Alex Olney

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Apr 27, 2022

Critic90/100

Agreement—

"NINE OUT OF TEN," Alex bellowed as he wrote. "A thoroughly enjoyable expansion of an already classic game treated with love, care, and most importantly a meta awareness that pays tribute to everything that made The Stanley Parable so beloved. It may leave a small few questioning more than they'd like, but we wouldn't want it any other way."Alex wondered if this small sound bite could be considered a complete review, but he was certain that if he needed to, he could find a way to pad things out.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Dec 1, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Big Brain Academy: Brain vs. Brain is a fun little romp which doesn't have ideas above its station and presents its brain-teasers in a more lighthearted, rowdier manner than Dr. Kawashima's friendly but sterile style. This isn't the kind of marriage between gameplay and (for lack of a better term) 'work' that you'll find in Ring Fit Adventure, but it's a greatly enjoyable and budget-friendly way to keep up the little pitter-patter of grey matter for all ages.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Oct 28, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Mario Party Superstars is a love letter to the parties you remember attending 20 years ago. A disappointingly slim selection of boards takes the shine off things somewhat, but it's hard to argue that this is the best Mario Party has been in over a decade. No new ideas absolutely feels like a missed opportunity, but by the same token we'd much prefer to have all these classic ideas intact rather than potentially tainting them with unwanted and unnecessary inclusions only added for the sake of being new. Grab a can of Tango and a fistful of 10p Freddos - you're going to party like it's 1999.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Oct 9, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl is a solid platform fighter with an awful lot of hidden depth, and also an unfortunate lack of polish outside the fighting. If hardcore gameplay is the number one concern you'll have a wealth to sink your teeth into here, but expect to be underwhelmed by various elements that surround it. There's a grand old time to be had, but it's no Super Smash Bros. (damn it yet again).

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Sep 23, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

All in all Colors Live is a useful art application with some strange limitations. The Sonar Pen and layers are absolutely welcome in our eyes, but the lack of a bucket tool, restricted brush styles, and many other staples left us a bit wanting. Having said that people have already been creating tremendous artwork showing that any medium is only as powerful as the artist's skillset. We'd have liked to see a more complete digital art package, but for someone who already owns a Switch and wants to try doodling on a screen with something more than their finger, Colors Live provides a simple and easy entry point.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Aug 21, 2021

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Slime Rancher: Plortable Edition is a title that doesn't do the game justice. This isn't a stripped-back Nokia N-Gage version of a grand game, this is the real deal, and it's blinkin' marvellous. Farming Slimes, exploring the world, getting frustrated at the price of Crystal Plorts never going up, it's a dense and wondrous experience. Having to travel so much on foot stops it from achieving extreme greatness, but it's not enough to stop us giving this a hearty recommendation.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Aug 9, 2021

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Haven Park is a lovely game that suffers a bit from strange movement choices and a partially underbaked camp construction system. These cons aren't dealbreakers by any stretch, but they do somewhat sour what could've been a truly stand-out example of a bite-sized, wholesome little game. We're still glad to recommend it, but don't expect the same level of polish as other bird-based island exploration jaunts you can find on Switch.Oh, and if you press 'A' with nothing to interact with in front of you, Flint says 'Pew'.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Mar 16, 2020

Critic100/100

Agreement100%

Animal Crossing: New Horizons takes Animal Crossing and not only drags it back onto home consoles, but improves upon every single facet imaginable.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Oct 28, 2019

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Luigi's Mansion 3 is not only a graphical powerhouse and showcase for Next Level Games' unrivalled mastery of video game animation, it's also an immense helping of spooky fun as well. The amount of care and consideration poured into every facet of the game is abundantly clear, and it all results in one of the most enjoyable and attractive Switch titles of the year. It's also the undisputed high point of a franchise which – following this sterling release – will hopefully get even more love and attention from Nintendo fandom, and the gaming community as a whole.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Sep 3, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Spyro Reignited Trilogy is a wonderful love letter to a classic series, keeping everything that made the original games what they were, but slapping on a fresh coat of paint for the HD era. There are a few creaking bones showing their age here and there, but only due to the developers' desire to keep things as accurate as possible. The Switch version looks absolutely stunning and runs surprisingly well, so if you're looking for a classic 3D platforming experience, you should definitely give this a look-in.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Aug 21, 2019

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Superhot offers a first-person shooter experience unlike any other, and although the main campaign is a little bit on the short side, once you've made it through you'll have dozens of new ways to replay it should you wish. We're not entirely sure why this particular phrase comes to mind, but Superhot is the most innovative shooter we've played in years.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Jun 26, 2019

Critic100/100

Agreement—

Put in as simple a manner as possible, this is likely to be the last 2D Mario game you’ll need. It’s Super Mario Maker but with more of everything that made the original so phenomenal.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Dec 6, 2018

Critic100/100

Agreement—

We’re not sure how you could make a more robust or pleasing Smash game. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate truly is the ultimate instalment in the series, and it makes you wonder where Sakurai can possibly take this franchise next.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Oct 30, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

In short, Diablo III: Eternal Collection is a lovely port of a classic RPG loot-a-thon that keeps its feet firmly in the past. The execution is wonderful, but its gameplay is not something that will appeal to everyone due to the high level of repetition. Its visuals are clear and functional if not especially interesting, but performance is top notch to make up for it. If you're looking for a loot-driven grind-a-thon with more explosions of viscera than you can comfortably discuss with your mother, this is the game for you.

Nintendo Life

Alex Olney·Oct 3, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Recent Mario Party games have previously had a somewhat sterile feel to them, but with Super Mario Party that simply isn't the case. This isn't a cash-grab with Mario's face on the front; this is a well-constructed and beautifully realised Mario Party game which takes the series right back to its roots, but without being a straightforward rehash. There are a few interesting ideas that feel a little bit underdeveloped, but on the whole Super Mario Party is a true return to form.