Thomas Whitehead

Thomas Whitehead

Former Editor, Nintendo Life

Author Profile

Tom has been involved in the games industry for over a decade, mostly writing about it or struggling to sell Indie games. Loves reading, writing, hunting Capcom’s fiercest monsters and watching baseball.

Having joined the site in 2011, Tom took over as Editor three years later, ably steering the good ship Nintendo Life through the Wii U waters and safely into the Switch era. He now serves as a Producer at PM Studios.

Username
ThomasBW84
Articles
11,883 (257 reviews)
First Article
Wed 26th, January 2011
Avg. Review Score
6.8
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  • Successfully Learning English: Year 5 (DSiWare)

    1

    Review Successfully Learning English: Year 5 (DSiWare)

    Saved by the bell…

    Tivola’s campaign to help young DSi owners master the English language has reached its finale, with Successfully Learning English: Year 5 bringing the series to a close. It’s time to pack up your pencil cases, give the teacher a farewell gift – if you’re a gold-star student – and take your new English language skills...

  • Should Nintendo Try to Recapture 'Hardcore' Gamers?

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    Talking Point Should Nintendo Try to Recapture 'Hardcore' Gamers?

    What is hardcore anyway?

    In recent weeks the internet has been overloaded with rumours about Nintendo’s next home console, the successor to the phenomenally successful Wii. The rumours followed the usual pattern; anonymous sources said it was coming, speculation raged, ideas about the console started to find a level of consistency, and finally...

  • LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Wii)

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    Review LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (Wii)

    Pirates pillage the Wii

    LEGO video games are plentiful on the Wii, and LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean has arrived to claim its share of the spoils. Is this franchise another treasure in the series, or an empty chest? Fans will no doubt be delighted to see all of the films, including the latest release, included in this title. Playing through all four...

  • Calculator (DSiWare)

    25

    Review Calculator (DSiWare)

    Does it add up?

    Although the majority of titles on the DSiWare shop are games, since launch there have been some items that would more accurately be described as ‘apps’. Common on smartphones, they have become increasingly less frequent on DSiWare. Cinemax are bucking the trend with Calculator; does it get the sums right? The list of features...

  • LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (3DS)

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    Review LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean (3DS)

    The greatest LEGO pirate you’ve ever seen?

    The LEGO series is becoming a prominent part of gaming culture, bringing new twists on mainstream franchises such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones and Harry Potter to fans. It is little surprise that Disney’s Pirates of the Caribbean has signed up for the LEGO treatment, but is LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean...

  • Successfully Learning English: Year 4 (DSiWare)

    1

    Review Successfully Learning English: Year 4 (DSiWare)

    Can you spell re-pet-i-tive?

    Tivola’s series of edutainment titles keeps rolling on, Successfully Learning English: Year 4 representing the third entry in this particular DSiWare series. In our review of Successfully Learning English: Year 3, we observed that the classroom was unchanged from Year 2; does graduation to Year 4 bring exciting change...

  • Successfully Learning English: Year 3 (DSiWare)

    3

    Review Successfully Learning English: Year 3 (DSiWare)

    Are these A, B, Cs as easy as 1, 2, 3?

    It seems that Tivola’s campaign to bring educational entertainment, or edutainment, to Nintendo consoles is yet to run out of steam. Successfully Learning English: Year 3 is the second entry in this DSiWare series, and the sixth ‘Successfully Learning’ title overall. The first Successfully Learning...

  • Zoonies - Escape from Makatu (DSiWare)

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    Review Zoonies - Escape from Makatu (DSiWare)

    A great escape?

    New developers have gravitated towards DSiWare since it launched, resulting in a broad variety of titles on the service. Kiloo Games is another developer making its DSiWare debut, having previously focussed on developing for smartphones, entering the fray with puzzle platformer Zoonies – Escape from Makatu. In Zoonies you play as...

  • Valet Parking 1989 (DSiWare)

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    Review Valet Parking 1989 (DSiWare)

    A crash course in parking

    The DSiWare service certainly has the ability to surprise with its diverse variety of genres and concepts. Developer Zordix AB is throwing its hat into the ring with Valet Parking 1989. The title is self explanatory, and the concept of valet parking has been envisioned as a time management puzzle game with a distinctly 80s...

  • Successfully Learning English: Year 2 (DSiWare)

    4

    Review Successfully Learning English: Year 2 (DSiWare)

    Vocabu-scary or the definition of fun?

    After four entries in the Successfully Learning Mathematics WiiWare series, Tivola is now turning its attentions to studying English, and this time Freddy the Vampire flies – at night, of course – over to DSiWare instead. It’s time to start a new class, but will this help young gamers learn their ABCs?...

  • Trollboarder (DSiWare)

    9

    Review Trollboarder (DSiWare)

    A slippery slope downwards…

    If there is one thing missing from the video game world, it’s a snowboarding game starring goblins and dragons, and Enjoy Gaming is aiming to fill the void with Trollboarder. It’s been marketed as the ‘craziest snowboard game in history’, but is this zany fun or an experience that will drive you mad? The premise...

  • GO Series: Captain Sub (DSiWare)

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    Review GO Series: Captain Sub (DSiWare)

    Diving to the murky depths

    DSiWare has seen quite a few ‘GO’ titles during its lifespan, and the latest in the series is GO Series: Captain Sub. This title marks another departure in the series with a combination of puzzling, shooting and exploration. The question is whether this game is worth the expedition undersea. The premise of the game is...

  • Dancing Academy (DSiWare)

    4

    Review Dancing Academy (DSiWare)

    Uh-oh, I’m dancing with my stylus

    Tivola’s ‘Academy’ series of games is becoming a prolific presence on DSiWare. In consecutive months we've had Model Academy and Beauty Academy. These titles have targeted pre-teen girl gamers and the latest entry, Dancing Academy is no different. We’re dusting off our dancing shoes to determine whether...

  • Rabbids 3D (3DS)

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    Review Rabbids 3D (3DS)

    Let’s do the time warp, again

    If you’re a Nintendo gamer and have never seen a Rabbid before, you might be the only one. Whether you’ve bought the titles or not, these wacky critters have had a number of releases, of varying standards and styles, released on the Wii and DS. Their ubiquitous nature has made them mascots of sorts for Ubisoft,...

  • Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D (3DS)

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    Review Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D (3DS)

    Emerging from the shadows

    The debut of the 3DS has seen a number of releases and ports tailored to show off 3D effects, with some perhaps coming up short in terms of depth and content, but Tom Clancy’s Ghost Recon: Shadow Wars 3D aims to set itself apart from the field. There is pedigree behind the development: the project lead, Julian Gollop, is...

  • Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (3DS)

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    Review Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell 3D (3DS)

    Tripping over in the dark

    Splinter Cell 3D is one of quite a few 3DS launch titles from Ubisoft, a publisher that is showing plenty of enthusiasm for Nintendo’s little device of tricks. The number of gizmos and clever features in the console make it seem like the perfect home for deadly agent Sam Fisher. The question is whether this title is able...

  • Okamiden (DS)

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    Review Okamiden (DS)

    A celestial pup worthy of your praise

    Back in 2008, a two year old PS2 ‘game of the year’ was ported to the Wii amid much critical acclaim. Okami, an epic adventure boasting a glorious art style, was perfectly suited to the Wii’s capabilities, and Capcom has once again embraced a Nintendo console for a follow-up adventure on the DS. With such...

  • BINGO PARTY Deluxe (WiiWare)

    7

    Review BINGO PARTY Deluxe (WiiWare)

    Bing-oh…

    Developers Ateam Inc have seen a gap in the download game market: bingo. For those who thought this pastime was restricted to bingo halls and retirement homes, think again. Bingo Party Deluxe is now available on WiiWare; does it succeed and scream ‘house’ at the top of its voice, or frustratingly bemoan the drawing of all the wrong...

  • Beauty Academy (DSiWare)

    7

    Review Beauty Academy (DSiWare)

    This could get ugly...

    Recently, we at Nintendo Life reviewed Model Academy from developer Tivola. As a team with plenty of modelling experience between us, we felt well qualified to judge the merits of this title. Tivola have wasted no time releasing a follow-up title, Beauty Academy, and as regular patrons of beauty salons we once again take it on...

  • Rango (Wii)

    14

    Review Rango (Wii)

    Tied to the rail tracks

    Rango is a new CGI movie coming to a cinema near you. You gamers all know what that means, a video game tie-in! Rango is a chameleon that becomes stranded as the sheriff of a mini Wild West town populated by animals of the desert; snakes, lizards, rabbits and a mariachi band of owls. So far, so typical of a CGI movie. The...

  • Monster Buster Club (DSiWare)

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    Review Monster Buster Club (DSiWare)

    Will the kids win or get busted?

    The gargantuan success of the DS and subsequently the DSi has meant that the little handheld has become a prime device for games based on children’s television and film. The latest in the list of games targeting this audience has arrived on DSiWare, Monster Buster Club. Does this collection of mini games bring...

  • Arcade Essentials (WiiWare)

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    Review Arcade Essentials (WiiWare)

    We’re gaming like it’s 1979

    Before the modern era of electronic entertainment, a major venue for any gamer was the local arcade. These establishments were noisy fun factories featuring enough flashing lights to cause fits, homes to huge game machines that were simple and addictive – the perfect combination for separating you from your pocket...

  • Cricket Challenge (WiiWare)

    11

    Review Cricket Challenge (WiiWare)

    Cricket hits the streets! Uh, sort of…

    When the Nintendo Wii and the Wii Remote were unveiled, a lot of sporty gamers thought of one thing: Wii Cricket. Unfortunately, despite online petitions and campaigns in the system's early years, the perfect cricket experience on the console hasn't been forthcoming, even with the addition of MotionPlus in...

  • Model Academy (DSiWare)

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    Review Model Academy (DSiWare)

    Are you pretty enough?

    The life of a photogenic model is well known amongst the Nintendo Life team, and now Tivola is giving all DSi owners a chance to live the dream with Model Academy, a simulation game that sees you progress from girl in the mall to World Supermodel. The question is, does this title provide a fun experience, and can you walk the...