As Nintendo...
Review Mes Comptines (3DS eShop)
Straight Outta Comptines
If you know My First Songs or its sequel on the 3DS, then Mes Comptines (French for “My Rhymes" or “My Nursery Rhymes") will be very familiar territory, even with a language shift. This is the same simplistic rhythm game for small children as its predecessors, and that's really not such a bad thing. Mes Comptines comes...
Review League of Heroes (3DS eShop)
Leaving out the legends
Ports of mobile games making their way onto Nintendo platforms was once considered disgraceful, but as time passed and the phenomenon became more commonplace the discussion seems to have died off a bit. We like to think that the quality of mobile games has increased over the years, essentially eliminating the idea that cell...
Review Toys vs. Monsters (3DS eShop)
Manufacturer refurbished
If you've ever been disappointed that you can't play a recent and improved version of the hugely successful Plants vs. Zombies on your 3DS - aside from the DS release - you may be intrigued by the shamelessly similarly-named Toys vs. Monsters on the eShop. All of the information about it points to a fun little experience...
Feud for thought
The best kinds of board games don't force you to rely on sheer luck to win. There are plenty out there which encourage the use of logic and quick thinking to seize victory, which makes for a more satisfying experience overall as a result. All manner of puzzle games have enjoyed a wide level of success on 3DS, but MindFeud from...
Review My First Songs 2 (3DS eShop)
More of the same
For those who haven't read our review of the original My First Songs on 3DS, you may want to read that before going any further in this one. My First Songs 2 is the sequel to My First Songs and generally follows the same formula as the original. You have a variety of nursery rhymes which you can tap along to using the touch screen...
To sum up
Puzzle games are ten-a-penny these days and usually take the form of a clone of an existing puzzle game – most notably Bejeweled – so it's nice to see new ideas sprouting forth from developers such as those found in Sumico for the 3DS. Does its shiny new gameplay offer something fresh and enjoyable, or is it puzzle pitfall? The basic...
Review Brutus & Futée (3DS eShop)
Et tu, Futée
You'd be forgiven for not being especially inspired by the title of Brutus and Futée, as two unknown character's names doesn't really strike that much confidence in consumers. The title also doesn't give anything away in regards to the gameplay itself, so is this strangely named game worth your time? The two titular characters in...
Review Shadow of the Ninja (3DS eShop / NES)
Gaming pleasure and pain, oh look it's ninjas again
There's a great moment early on in Shadow of the Ninja where an armoured trooper stands atop a ledge occasionally shooting at you. You can't simply wait for the firing to stop before attacking as the gun doubles as a shield against your slashing blade. As you contemplate jumping between bullets to...
An Ys-y purchase
The RPG genre is still rather popular, with several big-name releases arriving every year. While these are usually grand spectacles, Fairune keeps things quite simple. As with many "retro-esque" games these days, it attempts to emulate the look and feel of a classic '80s game, and that comes with matching game mechanics. Combat is...
Review Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy (3DS eShop)
No appeal needed
The Ace Attorney franchise is well known but, when considered in isolation, it's a bit of an oddity. With its exaggerated characters, stilted animations and a tendency to be as wordy as a Tolstoy novel — not really, but there's a lot of reading — we'd have perhaps expected it to be a one off release in the West before being...
Review Pokémon Puzzle Challenge (3DS eShop / GBC)
Pokémon! Blocks! What more do you need?
The eShop is rife with puzzle games, and it’s understandable as to why; they’re fairly simple in design and can provide a huge amount of entertainment to an incredibly broad audience. Some of them can be a little bit monotonous or shameless clones of another game, but you’ll sometimes find something...
It's a breakout hit
The 3DS eShop has amassed quite the catalogue of affordable downloadable releases, but while a healthy number of the games available are of high quality, there are also many duds that deserve to be ignored completely. Fortunately, Hazumi is not one of those lesser-desired games. If you’re on the market for a challenging...
Review S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team (3DS eShop / NES)
Invading aliens, a fight for survival and all that jazz
It is the year 2029 and aliens are attacking the earth. Have they observed mankind’s violent nature and opted for a pre-emptive strike to protect themselves? Or do they just dislike the way the people of S.C.A.T.: Special Cybernetic Attack Team have taken to painting their buildings a shade...
Review My Life on a Farm 3D (3DS eShop)
E - I - E - I - NO
My Life on a Farm 3D is standing proof that you can take a poor game concept and, with the proper lack of care and ingenuity, rework it into something that is just as poor as — if not potentially worse than — its source. Life on the farm feels a lot like life in a previous TREVA title, Me & My Pets 3D. This is because the...
Review Christmas Wonderland 4 (3DS eShop)
Straight on the naughty list
Shovelware is as much a part of Christmas as roasted livestock and silly jumpers, particularly for children whose parents don’t know any better, and it seems that Microvalue isn't happy with ending its Christmas Wonderland series as a trilogy. Christmas Wonderland 4 is a point and click game that has you looking at a...
Drift compatible
Renegade Kid has pretty much lost its element of surprise. When a developer consistently releases interesting games that are made well with attractive art, it's not really shocking when their next release follows suit. Surprising no one, Renegade Kid's latest release Xeodrifter is another excellent game brimming with style and...
Review Castle Conqueror Defender (3DS eShop)
Just another castle to conquer
CIRCLE Entertainment's Castle Conqueror series has seen a healthy number of instalments in its release history, so it's no surprise when a new game hits the Nintendo eShop. The series has stuck to a simplistic RTS (real-time strategy) style of gameplay for the majority of its entries, but the developers decided to...
Review My First Songs (3DS eShop)
Just watch the world learn
Not content with its current offerings on Wii U, Ringzero Game Studio decided that, despite system limitations, a 3DS outing of the My First Songs franchise should be made. To the developer's credit it holds up well despite the 3DS’ lower power, but it’s not quite the same game as it is on Wii U. For starters, the...
