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leemeyer26
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152 (101 reviews)
First Article
Mon 25th, March 2013
Avg. Review Score
5.2
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  • Review Solitaire Dungeon Escape (Wii U eShop)

    Fortress of solitaire

    Since the introduction of Windows, most PC owners have had the ability play Solitaire for free. A simple, addictive game of strategy and luck, there's a reason it continues to be available for free in various forms, so releasing a paid version of the game is an uphill battle from the beginning. Jose Varela Games' Solitaire...

  • Review Journey of a Special Average Balloon (Wii U eShop)

    Balloon Fight this ain't

    TreeFall Studios has had a rocky experience on the Wii U. The Letter, which is one of our worst-rated titles, was followed up by Maze, which was poorly received but at least contained some semblance of functional gameplay. Its latest title, Journey of a Special Average Balloon, continues to show TreeFall's growth and...

  • Review Vector Assault (Wii U eShop)

    Identity theft

    Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery, but in the case of WizByte Games' Vector Assault, it isn't flattering. Heavily inspired by Geometry Wars - a game that in many ways helped usher in the era of downloadable console games - Vector Assault is not nearly as polished, addictive, or fun. While it's playable and functional on...

  • Review Metal Marines (Wii U eShop / Super Nintendo)

    Modern(ish) warfare

    Strategy is a somewhat niche genre among gamers. While there have been excellent strategy games released on consoles - turn-based RPGs like Fire Emblem to the RTS-style Swords and Soldiers series come to mind - the gameplay has always lent itself more to the PC, where players can be more methodical and control units with relative...

  • Review My Style Studio: Notebook (Wii U eShop)

    Out of style

    Theoretically, the Wii U is a great platform for art applications and software. Art Academy: Sketchpad and its dedicated Miiverse community have created some wonderful works of art using the GamePad, with many wondering where the heavily delayed full Art Academy application is. Cypronia's My Style Studio: Notebook might be a tempting...

  • Review Dot Arcade (Wii U eShop)

    Tripping the light fantastic

    Judging games for review brings some challenges. How can a tiny indie game compare with a Nintendo-developed blockbuster? We thought about this a lot when playing James Montagna and Andrew Lim's Dot Arcade, a small, highly focused experience that keeps things simple in the name of fun and longevity. While there's not...

  • Review Elliot Quest (Wii U eShop)

    Quest for glory?

    The Nintendo Web Framework has opened the floodgates for indie developers on the Wii U, and while the HTML5-based system is flexible and user-friendly, the games that have been released so far have been mediocre at best and atrocious at worst - until now. Ansimuz Games and PlayEveryWare's Elliot Quest, created with the Impact...

  • Review Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. (3DS)

    Join the steam team

    Nintendo is known for its extensive library of beloved characters, most of which appear in multiple titles on a regular basis; so when an internally developed new intellectual property comes along, there's reason to be excited. Code Name: S.T.E.A.M., a third-person shooter/turn-based strategy title by Intelligent Systems - best...

  • Review Pong Pong Candy (3DS eShop)

    Hard candy

    The puzzle genre has been represented quite well on the eShop, with plenty of addictive and clever titles eating up hours and hours of playtime. The sheer volume, however, means that in order to stand out a new release has to have some kind of special hook to grab players, be it personality, gameplay mechanics, or some other defining...

  • Review Mappy-Land (Wii U eShop / NES)

    Cats vs. Mouse

    Mappy, a plucky mouse detective, is one of many arcade game mascots lost to time, having only starred in a few games over the years. While the character has guest-starred in various Namco games over the years (and makes a clever cameo in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS), the biggest role Mappy's had is in a web series from the...

  • Review Rock 'N Racing Off Road (Wii U eShop)

    Not-So-Super Off Road

    EnjoyUp was clearly inspired by the classic arcade racer Ivan "Ironman" Stewart's Super Off Road when developing Rock 'N Racing Off Road, an old-school, top-down racer. But while the game looks like a modern update to Super Off Road, it's not nearly as fun or memorable. Unfortunately, Rock 'N Racing Off Road is a disappointing...

  • Interview Nintendo's Damon Baker on the eShop Team, Reaching Out to Indies and Finding Games That Matter

    Talks self-publishing, New Nintendo 3DS XL and more at Indiecade East

    Nintendo recently attended Indiecade East 2015 in New York, where Damon Baker - Senior Manager in Marketing and Licensing - met with fans and developers alike, and led a seminar called "Self-Publishing with Nintendo." Nintendo Life attended the informative seminar and then had a...

  • Review Moon Chronicles: Episodes 2-4 (3DS eShop)

    Not quite over the moon

    Renegade Kid's episodic Moon Chronicles - an updated port of the Nintendo DS title Moon - has now delivered Episodes 2-4 as downloadable content, allowing players to finally finish the entire game. As a first-person shooter, Moon Chronicles stands out on the eShop and is a welcome change from the vast collection of puzzlers...

  • 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 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...

  • Review Toon Tanks (Wii U eShop)

    That's all, folks

    Petite Games' Toon Tanks is a good example of a current issue present in the Wii U eShop in North America. There have been many games released that are finished and functional, but don't contain the degree of polish that we have come to expect. While Toon Tanks works just fine in what it sets out to do, the lack of scope or variety...

  • Review Shantae And The Pirate's Curse (Wii U eShop)

    More like a blessing

    While WayForward has been working away on the crowd-funded Shantae: Half-Genie Hero, which will be released on every platform under the sun, it hasn't forgotten its Nintendo roots. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, the final game of the "original" series, wraps up the storyline started in the original Game Boy Color title and...

  • Review NES Remix Pack (Wii U)

    Two for the price of two?

    Nintendo's NES Remix Pack, a retail compilation of eShop titles NES Remix and NES Remix 2, contains two great games but feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. While both games are quite good, Nintendo has opted to simply package the two together and not made an attempt to make them feel like a cohesive whole. We didn't...

  • Review Meme Run (Wii U eShop)

    Epic fail

    Every so often, a small indie gem comes along that blows gamers out of the water with its surprising polish, addictive gameplay, wonderful sense of presentation and intelligent design. Ninja Pig Studios' Meme Run is not one of those games. In fact, Meme Run may be one of the worst releases on any gaming platform this year. A cynical and...

  • Review Lode Runner (Wii U eShop / NES)

    Not quite endless runner

    Broderbund's Lode Runner is a challenging puzzler that, unfortunately, hasn't aged particularly gracefully. Originally released in 1983 on computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64, Lode Runner feels dated, even for an NES game. It's easy to see the reason Lode Runner was released on so many different platforms over...

  • Review Mighty Final Fight (Wii U eShop / NES)

    Looks can be deceiving

    At first glance, it would be easy to mistake Capcom's Mighty Final Fight as a cheap cash-in of a superior arcade beat 'em up, with its chibi-styled characters and its seemingly limited 8-bit presentation. But while Mighty Final Fight may appear simpler than other entries in the series — game history buffs would be interested...

  • Review Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric (Wii U)

    Sonic Doomed

    Sega's once-venerable Sonic the Hedgehog series has become a bit of a punchline in the gaming industry in recent years. With entries ranging from decent to mediocre to horrible, each new release is met with trepidation and well-earned cynicism. Sonic just hasn't been fully on top since his 16-bit heyday, and while his original 3D...

  • Review Sportsball (Wii U eShop)

    No harm, no fowl

    Nintendo has been highlighting TOO DX's Sportsball at various shows and conferences as one of several particularly strong "indie games" available on the Wii U eShop, promoting it as a quality party game. Though at first it looks like a primitive, simplistic Joust clone, its charms quickly become apparent with fast-paced gameplay and...

  • Review Super Mario Advance - A Welcome Reworking Of Two Atypical Mario Platformers

    Old Super Mario Bros.

    While some video games don't age well, playing through Nintendo's back catalogue is generally like drinking a fine vintage wine. Super Mario Advance is rather unique in that it's a re-release of a collection of remade NES games. Super Mario Advance's brightly coloured remakes of Super Mario Bros. 2 and Mario Bros. and their...