March2023
Review Bayonetta Origins: Cereza And The Lost Demon (Switch) - A Placid Prequel For Platinum's Star
A Kind of Magic
If you happened to read our Bayonetta Origins: Cereza and the Lost Demon preview a few weeks back you'll know that after the first five chapters of the game, we were pretty excited to continue our adventures through PlatinumGames' bewitching spin-off from the main Bayonetta series. We were impressed with its mix of gameplay mechanics...
October2022
Review Bayonetta 3 (Switch) - A Stunning Return For An Icon, And The Best Game In The Series
Stone-cold sober, as a matter of fact
What's the greatest pure action game series of all time? Is it Ninja Gaiden? Max Payne? Devil May Cry or something else entirely? Whatever your own personal preferences in this regard, one certainty is that there are only a handful of franchises which have truly managed to knock it out of the park with regards...
Review NieR:Automata The End of YoRHa Edition (Switch) - A Modern Classic Shines On Switch
NieR-ly perfect
NieR:Automata is perhaps a story of the power of word of mouth. A sequel in an IP with a devoted but modest following by Square Enix standards, it became a notable sales success over time as initial fans convinced neutrals that something special had arrived. Director Yoko Taro was also clever in his approach to storytelling - playing...
February2022
Review Sol Cresta (Switch) - PlatinumGames' Intriguing Shmup Doesn't Do Enough To Stand Out
Ready, aim, formation change
Platinum Games, best known for the Bayonetta series, is an odd fit for a sequel to an '80s shoot-em-up that started life as a Galaxian hack. Moon Cresta, by Nichibitsu, introduced a ‘docking’ system that would power up the craft after four alien attack waves. It was a novel idea at the time, and landed well with...
May2020
Review The Wonderful 101: Remastered - Kamiya's Comeback Kid Lives Up To The Hype
Is it any wonder?
No game captures the ebb and flow of a titanic battle between the forces of good and evil quite like The Wonderful 101. There are dozens of almighty scraps in PlatinumGames’ idiosyncratic action game, against enemies so colossal that even your 100-strong squad feels hopelessly outmatched. And the best moment in each of them is...
February2020
Review The Wonderful 101 (Wii U) - A Thrilling Assault On The Senses
Chaos and colour multiplied by 101
Editor’s Note: With The Wonderful 101: Remastered Kickstarter now in full swing, we thought you might like to read our 2013 review for the Wii U original. Playing The Wonderful 101 for the first time on "normal" difficulty is a stressful, headache-inducing experience that, nevertheless, delivers a genuine...
August2019
Review Astral Chain - Platinum's Best Game Ever? You'd Better Believe It
In the chain gang
With games like Bayonetta, Vanquish, Wonderful 101 and MadWorld in its back catalogue, it's little surprise that Japanese developer PlatinumGames has gained a reputation for tight, action-packed titles that mix stunning visuals with intricate and rewarding gameplay mechanics. While its games haven't always been the commercial smash...
February2018
The shadow remains cast!
While Wii U has ultimately become little more than a benchmark for Nintendo Switch sales to surpass, the experimental pit stop between Wii and Nintendo’s hybrid handheld still had a handful of must-have games. Bayonetta 2 sits proudly at the top of that list, and now the bold and brazen action-adventure breaks the...
Review Bayonetta (Switch eShop)
Every witch way
With Bayonetta 3 teased as a Nintendo Switch exclusive, it’s finally time for the sassy Umbra Witch to cartwheel a flurry of bullets onto the hybrid handheld hardware in anticipation. Much like Bayonetta 2, the original instalment in the action-adventure series has been retooled for Switch, and while this isn’t first time the...
April2016
From zero to hero
Almost from the moment it was revealed, Star Fox Zero has endured the kind of scrutiny that first-party Nintendo releases are rarely subjected to. From Time's botched announcement during E3 2014 to the news that external help was being used and the game would
October2014
Spellbinding and brutal
The Wii U library is small, but also diverse and exciting; Bayonetta 2 from Platinum Games arrives as a system exclusive to forge its own brilliantly destructive path. Its arrival with a port of the original Bayonetta gives Nintendo gamers an opportunity to dive into this developing franchise in full, and also illustrates the...
September2014
Review Bayonetta (Wii U eShop)
Back to the start
With Bayonetta 2 around the corner as a Wii U exclusive, a reality that caused quite a stir when announced in 2012, it may be important for Nintendo-focused gamers to consider diving into the fresh port of the original Bayonetta, a title that skipped Wii when released in the last generation. Whether it's a worthwhile double-dip...
