Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

4398 games reviewed
70.7 average score
71 median score
43.4% of games recommended

Justin Nation's Reviews

Strangely enough this isn't my first rodeo, back in the day I wrote for the N64HQ as well as a few other outlets on freelance gigs but then when the HQ closed I decided to step it up and started The 64 Source. As the first word of a follow-up system to the N64 began to swirl I then decided to venture out into completely new territory and started OperatioN2000, where I had very little regular reputable news to share. With no other options I decided create my own content focused on profiling key developers and their current relationship with Nintendo or "dream games" where I saw opportunities for Nintendo to dust off classics or recently-made games and do something new with them on improved hardware. This was all going pretty well until my wife and I decided to have our first child and I then decided that it was time to hang it up and focus on my family. As I closed down both sites I did decide to partner with Billy Berghammer, another former N64HQ writer, who had created his own site, PlanetN2000. We agreed to move over the relevant content from the older sites to his and on top of that I had taken a grad school class in programming in ColdFusion and decided to offer to code the front-end and back-end for a new version of his site. Through these efforts the newer and more complete Planet GameCube was born! While I would occasionally contribute to that site, helping do things like working out Louie the Cat doing rumors and other odd things, I eventually decided to stop as my family obligations grew. While I had continued to follow Nintendo through both the Wii and Wii U eras my TV time was limited enough that I began playing more PC games again. It is in the PC space that I began to play a number of independent games and they started to be the games I enjoyed the most. Between their lower price, their often less traditional gameplay and approach, and their great variety I was hooked! With the launch of the Nintendo Switch I was already excited by the possibilities. The portability factor alone meant that I would have far more options and places I could play away from the TV, and games like Breath of the Wild looked impressive. With my oldest daughter poised to start her senior year in high school and my youngest finishing out junior high I started to see an opportunity to get back into amateur games journalism once again with what is now Nintendo World Report as well but I'd initially just thought about writing some editorials periodically. Then, right before the launch of the system, Nintendo had their Nindie-focused presentation and I saw my two most beloved gaming worlds colliding. The games I had been playing on my PC could now be played in a portable way and on Nintendo hardware! Being the type who tends to work against the normal current the concept behind Nindie Spotlight was born!
7.5 / 10.0 - Alt-Frequencies
Dec 10, 2020

Games that do things differently are always a treat on the system, and in terms of its approach there’s no doubt that Alt-Frequencies delivers in that regard...

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7.4 / 10.0 - Tanuki Justice
Dec 10, 2020

There are, no doubt, loads of retro games of all flavors and degrees of quality on the Switch, and among them Tanuki Justice stands out as probably one of the most authentic not based on a property I've seen...

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7.1 / 10.0 - Ghostrunner
Dec 9, 2020

I've continued to be pleasantly surprised or even a bit amazed at the types of titles that developers have gotten running on Switch, especially when they're pretty ambitious visually...

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5.9 / 10.0 - I, AI
Dec 9, 2020

It's absolutely vital that games, and probably most of all indie games, innovate and come up with new ways to approach genre play that's been around for a while...

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Dec 8, 2020

At long last the conversion of DOOM: Eternal has made its way to Switch to satisfy your itchy trigger finger and much like the last DOOM... it's pretty hard to believe this game is running (well) on a console you can take anywhere...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Monster Sanctuary
Dec 8, 2020

When you create a franchise as successful as the Pokemon series it’s inevitable that there will be a long line of imitators...

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Dec 7, 2020

While I understand the Drawn to Life games have their fans, and can see some of the appeal in being able to personalize the look of your hero, there's also no denying that they're decidedly casual...

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Dec 4, 2020

Walking into the Nine Witches experience I hadn’t seen enough about the game to know what I was in for...

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7.1 / 10.0 - John Wick Hex
Dec 4, 2020

I'll openly admit that perhaps a degree of my disappointment with John Wick Hex is that it took a gameplay road I wouldn't have anticipated...

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6.4 / 10.0 - Paw Paw Paw
Dec 4, 2020

Side-scrolling slasher/brawlers have been around for eons and just as it has always been, though there are those that somehow manage to make the inherently repetitive combat in the game engaging many fail at this task...

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Dec 4, 2020

Well-regarded games from past generations getting a remaster are almost always a mixed bag...

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6.1 / 10.0 - Danger Gazers
Dec 4, 2020

Since there are quite a number of not only roguelike twin-stick shooters in general on Switch, let alone a pretty substantial list of exceptional ones, there's not necessarily much shame in struggling to make a splash near the top of the list...

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8.9 / 10.0 - Phogs!
Dec 3, 2020

While I love great challenging roguelikes and other titles geared towards the hardcore set I'll fladly admit that well-made family-friendly fare always puts a smile on my face...

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8.5 / 10.0 - Wildfire
Dec 3, 2020

Stealth-oriented games have never typically made for my favorite experiences but there are times when the mechanic is either used wisely or it’s merely an option you have in approach...

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Dec 3, 2020

While we've slowly accumulated racing titles on the Switch over the years diversity has continued to be an area of struggle...

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Dec 3, 2020

While there are many games and genres out there I thoroughly enjoy and seek out there are others I take on in order to help inform underserved audiences...

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Music and rhythm games are always interesting to check out since it's amazing how many different ways developers have approached gameplay...

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6.6 / 10.0 - Oniria Crimes
Dec 3, 2020

With the premise of you working to solve crimes in a virtual dreamspace, mixing elements of a classic point-and-click adventure with some smart detective work, Oniria Crimes is certainly different...

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6.3 / 10.0 - Death Tales
Dec 3, 2020

Certainly the side-scrolling slashing adventure has been around for quite some time, with some great examples of reference on the Switch...

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Dec 3, 2020

Switch users really have been blessed by having a terrific variety of top-notch twin-stick shooters on the eShop, most of which I've played and enjoyed...

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