Justin Nation Avatar Image

Justin Nation

Windsor, PA
The Nindersect
Nindersect

Favorite Games:
  • Rocket League
  • Neon Abyss
  • Wreckfest

4455 games reviewed
70.7 average score
71 median score
43.5% 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!
7.5 / 10.0 - Adventures of Pip
Sep 10, 2020

While there are loads of reasonably-good platformers on the Switch many of them typically have a difficult time to stand out from the rest with new worthwhile ideas...

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7.3 / 10.0 - Deleveled
Sep 10, 2020

Minimalism in game design is always a bit interesting...

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6.7 / 10.0 - Othercide
Sep 10, 2020

Tactical combat simulations have always been a genre I've had interest in since the early X-Com days but over the years that bar has proven to be a very high one to expect other games, especially indies to reach let alone surpass...

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6.4 / 10.0 - Space Robinson
Sep 10, 2020

As a huge fan of roguelike shooters Space Robinson has me a bit perplexed in trying to figure out where I stand on it...

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6.1 / 10.0 - Tin & Kuna
Sep 10, 2020

When it comes to platforming fun the Switch generally has you covered from the AAA level all the way down through budget indies so it can be a tough genre to make a splash in...

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5.8 / 10.0 - Bounty Battle
Sep 10, 2020

There's no doubt that making a game that's meant to compete with the likes of a juggernaut title from Nintendo is always going to be tough, and the likely results aren't going to live up against the massive team and budget the Big N put together...

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5.7 / 10.0 - Snake King
Sep 10, 2020

I'm sure pretty well just about everyone is familiar with the classic game of Snake...

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8.4 / 10.0 - Avicii Invector
Sep 8, 2020

While there have been quite a few great rhythm games on the Switch, it seems that room will now need to be made for another rock solid musically-based experience...

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7.3 / 10.0 - Party Hard 2
Sep 8, 2020

When the original Party Hard hit it was a shock to the system, an odd mix of puzzle game, crowd simulator, and virtual serial killer experience...

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7.1 / 10.0 - Okunoka Madness
Sep 8, 2020

Fast-moving platforming with a focus on precision is what it all ends up being about on OkunoKA Madness, and the fact that this title has been geared towards speedrunners is thus no surprise...

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7.2 / 10.0 - Circuit Dude
Sep 7, 2020

Even with as many varieties of puzzle games as I've played on the Switch I'm happy to say that none of them have been quite like Circuit Dude...

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7.1 / 10.0 - Roommates
Sep 4, 2020

Given my history of not usually being a fan of visual novels and games that are roughly in that orbit I'll admit that Roommates surprised me a little bit...

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7 / 10.0 - Batu ta Batu
Sep 4, 2020

Let's face it, there are a ton of puzzle games out there on Switch, most of them in the budget-friendly space...

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6.9 / 10.0 - Paradise Killer
Sep 4, 2020

This is one of those games where you just sort of need to be well-hydrated, strap in, and get ready for quite a bit of "Huh?" weirdness...

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Sep 4, 2020

This is one of those titles where I'm incredibly torn on where to put it...

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7.5 / 10.0 - Spinch
Sep 3, 2020

When I was in kindergarten I saw the movie The Yellow Submarine, and though I was far too young to really process what was in front of me it certainly left an impression...

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7.4 / 10.0 - Spellbreak
Sep 3, 2020

Have you been feeling like Fortnite has become a bit played out? I have… though I think I felt that way pretty early since I always considered the quick-build types complete BS but I digress...

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7 / 10.0 - Here Be Dragons
Sep 3, 2020

What do you get when you combine the randomness of the roll of the dice with a rule system that may be simple but has ample room for strategy (and mistakes) and a pretty sly sense of humor (though, as with all humor, it may not work for you)? Aside from a pretty good time if you're into strategy the answer would be Here Be Dragons...

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Sep 3, 2020

Whenever a new game arrives that offers swashbuckling adventure on the high seas I'm always pretty immediately interested...

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6.4 / 10.0 - Connection Haunted
Sep 3, 2020

OK, so we have a FPS-style horror suspense game... check...

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