Game Reviews scoring 9/10
Review Nintendo Presents: New Style Boutique 2 - Fashion Forward (3DS)
Back in style
Like high-waisted shorts or the reemergence of leg warmers, some things just come out of nowhere. Syn Sophia's New Style Boutique was a similarly surprising success when it hit the 3DS runways in 2012, giving the fashion sim genre a real gem. After a few seasons off it's back for another appearance (in Europe at least) with this...
Stellar
Though they've had a hand in games as diverse as Yoshi's New Island and Time and Eternity, the name 'imageepoch' will forever be linked with Luminous Arc, the studio's successful strategy RPG series that debuted on the DS back in 2007. As a spiritual successor to those titles, as well as imageepoch's last release following their bankruptcy...
Review 3D Sonic The Hedgehog 2 (3DS eShop)
Hogging the limelight
It's difficult to believe now, but there was a time when Sonic the Hedgehog games were good. Like, really good. Sega's recent efforts have been average at best, tragically bad at their worst (with a few exceptions here and there, mostly on handheld formats). Sonic the Hedgehog 2 falls into the series 'really good' period and so...
Review Skylanders SuperChargers (Wii U)
Articulation, That’s What You Need
While other toy-game hybrid makers are moving on from older Nintendo hardware this year, Activision has doubled down on Wii, 3DS and Wii U Skylanders with bespoke versions and cross-over dual action Skylander-amiibo. This year's Skylanders Superchargers novelty is a good one. The articulated vehicles not only...
Exploring Space, One Turn at a Time
Oh to be lost in space, exploring strange new worlds with a plethora of rocks. Lots and lots of space rocks. Enjoying the thrill of combat from dangerous, colourful and stinky creatures at your fuel tanks. Rescuing your fellow scientists, some unwillingly and others affected by the loneliness that is space...
Out of this world
There is something to be said about the power of some good ol' fashioned couch multiplayer in this age of online gaming. There's a certain degree of delightful chaos in the experience of competing head to head with friends that are physically present that can't be replicated by voice chat or matchmaking. Nowhere is this more...
Review Hatsune Miku: Project MIRAI DX (3DS)
Chart-topper
To those who know her, she needs no introduction: Hatsune Miku is a star. To those who don't, she definitely requires some explanation: Hatsune Miku is a 'virtual idol' and the world's most popular Vocaloid, a personification of a software synthesizer given background, personality, and a constant stream of songs to sing by composers and...
Review Gunman Clive HD Collection (Wii U eShop)
An excellent tribute to retro gaming
Early in 2013, the world was graced with Gunman Clive, a short and sweet action platformer that was praised for its simplistic art style and solid mechanics. Almost exactly two years later we received Gunman Clive 2, a sequel that built upon and expanded the original in nearly every way possible. Now, both...
Colourtastic! Colourrific! Colourawesome!
In the words of the late Satoru Iwata - "Above all, video games are meant to just be one thing: Fun for everyone". Runbow embraces this philosophy and runs away with it. The result is a game that is simple in concept and execution, yet it radiates personality from every shade of its palette. In short, Runbow...
Review 3D Gunstar Heroes (3DS eShop)
Holding out for a hero
Gunstar Heroes charged onto the Sega Mega Drive in 1993, significantly marking the début of quirky developer Treasure - having been formed from ex-Konami staff wanting to go it their own way. Often seen floating near to the top of many 'best game ever' lists, Gunstar Heroes is a bona-fide classic of the 16-bit era that's now...
Review Etrian Odyssey 2 Untold: The Fafnir Knight (3DS)
A Knight to Remember
Atlus' evergreen Etrian Odyssey series got its start on the DS with a trilogy of excellent map-making adventures, and it's found similar success on Nintendo's newest handheld, with Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan and spinoffs Etrian Mystery Dungeon and Persona Q all right at home on the 3DS. Thanks to 2013's
Review 3D Streets of Rage 2 (3DS eShop)
Grand Upper
There was a time when playground arguments didn't revolve around resolutions, framerates or what PewDiePie's favourite toast topping is. In the early '90s it was simple; which is the best: Final Fight or Streets of Rage? Final Fight was, for a time, exclusive to Nintendo and jealous Mega Drive owners glared with envy at their smug...
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 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 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 WarioWare Twisted! (GBA)
A turn for the best
Mario's diabolical, greedy and slightly-overweight rival Wario is a genius of sorts. After all, why bother with long games when you can make many quick-paced, five-second challenges? The third game in the WarioWare series, entitled WarioWare Twisted!, never made its way to Europe - which is a crying shame, as it's one of the most...
Review Yoshi's Woolly World (Wii U)
Knitting ideas together
Nintendo has long been the leading light in the platforming genre, a part of that legacy being the focus of Super Mario Anniversary celebrations this year. It's a genre with plenty of scope for variety, however, which is something Nintendo pushed forward with the superb Super Mario World 2: Yoshi's Island on Super NES,...
Review Art Academy: Atelier (Wii U)
Magnum opus
By its very nature, inspiration often strikes when we least expect it to. A random walk through city streets might spark the idea that forms an entire novel, just as the sound of rain lashing against a bedroom window could help to shape the mood of a composition. The Art Academy series has always respected and encouraged the creative...
Prepare to dye
Nintendo is generally relatively circumspect and cautious when introducing new IPs, but considering the pedigree the company has to uphold it's understandable that it doesn't wish to dilute its iconic brand with a torrent of forgettable franchises. Splatoon is unusual in that sense, then, and it's a game that brings a huge amount of...
Review Nihilumbra (Wii U eShop)
Nothing and everything
Nihilumbra is an existentialist platforming-fan's dream, with plenty of puzzles and unsettling presentation to make players feel isolated and challenged by their environment. Though the title's arrival is a tad late on Wii U, it is nonetheless admirable how much life developer Beautifun Games has breathed into this adventure...
Review Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue & White (Wii U eShop / GBA)
Gotta bust 'em all
The Mega Man Battle Network series was a brilliant idea from Capcom to offer a refreshing and unique departure from the classic action platformer, while still delivering a colourful and engaging gameplay experience. Though it wasn't the first time the Mega Man series flirted with becoming an RPG, it was by far the most...
Pulling the blocks into place
It's arguably one of the key gaming experiences to indulge in some light puzzling on a handheld system. Whether it's Tetris or Picross, nothing makes a morning commute or quiet evening more relaxing than letting grey matter and opposable thumbs work together to solve a problem. Pullblox / Pushmo is one Nintendo 3DS...
Review Paper Mario (Wii U eShop / N64)
Historical document
Can we take a moment to appreciate just how gloriously wacky it is that a game like Paper Mario exists in the first place? This is an idea that followed in the footsteps of Super Mario RPG, the Square/Nintendo collaboration which in itself marked a big departure in genre for the Mario universe. Nintendo would continue down this...
Review Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor 2 Record Breaker (3DS)
Dial D for Demons
The original Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor - a game in the grand tradition of titles cleverly acronym'd to reference Nintendo's dual-screened handheld - represented a new take on Atlus' long-running Shin Megami Tensei games, combining the series' modern setting and demon-taming mechanics with tactical, strategy-RPG gameplay...
Review 3D Fantasy Zone II (3DS eShop)
Let me be your fantasy
Fantasy Zone II was developed and released for the Sega Master System back in 1987. Unfortunately the limitations of the console (the original Fantasy Zone was built on Sega's more powerful System 16 arcade hardware) crippled the design aspirations; admirable attempts to include new gameplay elements weren't successful and...
Review Dot Arcade (Wii U eShop)
Tripping the light fantastic
Judging games for review brings some challenges. How can a tiny indie game compare with a Nintendo-developed blockbuster? We thought about this a lot when playing James Montagna and Andrew Lim's Dot Arcade, a small, highly focused experience that keeps things simple in the name of fun and longevity. While there's not...
Review Xenoblade Chronicles 3D (New Nintendo 3DS)
Massive adventure, smaller screens
Xenoblade Chronicles on Wii had a slightly messy localisation and release schedule in the West, with North American gamers even victims of a retailer-exclusive distribution. Its arrival late in the Wii lifecycle didn't help its cause, and those troubles on arrival were far from ideal for an RPG that is...
Review Metroid: Zero Mission (Wii U eShop / GBA)
From zero to hero
First things first, Metroid: Zero Mission is not a straight remake of the original NES Metroid with GBA quality graphics. It's a complete retelling and retooling of Samus' first 2D space adventure, including remixed areas, new power-ups and over a decade of refinements added to the formula. Nintendo has freshened the experience...
