[Review] FreezeME
Posted on 8 years ago by Philip(@P_Trah) in Reviews, Wii U eShop | 20 Comments
System: Wii U (eShop)
Release date: February 4, 2016
Developer: Rainy Night Creations
Publisher Rainy Night Creations
The 3D platforming and collectathon style of game is one that hasn’t been very prevalent since the days of the Nintendo 64. However, fans of old-school 3D platformers have wanted to see a revival of these experiences and its seems as though their cries are now being heard by the many studios out there. One indie developer named Rainy Night Creations strove to create a game that followed in the footsteps of the giants that were Super Mario 64 and Banjo-Kazooie in an attempt to bring its new title, FreezeME, into the genre. However, unlike the platformer’s clear inspirations, FreezeME has some seriously glaring issues at its core.
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[Review] Final Fantasy Explorers
Posted on 8 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, Reviews | 10 Comments
System: 3DS
Release date: January 26, 2016
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher Square Enix
Final Fantasy has always been a beloved RPG by people around the globe with a rich and deep history that spans nearly three decades. Whether it be a mainline title or a spinoff delving into a genre other than the standard adventure JRPG, the series has managed to connect with millions since its inception, and still thrives to this day. Final Fantasy attempts to push the boundaries and mold several gaming styles and genres together with each new iteration, whether mainline or spinoff, but sometimes these attempts don’t go over so well — enter Final Fantasy Explorers.
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[Review] Shadow Puppeteer
Posted on 8 years ago by Jakob Vujovic(@jakovujo) in Reviews, Wii U eShop | 2 Comments
System: Wii U (eShop)
Release date: January 28, 2016
Developer: Sarepta Studio
Publisher Snow Cannon Games
The premise of Shadow Puppeteer is simple: one night, a boy and his shadow are separated by a strange man playing a music box. From there, the journey consists of chasing him down throughout gloomy Tim Burton-esque levels. The game has you controlling the boy and his shadow individually with the controller being split by its left and right sides – each analogue stick controls a character with the buttons on their respective sides being used for jumping and other interactions. If you played Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, the concept should seem familiar. Where this differs is that you control the boy in a 3D space and his shadow along the surfaces of the environment, interacting with other shadows as a 2D platformer. The two ideas on their own aren’t exactly unique, but fusing them together provides plenty of puzzling levels.
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[Review] Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam
Posted on 8 years ago by Vincent Ward in 3DS, Reviews | 9 Comments
System: 3DS
Release date: January 22, 2016
Developer: AlphaDream
Publisher Nintendo
In all honesty, Mario & Luigi has fallen off my radar within the last few years. That’s not due to a dislike of the various games. I played the first one, but after that, I simply never picked up another title. However, when Nintendo announced that Paper Mario would be coming together with Mario & Luigi, my love for the former franchise was enough to finally push me to giving it another spin. Now that the RPG is finally in my hands, I can comfortably say that Mario & Luigi: Paper Jam is a great representation of both series.
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[Review] Xenoblade Chronicles X
Posted on 8 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in Reviews, Wii U | 49 Comments
System: Wii U
Release date: December 4, 2015
Developer: Monolith Soft
Publisher Nintendo
As a JRPG fanatic that’s been craving a first-party AAA open-world experience on the Wii U since its initial launch in 2012, I’m happy to say that the wait is finally over as we’ve been graced with Monolith Soft’s ambitious Xenoblade Chronicles X, the spiritual successor to Wii’s equally ambitious and captivating Xenoblade Chronicles which was recently brought over to the New Nintendo 3DS in an updated fashion. Xenoblade Chronicles X puts players in a rich, vibrant world filled with a myriad of monsters, locations, and a deep story that tells the tale of civilization starting over, but bringing all these great things together in a cohesive way doesn’t go without fault.
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[Review] Pokemon Super Mystery Dungeon
Posted on 8 years ago by Vincent Ward in 3DS, Reviews | 4 Comments
System: 3DS
Release date: November 20, 2015
Developer: Spike Chunsoft
Publisher Nintendo
In a world where the characters typically can only just speak their own name, having a game that features 720 different Pokemon with their own personalities and jobs is a feat in and of itself. But once you mix in the addictive dungeon crawling mechanics of the Mystery Dungeon series and all the other elements that make Pokemon titles the iconic series it is, you are given the definitive Mystery Dungeon title and one fun RPG.
[Review] Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival
Posted on 8 years ago by Vincent Ward in Reviews, Wii U | 22 Comments
System: Wii U
Release date: November 13, 2015
Developer: Nintendo / Nd Cube
Publisher Nintendo
With Animal Crossing: amiibo Festival, I find myself having trouble translating my opinion into words. From a party game standpoint it has everything with fun multiplayer games and some single-player content sprinkled in. For an Animal Crossing spin-off title, it still has a lot to offer, too. It feels like an Animal Crossing title focused around being a party game instead of vice-versa, which is exactly how it should be. But I can’t help but get the impression that there’s something missing from the overall experience that is leaving the picture unfinished, and with a source material as large as Animal Crossing, I have to admit it ends up leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
[Review] Typoman
Posted on 8 years ago by Travis(@nintentravis) in Reviews, Wii U eShop | 3 Comments
System: Wii U (eShop)
Release date: November 19, 2015
Developer: Brainseed Factory
Publisher Headup Games
Author: Travis
Typoman is a game built around words. Its puzzles are words, its platforms are words, and even its enemies are word. Yet, throughout the experience, there are three words that will stand out above the rest: creative, but disappointing.
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[Review] Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash
Posted on 8 years ago by Austin(@NE_Austin) in Features, Reviews | 66 Comments
System: Wii U
Release date: November 20, 2015
Developer: Camelot
Publisher Nintendo
Author: Austin
Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is a game that lacks guidance when you start it up; it’s a mish mash of menu options, and they don’t tell you which icon to try first. But where Smash Bros. uses a lack of direction to overwhelm– like Charlie entering Wonka’s entirely edible room– Mario Tennis: Ultra Smash feels a lot less excited about its own content. Even the game can’t be bothered to show you around.
“Well, here’s all this stuff I guess.”
What should I do first?
“Uhhhh…”
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[Review] Stella Glow
Posted on 8 years ago by Dennis Gagliardotto(@LyonHart_) in 3DS, Reviews | 7 Comments
System: 3DS
Release date: November 17, 2015
Developer: Imageepoch
Publisher Atlus
Author: Dennis
Imageepoch’s unfortunate demise doesn’t go without a stellar track record with games like 7th Dragon, Fate/Extra, and the Luminous Arc series that have all delivered unprecedented RPG experiences across a variety of platforms since their founding in 2005. The studio’s final game, Stella Glow, is a title that they can proudly leave with as the developers embark on future endeavors. Stella Glow is a beautifully animated and vibrant world that is as fun as it is nice to look at.
