Retro Reviews
Review G.G Series NYOKKI (DSiWare)
Snake charmer
The next title in the G.G series aims to remix a classic arcade game, and it mostly succeeds in achieving that goal. While there are some issues with the way that the main character responds to your controls, there really isn't much else to complain about. G.G Series NYOKKI is a good example of how to pull off a budget arcade game; it...
Review G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY (DSiWare)
A missed opportunity
Thought the G.G Series was done, did you? Well it's not, and – after a brief hiatus – we're back to giving you our two cents as to which of these numerous mini games are worth your time. This time around, G.G Series AIR PINBALL HOCKEY is in the hotseat and it manages to provide a beautifully divisive experience that manages...
Review Onimusha Tactics (Wii U eShop / GBA)
The Oni put the feud in feudal Japan
Onimusha Tactics was originally released 12 years ago, in 2003, for the Game Boy Advance. Developed and produced by Capcom, the same company that made the Onimusha series on the PS2, Tactics's gameplay and individual story deviates from the originals but retains a similar plot (involving the Onimusha and battling...
Review DK: Jungle Climber (Wii U eShop / DS)
Aping the King of Swing
What do you get when you throw away an established series' playbook and try for something new? You get DK: Jungle Climber. Unlike previous entries in the venerable Donkey Kong franchise, DK: Jungle Climber takes a fresh look at the series by focusing on swinging and timing more than precise platforming. The problem? It gets...
Review Mario Tennis (Wii U eShop / N64)
Love All
Some people would say Mario Tennis is worthy of praise solely for the fact it introduces the glorious specimen known as Waluigi into the Nintendo World. These people are right, but you can't write a full review out of that. In all seriousness, Mario Tennis marks a highlight in Nintendo's adaptation of the sport into a fun, casual style...
Review G.G Series THROW OUT (DSiWare)
Throw this one out
We return to the G.G series with the sports genre, this time looking at a soccer game with combative elements reminiscent of the Mario Strikers series. It somewhat succeeds in this attempt, but matches are seldom challenging and consequently feel dull. While the game mechanics themselves are solid enough, one can't help but...
Review G.G Series THE LAST KNIGHT (DSiWare)
Hopefully this really is the last knight
The G.G series has grown a great deal in recent weeks, and another addition is an action adventure game that bears more than a passing resemblance to dungeons from The Legend of Zelda. Unfortunately, G.G Series THE LAST KNIGHT doesn't hold any of the same magic and fails to deliver entertainment that has much...
Review Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Tending to the roots
If you're a fan of the Harvest Moon series, you know that a faithful instalment will leave only two questions: who do I get to marry and just how much free time can I afford to sacrifice over the next month or two? Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town sticks closer to this original formula than some of its more modern cousins,...
Review Final Fight One (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Still the One?
It's fair to say Capcom was on a roll in the late '80s and early '90s. During this period it pushed out some bona-fide classic pieces of software, including 1989's seminal coin-op brawler, Final Fight. Indisputably one of the finest side-scrolling beat-'em-ups ever created, it joined a rush of similar coin-guzzling titles including...
Review G.G Series VERTEX (DSiWare)
A bit too one dimensional
The next game in the G.G series is here, and this one is yet another unique take on the puzzler genre. While G.G Series VERTEX starts out strong with an interesting shooter-puzzler hybrid, it quickly peters out when this concept fails to develop into anything further. Pair this with lacklustre visual and sound design, and...
Review G.G Series RUN & STRIKE (DSiWare)
Double fault
The next entry in the G.G series opts to branch out a bit and little something in the sports genre. While this works relatively well initially, the novelty of the gameplay soon wears off and it quickly becomes rather boring. G.G Series RUN & STRIKE is a decent arcade game, but players looking for anything more will be sorely...
Review Super Street Fighter II: Turbo Revival (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Ryu on Wii U (again)
1991's Street Fighter II is a game that got people very excited and led to a surge of interest in the fighting genre. It's also a game that got updated a lot — new moves, new characters, new speeds... — while being ported to numerous home consoles and computers. Several of those ports have seen a Virtual Console release...
Review Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Just like a black hole, it'll suck up hours of your time
With the first Advance Wars being a hit on the GBA not long after the system launched, it was no wonder that a sequel would eventually follow. Released about two years later, Advance Wars 2: Black Hole Rising feels very much like an expansion pack, but one that is still more than worth the...
Review G.G Series DRILLING ATTACK!! (DSiWare)
Rock solid
The next title to look at in the G.G series is yet another action platformer, but it manages to feel distinct from the others in more ways than one. Unlike every G.G game up to this point, G.G Series DRILLING ATTACK!! focuses less on being an arcade-focused game best suited for quick playthroughs, and more on being an experience that...
Review Star Fox Command (Wii U eShop / DS)
Command and conquer
Fox McCloud and friends are coming back in a big way this Holiday season with Star Fox Zero for the Wii U, and while the jury's still out on whether the title will live up to expectations, Nintendo has given fans a refresher course in barrel rolls by releasing Star Fox Command on the system's Virtual Console in North America...
Review Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards (Wii U eShop / N64)
Kirby Sixty-Phwoar
Like many of Nintendo's properties during the transition from the SNES to the N64, Kirby underwent a shift from a flat 2D sprite to a fully rendered polygon rendition of himself. Rather than taking Kirby down the route of Mario and Link, however, the pink mascot stuck closer to his origins - the mechanics of Kirby 64: The Crystal...
Review Mario & Luigi: Partners In Time (Wii U eShop / DS)
Fun for all ages
It takes quite a lot of star power to be able to co-star with yourself in something. The upcoming Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is set to show that our favourite plumbers are not lacking in this department, but it's not the first time developer AlphaDream has pulled a similar gimmick! For that we should look to Mario & Luigi:...
Review G.G Series THE HIDDEN NINJA KAGEMARU (DSiWare)
The way of the ninja
The next game in the G.G series opts to return to the platformer genre yet again, and the end result is surprisingly engaging. G.G Series THE HIDDEN NINJA KAGEMARU is a unique arcade focused, 2D stealth platformer that manages to put forth a distinct and compelling gameplay system that'll keep gamers coming back again and again...
Review G.G Series ALL BREAKER (DSiWare)
Are you worthy of the hammer?
We have another title in the G.G series to consider, and this one opts to go back to action platformer roots. However, G.G Series ALL BREAKER focuses on including puzzle elements into the mix alongside the oddly compelling, melee-centric action. The end result is an engaging experience that'll keep challenging both your...
Review G.G Series GREAT WHIP ADVENTURE (DSiWare)
I hate snakes, Jock! I hate 'em!
The G.G series continues onward, and once again goes back to the platformer genre. G.G Series GREAT WHIP ADVENTURE does its best to provide gamers with a compact action platformer, and it largely succeeds in achieving this goal. While it may seem a bit derivative at times, the solid platforming action on offer here...
Review G.G Series SHADOW ARMY (DSiWare)
Bob and weave
The next title in the G.G series opts to go once again into the shooter genre, and the interesting gameplay manages to set G.G Series SHADOW ARMY apart from its predecessors in a meaningful way. While some aspects of it may be dull and somewhat uninspired, the continuously variable and fast paced nature of its gunplay make it an...
Review G.G Series EXCITING RIVER (DSiWare)
A quick trip through choppy waters
The G.G Series continues rolling forward with its seemingly endless number of releases, and this time it's branching out into light racing territory. True to the identity of the series that it's coming from, G.G Series EXCITING RIVER offers a barebones yet enjoyable arcade game that shows its value not through its...
Review Kirby Squeak Squad (Wii U eShop / DS)
Squeaky Clean Fun
For a company so often associated as being at the forefront of innovative thinking in the video game industry, Nintendo can have a tendency to stick with a tried and tested formula. The Mario, Zelda and Pokémon franchises have all received their share of criticism for not drastically changing their instalments over the years, and...
Review G.G Series CONVEYOR TOY PACKING (DSiWare)
Fresh off the conveyor belt
Packing away hundreds of toys rolling off of a factory conveyor belt, who hasn't had that dream? The next title in the G.G series is another falling block puzzler, and while it presents a unique and enjoyable type of gameplay, it's impeded somewhat by some suppressive game mechanics and an uninspired soundtrack. That...
Review G.G Series BLACK X BLOCK (DSiWare)
Block Dude 2.0
Another entry in the G.G series has arrived, and anybody who's owned a TI series calculator and spent a lengthy amount of time in a high school math class will immediately feel at home with the type of gameplay here. Indeed, the premise of G.G Series BLACK X BLOCK feels like a successor of sorts to the cult classic, Block Dude, and it...
Review G.G Series ALTERED WEAPON (DSiWare)
More than meets the eye
Short, sweet, and to the point. That's the phrase that best describes most games in the G.G series and G.G Series ALTERED WEAPON is no different - it offers an interesting and enjoyable gameplay experience that's over just about as quickly as it's begun. While it would be nice if there was a bit more meat to it, what is...
Review The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (Wii U eShop / N64)
A classic for any time
There's little remaining to say that hasn't already been said about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. A true masterpiece and a genuine game-changer; what was once revolutionary is today simply one of the greatest action/adventure games ever created. Now available to download from the Wii U eShop, this latest release...
Review G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER (DSiWare)
Mega Buster
The G.G series keeps on going, and next up is another shoot 'em up; yet this one presents a unique and dynamic combat system that's surprisingly engaging. In an experimental series that's pretty hit or miss depending on the genre being attempted, G.G Series ASSAULT BUSTER provides a fun, arcade style shooter that's easily the most...
Review G.G Series COSMO RALLY!! (DSiWare)
Get ready to activate your G-diffusers
This particular title in the G.G Series seems to have been inspired by a certain other futuristic racer, and while it presents an admirable take on the concept of high speed and interstellar racing, its lack of diverse content holds it back from being particularly memorable. That being said, G.G Series COSMO...
Review G.G Series HERO PUZZLE (DSiWare)
A long journey
The G.G Series aims to provide players with quick arcade experiences on their DS systems at a low price point, and it experiments with a wide variety of genres to achieve this goal. Some of these genres are a better fit than others and this results in a somewhat unpredictable line of games that's a collection of highs and lows...
