Game Reviews scoring 3/10
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...
Is this two-wheeled racer quick off the mark or does it experience some trouble before leaving the starting grid?
Before we get stuck into the review, it's time for a little history lesson. Back in 2006, when Disney bought the Climax racing studio (who produced some excellent MotoGP titles for the Xbox), the MotoGP license went exclusively to...
Review Family Pirate Party (WiiWare)
Does this new party title set sail for glory or is it forced to walk the plank?
Although some would argue that it flies in the face of common sense, Aksys Games has decided to continue their "Family" franchise with the release of Family Pirate Party. Previous games in the series received unanimous criticism. Unfortunately, Family Pirate...
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...
Crashed and burned…
CID The Dummy from Oxygen Games is an action platformer that was released earlier in the year on Sony's PSP. The hero is a crash test dummy, CID, given special powers by inventor "Professor B.M. Werken" to go on a mission to save his apparently very beautiful daughter. From the outset the very idea of the game feels just a...
Review Donkey Kong Barrel Blast (Wii)
Is Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast really a blast to play?
Originally a Nintendo Gamcube title, Donkey Kong: Barrel Blast quietly got moved to Wii in late 2006. When Barrel Blast was first announced, it was supposed to use the DK bongo drum accessory. By hitting the left bongo, your character would move right and by hitting the right bongo, your character...
Review Alex Kidd: The Lost Stars (SMS)
Help Alex Kidd in a race against time
Before Sonic came along and propelled them into the big time, the world identified a big eared lad by the name of Alex Kidd as Sega’s answer to Mario. Alex Kidd in Miracle World was a worthy alternative to Super Mario Bros in the mid 80s and when bundled with the Sega Master System in Europe it helped shift...
Review Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair (MD)
The once quiet town of Xenobia is under attack by fierce, gruesome monsters and no one can stop them!
Wonder Boy III: Monster Lair might seem incredibly familiar to Virtual Console addicts because the game has technically already been released on Nintendo’s download service – in the guise of Monster Lair on the TG-16! The complexities of the...
Review Family Glide Hockey (WiiWare)
Does Family Glide Hockey capture the fun and excitement of a real air hockey game?
Let's face it, there are some recreational games that lend themselves perfectly to the Wii Remote's motion controls. We've already seen such games as billiards, miniature golf, and even a table tennis release make use of these motion sensing capabilities with varying...
Review Enduro Racer (Virtual Console / Master System)
Enduro Racer takes you on an intense set of adrenaline-designed courses
Enduro Racer started out life as an arcade machine by Sega; it was a normal racing game like its better known stable mates Hang-On and Out Run. The idea was to ride your dirt bike through the rocky roads pulling wheelies over jumps. It was quite a popular game at the time and...
Does Boingz offer enough unique ideas to stand out from the crowd?
With the recent success of such innovative titles as World of Goo and the Art Style series, it comes as no surprise to see yet another unique offering pop up on the WiiWare service. Boingz takes the simple Wii Remote-friendly gameplay idea of stretching and flicking and attempts to...
Review Plättchen: Twist 'n' Paint (WiiWare)
Does Plättchen have the unique twists puzzle fans are looking for?
Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is certainly one of the more mysterious WiiWare games to date. It was the very first title to be announced last year before the WiiWare service went live but has been plagued with several delays. Aside from the fact that it was a "puzzle shooter"...
Does SPOGS Racing offer the exciting racing experience that WiiWare is lacking so far?
It's no secret that the WiiWare service has been crying out for a racing title, so many fans of the genre have already put a lot of hope in SPOGS Racing after viewing the many inviting screenshots and videos that have been popping up around the internet over the...
Review City Connection (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
Driving round a bend
City Connection was a moderately popular arcade game in the early '80s. The game stars you as a rather strapping young man driving around the world to paint the roads white in order to prove he's been there. Doesn't make much sense to us, but hey, whatever floats his boat! While doing so you must watch out for cars (including...
Review Sky Kid (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
We're not kidding
Sky Kid is a NES port of the arcade game with the same name. You play as the Red Baron or Blue Max, both famous World War I pilots. Your mission is to fly through hordes of enemy formations, pick up a bomb, and drop it on the enemy's headquarters or main weapon. It is noteworthy that in this game, unlike most shoot 'em ups, you go...
Review Digital Champ: Battle Boxing (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Digital Champ Battle Boxing is a first-person-perspective boxing title that plunges players into the raw intensity of the ring!
When it was first released in 1989 Digital Champ caused quite a stir. Boxing games up to this point had been graphically modest affairs; Punch Out! was (and some would say, still is) the title of choice for prospective...
Review Renegade (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
A beat-em-up best forgotten
Technos' Double Dragon became a household name and River City Ransom gained rave reviews from all and sundry, but people often forget that the company also released Renegade on the NES, forming what many fans deem to be a classic trilogy of 8-bit fighting games. Sadly, Renegade is easily the worst of this trio. Although...
Review Cruis'n USA (Virtual Console / Nintendo 64)
Put pedal to metal and hang on for a wild ride across the highways of America!
One of the first games to be announced for Nintendo’s 64-bit console, Cruis’n USA was given a fair amount of attention when it was first released; for the 32-bit generation, driving games that had established the credentials of rival machines (Ridge Racer for the...
Review King's Knight (Virtual Console / NES)
In the kingdom of Izander, the fair Princess Claire has been kidnapped by a foul and insidious dragon, and it is the mission of four brave fighters to save her.
Since the inception of the Virtual Console, fans have been waiting hopefully for many must-have titles; people usually have one game they’re especially fond of and would like to see given...
Review The Golden Compass (Wii)
Shape-changing sprites, death-dealing polar bears and lots of snow. Shiny Entertainment attempts to transform one of this year's biggest films into a half-decent videogame. Has the company succeeded? Read on...
Where would videogame developers be without the humble Christmas Hollywood blockbuster? At the end of each year we witness a raft of...
Review Samurai Ghost (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
This action platformer features a samurai ghost from the depths of the underworld.
The ghost of a samurai? Surely this must be awesome! Unfortunately, the truth is far from it. You play the ghost of a samurai who has returned to avenge himself. Thankfully the game information tells us this, as the main character looks nothing like a samurai. Your...
Review NES Play Action Football (Virtual Console / NES)
Ready! Hut hut hut…
Coming quite late in the life of the NES - 1990 to be exact - Play Action Football was Nintendo's attempt at creating a realistic gridiron game for their aging, yet still popular console. The diagonal viewpoint is 'fake 3D' which looks a little pathetic by today's standards but was pretty impressive back then. At least it looks...
Review Tamagotchi Party On! (Wii)
Bandai's virtual pet franchise has now made the leap to the Wii and is attempting to steal Wario Ware's mini-game crown...has it succeeded?
Exploitation of children is a terrible thing. It’s a sad fact that in some parts of the world nefarious employers will think nothing of paying youngsters a pittance to work in poorly ventilated sweat shops in...
Review Drop Off (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Brave five rounds of haunting, nightmarish dreams
Drop Off is a paddle and ball game like Atari’s classic, Breakout. There is nothing bad about making a game like Breakout, games like Arkanoid did an excellent job of just that. The innovations in that game made for an addictive game experience. It’s a shame that the same cannot be said of Drop...
Review Silent Debuggers (Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Oh bugger
'Silent Debuggers' has to rank as one of the greatest names ever for a videogame. The first few minutes might convince you that this is a great game too. The funky intro music really sets the scene with style along with some nicely drawn anime style scenes. Welcome to the world of the debuggers, a duo of fearless bounty hunters tasked...
Review Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (DS)
Can EA atone for the shameful lineage of Harry Potter games with their latest instalment on the Nintendo DS, or will this particular spell fizzle out like the rest?
If you’ve had the forethought to read our recent preview of the Wii version of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (let’s compress that down to HP:OotP from hereon in) you’ll...
Review Milon's Secret Castle (Wii Virtual Console / NES)
A musty old place
Milon’s Secret Castle is one of those games you’ve never heard of, but when you do finally acknowledge its presence you realize that it inexplicably has an enormous following. A minor classic in the Hudson library, Milon was originally published in 1986 to fairly lukewarm critical response. To be perfectly honest, time has...
Review J.J. & Jeff (Wii Virtual Console / TurboGrafx-16)
Two bungling detectives on a crazy adventure
The PC Engine (Japanese name for TurboGrafx-16) has always been a console to attract weird games. If you've ever played Toilet Kids and Photograph Boy then you will know what I mean. This particular game started out life as Kato Chan & Ken Chan in Japan, aside from the characters being changed to...
Review Virtua Fighter 2 (Virtual Console / Sega Mega Drive)
The intrepid fighters return to the World Fighting Tournament.
Virtua Fighter 2 remains one of the best one-on-one fighters in the history of videogames. When it was originally released it destroyed the competition, and even today (after three updates) hardcore fans feel that Sega has never really bettered the classic brawler. But before you all get...
Review Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Virtual Console / NES)
T-U-R-T-L-E POWER!
Turtle mania was sweeping the world when this came out in 1989. That's probably why this game was so popular despite it being an unfair bag of dog's droppings! So popular was the franchise that Nintendo even bundled the NES with this game in Europe replacing the mighty Super Mario Bros cart. It's easy to see why so many...
