Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·Sep 15, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

At first glance you'd be forgiven for thinking Puzzle Adventure Blockle was a cheap and nasty mobile port. This is not the case. While simplistic in terms of its design, the game's art, audio, and overall execution is hard to fault. The weakest aspect of this title is ironically the story. The excessive script that sets it apart from many other puzzle games is what prevents it from being a more tolerable, accessible and generally more enjoyable title at the same time. The positive to take from this is that the puzzle segments are at least fun to play for both short and prolonged periods, and cater to all skill levels as each one can be merely passed or completely perfected. Anyone looking for a good puzzle game, that continues to add extra layers to its core mechanics as progress is made, may want to take a look at Puzzle Adventure Blockle.

Nintendo Life

Jon Cousins·Sep 14, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

A deceptively simple idea that can become laboured and bewildering as well as oddly compelling, Kingdom: New Lands is certainly a curious take on the strategy genre. Its ambiguous, incredibly minimalistic nature will initially intrigue and could easily frustrate in equal measure. Fans of roguelikes or tower defence-style games may prefer more complexity, as the simple mechanics give you control over choices rather than actions and rely on astute observation and perseverance, rather than on skill or improvisation. There is a balance to learn and a set of rules to be discovered, but even with the admittedly gorgeous aesthetic - and progressing beyond the initial stages to where the dilemma of ambition over security ramps up - it may still not be enough of a pay off to reward your time. Definitely one to consider, albeit carefully.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Sep 13, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

There's certainly nothing wrong with celebrating the past and polishing up classic game concepts for modern consumption, but Double Dragon 4 is a prime example of how not to do a revival - which is ironic when you consider that the WayForward-made Double Dragon Neon did a much better job back in 2012. The use of NES-style graphics isn't a negative in itself, but too little has been done to refine and improve gameplay which, even back in the late '80s, was showing its age against a new breed of slicker and more enjoyable examples of the genre. The co-op focus of the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers does at least mean it's easy to rope in another player for a trip down memory lane, but this is nonetheless a crushing disappointment given the incredible potential of the franchise, and should only be purchased by diehard Billy and Jimmy fans.

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Sep 11, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

It looks basic but Blue's Journey can still entertain with some fun moments and precision platforming. Other times developer Alpha Denshi favours an increase in enemy numbers rather than cunning level design to provide the challenge, and it's at these points that the game can get really repetitive. There remains enough charm to prevent boredom setting in, but there's not much content to keep players coming back. The standard ACA Hi-Score and Caravan modes add replayability, but Blue's Journey is one players will be unlikely to take often.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Sep 11, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

There are lots of great ideas here, and every now and then you can see glimpses of what kind of potential those ideas have, but this is a gaming equivalent of what happens when you pull a tray of cookies out of the oven too early, leaving you underdone treats.

Nintendo Life

Chris Scullion·Sep 7, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Despite its 'Definitive Edition' moniker, the vast majority of what you get in the Switch version of Rayman Legends has been seen in every other edition. The only truly new features here are a complete character roster for the first time and a tournament mode for its football mini-game. That's not to say it's a bad game; that couldn't be further from the truth. It's still one of the best plumber-free platformers ever made, and its budget price means if you haven't played it before this is the perfect time to jump in. Just be warned: if you already got your fill on Wii U or any other system, there isn't really much here you won't have already seen.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Sep 4, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Piczle Lines DX is relatively pricey (at launch) for a download puzzle game, but it offers 300+ sizeable and quality picture conundrums to solve; it'll take most players a long time to solve every image. It's a fun mechanic that feels like a clever combination of other puzzle styles, and the option to detach the Joy-Con and use the touchscreen alone also makes it an appealing game for a bit of quiet downtime slouched in a comfortable chair. Its smartphone legacy lets it down a little in presentation, and beyond solving lots of puzzles it's lacking any smart variations in modes or even multiplayer. Nevertheless, in terms of serving up plenty of challenging content it does the job rather well.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Aug 31, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

All told, we'd give Azure Striker Gunvolt: Striker Pack a strong recommendation to anyone who hasn't yet played these games. Although the two games can be picked up individually on the 3DS for a lower price, this still presents a good opportunity to try them both in a format that can be played on both a big screen or a portable. The two games stand high on their own merits and — when you consider additions like HD Rumble and DLC — they certainly justify the cost, but the porting job is a little sloppy; fans who have already played these out on the 3DS might want to think it over first before buying. If you haven't played them yet, then this is nevertheless the best way to go.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Aug 28, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle is a must have for Switch-owning fans of turn-based tactical games. More importantly, such is the style and depth on offer that it's also ideal for those that haven't played much of the genre, for whom 'X-COM' sounds like a silly acronym from a war movie. It introduces the concept in the best possible way, and then utilises its own ideas for what becomes a smart and - at times - deliciously challenging experience.It's perfectly acceptable to be surprised by Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle, as many have been since its E3 reveal. The end result delivers on all of the potential that we could suddenly see back in June; even if you don't actually like the Rabbids, this game - and its familiar Mario cast and setting - is so good that Ubisoft's mascots are likeable. Well, almost.

Nintendo Life

Matthew Mason·Aug 20, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

For every intriguing idea that Troll and I presents, there are a couple of design choices or technical issues that will aggravate players. It's ugly, clunky and bereft of certain amenities that players take for granted in this day and age. With so many games out to garner people's attention, Troll and I isn't as user friendly or quickly appealing as it needs to be in a flooded space. If you are someone who can look past technical hurdles there may be something worth divining here, but as a whole Troll and I is difficult to recommend.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Aug 16, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Sonic Mania is a true return to form for the mascot, in his 2D 'Classic' guise at least. It celebrates the glory days of the original games while also enhancing their qualities and taking on new ideas. From new areas, imaginative second acts and some delightful boss encounters, the development team has poured a lot of passion and talent into the project. The occasional bug and a couple of brief and cheap areas deprive it of Sonic-style perfection, but it's pretty darn close.Is it the best Sonic game ever? It's in the conversation, though the classics it's honouring may stake a claim for slightly greater 'flow' in the campaigns. Frankly, it's better just to call it a dead heat and skip the argument - Sonic Mania belongs in the company of the games to which it pays tribute - the Blue Blur is back.

Nintendo Life

Thomas Whitehead·Aug 10, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Infinite Minigolf is another solid arrival on the Switch eShop, and most importantly adds to the steadily growing variety of genres and themes on the store. It does a very nice job of delivering over-the-top, entertaining minigolf, with plenty of official and user-created content to keep players busy. The downsides are slightly baffling systems and a crowded user interface, and the fact that some less experienced gamers may find the required precision for shots a little too demanding. Overall, however, this one is definitely under par - in a good way.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Aug 9, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

All told, Ironcast is one of the most in-depth and engaging match three puzzlers that we've seen. The game's pitch is a bit of a tough sell — it's clearly trying to juggle a lot of different genre elements — but Ironcast somehow manages to pull it all off in a way that is uniquely innovative and frustratingly addicting. The various elements being fused here make for a game that is endlessly replayable, but not at the cost of becoming repetitive or boring. We would strongly recommend that you pick up Ironcast if you're looking for a game that can be a good time sink, but can also be comfortably played in short bursts. Do yourself a favour and try this one out.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Aug 2, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

All in all, Overcooked is an absolute must-buy for anybody looking for a fantastic party game to play with friends. The wacky visuals and chaotic gameplay make it an ideal game for local co-op, and there's plenty of content to work through. Although there are some disappointing launch issues with the framerate (reflected in our scoring), we still give this one a strong recommendation overall; it's a title that perfectly nails what makes local multiplayer games so fun.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Jul 28, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Namco Museum does a great job of highlighting the illustrious lineage of one of video gaming's most famous arcade companies; not only is it packed with addictive games that will keep you glued to your Switch for many weeks to come, but it boasts excellent emulation, a host of options, online leaderboards, a special challenge mode for each game and a new version of Pac-Man VS. which is sure to become the go-to party title for many Switch players. While there are a couple of titles that we'd have swapped out for other, more worthy offerings from Namco's past, you're still getting an excellent selection of games for a reasonable price here. Fingers crossed Bandai Namco will pillage the vaults for a second collection in the very near future.