Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

4349 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!
May 14, 2019

When it comes to first-person shooters there’s no denying that the pickings are pretty thin on the whole...

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4 / 10.0 - Blades of Time
May 14, 2019

With game series like Bayonetta, Devil May Cry, God of War, and more out there raking in consistent cash it’s easy to see why people would try to tackle the hack-and-slash adventure genre...

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1 / 10.0 - Car Trader
May 12, 2019

OK, so I’ve played some really awful games before, ones that have had serious bugs or gameplay that made no sense, but never anything like Car Trader...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Blazing Beaks
May 10, 2019

To the game’s credit, the monsters tend to be quite unique and it can be tricky...

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If there was one major series that would seem to be a great fit for play on the go and the Switch it would be Grand Theft Auto...

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May 10, 2019

I’ll give indie games credit, they can come out of left field and surprise you at times...

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7 / 10.0 - My Big Sister
May 10, 2019

Bite-sized experiences can be a life saver for some titles...

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7 / 10.0 - Reverse Crawl
May 10, 2019

With indie games it can be tricky sometimes, as games that can appear to be quite plain can pack a surprise punch if you give them a chance...

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May 9, 2019

In terms of downsides I’d say there aren’t many with the primary concern being whether you’re looking for something that’s heavily story and lore-driven or not...

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8.5 / 10.0 - Meow Motors
May 8, 2019

When it comes to racing on Switch, there’s no doubt that Mario Kart is the king...

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May 7, 2019

There’s no doubt that if you’re looking for a pretty mindless sandbox where you can enjoy blowing things up, getting into gunfights, and generally being a menace Shakedown: Hawaii provides you with ample opportunities for just that...

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May 7, 2019

Time management games were all the rage in the mobile and even the PC space for a little while, and they can be fun for a little while, but more often than not returning to them now many titles are stuck in the past and show little signs of effort to evolve...

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May 6, 2019

Tower defense titles are extremely common in the mobile space (for good reason, they’re well-suited to touchscreen controls), and have found success, but can sometimes be lacking on the more dedicated Switch...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Black Paradox
May 3, 2019

For people who revel in the challenge of making the most of what you’re given in shooter form Black Paradox is a rock solid challenge and should excite...

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May 3, 2019

What’s odd is that even as frustrated as Hellmut could make me as I was trying to get a handle on it all, and even with its obvious flaws, there’s no denying it can be a ton of fun to play...

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7 / 10.0 - Shadows of Adam
May 3, 2019

If you’ve been looking for a game to hit you right in the feels as a lover of the 16-bit RPG era Shadows of Adam does a solid job of delivering that...

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5 / 10.0 - Bird Game +
May 3, 2019

While I’m a big fan of titles that dare to be different, whether in terms of their visual presentation or gameplay, that doesn’t mean those qualities excuse them from critique by any means...

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While I know there are people out there who’ve kind of gotten tired of the label roguelike being thrown around I continue to view it as a means to give well-known genres and tropes a bit of a shaking up...

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8.5 / 10.0 - Duck Game
May 2, 2019

As long as you’re able to find people to play with whether locally or online Duck Game one of the best multiplayer experiences you’ll find on the system...

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Having never played a bartending game in my life before this year I find it unusual that I’m now reviewing my second one...

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