Blast Ball very much feels like a game that's still in development. The ball physics feel off, there's not a whole lot of content and it feels half-baked. When viewed as a standalone piece of software it's not exceptional in any way, though it's still worth a shot as a free download. It'll also feature within Federation Force (with the servers switching to that full game in North America), and it seems likely to serve as a shallow diversion that you'll no doubt find yourself coming back to now and then. We'd recommend you pick up Blast Ball in its free incarnation (which is permanent in Europe but not North America) as it's an entertaining mini-game that offers up some mindless fun, but it's not necessarily the best advert for Federation Force.
All told, Jackpot 777 is a game that feels rather useless. It's no stretch to say that there have been Google Doodles that were more entertaining and had deeper gameplay than this. The failure to provide any meaning or incentive to continue playing completely ruins what little fun could be had here. Please do not waste your money on this game; if you must play a virtual slot machine, pick from one of the countless free apps online or on a digital storefront of your choice.
All told, Blackjack 21 isn't as bad as you'd think it'd be. If you enjoy playing Blackjack, this might be one to consider, though its extremely barebones presentation doesn't give it any sort of unique draw beyond the card game itself. The odds are you could easily find a game for free on your smartphone or online that would give you an equivalent or better experience.
Prism Pets is one of those games that definitely is more at home on a smart device than a home console. This is the kind of game that you play for a minute or two while waiting in line for something, not when you have time to sit down on the couch. There's nothing strictly wrong with the gameplay or presentation, but it feels like the developer could've added more for the console release, such as leaderboards or more modes. As it stands, there's nothing here that justifies the extra few dollars it costs over its smart device equivalents, so we'd suggest you pass this one up. It's a bit too simple for its own good.
All told, Educational Pack of Kids Games is a rather middling affair. For its part it is an educational pack of kids games, and it's got a variety of games that's about right for what you're paying. However, the games included are all quite shallow, and not all of them feel as though they're really teaching young players.
Ultimately, 153 Hand Video Poker is one of the worst games we've played in recent times. There are almost no redeeming qualities to it aside from the fact that is technically playable. Mindless gameplay and careless presentation are once again the downfalls of Skunk's second attempt at a poker game. 99 cents isn't typically a lot to ask for, but it sure is with this release. We'd highly recommend that you pass this one over; instead, go out and buy yourself a nice stick of gum. It costs the same, and you'll get way more enjoyment out of it.
All in all, Pharaoh's Riches is a shoddy shot at providing gamers with an interesting or meaningful gambling experience. While we can't speak to the legality of a gambling game on Wii U where real money could be exchanged, the lack of any consequence being enacted regardless of whether you've gained or lost money means you are simply pulling a lever to watch some symbols spin. Considering that this is going on the eShop for $9.99(!) at launch, we would absolutely recommend that you go elsewhere for your gambling fill.
We give this game a recommendation - 16-bit RPGs don't get much better than this and it's one that RPG fans won't want to miss out on.
Ultimately, 6-Hand Video Poker is a poor attempt at bringing the video poker experience to the home. The game makes absolutely no attempt to motivate the player to continue playing, so mileage is entirely dependent upon how much you enjoy winning meaningless hands of cards against a few randomly generated opponents. Couple that with the barebones presentation and you have a game that has little to no appeal. Unless you absolutely must play poker on your Wii U, we'd recommend you skip this one. You can probably easily find a free equivalent online, and it wouldn't have to do much to be more feature heavy and exciting than this.
All told, Japanese Rail Sim 3D Journey in Suburbs #1 Vol. 4 is a noble attempt at educating players on a different part of the world while also giving them a look at what it's like to be driving a train. Unfortunately, its barebones gameplay and low quality footage of the surrounding environment overshadow the interesting trivia that can be learned. While fans of previous entries will find plenty to love, we'd recommend you pass this one up. Leave this train in the station.
Essentially, Japanese Rail Sim 3D Journey in Suburbs #1 Vol. 3 is exactly what its predecessors were, nothing more, nothing less. If you enjoyed any of the previous ones, you will also enjoy this one, as it's virtually just a glorified DLC pack. If you were put off by the previous games, then we'd advise you to stay well away from this. Ultimately, we wouldn't recommend you pick this one up as both the footage and gameplay are severely lacking, which gives one little reason to invest a significant chunk of time into this. It's best you just let this train roll by.
All told, Japanese Rail Sim 3D Journey in Suburbs #1 Vol. 2 is a disappointing and uninteresting experience. While the idea behind it is solid enough, the execution is so poor that we couldn't recommend this to anyone. The trivia included is interesting enough, but it certainly does not compensate for the mindless gameplay and poor camera quality. Do yourself a favour and don't get on this train.
All told, Shantae: Risky's Revenge - Director's Cut is a solid update to the DSiWare classic. While there may not necessarily be enough here to justify a double dip for those of you that picked it up the first time around, there's never been a better way to experience this game. For those of you that have never played it, we'd give this game a strong recommendation; it's creative, clever, and colourful. This is a retro action game you won't want to miss out on.
Ultimately, The Hand of Panda is a rhythm game that almost manages to achieve mediocrity. Its campaign lacks both depth and longevity, and while the soundtrack is actually pretty good it's not enough to save this bite-sized game. We'd recommend that you skip this one; there may not be a ton of rhythm games to choose from on the eShop, but there's little reason one should settle for this.
All told, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is a worthy sequel to its popular predecessor; it's everything fans loved about the original and more. That being said, describing this game as easy could not be any more inaccurate. If you struggled with the original game, or aren't very good at platformers to begin with, you will probably find very little to enjoy in this game. We give Mutant Mudds Super Challenge a very strong recommendation – it's an incredibly well designed and challenging game that stands as one of the best things to come out of Renegade Kid – but it is certainly not for everybody. This is for super players only.
Steel Rivals is a game that tries to fill the gap of fighting games in the Wii U library, but ultimately does very little to do so in a meaningful way. The bland characters, shoddy presentation, and awful gameplay make this one of the worst fighting games we've seen; it's barely playable, but the few positive things that can be said about it are drowned out by the crushing mediocrity of the package as a whole. We would absolutely recommend that you do not buy this game; especially considering the price, just go pick up a Street Fighter game off of the Virtual Console for your fighting game fix.
All in all, Project X Zone 2 is an enjoyable experience that improves upon some faults present in its predecessor, while adding in some interesting new features. The storyline may fall a little flat, but the amazing presentation and engaging gameplay will be more than enough to keep you hooked. Naturally, a game such as this will be more appreciated by those who are more familiar with all the different franchises being represented, but don't let that scare you off if you're new to most of them. Overall, we'd highly recommend that you pick up Project X Zone 2 - it's a colourful, crazy and fun SRPG that will likely entertain gamers of all skill levels and interests.
Ultimately, Shütshimi is a fun game that's both flashy and engaging. The breakneck pace of endless waves of enemies combined with a quirky and bizarre sense of humour make for a good time whether you're playing alone or with a couple of friends. While the gameplay isn't terribly deep and it gets repetitive in longer sessions, there's plenty here to keep gamers coming back for more. We'd recommend that you pick this game up, it's a great retro shooter with a neat twist.
All told, Minecraft: Story Mode is a wild ride from start to finish, telling a riveting tale filled with plot twists and interesting characters. That being said, not everyone will be impressed with the fact that it's essentially an interactive movie. If you're the type of gamer who skips cutscenes and prefers satisfying gameplay, steer clear and look elsewhere for your gaming fix. If you're the type of gamer who appreciates listening to a good story (and don't mind stumping up the cash to hear the whole thing), then we would highly recommend this. Minecraft: Story Mode does an excellent job of breathing life into the somewhat anonymous world of Minecraft; this is one tale you'll want to hear.
Ultimately, AVOIDER is a game where you'll get what you pay for; no more, no less. While the gameplay is relatively fun at first, it quickly gets tired when you realize it's a one-trick pony that doesn't have anything more to show you. For such a cheap price it's difficult to expect too much more from this kind of game, but it still feels like this could've used some polishing before being pushed out. We'd give this a general recommendation, but just bear in mind that your mileage will vary greatly.