NES Remix Reviews
A great idea that fails to capitalise on the full extent of Nintendo's 8-bit legacy, although whether that's through greed or foolishness isn't yet clear.
NES Remix may bring back fond memories if you've played the games it features, but it doesn't actually capture what made some of those games great in the first place.
Remember: NES Remix only pretends to be a simple game. Nintendo understand the deadly allure of both nostalgia and perfection: they introduce new players to The Way Things Were; they also challenge long-time players to prove their skills. Make no false move in any given level and be granted three "rainbow stars," an award for mastery and masochism in equal measure. I've lost hours to repeated attempts at meaningless three star scores.
NES Remix is a game that you desperately want to like but just can't. The NES was a great console with great games and the idea of playing them all with cool new mechanics and twists is a good one, but NES Remix falls far short of its potential. It feels rushed, which is appropriate since it released on the same day that it was announced!
It plays out like cold-hearted cash grab, seemingly spat out just so the Wii U has something on its eShop this holiday season. A stuttering, stunted selection of nothingness.
'NES Remix' is a gateway drug. It's just enough to remind us of better times and better highs. But it's not enough for sustained enjoyment. Despite the sometimes engaging final challenges and remix levels, the majority of your time is spent achieving the most minor of goals for minor rewards. You might as well just buy the full games themselves and skip a marketing ploy when you see it.
NES Remix is defined more by the sum of its parts than its individual pieces, so have no hesitation in jumping headfirst into this excellent retro experience.