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December2018

July2018

  • Review Hunting Simulator (Switch)

    A taste of its own venison

    The words ‘shooter’ and ‘simulation’ don’t often populate the same sentence, especially when using them in relation to Nintendo Switch. You’re more likely to empty a magazine into an alt-history Nazi in Wolfenstein II or riddle knees with arrows across the unforgiving tundra of Skyrim. But now Nintendo’s...

February2018

  • Review Premium Pool Arena (Switch eShop)

    Potting the black

    Pool games are never going to be the most evocative of experiences. When you're attempting to emulate a game mostly played in hazy snooker clubs and sticky-floored student bars, there’s only so much 'va-va-voom' you can inject into its virtual recreation. So when a game comes along with the words ‘Premium’ and ‘Arena’ in...

December2017

  • Review Snow Moto Racing Freedom (Switch)

    Snow joke

    Without the spectre of Wave Race lurking over its shoulder (unlike label-mate Aqua Moto Racing Utopia), Snow Moto Racing Freedom would seem to be free to carve out its own arcade racing niche on Switch. In this case developer Zordix shifts its attention from jet-ski to snowmobile racing, and the result is a slightly rough arcade racer...

November2017

August2015

  • Review I Love my Cats (3DS eShop)

    Weak as a kitten

    Pet simulators have certainly come a long way since the days of Tamagotchi. Where once we raised an LCD dinosaur on a screen the size of a digital watch, now we're treated to 3D renditions of cute, fluffy puppies and kittens, so realistically rendered you half expect them to leap from the screen and naively urinate on your lap. The...

July2015

  • Review I Love My Dogs (3DS eShop)

    A Man's Bog-Standard Friend

    Pet simulators have certainly come a long way since the days of Tamagotchi. Where once we raised an LCD dinosaur on a screen the size of a digital watch, now we're treated to 3D renditions of cute, fluffy puppies and kittens, so realistically rendered you half expect them to leap from the screen and naively urinate on...

April2015

  • Review Jet Dog (3DS eShop)

    A bit ruff

    Here's a quick generalisation: There are huge differences between mobile games and Nintendo 3DS games. The best mobile games take advantage of the host platform with regards to touch controls, usage of the screen and gameplay. It's also fair to say that for every great mobile game, there's a shed load of dross, but at least they're...

  • Review Best of Arcade Games - Tetraminos (3DS eShop)

    Line 'em up...again and again

    It's safe to say that developer Bigben Interactive has been hard at work, relentlessly churning out adaptions of all manner of board and arcade games as part of a range of "Best Of" titles. While it might seem redundant to try and recreate the mighty Tetris on a Nintendo handheld of all places, Tetraminos is arguably...

March2015

  • Review Shanghai Mahjong (3DS eShop)

    Meagre Matching

    Mahjong's long and prestigious history in the East may be well established, but its presence in the West is far less apparent; to say that Mahjong isn't hugely popular outside of Asia would be somewhat of an understatement. Despite that, the sheer number of Mahjong titles currently found on the 3DS eShop seems to suggest its...

  • Review Navy Commander (3DS eShop)

    A piece of ship

    Don't be suckered in by the game title - Navy Commander is a take on the classic paper and pencil game Battleship (or board game for all you '80s kids) and there's very little commanding involved. The basic premise is simple, beginning with selecting a grid size from three options: 10x10, 15x15 or 20x20. While the 10x10 size is...

  • Review Best of Board Games - Solitaire (3DS eShop)

    A lonely man's game

    Ever-gracing the flickering computer screens of bored office workers everywhere, Solitaire needs next to no introduction. This card game is as old as your Grandma, and it's probably her favourite as well. Played solo, it's been adapted to feature on pretty much every mobile gadget for over a decade, perfect for whiling away a few...

  • Review Best of Arcade Games - Bubble Buster (3DS eShop)

    Bubble Burster

    Anyone used to scrolling through the recent reviews section of Nintendo Life should be familiar with the name Bigben Interactive. Best of Arcade Games - Bubble Buster is the latest in a series of puzzlers, card games and arcade greats to be released by the developer, in an attempt to give these classics a "definitive" version on the...

  • Review Best of Board Games - Chess (3DS eShop)

    The King is dead

    When you even mention the term "board game" to someone, chances are that the timeless classic chess will be one of the first examples that springs to mind. Beyond the family fun of Monopoly, Scrabble, and Operation, there's a real intellectual bite to chess that has cemented its reputation as the grandmaster. Bigben Interactive has...

February2015

  • Review Flap Flap (3DS eShop)

    Flap off

    The success of the free mobile hit, Flappy Bird, was arguably one of the darkest periods in the history of video games. It was a title with questionable assets, a tedious concept and flawed mechanics that was made in just a handful of days. Despite this, it was clearly addictive, going viral with unprecedented downloads and media coverage...

  • Review Best of Arcade Games - Air Hockey (3DS eShop)

    Error Hockey

    Step into the dimly-lit, sticky-floored interior of any arcade, pizza place, or bowling alley you can find, and there's bound to be at least one air hockey table somewhere. They're an iconic fixture, always ready to lure you and a friend over for just one game, no matter how many hockey pucks you've sent flying across the room in the...

  • Review Best of Arcade Games - Brick Breaker (3DS eShop)

    Just Another Brick in the Wall

    It takes an extremely exceptional video game to defy the tests of time. Technological advancements coupled with ever shifting consumer attitudes and expectations have often seen classic gaming titles left by the proverbial wayside as the years roll on. The likes of Pac-Man, Tetris and Gradius are prime examples of...

  • Review Best of Board Games - Mahjong (3DS eShop)

    Matching never felt so adequate

    Mahjong is something of a cultural institution in the East, widely played to this day throughout China, Japan, and South Korea. For such an enduring board game, the 3DS eShop has seen no shortage of adaptations - of the basic Solitaire version, in any case. In fact, there's almost an embarrassment of options available...

May2014

  • Review Candy Match 3 (3DS)

    How many licks does it take to get to the centre of this game? One.

    Start Candy Match 3 up and its cheery-looking title screen greets you with… complete silence. Your ears may pick up nothing, but your soul should be hearing the dire warning screeched out by the very void: abandon all hopes of creative or original effort, ye who enter here!...