Game Reviews scoring 5/10
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 Roving Rogue (Wii U eShop)
Stark roving mad
So what exactly does an adventurer do after they beat the last boss? This is the question Padaone Games' Roving Rogue poses to its players, and it gives a pretty straightforward answer: they walk back to the first level, of course. Kurt the Righteous does just that in this light platforming adventure, which begins promisingly but...
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 Never Alone (Wii U eShop)
A beautiful mess
One of the best things about indie games is the freedom available to the developers; with all the money involved in publishing triple-A titles, there's little incentive to take risks. There's no way you'd ever see a title like Never Alone coming from a major publisher, and that's what makes it so refreshing. Developed with the input...
Review Samurai Defender (3DS eShop)
Five Samurai
CIRCLE Entertainment and the Nintendo 3DS eShop go hand in hand. Boasting nearly 50 titles with its name attached as either a publisher or developer, seeing a CIRCLE game pop up on the eShop update list has become the norm. With so many to its name, it's no surprise that CIRCLE's games run the gamut from top-notch to downright terrible...
Review Shapes of Gray (Wii U eShop)
Murky depths
You see two objects in a circular gray field, as if looking in through an electron microscope. Move the left stick and you'll find out which object is you. Hit buttons until you reach the shoulders or triggers and find out you're not just a little blob, but a little blob with a sword. Strike the other geometric creature in sight and...
Review Johnny Dynamite (3DS eShop)
Defused
Imagine a 2D game with a simple premise: collect all pieces of dynamite in each stage without taking any damage. Instead of running and jumping around like you would in a traditional platformer, you thrust freely throughout the bite-sized stages with a trusty jetpack. With unlimited use of this ability, along with an endless supply of...
Review Karous -The Beast of Re:Eden- (3DS eShop)
Not exactly the beast
The "shmup" genre is relatively niche but is also, among its devoted fans, one of the great pleasures in gaming. It's a difficult genre to create games for, however, as the nature of the gameplay is rather limited and simple, with innovations being hard to come by. After all, there's only so many ways one can pull off...
Review TABLETOP GALLERY (Wii U eShop)
No Dice
TABLETOP GALLERY serves as a compilation as of three eShop titles previously only released in the US - TOSS N GO, SHUT THE BOX and POKER DICE SOLITAIRE FUTURE. Each of these dice-rolling titles never made their way to European shores, prompting developer/publisher RCMADIAX to eventually re
Review Heart Beaten (3DS eShop)
Be still my beating heart
Originally created and developed during the Global Game Jam of 2013 in a little over 24 hours, Heart Beaten has been available on Android and iOS platforms for a couple of years. The newly released Nintendo 3DS version expands on the mobile version with structural changes, brand new mini-game types and a new soundtrack...
Review Word Search by POWGI (Wii U eShop)
Finding words, one letter at a time
Sometimes, a game's title tells you very little about its content. What do titles like "Bayonetta" scream to you when read? Meanwhile, a game with a title such as Word Search by POWGI pretty much tells you everything you need to know about this download. Within each of the 300+ levels you're given a grid filled...
Review Yoshi Touch & Go (Wii U eShop / DS)
Fleeting fun
Between the DS, 3DS and Wii U, Nintendo has delivered many touch screen gaming experiences throughout the years. While some are genuinely creative and/or mechanically deep, others have ended up feeling like little more than an experiment or a tech demo rather than a full-fledged game; Yoshi Touch & Go falls into that latter...
Review Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles (Wii U eShop)
A bittersweet treat
There has been much debate over Nintendo opening up the eShop to a wider array of developers and allowing what some would consider to be lesser experiences to be featured. The main argument being that consoles justify better, higher quality games than the relatively shallow offerings that can be found on smartphone markets, and...
Review PENTAPUZZLE (Wii U eShop)
PENT-UP PUZZLE
There's nothing inherently wrong with simplicity. When used well, a minimalist approach can be a refreshing way to get back to gaming basics; the recent 50 Pinch Barrage!!, which charmed us with its intuitive and straightforward approach to Pitfall-style platforming, stands as an excellent example of this. However, with the popularity...
Review Best of Board Games - Solitaire (3DS eShop)
A lonely man's game
Ever-gracing the flickering computer screens of bored office workers everywhere, Solitaire needs next to no introduction. This card game is as old as your Grandma, and it's probably her favourite as well. Played solo, it's been adapted to feature on pretty much every mobile gadget for over a decade, perfect for whiling away a few...
Review Sky Kid (Wii U eShop / NES)
Bombs away
Originally an arcade game, the 1986 Namco NES title Sky Kid draws hard battle lines from the start, though exactly who the warring parties are is unclear. This quirky game is iconic of Namco's early days and even earned a song and a cameo in Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U. The action here is a combination of unforgiving and short,...
Review Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll (Wii U eShop / NES)
There’s not much fight in this one
Culture Brain's Hiryū no Ken fighting series dates back to the 1985 arcade release, Shanghai Kid. The 1987 NES title, Flying Dragon: The Secret Scroll – exclusive to Japan and the US (1989) – took the original concept and expanded on it, as well as paving the way for future entries in the franchise. This...
Review Paparazzi (Wii U eShop)
Snap judgement
Indie developers seem to be doing a great job of delivering games with local multiplayer to the Wii U eShop as of late. From Chariot to GetClose: A Game for RIVALS, Sportsball to Guacamelee! Super Turbo Championship Edition, affordable — and quality — entertainment with the intention of livening up a living room is readily...
Review Best of Arcade Games - Brick Breaker (3DS eShop)
Just Another Brick in the Wall
It takes an extremely exceptional video game to defy the tests of time. Technological advancements coupled with ever shifting consumer attitudes and expectations have often seen classic gaming titles left by the proverbial wayside as the years roll on. The likes of Pac-Man, Tetris and Gradius are prime examples of...
Review Drop Zone: Under Fire (3DS eShop)
Drop it like it’s hot
Originally released as a WiiWare title near the end of that service's lifetime, Drop Zone: Under Fire has been ported to the 3DS in an attempt to bring virtual base-jumping action to the handheld audience. Whether or not you enjoyed the original release, it's undeniable that this arcade style game's transition to the 3DS hit...
Review Monster Combine TD (3DS eShop)
Plants vs. Monsters
When you think of a tower defence game, what usually comes to mind is a long, winding path, with various build spots situated around it. As you defeat enemies, you earn more money to place units on these spots, and they will automatically attack any enemies that come within range. However, while that might be the most common...
Review Breath of Fire (Wii U eShop / SNES)
Dragon its heels behind the competition
The age of the 16-bit RPG is well-remembered, and many iconic titles from the time are still cherished by fans to this day. From Final Fantasy III to Chrono Trigger, the genre showed genuine growth through some shining examples of emotive storytelling mixed with addictive gameplay. Not one to miss out on all...
Review Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight (Wii U eShop / NES)
Planet Hopper 1990
Capcom's Street Fighter 2010: The Final Fight is an interesting game, arriving on the NES after the release of the first Street Fighter, but before its sequel hit arcades and caused an explosion of interest in one-on-one brawlers. The game's story was changed for the western release to at least try and justify the use of the name...
Review Penguins of Madagascar (3DS)
Likely to ruffle a few feathers
Everybody loves penguins, right? Well, judging by the success of the Madagascar movie spin-off Penguins of Madagascar it would seem so. The success of a family CGI movie almost certainly results in two things - more movies in the same vein, and a video game adaption for the franchise. Penguins of Madagascar is...
Review Cake Ninja 3: The Legend Continues (Wii U eShop)
Legendarily mundane
Apparently, ninjas hate cakes, and developer Cypronia has been struggling to produce a decent game based off this assumption since its first attempt on DSiWare back in 2011. With years of experience under its belt and a baked goods massacre to show for it, has the move to Wii U made for a more substantial title? Let's begin by...
Review My First Songs 2 (3DS eShop)
More of the same
For those who haven't read our review of the original My First Songs on 3DS, you may want to read that before going any further in this one. My First Songs 2 is the sequel to My First Songs and generally follows the same formula as the original. You have a variety of nursery rhymes which you can tap along to using the touch screen...
Show me your 99Moves
Hot on the heels of October's 99Seconds comes a Wii U eShop version of 99Moves, which like its predecessor had origins as an EnjoyUp Games DSiWare title. For the most part, this is a simple port, but what changes there are offer mixed results — some of them are definitively positive, such as the improved resolution and frame...
Review TOSS N GO (Wii U eShop)
Use as directed
Simplicity is never a bad thing in itself. An experience can be extremely easy in execution, yet still provide plenty of rewarding elements. Sometimes, however, something can be boiled down into such simple elements that it loses some of those satisfying quirks, and that's where RCMADIAX's TOSS N GO suffers. TOSS N GO is another in...
Review Penguins of Madagascar (Wii U)
Un-tactical Espionage Action
The Penguins from the smash CG hit Madagascar were so popular they received their own film in the form of Penguins of Madagascar, so it was inevitable that the four feathered friends would also receive their own video game adaption. Publisher Little Orbit - which is certainly no stranger to adaptations of movies -was...
Review Lode Runner (Wii U eShop / NES)
Not quite endless runner
Broderbund's Lode Runner is a challenging puzzler that, unfortunately, hasn't aged particularly gracefully. Originally released in 1983 on computers like the Apple II and the Commodore 64, Lode Runner feels dated, even for an NES game. It's easy to see the reason Lode Runner was released on so many different platforms over...
