October2017

September2017

  • Review Physical Contact: 2048 (Switch eShop)

    Double up

    Not long after the bizarrely-named and pretty dull card game Physical Contact: SPEED made its way onto the Nintendo Switch eShop with little fanfare in July, other than a weird and slapdash trailer, Collavier is at it again with a similarly (bizarrely) named sequel of sorts, this time focusing on the number puzzle genre. Despite sounding...

August2017

  • Review Physical Contact: SPEED (Switch eShop)

    Not so wild card

    The Nintendo Wii brought a new demographic to the world of video games. Suddenly, everyone from Mum and Dad, Nan and Grandad were subject to waggle, stray remotes flying into TVs, plastic balance boards and mini steering wheels. Unfortunately, for every Galaxy and Prime example of the console's library, the Wii was engulfed in what...

June2015

  • Review Comic Workshop 2 (3DS eShop)

    Back to the drawing board

    With its built-in touchscreen and dual display, it's no surprise that the Nintendo 3DS is host to a plethora of applications and games based around drawing and creating. Comic Workshop, an application focused on the premise of creating pages for manga comics, is just one example from the selection of well-received products...

January2015

  • Review Monster Combine TD (3DS eShop)

    Plants vs. Monsters

    When you think of a tower defence game, what usually comes to mind is a long, winding path, with various build spots situated around it. As you defeat enemies, you earn more money to place units on these spots, and they will automatically attack any enemies that come within range. However, while that might be the most common...

November2014

  • Review Magical Diary: Secrets Sharing (3DS eShop)

    The secret's out: this diary is meh-gical

    A few decades back, when kids wanted to document their daily accounts or their innermost thoughts, they had to put a pen to paper or tap away on their Talkback Dear Diary. Yet in these modern times, where it’s common for most people to carry numerous electronic devices, there’s less and less of a reason...

October2014

  • Review Painting Workshop (3DS eShop)

    Digital canvas

    The 3DS has continued to thrive as a result of its varied and expansive software catalogue, providing a one-stop-shop for RPG, platforming, and even action fans to find some really solid titles. It's not only that though, as the eShop has opened the door for smaller developers to release more subdued or technical affairs, be it music...

August2014

  • Review Amida's Path (DSiWare)

    The road less traveled

    DSiWare releases are becoming fewer and far between, but there are still some interesting titles to be found for the service, and they're all accessible thanks to the 3DS eShop. Collavier Corporation's Amida's Path is a creative, fun game that combines strategy, action and light role-playing to create an experience that feels...

  • Review Mysterious Stars: The Samurai (DSiWare)

    Bushi-no.

    The DSi’s touchscreen-and-stylus setup has inspired an impressive array of pen-and-paper puzzle conversions over the years, and this trend seems set to continue right into DSiWare’s twilight days. Collavier’s Mysterious Stars trilogy, as the most recent example, pairs classic connect-the-dots puzzles with children’s stories. It’s...

  • Review Mysterious Stars: A Fairy Tale (DSiWare)

    Missed connections

    From sudoku and crosswords to mazes and more, pen-and-paper puzzle games have found a happy home on Nintendo’s recent dual-screened systems, especially as part of smaller, downloadable offerings. One of the latest examples of this trend is the Mysterious Stars trilogy, a set of DSiWare games that couple classic connect-the-dots...

July2014

  • Review Comic Workshop (3DS eShop)

    A work of art

    Nintendo platforms have never been strangers to art and drawing applications. From Mario Paint on the SNES to 2013's Art Academy: SketchPad for Wii U, there has always been room for artistic pursuits with Nintendo. It should also come as no surprise that the 3DS is already hosting yet another creation tool after the success of Art...

  • Review Mysterious Stars: The Singer (DSiWare)

    Only connect...

    Connect the dots, dot to dot, join the dots...whatever you called it growing up, the odds are pretty good you didn't think the game would be improved by a storyline. That's unfortunate, because that's the one thing Mysterious Stars: The Singer has to differentiate itself from an inexpensive book of similar puzzles. Well, no, that's...

  • Review My Aquarium: Seven Oceans (DSiWare)

    Fishing for something more

    Back in the heyday of the WiiWare service, an application titled My Aquarium was made available to all Wii owners through the digital distribution platform. It was so well received — as is evidenced by our review — that a second version was soon developed, appropriately and unsurprisingly titled My Aquarium 2. Now,...

May2014

  • Review Deep Sea Creatures (DSiWare)

    Shallow waters

    Collavier's Deep Sea Creatures, a slow-paced sim about deep sea fish and tank management, is not for everyone. While there is nothing particularly wrong with the game, its leisurely pace, lack of immediate challenge and poor instruction will likely turn off players looking for a more satisfying experience. For players genuinely...