Liam Doolan

Liam Doolan

Staff Writer

Author Profile

Liam is a news writer and reviewer across Hookshot Media. He's been writing about games for more than 15 years and is a lifelong fan of many iconic video game characters.

My interest in Nintendo and Xbox (and all-things related to video games) is what got me into video games journalism. It all started when I reached out to some Nintendo websites during my senior years in school and the rest is history. I love the ever-evolving nature of the games industry.

Experience

Prior to joining Nintendo Life, Liam contributed to a number of Nintendo fan sites, as well as a handful of multi-platform video game websites.

As a News Reporter on both Nintendo Life and Pure Xbox, Liam’s day-to-day work is focused almost exclusively on covering the latest developments coming out of Kyoto and Redmond.

The community has always been a huge part of what I love about my work. It's great to break news and share the excitement globally with fans.

Timeline

  • 2013: Joins the Nintendo Life community as a Contributor, covering news and reviews.
  • 2018: Begins full-time work at Nintendo Life as a News Reporter, while also contributing reviews, features and interviews.
  • 2020: Joins Pure Xbox as a News Writer to help relaunch the site whilst continuing his role on Nintendo Life

Expertise

The first console Liam owned was the NES, followed by the OG brick Game Boy. Since then he’s owned many of the consoles released by the likes of SEGA, Nintendo, Xbox and PlayStation.

His favourite console of all-time is the Nintendo 64, thanks largely to those amazing multiplayer memories from the likes of GoldenEye 007, Perfect Dark and Mario Kart.

I love a good platformer (easy to learn, hard to master), but it depends on the day of the week! I also love a good action-adventure, an RPG, FPS, racing game or a fighter.

Liam’s Favourite Games

From the Archive

We asked Liam to pick out his three favourite pieces of work from across his personal archive, and tell us why he picked them!

Rumour: Nintendo Will Expand Its Switch Online Service With Game Boy And Game Boy Color Titles

This was a rumour that was corroborated, and then eventually confirmed by Nintendo!

Feature: Game Of The Decade Staff Picks - The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 - such a great game and I also covered the Witcher 3 Switch rumours early on.

Flashback The Real Story Behind Rare's Cancelled GoldenEye 007 Xbox 360 Remaster

My investigation into a rumour which was - in time - officially confirmed.

Username
Liam_Doolan
Articles
11,930 (95 reviews)
First Article
Wed 30th, October 2013
Avg. Review Score
6.1
Find Them On
Muck Rack • Bluesky •
  • Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King (Switch eShop)

    46

    Review Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King (Switch eShop)

    The imitation game

    The Legend Of Zelda-inspired adventure that is Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King follows the adventures of Lily, a noble Knight Of The Rose tasked with saving the Kingdom of Blossom from eternal darkness. You'll need to traverse five challenging dungeons while solving puzzles, using special weapons, items and abilities and...

  • Stern Pinball Arcade (Switch eShop)

    79

    Review Stern Pinball Arcade (Switch eShop)

    A classic experience

    Stern Pinball Arcade for the Switch eShop prides itself on authenticity. The company Stern - as featured in the title's name - was founded in 1977, plying its trade as a pinball and arcade video game manufacturer.  As the most experienced and largest producer of real pinball machines to this day, the publisher and developer...

  • Pinball FX3 (Switch eShop)

    57

    Review Pinball FX3 (Switch eShop)

    The definitive pinball title

    The free-to-download series Pinball FX has gone from strength to strength over the years, acquiring many famous licenses at an increased rate while slowly refining the overall quality of the experience as each new entry is released. As old-fashioned as pinball now is in the 21st century, the effort Zen Studios...

  • The Sexy Brutale (Switch eShop)

    37

    Review The Sexy Brutale (Switch eShop)

    Turn back time to save the day

    If Groundhog Day took on the form of a video game, it might very well be The Sexy Brutale. It’s a 3D puzzle and adventure title developed by Cavalier Game Studios and Tequila Works (Rime) focused on intrigue, murder and mystery with a huge emphasis placed on the manipulation of time. Taking control of the...

  • Black The Fall (Switch eShop)

    18

    Review Black The Fall (Switch eShop)

    Escape the system

    Inspired by Romanian communism and '90s sci-fi universes, Black The Fall is an atmospheric puzzle-platformer developed by Sand Sailor Studio – a Bucharest-based independent game company that was originally founded in 2014. The concept came about as a way to express rebellion against the mechanisms of a heavily corrupted system,...

  • The End Is Nigh (Switch)

    29

    Review The End Is Nigh (Switch)

    It's the end of the world as we know it

    Balancing the difficulty in a platform game is a fine art. Even though the genre has pretty-much existed since the inception of modern video games, developers are still often guilty of not providing enough of a challenge or making levels almost impossible to complete. Even in recent times, only a select few...

  • Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive (Switch eShop)

    23

    Review Phantom Breaker: Battle Grounds Overdrive (Switch eShop)

    A modern brawler

    As much of a blast as old school beat em’ up video games like Streets of Rage, Double Dragon and the River City Ransom series are to play, new titles under this same banner often fail to modernise the classic genre – instead choosing to rely purely on nostalgia to fuel the fun. Although this is very much a design choice, it...

  • Plantera Deluxe (Switch eShop)

    14

    Review Plantera Deluxe (Switch eShop)

    Flex those green fingers

    Gardening is said to be good for your health. It can relieve stress, help combat anxiety and depression, and improve your overall mental wellbeing. Studies conducted in the past have proven caring for a plant or garden is therapeutic and can better a person’s quality of life. So how does a video game about a virtual garden...

  • Cat Quest (Switch eShop)

    16

    Review Cat Quest (Switch eShop)

    Catastrophe in the lands of Felingard

    Cats often get a bad rap when compared to dogs; yet furry felines continue to reign supreme thanks to the internet’s love of cat memes and viral videos. If you do worship your cat like a God and also happen to enjoy role-playing games, Cat Quest – published by PQube and developed by The Gentlebros – could...

  • Batman - The Telltale Series (Switch)

    52

    Review Batman - The Telltale Series (Switch)

    Be the man, become the bat

    Long-time fans of Telltale Games will no doubt remember when the independent publisher and developer - specialising in the creation of episodic point-and-click games - hit its stride. Having worked with various IP including Sam & Max and Monkey Island since its inception in 2004, the company became more widely known...

  • Stick It to The Man (Switch eShop)

    21

    Review Stick It to The Man (Switch eShop)

    A weird adventure

    Over the course of its first year the Switch has been bombarded with ports. Stick It To The Man – originally released in 2013 and made available on the Wii U in 2014 – adds to the growing library of eShop re-releases on Nintendo’s latest device. Initially, this game was critically praised. Its story – penned by Adventure...

  • Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Mobile)

    69

    Review Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp (Mobile)

    Relax and stay a while

    It’s still hard to comprehend a series as obscure yet mundane as Animal Crossing has had so much success since its inception. Apart from minor similarities to The Sims and Harvest Moon, the concept of the original game wasn’t really akin to any other title available on the market at the time of its release. Unlike the...

  • UNO (Switch eShop)

    44

    Review UNO (Switch eShop)

    A classic card game modernised

    Digital card games have had a significant rise in popularity in recent years. These modern variations commonly feature online play, micro-transactions, thousands of unique collectible cards and often require hundreds of hours to properly understand the intricacies. Given the hype surrounding this specific type of card...

  • Perception (Switch eShop)

    22

    Review Perception (Switch eShop)

    Far from pleasant

    What is it about the horror genre that makes it so timeless? Despite the often formulaic approaches and clichés that help define these games, it’s normally the exploration and discovery of the unknown that keeps both audiences and players alike on the edge of their seats. Audience engagement with this specific genre can be...

  • Wheels of Aurelia (Switch eShop)

    27

    Review Wheels of Aurelia (Switch eShop)

    Anything but a joyride

    Imagine a driving game that takes on the form of a visual novel. That’s loosely what Wheels of Aurelia is like; the pointed summary is that it doesn’t really align with any traditional video game experience at all. Even within the context of an indie title, this one is as art house as they come. It’s not going to appeal...

  • Adapting to Day-To-Day Life in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

    17

    Feature Adapting to Day-To-Day Life in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

    More impressions about the latest entry in the Animal Crossing family

    While the rest of the world waits until late November for the official release of Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp on iOS and Google Play devices, your humble scribe – who happens to be located in Australia – has now had a few more days to adapt to life in this new world. With the...

  • Watch Jimmy Fallon Play Super Mario Odyssey On The Nintendo Switch

    30

    Video Watch Jimmy Fallon Play Super Mario Odyssey On The Nintendo Switch

    This man really loves Mario

    It’s been well publicised how the current host of The Tonight Show is a big fan of Nintendo. Every year E3 rolls around, Jimmy Fallon often gets Reggie and his crew on so he can try out the latest Nintendo systems and games.  We have also heard stories in the past about how he missed out on a chance to date the...

  • Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (Switch eShop)

    10

    Review Super Ping Pong Trick Shot (Switch eShop)

    Become a trick shot master

    With more games released every year, deciding which one to play next has become increasingly difficult. The complex progression systems and open world design commonly found in modern video games appear to have become a norm, even in some download titles. Sometimes the limitless nature of these types of games can become...

  • Our First Steps in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

    44

    Feature Our First Steps in Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp

    Initial impressions from our resident Animal Crossing expert

    Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp had its big Nintendo Direct reveal, and what we saw was a title that – in various respects – is rather close to the experience in the main games. Smaller in scope and with some mobile elements, of course, but the iOS / Google Play title has nevertheless...

  • JYDGE (Switch eShop)

    46

    Review JYDGE (Switch eShop)

    Enforce law and order on the city streets of Edenbyrg

    Imagine a bleak dystopian future where crime is rampant and multiple citizens are being held as hostages by dangerous people. JYDGE, recently launched on Steam  and now available via the Switch eShop, explores this exact scenario. When all goes to hell in the cyberpunk city of Edenbyrg, the...

  • New Story Trailer For Apollo Justice On 3DS Reveals Release Dates For North America & Europe

    33

    News New Story Trailer For Apollo Justice On 3DS Reveals Release Dates For North America & Europe

    You won’t object to this

    Earlier this year Capcom announced it was releasing a revamped version of Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney on the 3DS. With the game already scheduled for a November launch, the Japan-based publisher and developer has now confirmed the title will release in North America on 21st November and across Europe on 23rd November. To...

  • Mantis Burn Racing On Switch Will Include Cross-Play Support

    18

    News Mantis Burn Racing On Switch Will Include Cross-Play Support

    Race against players on rival platforms

    VooFoo Studios has announced its top-down racer Mantis Burn Racing will include cross-play support. The title bolsters cross-play offerings on the Nintendo Switch, with some of the previously announced cross-platform games for the device including Minecraft, Rocket League and the recently announced th

  • Sparkle 2 (Switch eShop)

    30

    Review Sparkle 2 (Switch eShop)

    Modernising a niche genre

    If you’ve ever played an entry from PopCap’s ZUMA series, or the late '90s Puzz Loop game by Mitchell Corporation, Sparkle 2 by 10tons falls under the same banner. For the uninformed, Sparkle 2 is a bit of a blast from the past, providing marble madness in the form of a puzzle match game. The fact this entry is a...

  • Astro Bears Party (Switch eShop)

    26

    Review Astro Bears Party (Switch eShop)

    Can you bear it?

    The Nintendo Switch has got off to a promising start during its first year on the market. A number of third-party publishers and developers initially sceptical of the system’s ability to become a commercial success are now in on the action. As the impressive library of games on Nintendo’s latest device increases by the day, the...