Reviews

WiiWare Game Reviews

  • 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...

  • Review Boingz (WiiWare)

    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 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 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...

  • 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 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...

  • 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 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...

  • Review Tetris Party (WiiWare)

    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 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 World of Goo (WiiWare)

    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...

  • Review MadStone (WiiWare)

    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 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...

  • Review Mega Man 9 (WiiWare)

    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 Potpourrii (WiiWare)

    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 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 Helix (WiiWare)

    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 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...

  • Review My Aquarium (WiiWare)

    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...