Nintendo Life

Nintendo Life

Morgan Sleeper·Dec 31, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

Hiragana Pixel Party is a welcome rarity: an educational game that's both good fun and an effective learning tool. If you've ever wanted to read Japanese — whether for language study, travel, or playing import games — this is a great way to get started, and an enjoyable rhythm-based runner with an excellent chiptune soundtrack besides. がんばって!

Nintendo Life

Jon Cousins·Dec 29, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

If you've never jumped in to the enchanted world of Sparkle, this is as good a place as any to start. It's a polished, competent match three game with decent production, plenty of stages and addictive ball blasting action, even if it is very derivative and repetitive. For those familiar with the series or the genre as a whole, Sparkle unleashed is merely a slight variation on more of the same. With Sparkle 2 already out on Switch, as well as it being released for every other system in all the known kingdoms, Sparkle Unleashed is another solid, if unremarkable addition to the console's library.

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·Dec 29, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

The limited content in Stern Pinball is nonetheless well-crafted and certainly accurate when compared to real pinball. The issue is it's a rather simplistic game. The simulation aspects and overall realism does not make up for the severe lack of modern features within this title. Its primary competitor excels at offering a connected online experience with cross-platform play, global leaderboards and tournaments. Not to mention a large collection of prominent licenses. Stern Pinball has none of this and a limited selection of purchasable tables. It's by no means at the forefront of the digital pinball game market and in its current state is probably a good indication as to why pinball lost traction over the years. This is reminiscent of a title that would have been released at some point during the early '90s due to its limited content - so even as a video game, it's considerably behind the times. The classic design might appeal to certain generations of players, but unless you're seeking a dose of nostalgia, you're probably better off looking elsewhere to get your pinball fix. It's also worth noting the game is available in a boxed version in the UK, the US version is free-to-play on the eShop (with extra purchases, naturally).

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Dec 28, 2017

Critic50/100

Agreement—

There's no denying Tiny Troopers Joint Ops: XL offers a lot of bang for its buck - over 60 main missions and a ton of undead-slaying quests see to that - and its bite-sized nature fits Nintendo Switch down to the ground, but ultimately it's an exercise in quantity over quality. There's fun to be had in its caricature take on war, but its light sprinkling of other genres and low-rent presentation is retro for all the wrong reasons.

Nintendo Life

Mitch Vogel·Dec 27, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

SteamWorld Heist: Ultimate Edition is a fantastic port of a fantastic game, and it fits perfectly on the Switch. Deep, engaging gameplay and stylish presentation combine to make this one of the standout indie releases of the year; this is a great example of a well put-together game. If you are at all a fan of strategy games, or are just looking for a fun diversion to occupy your time over the next couple weeks, pick up this game. It puts a neat twist on standard turn-based strategy gameplay, and stands as another fantastic entry in the SteamWorld series.

Nintendo Life

Jon Cousins·Dec 26, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

It's not been the smoothest of journeys to release for Dimension Drive, and nor will yours be through its initial twelve stage campaign, but it is a polished and engaging shooter that asks more of each player. This is definitely not a 'turn your brain off at the door' kind of bullet hell experience, but it's worthy of the effort. Failure will be frequent, and frustratingly so in the early stages, but it's not cheap and beating a section or level never feels unattainable. There is a specific type of coordination required that will take time to perfect, and for some it might overwhelm, but Dimension Drive is a game that can be as rewarding as it is demanding.

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Dec 25, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Super Mario Bros. being playable on a Nintendo system is not particularly surprising, but that it should first appear on Switch in its VS. incarnation is a welcome bonus. The excellent gameplay, catchy music and a large chunk of the levels are still present, but the new stages make for a different feel that muscle-memory won't get you through. Those levels may have since appeared in The Lost Levels, but their inclusion here alongside changes to existing levels (including a different solution to a multi-path puzzle) make for a still enjoyable but tougher alternative way of playing, with highscore chasing also adding to the fun thanks to the online leaderboards. Even if you can play through the regular version of the game in your sleep, VS. Super Mario Bros. is an excellent - and challenging - choice for platforming fans.

Nintendo Life

Dave Frear·Dec 25, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Even if you can play through the regular version of the game in your sleep, VS. Super Mario Bros. is an excellent - and challenging - choice for platforming fans.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Dec 24, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Bloody Zombies brings a fresh visual style and a couple of interesting touches to the classic scrolling beat-'em-up. Unfortunately it doesn't flourish where it matters most - the quality and scope of its combat.There's still a fair amount of mindless fun to be had in local multiplayer, even if Bloody Zombies lacks the fluidity and variety to become a true regular on your co-op Switch game roster.

Nintendo Life

Jon Mundy·Dec 22, 2017

Critic60/100

Agreement—

Guns, Gore & Cannoli is a reasonably proficient side-scrolling shooter that grows somewhat tiresome through repetitive combat and unpleasantly clichéd character design. It's an enjoyably brainless diversion - especially in multiplayer - but it's one that only really works in small doses.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Dec 22, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

As you might have guessed, we really like Crawl, and we'd bet our collected stash of gold and wrath you will, too. It's great fun in single-player thanks to some aggressive AI that will hound you at every moment, but that consistent danger takes on a new lease of enjoyment when you and three of your friends are jostling for XP and that all important killing blow. Couchplay doesn't get much better than this on Switch.

Nintendo Life

Liam Doolan·Dec 21, 2017

Critic80/100

Agreement—

The overall fun on offer in Pinball FX3 really depends on the amount of coin dropped. Certain tables are made free from time to time, but in order to experience the entire package, purchases must be made. Digital pinball fans will likely lap up the amount of content on offer, whereas those who are testing the waters might find the purchase of a single table or package is enough to sustain them for a prolonged period. The developer's decision to stick with the existing DLC model means the player can select exactly which tables they want to play and completely ignore any that perhaps do not appeal to them. The choice on the level of investment in this game really does rest on the player.Anyone who is in the mood for a fun arcade take on the classic pinball genre will most certainly get the satisfaction they are seeking from Zen Studio's latest release. Even if it doesn't necessarily revolutionise the series, it still expands on it. In some cases it is hard to enhance given the source material. It has all the necessities including global leader boards, multiplayer action and fills each table with enough content to justify purchases – including challenges and a levelling system. With the game free to try out, there's no harm in downloading it and taking a look at what the definitive pinball experience on the market offers.

Nintendo Life

Damien McFerran·Dec 21, 2017

Critic90/100

Agreement—

Tiny Metal has the core mechanics nailed down brilliantly, even if it has cribbed much of its structure from the famous Advance Wars franchise.

Nintendo Life

Ryan Craddock·Dec 20, 2017

Critic40/100

Agreement—

Instead of being truly interesting and worth your time, however, each individual part falls flat, resulting in an disappointingly poor overall experience.

Nintendo Life

Dom Reseigh-Lincoln·Dec 20, 2017

Critic70/100

Agreement—

Though it doesn't quite get everything right, Puzzle Box Maker has plenty to offer for those eager to get creative and enjoy the fruits of their labour.