Tom Massey

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Oct 16, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Fans of Hot Wheels will feel well served from a nostalgia point of view, and inspired by its huge number of new modes. Unleashed 2: Turbocharged combines furious arcade race challenges with childlike creativity, being able to build tracks any which way, and race them to breaking point. You can feel the Switch's lack of muscle, with a markedly smudgier feel than the grip offered by more powerful consoles, but as a racing experience bursting with customisation, modes, and creativity to mine, it's both an excellent successor to the 16-Bit Micro Machines legacy and sits firmly in pole position over its predecessor.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Sep 28, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Existing fans will feel so well served by this release that there needn't be any hesitation in picking it up. Those dipping their toes for the first time should know that it operates in a way that has aged differently to other classic first-person shooters. Whereas Doom's combat and fluidity remain free and immediate, its axis of movement more realistic and its stage layouts more controlled, Rise of the Triad functions around its own, unique design parameters, where violence and abstraction reign supreme. Learn its maps, the versatility of its weaponry, and how to make best use of its playground elements, and there's a game here with the capacity to enthrall.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Sep 17, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Raindrop Sprinters is as pure an arcade experience as one could wish for, its base simplicity underpinned by a deep scoring game that can be approached in a variety of ways, ultimately presenting a bottomless reflex-based affair that will wash out the impatient and reward the dedicated in a shower of euphoria. It’s not a game for everyone and will hold little appeal or longevity for the vast majority, but it does what it does well, and its construction is a little bit clever. When you reach that moment of dodging zen, where you’re weaving those drops against impossible odds, you run a real risk of just-one-more-go addiction.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Sep 7, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Thunder Ray isn't perfect, but it is very good. The feel of the blows and the creativity of your opponents are very nicely executed. It's missing the minute precision of Punch-Out!!, but it's close enough, and while you can occasionally win matches at higher difficulties with a certain amount of luck, you'll get the most from the experience by mastering each opponent and earning a true sense of boxing accomplishment. Being able to toggle between difficulties and going back to previous opponents is great, and the entire thing feels polished and flashy. It could have been more elaborate, featuring more modes, and bonuses, but, as it stands, it's a brief but solid tribute for fans of Punch-Out!! to enjoy knocking into next week.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Sep 5, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

The Making of Karateka is not for everyone, and most of its appeal will lie with older gaming generations. If you're a student of historical gaming flash points, however, it's a package that delivers the goods, and in fine form. It doesn't have anywhere near as much unique gaming content as Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration, a fact that will limit its appeal. Despite this, the two remasters are solid, the prototypes intriguing, and the content comprehensive. If you were a fan of Atari 50, The Making of Karateka will find you well.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Aug 31, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Dino Rex and Solitary Fighter aren't exactly high points, and considering they're two of three exclusives, much of the appeal of this collection depends on how many titles you may already own, and how much you want Darius II. That said, for those who are yet to dabble in Hamster's series, it's a superb slice of Taito arcade gaming that outdoes its predecessor in terms of quality and appeal, and comes through with solid emulation. There are hundreds of hours of fun to be had here with some of Taito's most deservedly celebrated works.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Aug 21, 2023

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Alas, even with WayForward’s skilled programming and graphical artistry, Xtreme Sports remains limited. The island overworld works well, adding a charming dash of RPG-lite, and the increased challenge will keep you at the events for some time. There are purportedly more than 400 competitors to defeat, but while fun and neatly executed, the repetitive nature and limited number of sporting events means that mileage will vary in how long it holds your attention.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Jul 27, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Double Dragon Gaiden is beholden to some unique ideas, and they're fairly well-applied. You can experiment with mix-ups and tag team advantages, and multiplayer makes things altogether more enjoyable, although it's restricted to local co-op. But, being associated with Double Dragon is arguably to its detriment. It's a game that has secrets to uncover, twists to happen upon, and plenty of cash grinding and unlocking to do. While initially fun to work through, how many times you'll feel encouraged to replay the campaign is questionable, especially with its overall pacing and neutered thrill of brutally knee-slamming someone in the face. Still, it's certainly worthy of attention for beat 'em up fans looking for old things in new forms.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Jul 6, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Switch-bendingly tough though it is, Gimmick is a salient example of what made the 8-bit era so wonderful: a razor-sharp, thoughtfully illustrated action adventure full of creativity and imagination. Just be warned that when people talk about 'old-school difficulty', Gimmick is a cut above what they usually have in mind, and to that end may prove frustrating for those unable to steel themselves to the challenge.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Jun 30, 2023

Critic80/100

Agreement—

This is the best of it in regards to home ports of the Ray series, spit-polished by M2's dedicated commitment to quality. It offers very accurate arcade ports of three superb, nuanced shoot 'em ups, famous for their fantastic soundtracks, engrossing gameplay mechanics, and visual showboating. Lag is minimal enough to have no impact, and the HD upscaling is wonderful. With no training modes, historical bonuses or rearrangements, however, it falls shy of being the ultimate package. But only just.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·Jun 5, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Even without Takahashi Meijin's association, Star Gagnant would still be a Terarin work that genre fans can rely on. Its simplicity is what makes it so engaging: a clean, enjoyable shooting game with a deep scoring system to mine like crazy, and tons of modes in which to do so. And this, really, is where its creativity is strongest, drawing on games from the late '80s and '90s to build a new, Meijin-flavoured tapper that reworks those elements into something fresh. It's primarily pitched at existing Terarin fans and PC Engine shooting-game aficionados, and ably achieves its goals.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·May 29, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

There’s something weirdly wonderful about Pulling No Punches, though. Its four chapters comprise just over an hour end-to-end, but there’s so much to see that one can’t help but be absorbed by it. Whether the awesome character designs, the blazing f-bombs, the untranslated onomatopoeia of its fisticuffs, or the divisive theme itself, Pulling No Punches is not only a competent scrolling beat 'em up, but has a power of intrigue like few others. Frankly, we’re not sure Nintendo’s board of approval paid much attention to it, and in a world littered with a host of sanitised indie retro-themed games, its daring, politicised demeanour is a breath of fresh air.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·May 23, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Nightmare Reaper does, however, achieve most of what it sets out to do, pushing boundaries in terms of weaponry, spectacular abilities, and more trinkets than a fully loaded cargo ship. It’s at its best when it devolves into a spectacular bloodbath at the whims of your creative weapon and ability choices. And, while imperfections exist, its violent, adrenaline-fuelled highs will make it very appealing to fans of the old-school FPS.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·May 19, 2023

Critic50/100

Agreement—

On the whole though, while some fun can be had if you really dig in and attempt to learn Shockman with total conviction, it remains the lesser of its series, has aged fairly poorly, and will really only appeal to diehard retro enthusiasts who want to own a piece of gaming history on a modern format.

Nintendo Life

Tom Massey·May 1, 2023

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Despite the bullet-soaking and clunky vehicle sections, we like Wild Dogs. It’s a Contra tribute in an unexpected but genuinely eye-pleasing style that mostly hits all the right notes and will satisfy any die-hard fan of Konami’s series or retro gaming generally.