Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

5051 games reviewed
70.5 average score
71 median score
43.7% 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!
4.8 / 10.0 - Max Speed
Jul 24, 2026

While it may somewhat work out for people looking for a more casual take on racing, the game’s plainly obvious mobile origins that haven’t been sufficiently removed make it feel like a bit of a bummer on the Switch

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6.2 / 10.0 - Mechaconda
Jul 24, 2026

While there’s no question that this provides a challenge, the very constrained movement controls too often feel like the hardest thing to survive in the game, and that’s not a good thing

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Jul 24, 2026

While there’s something to be said for adopting a minimalist look when designing a game to give it a certain feel, failing to back it up with well-honed mechanics and overall polish just make it appear to be sloppy

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Jul 23, 2026

Somehow feeling less intuitive for getting started than its predecessor, and feeling like it bites off far more than it can chew in terms of scope, this struggles to be fun

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6.8 / 10.0 - Blast'N Bounty
Jul 23, 2026

While it does provide a reasonably-challenging shooter experience that feels somewhat distinctive, a lack of polish and likely longevity keep it from being more memorable

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7.8 / 10.0 - Teeto
Jul 23, 2026

With a focus on approachability and more innocent fun, Teeto may not appeal to more seasoned gamers, but its innocent charms could be great for younger or more casual players

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7.1 / 10.0 - Looking for Fael
Jul 22, 2026

Hoping to tap into the same sort of room-based puzzling as Blue Prince earlier this year, Looking for Fael has some aspects that do work, but stumbles on some fundamentals at times

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9.2 / 10.0 - Heave Ho 2
Jul 22, 2026

This silly budget-friendly sequel preserves the winning formula of the original, while peppering in some new elements to add to the challenge and fun

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8.7 / 10.0 - The Mermaid Mask
Jul 22, 2026

This follow-up adventure to the excellent Tangle Tower once again delivers on a promise of smart writing, fun characters, and approachable mystery solving

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6.4 / 10.0 - Viral Reload EX
Jul 21, 2026

While the retro-shooter-meets-InnerSpace concept is at least fun, and the story that goes with it as amusing, there are simply too many great arcade shooters on the system to give this a pass

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Jul 21, 2026

While there’s only a somewhat limited amount of content, and the style of puzzling isn’t terribly original, for nostalgia heads it’s still a nice celebration of some NAMCO classics

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Jul 21, 2026

While there’s no question it’s a bit pricey, the wholesome family time story, accessible play, and plenty of extra mile content to search for help this to be a great choice for new gamers

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4.2 / 10.0 - Quest Arrest
Jul 20, 2026

A very odd and almost unpleasant classically-styled RPG experience that demonstrates a very poor opinion of the police and fellow citizens

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Jul 20, 2026

Perhaps for people who’ve dreamed of managing their own group this could have enough appeal, but the degree that chance feels like it often plays in success can be aggravating

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6.2 / 10.0 - Farlands
Jul 17, 2026

While it certainly qualifies as a cozy sim, and has its charms, it also feels a bit too vanilla in a sea of similar titles with a little more pizzazz

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8.3 / 10.0 - Go-Go Town!
Jul 17, 2026

A cozy sim that blends together familiar elements from Stardew and its ilk, amusement park simulators, and even Animal Crossing, helping to give it a unique overall flavor

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Jul 16, 2026

As someone who grew up watching early days anime conversions to the West, there’s an absolute element of authenticity to the story and cutscenes, I just wish its gameplay held up better

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4.2 / 10.0 - Color Snake
Jul 15, 2026

A toothless and bland update of a game people enjoyed playing on their phone when there weren’t other options…

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5.2 / 10.0 - Escape from Umbra
Jul 15, 2026

Yet another walking simulator dressed as survival horror that leans heavily on sounds and a sense of impending doom to overcome sometimes spotty design

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8.9 / 10.0 - Denshattack!
Jul 15, 2026

Part Tony Hawk, part Crazy Taxi, and part roller coaster ride, this is a high-intensity action title that packs in a ton of fun and surprises

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