Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Mar 6, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

As an opening salvo from Nintendo in publishing a 'Nindie' itself on the eShop, this stacks up well and achieves its goals - for those looking to share Switch with friends and family members of all gaming stripes, Snipperclips is an excellent option.

Nintendo Life

Liam Croft·Mar 5, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

As an ode to the RPGs of the past, I Am Setsuna succeeds in recreating the sort of adventure you experienced on older Nintendo hardware. Its combat system is the main supplier of this nostalgia, with the deep active time battle system, the number of weapons and moves you can perform, and the time management aspect.But those not looking to take a trip down memory lane may be left wanting more, though in pure gameplay hours this offers a reasonable return on investment. The no-thrills plotline and gameplay outside of combat could have been fleshed out, leaving this one short of its full potential. I Am Setsuna could be the perfect complement to your Nintendo Switch, but if you're not foaming at the mouth with nostalgia it's certainly an optional purchase.

Nintendo Life

Steve Bowling·Mar 4, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Specter of Torment is the latest in a fantastic series of games; it further cements Yacht Club Games's reputation as a developer capable of crafting experiences that are not only on par with, but often surpass the efforts of some of the largest studios in the world.The game's excellent level design, charming art style and top-notch soundtrack hold up as well in 2017 as they did three years ago in the original Shovel Knight. If you haven't played a Shovel Knight game before, we would highly recommend you pick up Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove for your Switch instead of this, as it contains Specter of Torment as well, but if you'd rather save some cash you can't go wrong with Specter of Torment.

Nintendo Life

Steve Bowling·Mar 3, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Super Bomberman R is a no-frills entry in a series which has been dormant for far too long. It's hard to believe, but it has been nearly 10 years since we had a proper Bomberman title on a Nintendo console, and the Switch's unique focus on local multiplayer makes this a perfect fit - we can finally put the Sega Saturn version with its cable-tangling multitap accessory in the cupboard. Support for Switch Pro Controller as well as single and dual Joy-Con play - along with local network and online multiplayer - make this the go-to multiplayer launch title for old-school gamers who those who have never played a Bomberman title before and want to see what all the fuss is about. If you're looking to share the joy with your friends at launch, Super Bomberman R is your best bet, but for those flying solo, it might be a less fulfilling experience.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Mar 2, 2017

Critic100/100

Agreement—

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a landmark release for its franchise and Nintendo. It's the first time that Nintendo has truly taken on the open-world genre in a current-generation sense; in arriving late to the party, though, it embraces some strengths from top-of-the-class games while also forging its own identity. This game is a revolution for the franchise, but the Legend of Zelda essence is still there - its soul remains.The end result, then, is a captivating experience. This will be in the running as the best game in the IP's history, and it will likely be discussed as a leading contender in the broader open-world genre. Nintendo has bravely taken one of its biggest franchises in a new direction, and it's delivered a triumph.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Mar 2, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

1-2-Switch does a great job of showing off the unique feature set of the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers, but it's seriously lacking in long-term appeal. When played with a group of friends or family members it's a proper hoot, and has the same social gaming appeal that made Wii Sports a living room tradition for so many households all over the world, but there's no escaping the fact that many of these mini-games lack longevity; some are so basic that they fail to maintain your interest past the first go, no matter how inebriated you and your pals happen to be.For a retail game, 1-2-Switch feels a little anemic, and would have been much better suited as a pack-in title. Nintendo has countered this stance by claiming that it couldn't bundle the game due to cost, but including a download code with each Switch sold wouldn't have incurred any real physical expense – beyond lost retail sales, of course - and that would have been a sensible trade-off when you consider how solid an advert this game is for the system. How many people were sold on the Wii's merits simply by witnessing Wii Sports at a friend's house? By refusing to bundle 1-2-Switch with the base system, Nintendo has missed out on the kind of exposure that marketing simply cannot buy you; as a stand-alone release it feels too fleeting and ephemeral, but as a free pack-in it would arguably have been much more appealing.

Nintendo Life

Ben Stegner·Feb 10, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Punch Club has a fantastic soundtrack, great 16-bit art, and a good amount of content going for it. We can't help but state, however, that this game quickly evolves into a grind, and thus we only recommend it to committed fans of this genre. You'll spend a good amount of time tediously raising your fighting stats and tending to individual meters instead of feeling like you're making choices for your player's life. This isn't too bad in short bursts, but it makes the game feel more like a chore than fun at times, and the lack of Easy mode means stat gains are never permanent. The fights themselves are also rather dull and slow, especially early on.There's something glimmering in Punch Club, and it's a shame that it's not more fun for general audiences. Hardcore management fans should have a great time here, but we'd caution casual players to stay away unless they enjoy the tedium of everyday life.

Nintendo Life

David Dudeney·Feb 10, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

While Plantera doesn't boast an impressive physics engine or an exhilarating, fast-paced experience, it has a certain charm that makes it worth playing, even if only for a few minutes each evening. However, it doesn't offer much else that similar games will, and if you only intend on playing it on one platform it is a fairly high price for a title that is free on mobile devices, albeit with ads and microtransactions, and costs more than twice its PC counterpart. To sum up, if you are into relaxing farming games and want a peaceful experience, you should look into buying Plantera, but for some it may a little too simplistic and shallow to hold attention.

Nintendo Life

Conor McMahon·Feb 8, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

What's frustrating about Toby: The Secret Mine is that it feels like it's actually trying to offer more than the sum of its parts, but just doesn't quite pull it off. It feels too bogged down in its inspirations to present any exciting ideas of its own, and while it's visually stunning at times, even this apes off superior titles that came before. Some challenging platforming and decent puzzles make it one to consider if you're looking to give your Wii U one last Nindie hurrah, but otherwise we'd recommend waiting on a digital sale before diving into this dark adventure.

Nintendo Life

Steve Bowling·Jan 23, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

While the famous Windows screensaver had a certain mesmerizing quality to it, Maze Maker does not. The environments are bland, the mazes themselves feel repetitive and the online features, while well thought out, don't seem like they'll ever generate the kind of community they need to make them worthwhile.It's a game of good intentions and deserves credit for implementing level creation and online features, but it gets lost when seeking entertainment value.

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·Jan 18, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Spheroids is definitely rough around the edges and has a distinct lack of polish when compared to more well-known franchises within this genre. In saying this, the title still manages to provide a competent adventure platform experience that is sure to entertain players for at least a few hours. It is tough to suggest this over the range of quality platformers on Wii U, but if you're in the mood to eliminate some aliens this is nevertheless one to consider.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Jan 9, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

All told, Teslapunk is a very middling game. It has tight enough controls and fun shmup gameplay that has the potential to entertain for hours, but there's a lingering sense that this is a game too content to ride on the coattails of its superior predecessors, and it does so at the cost of forging its own identity. What we're left with is a game that's perfectly functional, but forgettable in nearly every way. If you really like shmup games and want to own a new one for the Wii U in particular, this may be worth a punt, but we'd otherwise recommend you take a pass.

Nintendo Life

Lee Meyer·Dec 26, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Swap Fire is not a bad game. Its charming presentation and central hook is fun, and it's always nice to see a local multiplayer game in this generation. But its control issues and lack of multiplayer options seriously inhibit Swap Fire's lasting appeal. With more polish and tuning, Swap Fire could have been great. There's potential here; it's just not all realized.

Nintendo Life

Ben Stegner·Dec 12, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Despite being advertised as a cinematic platformer, Exile's End is really a Metroidvania-style outing. It contains great graphics and sound, and does a fine job of allowing the player to explore and become more powerful without holding their hand. However, the game suffers from a tedious opening sequence, occasional camera and combat control stumbles, and a lackluster map.Those who absolutely love to explore every bit of a game's world without any direction at all will love Exile's End. However, a few places don't give the player enough guidance, which leads to brute-forcing every possible path until you uncover the solution. This is a solid action exploration game, but needs a few improvements to be a smash hit for everyone.

Nintendo Life

Conor McMahon·Nov 10, 2016

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Blasting Agent: Ultimate Edition is like a little trip back in time to when graphics were blocky, gameplay was simple and story was almost non-existent in video games. It's got the look of a retro game, the feel of a retro game, and due to its repetitious nature, some of the shortcomings of the era as well. Without any particularly interesting mechanics or set-pieces to mix things up mid-game, it has to rely on its admittedly solid foundation of run & gun gameplay, which wasn't quite enough to consistently hold our attention throughout. That being said, what's there is still an enjoyable romp in its own right, and well worth checking out for fans of the genre.