Digimon Survive is one of the best visual novels to come out so far this year, with plenty of heart and tension to carry you through to the final act. Fans looking for an engaging story with well-written and presented characters that deal with life-and-death situations will enjoy the ride, while players focused on the combat will probably find that the game comes up short. Despite its sluggish, padded start, Digimon Survive is well worth the long wait.
Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is the strangest thing you'll play from Nintendo, bringing with it laughs and creativity in abundance. But even with improvements over the 3DS game, it follows a familiar structure that isn't always enthralling or hilarious.Tomodachi fans will certainly be living the dream with this new entry, but I'm not desperate to keep coming back to my island. A little more variety would've been welcome, but the customisation, and the thought of my cat being best friends with DMC's Dante, will have me peep in every so often for a little pick-me-up.
Blast 'Em Bunnies is not worth your money or your time. The cute exterior can't hide the gameplay problems and ridiculous pricing structure, and the DLC is not worth it. While it's always nice to see a new IP, Nnooo is going to have to go back to the drawing board if it wants this property to succeed in the future. Unfortunately, Blast 'Em Bunnies just doesn't earn a recommendation.
Even if the old movie jokes and spoof characters aren't to your taste, REPLAY: VHS is Not Dead nevertheless offers a clever, enjoyable puzzle experience. It can be a mind-bending challenge to set three characters on carefully timed movements to clear stages full of contraptions, and figuring out those machinations requires patience and practice. For those up to the challenge this offers great value and interesting playtime; this is one to enjoy rather than overwrite.
All told, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is a worthy sequel to its popular predecessor; it's everything fans loved about the original and more. That being said, describing this game as easy could not be any more inaccurate. If you struggled with the original game, or aren't very good at platformers to begin with, you will probably find very little to enjoy in this game. We give Mutant Mudds Super Challenge a very strong recommendation – it's an incredibly well designed and challenging game that stands as one of the best things to come out of Renegade Kid – but it is certainly not for everybody. This is for super players only.
In conclusion, Inside My Radio is a fairly novel, robust rhythmic platformer that's fun for a few hours; you'll soon be moving on to other things. Worth picking up for a Sunday afternoon blast if you fancy something a tiny bit different.
Steel Rivals is a game that tries to fill the gap of fighting games in the Wii U library, but ultimately does very little to do so in a meaningful way. The bland characters, shoddy presentation, and awful gameplay make this one of the worst fighting games we've seen; it's barely playable, but the few positive things that can be said about it are drowned out by the crushing mediocrity of the package as a whole. We would absolutely recommend that you do not buy this game; especially considering the price, just go pick up a Street Fighter game off of the Virtual Console for your fighting game fix.
Star Ghost is an assured eShop debut for Squarehead Studios, and shows that quality breeds quality; the combination of a former Rare and Retro staffer with one of the most iconic video game musicians of all time has resulted in a game which initially seems quite simplistic, but has a surprising level of depth, replayability and charm. While it's true that the core gameplay doesn't possess all that much variety, the stern challenge calls for a level of concentration that is rarely asked for with modern games; merely surviving is tricky enough, but when you add in the allure of improving your score, it's easy to become hopelessly engrossed. Having said that, if the notion of tirelessly striving to improve your own personal best doesn't appeal then you might find your interest in Star Ghost is fleeting - especially as bragging rights are hard to enforce with this title, as an online leaderboard isn't included at launch.Still, this is a minor point in the grand scheme of things, and fans of old-school shooters will lap up the nostalgia - both from the gameplay and the presentation - while those players who weren't around during the 'golden era' should surely appreciate the unique control mechanics which reward perseverance and skill.
Joe's Diner is a bad game with a good premise. What could have been a spooky supernatural thriller is instead a time management game trying to be something more. Bland graphics mixed with poor performance and failed attempts to induce fear make Joe's Diner a game that isn't worth playing. Save your hard-earned cash for a truly spooky Wii U game folks, because this one isn't it.
Mega Man Legacy Collection is a great package with a lot of content and stuff to do - for newcomers it's worth acknowledging that each game is very challenging, and could be too much for someone who isn't used to the steep learningcurve. With that in mind the wealth of extras, the challenge mode and the sheer scope of six games nevertheless make Mega Man Legacy Collection a great option for anyone who's looking for an old-school treat.
LEGO Marvel's Avengers is a mixed experience on Wii U. In solo play there's plenty of content and typical LEGO-style fun to be had, with the extended Avengers cast well used for a variety of gameplay styles, combat moves and environmental puzzles. The Wii U version suffers from poor performance in co-op, however, with some dips and rough edges also to be found in solo play; these factors take some of the shine away. Fans of LEGO games and the Avengers movies will find plenty to like, but technical shortcomings mean it falls short of its full potential.
Despite some clunky controls and some glitches, Level 22 is an fun stealth game that adds some quirkiness to a genre that can feel stale at times. It's just the right length to avoid overstaying its welcome, and humorous aspects help the player see past what - at the end of the day - is a fairly elementary, albeit relatable, story.
All told, Minecraft: Story Mode is a wild ride from start to finish, telling a riveting tale filled with plot twists and interesting characters. That being said, not everyone will be impressed with the fact that it's essentially an interactive movie. If you're the type of gamer who skips cutscenes and prefers satisfying gameplay, steer clear and look elsewhere for your gaming fix. If you're the type of gamer who appreciates listening to a good story (and don't mind stumping up the cash to hear the whole thing), then we would highly recommend this. Minecraft: Story Mode does an excellent job of breathing life into the somewhat anonymous world of Minecraft; this is one tale you'll want to hear.
Kung Fu Panda: SLL has many strong qualities, including a great amount of loyalty to the franchise and real thought for how the characters would fight and move, but suffers from an overall lack of gameplay content. The fact that it draws so heavily from the Super Smash Bros. series is both a blessing and a curse. It would be easy to think of this as a negative; if you want to play a fighting game of this type then there is no reason to choose this over Super Smash Bros. itself. But Kung Fu Panda: SLL isn't trying to compete with a genre defining game – it's bringing that style of play to a brand new audience. Fans of the film franchise that want this game purely because it has their favourite panda in it will be treated to an experience way beyond what is usually expected for a movie tie-in, and one that can provide a fun time.
There is a never-ending supply of drudgery to keep you flying in straight lines forever; in fact, there's very little to recommend here - as a simulator it fails by not being sim-enough in both physics execution and pilot involvement, but equally it's not arcade-y or fun either. With very little to actually do and way too much repetition we'd advise you to look elsewhere. To end on a positive note, the loading screen is quite nice.
The Perplexing Orb is an interesting concept, but it doesn't feel like a finished product. While what's there can bring brief moments of enjoyment, a typical playthrough should only last an hour at best, and there is no real incentive to return after that point. A short story mode, borderline useless multiplayer and a challenge mode that's far too easy make this one hard to recommend. If you truly miss this type of game it may be for you, but the vast majority of players will be better served saving their hard-earned cash.
Just Dance: Disney Party 2is a party, with stipulations. If you're interested in getting an honest workout, this game is for you. If you're keen on challenging yourself to some tough choreography that'll take some memorization, it's also a game for you. If you want to have a dance party with your friends and don't care that you may all look silly trying to replicate dance steps, then this is the game for you too. If you have no idea who the current Disney stars are from their various shows, then it becomes a 'maybe'. It depends on whether or not you can get past hearing overly sugary and saturated pop songs you've likely never heard of before. Your definition of fun may vary, and Just Dance: Disney Party 2 definitely delivers to some degree; it just might not necessarily be the form of dancing fun you're looking for.
