Game Reviews scoring 5/10
Review Revenant Saga (Switch eShop)
Irreverent
Few systems have been blessed with the sheer number of RPGs of Nintendo’s plucky little 3DS, and perhaps no publisher has been as persistent in its contribution to that collection as KEMCO. It's brought more than a dozen titles — most of them mobile ports — to the 3DS’ eShop, alongside a smaller number to the Wii U, and now that...
Review Kirby Battle Royale (3DS)
With added cheese
When Nintendo confirmed a 'multiplayer-focused' Kirby title plenty speculated over the approach it would take, but Kirby Battle Royale ultimately delivers a rather predictable spin-off release. What we have, once you get past an initial introduction that suggests a different style entirely, is a minigame collection, one...
Review Monopoly for Nintendo Switch (Switch)
Should you take a 'Chance'?
If you had to think of one household board game that almost everyone is likely to know, it would be Monopoly. The centre of countless family gatherings over the years, Monopoly is often seen as that one game that can get the whole brood involved and that everybody loves; that is until they remember how ridiculously long...
Review Zombie Gold Rush (Switch eShop)
Yawn of the dead?
The hybrid nature of the Switch allows amazing big-name games to be played on the go, but it also allows for short gaming bursts should you find yourself with a few minutes to spare. The modestly-named Amazing Inc. hope to provide one such quick gaming fix with Zombie Gold Rush, a simple game that has you gunning down waves of...
Review Hive Jump (Wii U eShop)
It stings
By this point in time Nintendo has cleanly put the Wii U in the rearview mirror; virtually all support has transferred over to the Switch from both first- and third-parties, and few are looking back. Even so, some games are still trickling out on the Wii U eShop; one such release is Hive Jump. Though Hive Jump presents some interesting...
Enforce law and order on the city streets of Edenbyrg
Imagine a bleak dystopian future where crime is rampant and multiple citizens are being held as hostages by dangerous people. JYDGE, recently launched on Steam and now available via the Switch eShop, explores this exact scenario. When all goes to hell in the cyberpunk city of Edenbyrg, the...
Review Ninja Shodown (Switch eShop)
Bad for your stealth
Ninjas by their very nature are an elegant and elusive group - patiently lurking in shadows in order to dispatch foes without anyone ever realising they were there. Their grace and efficiency have become legendary over hundreds of years. In the medium of video games, however, ninjas have a somewhat 'varied' depiction, none more...
Review The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game (Switch)
Let go of this LEGO
The LEGO franchise and the Switch have been good bedfellows of late, with both LEGO City Undercover and LEGO Worlds releasing on the console so far. The former we enjoyed. The latter? Not so much. Unfortunately for all of us, The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game
Review Neon Chrome (Switch eShop)
Minor oversight
Finding a home on consoles is an ongoing challenge for games that have seen success on Steam and smart devices. While free-to-play or relatively inexpensive titles are becoming available on digital marketplaces thick and fast, it could be argued that there is a degree of stigma that comes with titles making the shift from mobile to...
Brick by brick
This was originally published as an unscored 'review in progress' on 11th September as we waited for online play to be added in an announced update. Following an update to add online functionality this review was edited to reflect that feature, with a score applied. When Minecraft first hit the scene years back, many likened playing...
Review 36 Fragments of Midnight (Switch eShop)
A (very) quick stroll in the moonlight
The Nintendo eShop is a weird and wonderful place; some games are absolute gems, some are whatever-the-opposite-of-gems-is, and some leave you with more questions after completion than when you first started. 36 Fragments of Midnight falls into that latter category and, whilst it might work successfully if...
Review Blue's Journey (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Unremarkable trip
Pollution caused by the Daruma tribe is causing great harm to the planet Raguy and it’s up to you as Blue to partake in a platforming adventure to defeat this menace and save the Princess Fa. There was no shortage of platformers in the 1990s, but one appearing on the Neo Geo was unusual and with its leaf-stun mechanic and ability...
Review Sky Ride (Switch eShop)
Sky’s quite limited
When you first boot up Sky Ride, you’d be forgiven for thinking you’d accidentally downloaded an early alpha version by mistake. After selecting it from your Switch home menu you get a brief loading screen and are then immediately presented with your character sitting there, ready to go with a basic title logo up in the...
Review Super Sidekicks (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
International so-so Soccer
Although primarily known for its fighters, the Neo Geo did host games in a number of other genres and indeed Hamster’s ACA releases have included puzzlers, run and gun titles, shooters and a golf game. Now they bring us football (or "soccer" if you're reading this in North America) simulator Super Sidekicks. The aim of...
Review Ultra Hyperball (Switch eShop)
Not very ultra
If humanity has given the world anything, it’s the ability to turn even the most mundane games into a sport. Rock/Paper/Scissors, the epitome of what you do when you can’t decide who gets to do something unsavoury, now has world championships. Not content with merely kicking a soccer ball into a net, folk now insert themselves...
Not as infectious as one may hope
Homages to our childhood are very much at the forefront of gaming right now, with so many titles playing on our sense of nostalgia. Rainy Night Creations is aiming for that effect with its take on the '90s survival-horror genre. Harking back to the days of Resident Evil and Dino Crisis, Vaccine intends to make its...
Review Over Top (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Let's go next stage!!
The Neo Geo was famous for its staggering selection of fighting games, but it was less blessed when it came to racing titles. Only a handful were ever released during the console's lengthy lifespan - hardly a massive shock when you consider that the 2D nature of the console made realistic driving games tricky - and of that...
Review Mr. Shifty (Switch eShop)
SHIFT+DELETE
There's a brief message at the bottom of every game page on the Switch eShop. In short, it's a disclaimer that is designed to protect Nintendo and other developers from liability in the event that players suffer from a seizure caused by gameplay. You've probably seen the message, and you've probably ignored it. You probably also haven't...
Review Fatal Fury (Switch eShop / Neo Geo)
Hungry like the wolf
While SNK's premier fighting game series is King of Fighters, the company tested the waters of the one-on-one combat genre with 1991's Fatal Fury, a title designed by none other than Takashi Nishiyama, the man behind Capcom's original 1987 Street Fighter. Street Fighter II was the game which kickstarted interest in this style of...
Review Blue-Collar Astronaut (Wii U eShop)
In space, no one seems to tip
Are you tired of dead-end, earthbound employment? Do you long to break free of the crushing gravity of workaday life? Are you finally ready to float freely in the high-salary stratosphere? Well, dear reader, if you're dead set on those lofty goals, we don't have anything to offer; but if you're after a more modest...
Review Has-Been Heroes (Switch)
Past its prime
After working on the Trine trilogy of physics-based adventure games, it's safe to say that Frozenbyte knows its way around the fantasy genre. Continuing in the grand tradition of sending three adventurers off on a harrowing quest, Nintendo Switch has now been graced with Has-Been Heroes, an RPG that blends elements of the roguelike...
Review Mario Sports Superstars (3DS)
Jack of all trades, master of none
Ahh sport, the great equalizer of the Mushroom Kingdom. Whether you're a red Toad, a blue Toad, or made entirely out of metal, athletes of all kind are welcome to set aside their differences and gather together in the name of friendly competition. From kart racing to hurdle hopping, Mario and company have had...
Review Toby: The Secret Mine (Wii U eShop)
Shady stuff
The Wii U eShop has played host to some wonderful indie titles over the years, and despite the console's impending retirement there's still room for another sleeper hit to offer a charming send off. With its distinctive art-style, intriguing level design and enigmatic story, Toby: The Secret Mine seemed set to impress when first...
Review Teslapunk (Wii U eShop)
More like meh-slapunk
The Shmup genre is one that was quite popular in the halcyon days of pre-3D gaming, but it seems that the addition of the extra dimension largely rendered this style of gaming obsolete. Nowadays you may see new entries every now and then, but it seems that many are simple games designed for smart devices, or are otherwise too...
Review Soul Axiom (Wii U eShop)
It's got soul, man
Soul Axiom is a spiritual successor to Master Reboot, a rather decent and interesting Wii U eShop title from Wales Interactive. They're not directly tied together, but thematic and stylistic crossovers deliberately nudge and wink at those with experience of the previous release, while Soul Axiom also goes its own way. Ultimately,...
Review Radiantflux: Hyperfractal (Wii U eShop)
Become a master hacker and uncover the truth
In any crime-ridden story, hackers are often depicted as a quick solution to a series of complicated problems. Sometimes in these plots they willingly cooperate with law enforcement, but often they are portrayed as social outcasts who are leading the fight against huge corporations and government...
Review Ninja Usagimaru - The Mysterious Karakuri Castle (3DS eShop)
Mysterious indeed
Any American high school student who's owned a TI series calculator and endured hours of math classes has no doubt discovered Block Dude. The simple puzzle platformer was centered around escaping from rooms by moving around a limited number of blocks, and presented a wonderful escape from the dreariness of algebra. Evidently, the...
Review Fire: Ungh's Quest (Wii U eShop)
Are you still fascinated by the concept of fire?
We're all taught about fire at a young age. It's dangerous, and without it humanity would likely not have developed as it has. So how about a game where you are transported to the Stone Age and take control of a Neanderthal who is on a journey to locate fire? This is the basis of the eShop title that...
Review Ninja Pizza Girl (Wii U eShop)
Eww, lukewarm pizza
You can probably count on one hand the number of video games where the premise revolves around delivering pizza. Aside from Spider-Man 2 from the GameCube era, which involved delivering some pies as Peter Parker, not much else comes to mind. Ninja Pizza Girl aims to be the pizza-delivering game to end all of them; let's see if...
Review Final Fight 2 (New 3DS / SNES)
Samey sequel (sans selling point)
When Final Fight arrived on the SNES it had problems. The port of the side-scrolling beat 'em up classic looked reasonably close to the arcade title, but it cut out the industrial area, the two-player option and playable character Guy as well. A second attempt was made with Final Fight Guy that saw the Bushin ninja...
