Reviews

Wii U Game Reviews

  • Review The Wonderful 101 (Wii U) - A Thrilling Assault On The Senses

    Chaos and colour multiplied by 101

    Editor’s Note: With The Wonderful 101: Remastered Kickstarter now in full swing, we thought you might like to read our 2013 review for the Wii U original. Playing The Wonderful 101 for the first time on "normal" difficulty is a stressful, headache-inducing experience that, nevertheless, delivers a genuine...

  • Review Darksiders: Warmastered Edition (Wii U)

    War is upon us, at long last

    Just when you thought it was safe to bid farewell to your Wii U, a lone figure appears on the shadowed horizon. Unhindered by multiple delays, primed for war and ready to impress; the horseman cometh. Darksiders originally released back in 2010, and was hailed as a hidden gem of the last generation. While it...

  • Review The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Wii U)

    Link's latest adventure in its natural home

    We've been playing a lot of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, mostly on Nintendo Switch. Yet not everyone is buying into Nintendo's latest hardware yet, and there have been plenty of fair questions around how this game shapes up on its original home - the Wii U. After all, this title was announced...

  • Review Skylanders Imaginators (Wii U)

    Use your imagination

    With the demise of Disney Infinity you may think that toys to life games are on the way out. However, with the Skylanders Academy show on Netflix and another new game for fans, Activision are pressing ahead - for the time being, at least. Skylanders Imaginators is this year's game and it offers a substantial twist on what has...

  • Review Shantae: Half-Genie Hero (Wii U)

    Genieus

    Immediately upon seeing the title screen and hearing the game's main theme, you know that Shantae: Half-Genie Hero is another step forward for this series. Back in 2002, Shantae made her debut on the Game Boy Color to rave reviews but disappointing sales — hardly a shock when you take into account the GBC was on its last legs — but the...

  • Review Just Dance 2017 (Wii U)

    Another year, another Just Dance game

    It seems like it was only yesterday that this writer was reviewing Just Dance 2016 – last year's entry in Ubisoft's mammoth dancing franchise. Most people will be at least somewhat familiar with the concept; seeing friends and family dancing along to a variety of songs with wavering levels of success. By that...

  • Review Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)

    Colour us impressed

    For any long-running series, innovation is key to keeping fans coming back for more without getting too bored. Gameplay tweaks and changes to the setting can work wonders in refreshing a stale format, but some might argue that if an idea ain't broke, then don't keep trying to fix it. The Paper Mario series has been no stranger to...

  • Review LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Wii U)

    It's LEGO, all of it...

    The LEGO series has been an ever-present for a number of years, covering a broad range of franchises. It seems that as long as an IP has scope for action, it can be a LEGO game, though the success rate can vary when TT Games struggles to turn the source material into exciting gameplay. This summer LEGO Star Wars: The Force...

  • Review Terraria (Wii U eShop / Wii U)

    Now more complete

    After a half-year wait, Terraria is now also available on the 3DS's big brother system. The handheld release suffered from some annoying issues, mostly related to hardware limitations, so does the Wii U version fare any better? For those who weren't really interested in the game up until this point, Terraria is a 2D sandbox game...

  • Review The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 (Wii U)

    Let us tell you a story...

    Nordic Games' The Book of Unwritten Tales 2 revisits the point-and-click adventure glory days known for titles such as Monkey Island and Simon the Sorceror. Although there are still some great adventure games out there, not many arrive on console (and even less on the Wii U), so it's always exciting to see how these titles...

  • 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...

  • Review Mighty No. 9 (Wii U)

    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 Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U)

    Superstardom awaits!

    When you hit the main menu of Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, there's no start button. Instead the bright, rainbow-coloured visuals invite the player to debut, a seemingly minor change of wording that nonetheless sets the tone for the entire game. In this candy-coated world heroes are showbiz sensations, dungeons are department...

  • Review Star Fox Zero (Wii U)

    From zero to hero

    Almost from the moment it was revealed, Star Fox Zero has endured the kind of scrutiny that first-party Nintendo releases are rarely subjected to. From Time's botched announcement during E3 2014 to the news that external help was being used and the game would

  • Review Pokkén Tournament (Wii U)

    Nintendo used Smash Hit. It's super effective!

    Pokkén Tournament: it's not quite what a select few may have imagined when they dared to concoct a Pokémon / Tekken crossover game in the recesses of their wildest dreams, but few had even considered such a ludicrous idea until it actually came to fruition. Nevertheless, it's a real thing that...

  • Review The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD (Wii U)

    I have come to play!

    It's been the generation of remakes for The Legend of Zelda. The main entries from the N64 and GameCube have now all been given the remaster treatment, though many will think of this title as a Wii game. A decade on from its original waggle-heavy release, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD gives a second chance to one of...

  • Review Brunswick Pro Bowling (Wii U)

    You still have that membership for Wii Sports Club, right?

    What's the meaning of life? We all have wondered about it at least once in our lives. Whether it's on the commute, while taking a shower or when rolling a bowling ball down the lane. When you think about it, Bowling is pretty similar to life, a continuous cycle that depends on numerous...

  • Review LEGO Marvel’s Avengers (Wii U)

    Not quite Marvel-lous

    The LEGO series is one of the most prolific in modern gaming, capturing hearts way back in 2005 with the earliest Star Wars titles and since evolving into a hugely lucrative franchise. LEGO as a toy brand has arguably never been bigger, and with the IP muscle of Warner Bros. and the specialist skills of developer TT Games / TT...

  • Review Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends (Wii U)

    Super Kung Fu Smash Panda Bros.

    Kung Fu Panda: Showdown of Legendary Legends takes the movie franchise's core themes of kung fu, lovable characters and comedy, throws it into a 2.5D brawler and leaves you with a feeling of being satisfied but ultimately wanting something else. With the game being crafted by those at Vicious Cycle, the team behind...

  • Review Just Dance: Disney Party 2 (Wii U)

    A Dance Party for some

    You never know how poorly coordinated you are until you play a round of Just Dance: Disney Party 2 - this is a rhythm game that's almost true to its name. While it does involve just dancing, it could also be named Just Dance: Disney Party 2 for The Skilled. Rhythm games like Rock Band, Guitar Hero, and Dance Dance Revolution...

  • Review Monster High: New Ghoul in School (Wii U)

    A Strange Beast

    The catchy refrain in a song at the beginning of Monster High: New Ghoul in School declares - "We are Monsters. We are Proud.". Its words sum up the game's positive message of "who you are is more important than what you are". Soon thereafter, players are led into a character creation mode to decide the kind of pretty monster you...

  • Review Xenoblade Chronicles X (Wii U)

    A Mira-culous discovery

    Monolith Soft has made plenty of bold claims about Xenoblade Chronicles X. It's talked up the size of the planet as being five times that of Xenoblade Chronicles, stated that any landscape you see is there to be explored, and promised that there are not only dozens of hours of legitimate gameplay, but hundreds. Often that...

  • Review Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival (Wii U)

    The sigh heard 'round the wild world

    Animal Crossing made its name as a quaint, cutesy, somewhat bizarre life simulator where something new to do, collect or modify is always around the corner. This year, two spin-off games hone in on separate areas of that Nintendo life: Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer on 3DS explores "work," and Animal...

  • Review Barbie and her Sisters Puppy Rescue (Wii U)

    Pawfully Repetitive

    If there's one thing truly great thing about rescuing puppies in Barbie and Her Sisters Puppy Rescue, it's not the satisfaction of doing a good deed, or the subsequent obedience training you can do to ensure well-behaved canine friends. No, it's the sweet bicycle ride Barbie has on her journey to puppy saving. Barbie and Her...

  • Review Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash (Wii U)

    Into the net

    Mario's spin-off titles have been integral to Nintendo systems for multiple generations, typically designed to bring families and friends together for light-hearted fun. The tennis spin-off has often found a fascinating middle-ground between depth and accessibility, though the home console entries have often been focused on simple...

  • Review The Peanuts Movie: Snoopy's Grand Adventure (Wii U)

    Going for peanuts

    Celebrating its 65th Anniversary, Charles Schulz's Peanuts comic remains iconic and influential. The comic has spurned television movies which are staples to American culture, such as It's The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown and, this year, The Peanuts Movie hit theaters. Its characters are beloved, recognizable and icons in of...

  • Review Rodea the Sky Soldier (Wii U)

    Turbulence ahead

    Yuji Naka is a legend in the world of game design. He has worked on notable series such as Sonic the Hedgehog, NiGHTS into Dreams and Phantasy Online for nearly 30 years. His newest creation, Rodea the Sky Soldier, has been stuck in development limbo for over five years, but the time has finally come for it to see the light of day...

  • Review Just Dance 2016 (Wii U)

    Keeeeeeeeep dancing!

    Every year as the leaves begin to fall from the trees, as we start to moan about the weather even more than usual and as we start to hopelessly search the entire house for our gloves which we've lost for the fifth year running, you can be certain of one thing… Another entry to Ubisoft's Just Dance series will be fox-trotting...

  • Review Guitar Hero Live (Wii U)

    Put another dime in the jukebox, baby

    In 2005 Guitar Hero sparked a gaming revolution, filling our heads with wicked riffs and our closets with plastic instruments. The series grew from a single act into a full fledged ensemble in a matter of years, invoking various imitators and spin-offs. Eventually players' excitement for rockin' around the clock...

  • Review Adventure Time: Finn and Jake Investigations (Wii U)

    Ooo's clues

    Perhaps someone finally saw the potential in exploring a creatively quirky land to solve mysteries of fantastical and goofy natures. Perhaps they just looked at the title of the series and saw it had "Adventure" in it. Either way, Adventure Time: Finn & Jake Investigations seeks to marry the "point-and-clickish" style adventure genre...