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!
Having played the game already at PAX East this year where I was blown away, this review was a bit of a foregone conclusion before I got more time to put it through the paces on my own...
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One of the very first games available for the system, as I was already a huge fan from the PC space it was a Day 1 purchase for me and I absolutely have no regrets...
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Katana Zero was absolutely one of the best games of 2019 and I’d be shocked it if didn’t end up in my Top 10 (and those of many others as well) for the year...
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Whoever out there would say that simple games, or at least ones that at a glance could be "casual" are always trash has obviously never played the likes of Mini Motorways...
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The iconic series adds well-implemented multiplayer to the mix, clearly making itself king once more
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This roguelike golfing title thoroughly proves that sports titles are ripe for conversion if they can all be this good
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When I played just a demo of this well over a year ago at PAX East on the Switch hardware I knew it had massive potential, and playing the release version all I can say is “Bravo!” to the folks at New Blood for their efforts...
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If you're a puzzle gaming fan, you're probably well-acquainted with the Picross franchise...
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Original, brilliantly designed, varied, challenging, and loads of fun the Shovel Knight series has shaken up the action puzzler genre nicely
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Building on the foundation of an already-solid predecessor, Blasphemous 2 soars to new heights of brutality
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If you’re a fan of strategy games in the vein of Advance Wars, Wargroove 2 makes an outstanding case for your attention
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Sporting a ridiculously fitting killer soundtrack, and incredibly satisfying controls, this is a must-have music title
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If you don’t mind the sometimes glacial pacing of the adventure aspects, the art and story here are top-tier within the space
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This mesmerizing adventure in black and white is both accessible and brilliant for sharing with a friend or tackling solo
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This single-developer passion project sets a standard for how the classic 16-bit JRPG can still be improved upon
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Far more than a mere collection of well-known games, Atari 50 sets the standard for chronicling the history of an icon
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Finally, a LEGO game that truly captures the essence of both its creative and functional play in digital form
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Ever since the Pinball FX3 team took over the Williams pinball license there has been a steady stream of quality tables coming from them, but with the release of the Indiana Jones table in particular it feels like they've really underlined their commitment to making the most of their opportunities...
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