Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

4491 games reviewed
70.8 average score
71 median score
43.6% 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!
Jan 27, 2022

With the classic point-and-click adventure genre in full-on renaissance mode and a preponderance of options available to fans on the Switch it’s getting tougher to separate the merely average titles from the good to great ones...

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More than anything else with the Luminous Avenger titles, you could never say they aren’t visually stunning with their pixel art...

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6.8 / 10.0 - Vagante
Jan 27, 2022

Roguelikes can be really tricky to evaluate as their often inherent challenge is an addiction for some but can obviously put others off...

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4.7 / 10.0 - Pandemic Shooter
Jan 27, 2022

Games that are in some way timely to the circumstances of the world have a tendency to rely more on impulse buys than quality, at least that has been my experience...

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5.8 / 10.0 - PopSlinger
Jan 26, 2022

As a fan of new and odd ideas, the thought of a game that has a mix of elements from beat-em-ups, shooters, and a little music to boot sounded like it had real potential...

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Jan 25, 2022

One opportunity that the smaller teams and budgets behind typical indie games have is to take bigger risks, either blending together or warping genres to create experiences that are difficult to categorize...

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Jan 25, 2022

Tactical strategy RPGs have gotten some decent traction over the years since launch on Switch, but to date no indie game in the category has broken out as the clear champion in the category...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Baby Storm
Jan 21, 2022

What I genuinely love about indie games is their ability to surprise me...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Kinduo
Jan 21, 2022

Budget puzzle games are a bit of a “dime a dozen” proposition on the Switch eShop these days, but when they’re made well and with a decent hook they’re still able to grab my attention...

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7 / 10.0 - The Company Man
Jan 21, 2022

When you’re looking for a way to try to add some spice to a tried and true style of play in a game it doesn’t hurt to use theming that skewers an institution people generally understand...

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6.7 / 10.0 - Jack 'n' Hat
Jan 21, 2022

This is one of those indies where I can appreciate what they were setting out to do but the final implementation just doesn't quite deliver the experience they'd aimed for...

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8.4 / 10.0 - Windjammers 2
Jan 20, 2022

I’ll admit to having a bit of an old school weakness for the weird spectacle that the original Windjammers managed to create by mixing a relatively simple game played with a frisbee with the over-the-top attitude and personality of a professional wrestling match...

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8 / 10.0 - Pyramid Quest
Jan 20, 2022

My tendency with games is to gravitate towards things that are higher in intensity and will throw a challenge my way, but I’ve also come to appreciate slower-paced experiences over time as well...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Blackwind
Jan 20, 2022

What can I say, my ears always perk up at the suggestion of a game that in any way features mechs...

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7 / 10.0 - RPGolf Legends
Jan 20, 2022

With the general Switch line-up when it comes to both RPGs and Sports titles being thinner than would be preferred, my eyes lit up at the prospect of RPGold Legends managing to knock out two under-represented birds with one stone...

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7 / 10.0 - Scrapnaut
Jan 20, 2022

Typically when I think about the survival genre the focus that comes to mind is a balance between crafting, exploration, and fighting to stay alive...

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I suppose since a little while ago I reviewed a puzzle collection covering a variety of styles hyper-focused on domesticated animals of the feline variety; it is only fair that one celebrating the canine persuasion is available as well...

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6.1 / 10.0 - Survive & Craft
Jan 20, 2022

Among the genres represented on the Switch, survival is one of the thinner ones, so new entries are always appreciated...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Vivid Knight
Jan 19, 2022

When you think of RPG dungeon crawlers you’d normally assume it will fall into one of two camps, a traditional turn-based affair or a more action-oriented hack and slasher...

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6.9 / 10.0 - Guild of Ascension
Jan 19, 2022

It amazes me at how roguelikes have really managed to both increase and broaden their appeal over this generation...

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