Sudoku by Nikoli (eShop) Review

Fri, 18 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Given the volume of the genre found in the eShop, we expect a lot from new digital sudoku games. If someone is going to go ahead and plunk down some cash, a game really needs to bring the thunder compared to the free versions found online and on other devices, or even one of those end-all puzzle ...

Mario Tennis Open (3DS) Review

Fri, 18 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Camelot's revered Mario Tennis series has a split legacy: on home consoles as a primarily multiplayer-focused insane-o-thon, and on portables as a more solo-oriented sports RPG. Mario Tennis Open falls somewhere in between, trying to capture the best of both worlds in the most accessible way poss...

Curling Super Championship (DSiWare) Review

Thu, 17 May 2012 14:15:00 GMT

DSiWare has been home to some interesting concepts and ideas, developing a diverse library of different experiences of varying standards. Despite this, Curling Super Championship is one of the more unique entries, taking a relatively minor winter sport and turning it into a video game. While some...

Monster World IV (Mega Drive) Review

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:10:00 GMT

Originally released in 1994, Monster World IV is the final game in the Wonder Boy series. It's a very well-liked game and another great entry in the franchise, but there was just one problem: it was never released outside Japan. Until now that is, because SEGA has finally given the rest of the wo...

Wonder Boy in Monster Land (Virtual Console Arcade) Review

Wed, 16 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

The Wonder Boy franchise is one of many treasured relics from SEGA's past. Dedicated fans have clamoured for a new entry in the platform series ever since the 1994 Mega Drive release of the sixth title, Monster World IV. For now, though, they'll have to make do with the splurge of digital downloa...

Sonic Labyrinth (Game Gear) Review

Tue, 15 May 2012 17:00:00 GMT

Failed game pitches from the 1990s: Madden without the ball. Mario without the jumping. Sonic without the speed. Except someone at SEGA must have thought the last one was a good idea, and gave Minato Giken the go-ahead to develop Sonic Labyrinth for Game Gear.As the story goes, Dr. Robotnik has t...

Paul's Shooting Adventure 2 (DSiWare) Review

Mon, 14 May 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Upon its western release in late 2010, Paul's Shooting Adventure was a pleasant surprise. It starred a flying baby named Paul, also known as The Ultimate Pacifier, who battled evil alien sea creatures because, hey, why not?It was a surprisingly fun game with colourful graphics and an upbeat soun...

Shifting World (3DS) Review

Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:00 GMT

In 2008, a Flash-based platformer/puzzle game called Shift was released online. Its gameplay was a model of brilliant simplicity: levels were constructed from black and white blocks, and the Shift key would flip the room upside down, turn background objects solid and push previously solid object...

Game & Watch Gallery 2 (Game Boy Color) Review

Thu, 10 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

After successfully remaking and re-releasing four Game & Watch games with Mario characters in Game & Watch Gallery, it was only a matter of time before Nintendo selected another bunch to redo. With around 50 different Game & Watch games originally released, there certainly isn't a sma...

Super Hang-On (Virtual Console Arcade) Review

Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

Name a SEGA arcade racer from the 1980s. Now name one that isn't Out Run. Chances are you've come up with Super Hang-On (or maybe Power Drift if you're really trying), the motorbike racer that's the Pepsi to Out Run's Coke.The fact it's taken SEGA five years to bring Super Hang-On game to the Wes...

Cat Frenzy (DSiWare) Review

Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:00 GMT

“Little kittens are trapped in a well!” yowls Cat Frenzy's press release, invoking worrying thoughts of helpless baby felines in peril. Actually, this sliding block game is a bit more cheery in reality – the background implies they're actually in a house, for starters. Phew.Played with your...

Bird Mania 3D (eShop) Review

Fri, 04 May 2012 19:00:00 GMT

3DS Download Software has been a bit of a mixed bag so far, with titles ranging from the glorious to the utterly forgettable. Similarly, developer Teyon has been responsible for both memorable, addictive fun and fuelling our screaming nightmares. For those reasons, we weren't sure what to expec...

Amoebattle (DSiWare) Review

Fri, 04 May 2012 11:00:00 GMT

Intrinsic Games has brought some interesting titles to DSiWare so far, with topsy-turvy platformer Divergent Shift and arctic rescue puzzler Penguin Patrol both offering respectable and fun takes on their material. With Amoebattle, whose title is much more fun to read than it is to say out loud, ...

Block Factory (eShop) Review

Wed, 02 May 2012 09:00:00 GMT

If you've ever harboured the desire to create your own block-falling games, Block Factory might just be what you've been looking for. Through its editor you can build new games in the puzzle sub-genre with ease, but in doing so you'll have to look past the bland presentation, and it soon becomes ...

Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room (DSiWare) Review

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

We're not sure why UFO Interactive bothered to get the Chuck E. Cheese license for this mirthless assortment of half-baked minigames, but we can conclusively say that it wasn't worth its time or the effort to do so. Chuck E. Cheese's Arcade Room is, in a word, awful.The first major issue is the s...

Rush Rush Rally Racing (WiiWare) Review

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 19:00:00 GMT

Undeserving of such a short lifespan, Dreamcast has continued to play home to the occasional independent development. One such game is Senile Team's Rush Rush Rally Racing (R4). Originally created as an entry for a Dreamcast programming contest back in 2009, the team adapted its work so that it w...

Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir (3DS) Review

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 17:00:00 GMT

There's something magical within Spirit Camera: The Cursed Memoir. Really, there is. You wouldn't know it by playing it, because the execution is downright terrible, but at heart, somewhere, deep inside this absolute mess is the germ of a great idea; that's the nicest thing we can say about it.Sp...

We Sing Pop (Wii) Review

Thu, 19 Apr 2012 15:00:00 GMT

Here at Nintendo Life we're used to reviewing a lot of franchise sequels, as developers and publishers quite rightly give gamers more of what they want. We're not talking Super Mario, however, but rather the We Sing series, a franchise of karaoke games exclusive to Wii. Unfortunately we aren't we...

I Must Run! (DSiWare) Review

Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:30:00 GMT

Held in prison for daring to protect his beloved from an attack, I Must Run!'s nameless protagonist is challenged to break out and run across the city in less than 24 hours for the ultimate prize: his wife's life.Apparently the escape itself poses no problem, as we cut straight to the chase. I Mu...

Super Street Fighter II (Mega Drive) Review

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 15:30:00 GMT

It's taken five and a half years for an online Street Fighter game to reach Wii. In that time, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners have had five different SF online titles — six, if you count Super Street Fighter IV: Arcade Edition. Heck, even 3DS has Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition. Wii owners, for th...