July2009
Let's-a-go!
The Mario Kart series started on the SNES, and it has since become one of Nintendo's best multiplayer options, right alongside the likes of Smash Bros and Mario's many sports outings. With that in mind, Nintendo coded up another Kart game for their highly successful DS system. They could have easily coughed up a Mario Kart that...
June2009
Review The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii)
Has the Hero of Time’s style withstood the test of time?
Twilight Princess is Nintendo’s last Zelda game for the Gamecube and also the first for the Wii. Although the Wii boasts technical improvements over the Gamecube in terms of its processor and graphics hardware, in this case the Wii version is essentially a port of the Gamecube game and...
Review Art Style: BOXLIFE (DSiWare)
Thinking outside the box is strictly forbidden.
If there's one thing that can be said about Nintendo's Art Style series, it's that no two games are alike, and we wouldn't have it any other way. BOXLIFE is certainly another unique entry in the franchise: box 'em up and ship 'em out! Greeted by a cute little theme song you will immediately notice - if...
Review New Play Control! Pikmin 2 (Wii)
Olimar comes back for second helpings
New Play Control! – a series of games that seems to have sparked many mixed views. Pikmin is probably at the forefront of these debates: Nintendo saw it fit to re-release both the Gamecube Pikmin games with a new series of controls designed for the Wii, and then announce Pikmin 3. The first NPC Pikmin was good...
Review Mario Calculator (DSiWare)
Even with the Mario theme, this calculator application still doesn't add up.
First there was the Animal Crossing Calculator and now Nintendo brings us the Mario Calculator for fans of the famous Italian plumber. While the functionality of the actual application is basically identical to that of the Animal Crossing Calculator (well duh, it's a...
Review Galactic Pinball (Virtual Boy)
That Virtual kid sure plays a mean pinball!
Launch the ball on to the table and use flippers to stop it falling out of the playing area, smacking it around the table over ramps and against targets to get points. That’s how pinball works in amusement arcades and it’s how it’s worked for the many computer and video game versions released over...
A waste of time
We've already seen Animal Crossing Clock released on the DSiWare service, so a Mario Clock was a foregone conclusion. Not much has changed really; Nintendo has basically taken the very same clock functions available in the Animal Crossing Clock application and tossed in a Super Mario Bros. theme over the whole thing. While the entire...
Review The Legendary Starfy (DS)
The Legendary Starfy ultimately lives up to its name.
The Starfy series has enjoyed a great deal of success in Japan over the years, but Nintendo's release of The Legendary Starfy in North America marks the first time that many gamers outside of Japan have had the chance to experience the game's unique charm. The developers obviously didn't want to...
Review Super Smash Bros. (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Does the original Super Smash Bros. still knock out the competition these days?
Nintendo's most popular (and only!) fighting franchise started off quite strangely - in fact, it originally didn't even have any existing Nintendo characters! Created by Kirby Creator Masahiro Sakurai of HAL Laboratory and Satoru Iwata, the game was originally called...
Review Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Minis March Again! (DSiWare)
Is it a shameless cash-in or a worthy expansion of its forbearer?
Some have already voiced their concerns as to whether Minis March Again! is a shameless cash-in by Nintendo, simply copying Mario vs Donkey Kong 2: March of the Minis and not really providing us with extra content or even new stages at all – which is certainly not true. What they...
Review Art Style: KUBOS (DSiWare)
Another fiendishly addictive Art Style puzzler joins the DSiWare library.
Art Style: KUBOS is the fifth game in the popular Art Style series to hit the DSiWare service. Series developers SKIP Tokyo have once again built a game around a creative and abstract puzzle concept; they really seem to have a knack of making simple games that are fiendishly...
May2009
Review Art Style: NEMREM (DSiWare)
The latest instalment in the Art Style Series - NEMREM.
As soon as you fire up the game you're greeted with a visually very pleasing welcome screen that demonstrates a great example of the unique graphical style we have come to expect from the Art Style series. On the stage selection screen something resembling Morse code is “played” in the...
Review Densetsu no Stafi 3 (Game Boy Advance)
The third time is the charm for the Densetsu no Stafi series.
After the success of the first two Densetsu no Stafi releases, TOSE obviously wanted to knock one out of the park with their third and final Game Boy Advance Stafi title. To say that they were successful would be a huge understatement, as Densetsu no Stafi 3 offers up the type of...
Review Vertical Force (Virtual Boy)
Old school fun blasting fun from the experts at Hudson
Out of all the games available for the much-maligned Virtual Boy, Vertical Force is possibly the most conventional in terms of game design. It's a vertically scrolling shooter (clue was in the title really) where you fight your way through swarms of enemies before facing a boss character to...
Is Nintendo's second clock application an improvement over their first release?
Photo Clock is actually the second time keeping application to see a release on Nintendo's DSiWare service and isn't really all that different from the first one when you get right down to it. This time around, instead of an Animal Crossing theme, you get to decide what...
Fighting fit
It's hard to believe, but it's been 15 years since a Punch-Out!! game was released. Perhaps this is due to the fact that even though the games were made by Nintendo, naturally situated in Japan, they never really found an audience over there. When the Wii came out this was even more of a shame; a new instalment in the series would fit...
Review Personal Trainer: Walking (DS)
Nintendo brings fitness gaming to their portable DS system.
With the success of Nintendo's Wii Fit release for their Wii console last year, it comes as no big surprise to see them release a fitness title on the DS system as well. Personal Trainer: Walking takes the simple task of walking and builds an entire DS title around it, allowing you to...
Review Densetsu no Stafi 2 (Game Boy Advance)
Densetsu no Stafi 2 kicks things up a notch.
The original Densetsu no Stafi started a series that features a unique blend of platforming and puzzle-solving elements to form one of the more unique Game Boy Advance titles, and certainly one that's become quite beloved by platformer fans the world over. Its sequel, Densetsu no Stafi 2, picks up where...
Review Densetsu no Stafi (Game Boy Advance)
Densetsu no Stafi kicks the series off in grand style.
Before the Densetsu no Stafi series made an appearance on Nintendo's DS system, it started off with three amazing Game Boy Advance releases. The game creatively combined platforming elements with underwater puzzle solving game play to form one of the most unique and engrossing games available...
Review Art Style: PiCTOBiTS (DSiWare)
DSiWare goes to bits and pieces.
Creating a killer puzzle game is a difficult task these days, mainly because pretty much all of the decent ideas have already been taken. However, Nintendo (along with developer Skip) have succeeded in cooking up an entirely fresh take on the 'falling block puzzle game' for DSi, and in doing so they've proven that...
Review Mario Kart: Double Dash!! (GCN)
Double the usual number of exclamation marks means double the fun!!
Mario…perhaps the most multi-faceted video game hero since MacGyver. He can make fireballs out of flowers, plays tennis and baseball professionally, balances two careers (carpentry and plumbing), and even has two girlfriends. Okay, maybe MacGyver wasn't actually a video game...
Review New Play Control! Donkey Kong Jungle Beat (Wii)
Um Bongo
Donkey Kong has traded in his bongos for a Wii Remote and nunchuk - will he still be able to collect all of his coveted bananas or will he make a monkey of himself? Prior to Super Mario Galaxy, Nintendo EAD Tokyo had their hands full with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat. This title was quite innovative for its time due to its unique control method...
Review Mario Clash (Virtual Boy)
Is this overlooked title worthy of a second chance?
Many reasons have been given for why the Virtual Boy failed so badly when it was released in the mid '90s. One of the more convincing arguments is that the lack of a 'proper' Mario game meant that hardcore Nintendo fans ignored the console; while it's hard to accept that this is the only reason, it...
Review Animal Crossing Clock (DSiWare)
Is Animal Crossing Clock a useful DSiWare application, or just an ironic waste of time?
Animal Crossing Clock is the second Animal Crossing-themed application so far for Nintendo's DSi system. Nintendo has carefully put together a clock application and tossed in a bunch of Animal Crossing audio/visual influences to create yet another semi-useless...
Review Teleroboxer (Virtual Boy)
Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots
Teleroboxer is a boxing game that puts you in control of a giant fighting machine as you face a series of weird and wonderful opponents in a bid to become the champion. The game uses a first person perspective with your fists visible on screen. The left d-pad and L control your left fist and the right d-pad and R control...
