Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Nov 9, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Forgotton Anne is an evocative, artistic triumph that nails that feeling of a ‘living anime'. Sure, the puzzles are hardly mind-blowing, and some later sections may test your patience, but the beauty of the art and the gentle humour of the writing should carry you through these irritations. Animation buffs should dive in without reservation, and we'd recommend anyone with even the slightest interest check this out.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Nov 6, 2018

Critic30/100

Agreement—

There are far worse games out there than Nickelodeon Kart Racers, but there are far better ones as well. Given the tremendous opportunity represented by this IP, it's hard not to be disappointed by the state of Nickelodeon Kart Racers; with more attention to quality and another year of development, this could've possibly been a compelling alternative to Mario Kart. Unfortunately, Nickelodeon Kart Racers is simply not good; derivative mechanics, a pathetic character roster and awful performance make this a bargain bin experience that you'll be glad you missed. If you absolutely have to play a racing game with Nickelodeon characters, then by all means, go ahead, but we'd highly recommend you take a pass on this sorry effort.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Nov 6, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

While it's great to see Ubisoft finally giving Nintendo Switch a platform exclusive, it's frustrating that it has to come in the form of a competent yet throwaway party game.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Nov 6, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

This is how retro compilations should be done. Although the emulation has a few little hiccups along the way and single Joy-Con multiplayer is sadly missing, the overall package here is wonderfully presented. Rather than just slapping a rudimentary menu over a bunch of old ROMs, it's clear there's been a lot of effort made here to catalogue an often forgotten period in one of Japan's most important game developers. As with all compilations there are a few misses, but the quality is generally high, and the supporting museum mode is an absolute treasure trove for retro enthusiasts.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Nov 5, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Taiko no Tatsujin: Drum ‘n' Fun! gives Europeans a long-awaited taste of Japanese drum-fun. You'll want to consider forking out for the taiko peripheral to see the game at its best, but Switch's touchscreen makes this an easier recommendation than it would otherwise be. The motion controls should be avoided with extreme prejudice – they're simply unworkable – and a few odd design decisions, not to mention an excess of loading screens, take the shine off what is a beautifully bold and bouncy game. Fortunately, the Party Game section helps shore things up, offering short bursts of multiplayer fun as a credible stopgap until Rhythm Paradise arrives.

Nintendo Life

Steven Petite·Nov 5, 2018

Critic50/100

Agreement—

It's a crying shame - not to mention an almost unbelievable situation - that Mutant Football League: Dynasty Edition is currently the only American football game on Switch; Nintendo fans certainly deserve much, much better. Due to the annoying 'dirty tricks' system and unpredictable field changes, the experience leads to many cheap situations which, while mixing things up, don't make the game fun to play. It has the over-the-top aggression of its spiritual forerunner - 1993's Mutant League Football - and a sizable amount of content, but it's simply not an enjoyable experience after a few games, even when a second person is involved. As a result, you'll quickly give up and wish you had a proper gridiron experience to play on your Switch. If you loved the Mega Drive original and crave an American Football game more than anything else in the world then you may extract some pleasure from this release, but everyone else should avoid like an incoming linebacker.

Nintendo Life

Jon Cousins·Nov 2, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Gal Metal is wild, weird and cool. If you can embrace the vivid and wacky art style of the comic panel segments and strive for percussive nirvana, there is a refreshing, deceptively deep and gratifying experience here. What stops it from being truly great are the minor inconsistencies of the motion controls, the completely bonkers alien invasion plot and the slow, text-heavy teen melodrama stories. Even so, the game mostly succeeds by subverting many stale genre tropes. It will take time to master your set list and the absence of more contemporary music is initially jarring, but this is a title that is rewarding as well as just really fun. For those who are about to rock, we salute you.

Nintendo Life

Eric Bailey·Nov 1, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

If you want to play a top-down Legend of Zelda game as a rogue-lite while also taking shifts as a shopkeeper then, hey, Moonlighter is about to scratch a distinctive itch for you. It hits a sweet spot somewhere between satisfying swordplay and nitty-gritty economic sim, although some players may feel it gets 'grindy' after a while in its mechanics. Nonetheless, Digital Sun Games has produced a lush work it can be proud of; one that even touches on our humanity in an optimistic way.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Oct 31, 2018

Critic60/100

Agreement—

While My Hero One's Justice certainly looks the part - with all the crash, bang and wallop you'd expect from a game based on such an outlandish anime - it proves to be more style over substance. If the likes of Blade Strangers and SNK Heroines: Tag Team Frenzy have got you in the mood for easy-to-pick-up fighters, this title will easily fit that mould, but for everyone else, it's a disappointing use of a franchise brimming with quirky (no pun intended) potential.

Nintendo Life

Gavin Lane·Oct 31, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

We thoroughly enjoyed our illustrious career in data manipulation – if you've got the head for it (or if you've ever enjoyed an episode of Silicon Valley), 7 Billion Humans is as perfect an introduction to programming as you could hope for. It gives the layman an appreciation of clean, efficient code, and the writing will keep more savvy players entertained for the duration. It offers more puzzling variety than its predecessor, but if your brain simply isn't wired that way, you won't like it any better. If that's the case, we'd recommend sitting this one out and crossing your fingers that Tomorrow Corporation have something less esoteric in the pipeline.

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

Steve Bowling·Oct 30, 2018

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Save Me Mr. Tako is a lovingly crafted throwback to the days of the Game Boy. While we found some rough spots with the lack of side quest tracking and ropey collision detection, they weren't enough to take away from our overall enjoyment of the game. Tako is a lovable character in a quality platformer that would have been right at home on the system it pays homage to. If you love the Game Boy - flaws and all - then you'll absolutely adore this game.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Oct 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

While LEGO Harry Potter Collection is one of the oldest instalments in the overall series still in current-gen circulation, it's aged remarkably well. Despite lacking some of the subtle changes the franchise has benefited from in the years since, the use of Hogwarts as a vast and secret-filled hub, a huge collection of characters to collect from across all eight films and a clever use of the Harry Potter licence makes for a remaster that only enhances Nintendo Switch's growing LEGO library. If you've played nothing but the recent LEGO games then it may, at times, feel a little old and basic, but this fantastic beast hasn't entirely lost its magic yet.

Nintendo Life

Ryan Craddock·Oct 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Just Dance 2019 is a sleek entry to the franchise that does exactly what it says on the tin – and not much more.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Oct 29, 2018

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Black Bird is a unique little shooter that only gets better as you play it more and uncover its secrets. Its vintage-style art direction is charmingly melancholy, and its strange soundtrack only adds an extra layer of quirkiness to proceedings. It's very much a score challenge game, though, meaning players expecting a wealth of things to see and do may be left feeling underwhelmed by its meagre four stages - especially when you consider the rather high price tag. This is very much a case of quality over quantity, and as long as you're up for repeat playthroughs, you're in for a wonderfully bizarre treat.