Author Profile
- Username
- holchasaur
- Articles
- 77 (65 reviews)
- First Article
- Sun 14th, October 2012
- Avg. Review Score
- 5.6
- Find Them On
- Twitter/X
Soapbox Why You Should Consider Catching Big Air With Wii's Excite Truck
If you still have access to a Wii or Wii U, that is
Soapbox features enable our individual writers to voice their own opinions on a wide range of topics, opinions that may not necessarily be the voice of the site. In this edition, Dave Letcavage discusses his somewhat recent introduction to the divisive Wii launch game Excite Truck, and makes a case...
Soapbox Yoshi's Woolly World Mended My Rocky Relationship With Yoshi
A cracked heart tightly stitched back together
Yoshi has been my favourite character from the Super Mario series since he made his dino-riffic debut in Super Mario World back in '91. I was so fond of him at that time that I convinced my parents to name our new Bichon Frise puppy in his honour. To this day, when I play Mario Kart or Mario Party...
Feature Memorable Games of 2017 - The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A mammoth adventure I will never forget
In this series of features Nintendo Life writers will share thoughts on their most memorable games of 2017. This first article by Dave Letcavage focuses on The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild on both Switch and Wii U. Later entries will also focus on lesser known games that have entertained and enthralled...
Review Yo-kai Watch 2: Bony Spirits & Fleshy Souls (3DS)
Yo-kai to the past
When Yo-kai Watch arrived in the West (initially North America) in November 2015, it charmed us with its dense and detailed world, frantic touchscreen battle system and off-kilter personality. Although the similarities to Pokemon were overt, Yo-kai Watch still managed to carve out a unique identity and take us on a surprisingly...
Gotta friend 'em all
There's no point beating around the bush: Yo-Kai Watch is a lot like Pokémon. But instead of straight up emulating one of Nintendo's biggest franchises, developer Level-5 has aspired to create something a bit stranger and fresher than Pokémon has done in years. The result is a welcoming RPG that has some highs and some lows,...
Mario Memories How The Super Mario Bros. 2 Instruction Manual Influenced Me Artistically
Returning to Subcon after 25 years
In this series of articles celebrating the upcoming 30th Anniversary of Super Mario, various members of the Nintendo Life extended family will share their memories and thoughts on the iconic franchise. This time we have reviewer and guide extraordinaire Dave Letcavage. I'm not sure of my exact age at the time,...
Guide 8 Tips to Become an Expert Level Designer in Super Mario Maker
Miyamoto. Tezuka. YOU.
With Super Mario Maker now available, there are bound to be many aspiring level designers looking for tips to help them advance their skills. If that sounds like it pertains to you, don't worry – we're here to help. After spending the better part of a month diving deep into the seemingly endless possibilities to be explored...
Review The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (New 3DS)
Born again
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is humorously disturbing, potentially offensive and unapologetically gross. This is a game about a boy named Isaac who's scrambling through the depths of his basement to avoid his pursuing mother. But instead of delivering a spanking or a timeout like most mothers do, Isaac's mom is intent to sacrifice her...
Review LEGO Jurassic World (Wii U)
Fun but lacking InGen-uity
A whole lot of chaos has ensued on the islands of Isla Sorna and Isla Nublar. Since 1993 we've seen two state-of-the-art theme parks abruptly go defunct and two rescue missions disastrously unfold on these isolated chunks of land. The crazy thing is, we relish in the spectacle that results from these unfortunate events...
Review New Super Mario Bros. (Wii U eShop / DS)
LittleBigKingdom
When New Super Mario Bros. released for the Nintendo DS back in 2006, it had been roughly 15 years since the portly plumber starred in a proper 2D platformer. Not only that, but side-scrollers in general had been largely ignored since 1996, when the Nintendo 64 hit the market and assured us that 3D gaming was the way of the future...
Review Johnny Dynamite (3DS eShop)
Defused
Imagine a 2D game with a simple premise: collect all pieces of dynamite in each stage without taking any damage. Instead of running and jumping around like you would in a traditional platformer, you thrust freely throughout the bite-sized stages with a trusty jetpack. With unlimited use of this ability, along with an endless supply of...
Review Yoshi Touch & Go (Wii U eShop / DS)
Fleeting fun
Between the DS, 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo has delivered many touch screen gaming experiences throughout the years. While some are genuinely creative and/or mechanically deep, others have ended up feeling like little more than an experiment or a tech demo rather than a full-fledged game; Yoshi Touch & Go falls into that latter...
Review Fossil Fighters: Frontier (3DS)
Adventure's right around the bend
On paper, Fossil Fighters might appear to be little more than a Pokémon clone. It's a series about reviving dinosaurs — called vivosaurs — from fossilized remains and pitting them in turn-based battles against other dinosaurs. But even though the formula is undoubtedly similar, Fossil Fighters makes a solid...
Review Paparazzi (Wii U eShop)
Snap judgement
Indie developers seem to be doing a great job of delivering games with local multiplayer to the Wii U eShop as of late. From Chariot to GetClose: A Game for RIVALS, Sportsball to Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, affordable — and quality — entertainment with the intention of livening up a living room is readily...
Review Tri-Strip (Wii U eShop)
Geometry Bores
Tri-Strip is a puzzle game about placing strips of triangles into a grid to make squares, which clears up space and nets you points; using the stylus, touchscreen and a single button, you can strategically drag, drop and rotate pieces into open spots. It's a style of play that requires a little bit more hesitation and thought when...
Review Electronic Super Joy: Groove City (Wii U eShop)
Groove it or lose it
Electronic Super Joy: Groove City is a weird game. The plot involves a giant robot stripper that loses her laser nipples, and you're trying to get them back so she stops destroying Groove City in a resulting fit of rage. The story matters very little beyond setup purposes, as the majority of the dialogue is delivered through...
Guide Collecting All the Gems in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Episode 3
Episode 3: Return of the Toad
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is now available in North America and Europe, adding another excellent title to the Wii U library. In this game the goal for Captain Toad and Toadette isn't simply nabbing the star at the end of each stage, but also picking up three gems hidden throughout each level. These become vital in...
Get lost
Sometimes the simplest concept can make for an utterly addictive and engaging virtual experience. From Wii Sports to Angry Birds, the original Mario Bros. to the Mario Party series, there have been plenty of games that have bridged the gap from casual to advanced players, and it all starts at how accessible and universal the concept at the...
Guide Collecting All the Gems in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Episode 2
Episode 2: Wingo Strikes Back
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is now available in North America and Europe, adding another excellent title to the Wii U library. In this game the goal for Captain Toad and Toadette isn't simply nabbing the star at the end of each stage, but also picking up three gems hidden throughout each level. These become vital in...
Guide Collecting All the Gems in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker - Episode 1
Episode 1: A New Toad
Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is now available in North America and Europe, adding another excellent title to the Wii U library. In this game the goal for Captain Toad and Toadette isn't simply nabbing the star at the end of each stage, but also picking up three gems hidden throughout each level. These become vital in...
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...
Textual healing or vocal underperformity?
Want to turn your 3DS into a social device that allows you and your friends to exchange text messages and partake in voice chat while collaborating on doodles? That’s the experience that Chat-A-Lot advertises, and while it delivers in some regards, overall this simple application falls very flat. Part of...
Review Mario Kart Super Circuit (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Good for another lap
When the Nintendo 64 hit the market and suggested that 2D games had gone the way of the dodo, many of us that were fond of fancy sprite-work were forced to dust off elderly hardware to scratch our itch for the classic genres we held dear — until the Game Boy Advance came along, that is. Often reflected upon as the second...
Review PING 1.5+ (Wii U eShop)
All over the place
Ping 1.5+ is a puzzle game that’s all about aiming and shooting a tiny white cube at a circular orange target. Of course that’s easier said than done, as you’ll need to judge the right angle, bank the cube off walls, and avoid colliding with obstacles to reach the target within the indicated number of bounces and/or moves...
