Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

4356 games reviewed
70.7 average score
70 median score
43.2% 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!
Sep 3, 2019

As someone who isn't terribly familiar with visual novels, and can find them a bit too plodding with not enough to do, Root Letter is a bit of a surprise...

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8.5 / 10.0 - Risk of Rain 2
Aug 30, 2019

Having played both the original Risk of Rain and the Early Access version of this sequel on PC I’m pretty well-acquainted with both the level of challenge it provides, and of how chaotic the combat can tend to get in a hurry if you don’t keep up with the spawn rate of your enemies in spots...

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Aug 30, 2019

Oh Bulletstorm, you were a title that I don't think ever got quite a fair shake back when it was released...

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Aug 30, 2019

Have you ever wondered how games are developed and what it takes behind the scenes mechanically to make it happen? Have an interest in learning how to code with the motivation being to make your first game? If so, this will be of interest to you...

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Aug 30, 2019

Ports from the mobile space can very much be a mixed bag on the Switch but it's always nice to run into ones that offer up some novel play and mechanically work well...

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9 / 10.0 - Heave Ho
Aug 29, 2019

While having played so many indie games on the Switch is interesting and exposes you to all sorts of takes on multiple genres one admitted downside is that it can also make you a bit jaded...

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8.1 / 10.0 - Grand Brix Shooter
Aug 29, 2019

While I'm a big fan of arcade-style shooters of all types I'll admit that generating excitement for them is getting tougher on Switch as there have gotten to be so many of them...

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Aug 29, 2019

Puzzle fans have both a blessing and a curse when it comes to the Switch...

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7.2 / 10.0 - Omen Exitio: Plague
Aug 29, 2019

Right out of the gate the fact that this is pretty well purely a text-based game is likely to throw some people off...

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7.1 / 10.0 - Vambrace: Cold Soul
Aug 29, 2019

Certainly one of the most visually-attractive games I ran into at PAX East, Vambrace: Cold Soul made strong impressions with its looks, style, and obvious difficulty...

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Aug 29, 2019

I'm always down for something a little weird with arcade sensibilities so from that angle Invasion isn't bad, but it also doesn't take long for the repetition and mild indifference to set in...

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Aug 28, 2019

Mixing a unique art style, tranquil moments you'll spend in flight, and some middling puzzle platforming, AER has some elements that work better than others...

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6.8 / 10.0 - Boreal Blade
Aug 28, 2019

This is one of those titles where I'd imagine there'll be little middle ground, you'll either find it tedious and aggravating or full of ripe challenges to discover technique and nuance as you try to wipe up the floor with your opponents in melee combat...

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6.8 / 10.0 - Hookbots
Aug 28, 2019

When it comes to multiplayer games that are fast and can make for intense competition the Switch has quite a line-up...

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Aug 27, 2019

Undoubtedly inspired visually by the colorful and cute Kirby series, and with some simple but enjoyable core mechanics, Whipseey has some charm but doesn't really meet its potential...

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6.2 / 10.0 - ESport Manager
Aug 27, 2019

In the realm of management sims you can expect there to be quite a lot going on, with layers of information to digest and diverse options for how to proceed...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Plunge
Aug 23, 2019

While there’s no doubt that many may be drawn in by the unusual art style of Plunge, what should make you linger is its unique gameplay… working as roguelike dungeon puzzler of sorts...

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6.4 / 10.0 - Gurgamoth
Aug 23, 2019

Quick and intense multiplayer experiences can be fun in bursts, and since typically the genre of choice for these titles on Switch usually involves shooting Gurgamoth at least sets itself apart by doing something different...

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6.1 / 10.0 - Mekabolt
Aug 23, 2019

Since budget puzzle platforming titles have gotten to be a bit of a dime a dozen it's hard to generate a lot of enthusiasm for games the likes of Mekabolt...

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Aug 22, 2019

When it comes to adventure games, the Switch is very well (and possibly too well) represented...

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