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!
6.5 / 10.0 - Claybook
Mar 12, 2019

As you play, controlling your glob of clay that can typically take the shape of a small variety of geometric shapes, your only real abilities are tied to the shoulder triggers...

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6.5 / 10.0 - Little Shopping
Mar 12, 2019

Little Shopping is a pretty straightforward and simple game with 2 distinct components...

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Mar 12, 2019

As someone who lacks a basis for comparison, Overdose is a bit on the overwhelming side when it comes to the story… and honestly most of it felt a bit nonsensical to the point I only peripherally paid it any attention...

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Mar 8, 2019

Starting with the basics the game gives you a starting roster of 4 androids to choose from, with another 5 that you’ll unlock as you make progress in the campaign...

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8.5 / 10.0 - Hard West
Mar 7, 2019

All things considered, for the price Hard West is a surprisingly competent tactical turn-based shooter than gets more right than it gets wrong...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Valley
Mar 7, 2019

As a total experience Valley was pretty satisfying and, overall, exceeded my expectations throughout its run time...

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5.5 / 10.0 - Braveland Trilogy
Mar 7, 2019

Starting with the positive each campaign will charge you with amassing a relatively small army of units as you progress through a relatively simple story...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Beat Cop
Mar 5, 2019

All in all while it got off to a bit of a slow start, once I eased into my daily routine I found the game to be pretty fascinating, and certainly not quite like anything I’ve played...

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Starting out without any real direction the early stages of the game are very much a matter of trial and error, and may quickly sap gamers made of less determination of enthusiasm quickly...

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5.5 / 10.0 - 12 is Better Than 6
Mar 5, 2019

You’ll play as Juan, a man on the run who starts out with a simple pistol but, as the game rolls on, will get access to much more...

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Mar 2, 2019

Your goal in the game, I suppose obviously, is to mow down zombies, grab power-ups and gold, and try to last as long as you can...

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Mar 1, 2019

While very similar to its predecessor in many ways, this sequel seems a bit more streamlined in terms of the structure of its main campaign, sort of blending all of the factions into one weird narrative with all sorts of alliances...

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Mar 1, 2019

Trying to specifically describe in words how Back in the Groove plays would be a challenge, mainly because while it has elements that may feel familiar in places it is all joined together with random silliness and perhaps a touch of chemically-induced inspiration...

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Mar 1, 2019

Starting out with only 2 starter deck options for both the fronts and backs of the cards you’ll be looking to win some games in order to start building experience to unlock the next set of goodies...

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6 / 10.0 - Treasure Stack
Mar 1, 2019

The biggest difference in how Treasure Stack is played is that rather than control the blocks themselves you control a small character who is moving around within the space...

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5 / 10.0 - Awesome Pea
Mar 1, 2019

The first thing you’ll notice, or at least I did, is that your rate of movement is relatively slow and jumping is decidedly floaty...

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9 / 10.0 - APE OUT
Feb 28, 2019

As someone who loves playing things that are different and a bit daring, Ape Out has easily shot out as one of the games I’ve enjoyed playing the most on Switch...

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8 / 10.0 - Space War Arena
Feb 28, 2019

While overall Space War Arena is only a middle of the road strategic challenge, it fits into the Switch lineup pretty nicely without too many competitors in the same semi-casual space...

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6.5 / 10.0 - World Tree March
Feb 28, 2019

You play the game as a young former Royal Food Advisor who has an unorthodox style and is trying to revive a struggling market under the shade of the World Tree...

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5.5 / 10.0 - Anodyne
Feb 28, 2019

Set in the hero Young’s subsconscious, the world of Anodyne can be quite unusual, unless you consider it normal to be doing things like talking to a lobster, for instance...

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