Game Reviews scoring 5/10
Review Stickman Super Athletics (3DS eShop)
Sports done simply
With all the buzz around the Olympics this year, Stickman Super Athletics arrived just at the right time. Coderchild's latest offering sees you qualify for Olympian sports such as swimming, long jump and the 100m dash. Those who enjoyed games like Track and Field in past times will appreciate Stickman Super Athletics, but the...
Review Tetraminos (Wii U eShop)
Now with new shapes
Tetris was created by Russian game designer Alexey Pajitnov and originally released in 1984. It wasn't until the title's debut on the Nintendo Game Boy in 1989 that the tile-matching puzzle game became a truly global sensation and established itself as one of the most popular video games of all time. To date, Tetris and more...
Review Collateral Thinking (Wii U eShop)
Let's think about something else
Games used to be a lot simpler back in the arcade days, and that's the idea behind Astrosaurus Games's first foray into the Wii U eShop, Collateral Thinking. Taking cues from the simpler games of yesteryear like Donkey Kong, Mario Bros. and Wrecking Crew, Collateral Thinking gets back to the basics as a new...
Review Power Disc Slam (3DS eShop)
Sluggish slams and dodgy discs
First, there was Pong, and lo the people deemed it to be worthy. Since then it has been immortalised as a test of skill for two players, two gladiators going head to head and shooting for goals and glory. Next, the early nineties would reveal the natural evolution of this classic challenge - Windjammers. A competition...
Review Metroid Prime: Blast Ball (3DS)
Dropping the ball
Ever since its initial announcement, Metroid Prime: Federation Force has been fighting an uphill battle. After a hiatus for the Metroid series, some fans were expecting something a bit more back-to-basics than a co-op shooter with a chibi artstyle set in the Metroid Prime universe. While there's still a week left at the time of...
Review Rynn's Adventure: Trouble in the Enchanted Forest (Wii U eShop)
You Rynn some...
Nintendo is certainly no slouch when it comes to platformers. Mario, Kirby and DK all provide superlative experiences, but there's still plenty of room for newcomers. Rynn's Adventure: Trouble in The Enchanted Forest has the colour and whimsy to fit in with a top class of platformers at first glance, but could stand to be a bit more...
Review Dragon Skills (Wii U eShop)
A brick break game like no other?
Brick break games aren't all that common nowadays. One of the modern standouts with a fantastic twist is PopCap Games' long-running Peggle series, which is exceptionally addictive and sets a considerably high standard for the classic genre. Like Peggle, Dragon Skills draws on arcade gameplay inspired by well-known...
Welcome to the world of Mustland
One of the biggest criticisms the Wii U has faced during its lifespan is that not enough games released on the system have utilised the full potential of Nintendo's unique GamePad controller. Red Column's three-part episodic game 3Souls aims to fill the void, providing an inquisitive 2D puzzle platform experience...
Review Buddy & Me: Dream Edition (Wii U eShop)
Is this endless runner a dream to play?
Imagine as you're nodding off to sleep one night, you realise there is a big furry creature with long ears outside your bedroom window staring at you. Why didn't you purchase curtains? This is pretty much the premise of Buddy & Me: Dream Edition. The "Dream Edition" part of the title is derived from the...
Review Rubik's Cube (3DS eShop)
Fits in the pocket more comfortably than the original cube, at least
The 3DS eShop has been host to some quirky releases, and a virtual portrayal of the Rubik's Cube certainly fits the bill. Cypronia aims to give you the puzzling experience on the go and at home with a dual release, no doubt hoping that nostalgia and a taste for a challenge will...
Review Rubik's Cube (Wii U eShop)
The '80s are back...
Cypronia's take on the original rage quit toy, the Rubik's Cube, is now available on both the Wii U and 3DS eShop. Does this game differ a great deal from a physical Rubik's Cube? No, not really. Like with releases such as Epic Word Search Collection 2, it's down to personal preference whether you opt to have a physical,...
Review Mike the Knight and The Great Gallop (3DS)
The Modest Trot
Mike the Knight and the Great Gallop is unashamedly a game for the young 'uns. Based on the animated TV show it consists of an original storyline played out over nine mini-games; these are interspersed with cut-scenes depicting Mike's adventure complete with a whimsical narrator. Jumping straight in, our story centres on young Mike...
Review SPLASHY DUCK (Wii U eShop)
​Just keep swimmin'
So why did the duck cross the water? In SPLASHY DUCK, it's to grab a bunch of coins before colliding with a whale. So, uh, now you know? SPLASHY DUCK is another addition to the RCMADIAX line of simply designed score attack games. The player guides a duck endlessly swimming a vertical channel in the middle of the screen. When...
Review Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
Taking home the bronze
Although carnivale looms neon bright on the horizon, the party may already be winding down for Sonic and Mario. From snowy peaks to sandy shores, these former rivals are back for another collection of sporting mini-games in celebration of the Rio 2016 Olympics, and while they won't have to deal with the political turmoil or...
Mediocre No. 9, more like
There are few Kickstarter projects that have gained as much attention as Keiji Inafune and Comcept's Mighty No. 9. Billed as a spiritual successor to Capcom's seemingly dormant Mega Man series - a lineage Inafune is closely connected with - this new project was supposed to bring back everything fans loved about the Blue...
Review B3 Game Expo For Bees (Wii U eShop)
Hot Buzz
There is something so delightfully goofy and left-field about the premise of B3 Game Expo for Bees that it's difficult not to be utterly charmed by it. A bee security guard protecting bee gaming companies in a "convention hive" from a firsties-obsessed robotic bear? That's the type of organized randomness that can make for something...
Review Run Run and Die (Wii U eShop)
As fun as running straight into a brick wall
'Runner' games similar to the likes of Bit.Trip Runner have been a popular choice for quite some time now. Popularised by mobile titles and best enjoyed for their addictive "one more try" gameplay, the genre often strips the medium down to its very basics - just one button to press and a top score to aim...
Review 8Bit Hero (Wii U eShop)
Crawls flat
Retro-style pixelation is a tricky commodity to master. Pull it off well in a game and players can bask in warm, fuzzy nostalgia or (for the young'uns) simply enjoy an artful use of the form. If you don't integrate it well, players might just wonder why the style choice was made in the first place. 8Bit Hero unfortunately leans toward...
Review Lost Reavers (Wii U eShop)
Keeping up with the Indiana Joneses
Nestled away in the busy excitement of a Nintendo Direct last January, Bandai Namco first announced Project Treasure; a 4 player co-op title set to release exclusively for Wii U. With famed Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and a team of young developers on board, their admirable goal was to create a game that...
Review REPTILIAN REBELLION (Wii U eShop)
Cold-blooded killers
Imagine you're going about your daily routine and then all of a sudden there is an uprising. Lizard-people have come out of hiding in an attempt to wipe-out humanity once-and-for-all, and now it's up to you to grab your weapon of choice and eradicate every last one of the green shape-shifting pests. Conspiracy theories aside,...
Too square to be hip
Have you ever said to yourself, "I would like a game that combines elements of Street Fighter, Space Invaders and Puyo Puyo"? If you have, then you are going to love Blockara. Blockara is a puzzle game first and foremost, but it borrows plenty of successful mechanics from other games. The result of all that borrowing, however,...
Sssimple
Anyone who longs for the days of playing classic Snake on their Nokia phone will be happy to know the game still lives on in EnjoyUp's updated version - Sssnakes. Unfortunately, Sssnakes doesn't offer much that the classic didn't do already, and considering there are a lot of easily accessible games to download, both for console and mobile,...
Review Dodge Club Party (Wii U eShop)
Dot's all, folks!
Last year, Dot Arcade on the Wii U eShop simmered gameplay down into its simplest, retro arcade-like form and served it up with pizzazz. One of the three games available in that package has now busted out as Dodge Club Party, upping the number of players yet losing much of its flair in the process. Dodge Club Party operates very...
Review Star Sky 2 (Wii U eShop)
Moonlit meandering
Video games have come a long way from their humble, straightforward beginnings. They're still a form of entertainment, primarily designed to help you waste time and relax, so there will always be a mission to complete, a goal to achieve or an enemy to defeat. However, there are simpler, quieter stories to be told as well, with an...
Review Paranautical Activity (Wii U eShop)
Horrifying yet hard to put down
Have you ever watched a movie that's so bad it's good? One that you know you rationally should not enjoy, but do anyway? If you have, then you might understand the appeal of Paranautical Activity. Paranautical Activity is a bit like a mashup of three separate games in three disparate genres. The core gameplay...
Review Musicverse: Electronic Keyboard (3DS eShop)
Doot doot doot doot
We're not scientists, but we're pretty confident in our super-accurate theory on how most people use electronic keyboards in their waking life. Namely, the musician-at-heart walks up to one, switches it on, finds the kitschiest beat in its midi library - studies say it's "salsa" 100% of the time - bangs out some nonsensical...
Review Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (3DS)
Fails to make it on the podium
Much like the real life counterpart, Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has a gargantuan of hurdles to overcome. Don't get us wrong, the problems in the 3DS version are much smaller and have less implications than dealing with politics, diseases and pollution. But being the fifth entry in such a popular...
Review Excave III : Tower of Destiny (3DS eShop)
A step backwards
After two Excave titles were released in quick succession early last year, the series disappeared just as quickly as it had sprung up, going on a year-long hiatus. It's back now with a third entry, bringing with it a whole slew of changes, but are they for the best, or are you better off sticking with the previous titles? The basic...
Review Infinity Runner (Wii U eShop)
Keep on running...
Wales Interactive has become a new name to Nintendo gamers in the Wii U generation, with Gravity Badgers being a fun but 'casual' game and Master Reboot being a rather intriguing, story-driven experience. Next up is another typically diverse approach with Infinity Runner - as the name makes clear it's a runner title, utilising a...
Generica
From old-school platformers like Shovel Knight to the pixel-art renaissance, what's old is new again these days, and retro revivals have made for some wonderfully received games in recent years. The best of these projects leverage clever design, modern sensibilities and plenty of polish to craft experiences that feel like games as we...
