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Five years on, Swords & Soldiers is still an excellent title. It's quite simple compared to most RTS games, but it has just enough depth to make it a highly entertaining experience, especially when it gets ported correctly as it has been in this case. It's a bit of a shame the few extra features it gained in past versions are gone, but at this price we really can't complain too much. Let's hope the sequel is just as good.
Squids Odyssey takes a simple concept and crafts an engaging yet not stifling amount of challenge out of it, resulting in a nice balance of haphazard fun and strategic thought. Although out-of-action menu work might be a bit of a pain, a beautiful world and a good sense of humour provide more than enough charm to forgive it. Another pearl to add to the eShop.
While the gameplay itself isn't really ground-breaking, Gravity Badgers is an entertaining physics-based puzzler with a rather unique theme. It has rather simplistic, unremarkable visuals, but with plenty of content and a fairly low asking price those are modest complaints. If you'd like to give your brain some exercise, you can definitely do a lot worse than this.
Ittle Dew is a top-class puzzle-adventure title that Zelda fans will absolutely adore. Even if you're not a Hyrule aficionado, there's enough wit and charm (and one of our favourite soundtracks in the entire Wii U library) to make it appealing to players from all walks of life. Unfortunately, the combat mechanic is sub-par, and most egregiously the game is full of technical issues. They are by no means a deal breaker, though, and you should definitely check this one out.
LEGO The Hobbit has some strengths, and it's perhaps tempting to look at the sheer size of the world and volume of content and give it a pass. However, we feel that the frequently poor design and shoddy gameplay experience represent a low in the franchise. We're often supportive and complimentary of the LEGO series for what it does achieve despite some flaws, but this is a sloppy effort from Warner Bros. and TT Games. A typically rushed movie tie-in, and an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise excellent franchise.
After the departure that was Crashmo (Fallblox), this is also a conservative, by-the-book sequel with that trademark Nintendo polish – you know what you're getting, but what you're getting is delicious.
The fact that it's almost impossible to cover every aspect of Tomodachi Life in a single review is perhaps testament to the vast scope of the game. There is so much going on here and so many months of potential enjoyment on offer that this would easily become your most-played 3DS title. But again, that thorny issue remains — is this really a game in the strictest sense? It's closer to being an expanded version of Bandai's famous '90s craze the Tamagotchi, with your main duty being the happiness of your Mii population, rather than any skill-based challenges. In fact, there's precious little skill involved at all — given enough time, you'll be able to see everything this has to offer regardless of how "good" you are at it. Of course, that doesn't make the process any less entertaining or rewarding, but it's worth keeping in mind if you prefer your games to be a little more demanding.Despite concerns regarding its suitability for core gamers, Tomodachi Life is a title which has truly universal appeal; the barrier to entry which exists in many pieces of software — Animal Crossing: New Leaf included — is all but removed here, making this feel more like a casual mobile title. Some will see that as a negative, but under Nintendo's watchful eye, this cookie-cutter concept is expanded and improved almost beyond measure. Tomodachi Life is perhaps best described as the glorious culmination of the Mii concept that was heralded by the release of the Wii back in 2006, and at long last gives your virtual avatar a life of its own — as well as many humorous and entertaining escapades to enjoy.
The frustrating lack of off-TV play aside, 1001 Spikes is a spirited, fun title that exemplifies the creative indie spirit that is permeating the eShop. With tons of unlockables, several distinct game modes and a charming presentation, 1001 Spikes is highly recommended. Just be sure to do some yoga and go to your zen place — you don't want to rage-quit your GamePad at the television after that 800th death.
This is not an experience for everyone, though we'd suggest that those with a love of adventure games and the download scene should take this one on; it's an important part of gaming history and an education for serious gamers.
Yacht Club Games has a hit on its hands with Shovel Knight. With brilliant game design, charming presentation and a ton of content, this is a wonderful first title from the fledgling developer. It will only get better with post-release content, and if Shovel Knight becomes the hit it deserves to be, gamers will hopefully be seeing much more of Yacht Club Games — and its plucky mascot — in the coming months and years.
Shovel Knight is more than just a great platformer; it's a celebration of classic gaming. Excellent controls, gorgeous graphics, an incredible soundtrack and endearing characters make the game worth playing, but top-notch level design, varied gameplay, hidden rooms, optional challenges and a deceptively rich combat system make it brilliantly memorable. The entire experience comes together so naturally that it feels more like a recently unearthed gem from the days of the NES than it does a latter-day attempt to milk nostalgia. Shovel Knight is the rarest kind of game: one that set sky-high expectations prior to release, and then managed to exceed all of them. It's a must-buy for platformer fans, and one of the most charming and satisfying experiences on the 3DS eShop to date.
The last few Transformers video games bucked the trend of subpar licensed products, instead giving us the Transformers games we always wanted as kids. Perhaps the PlayStation and Xbox versions of Rise of the Dark Spark are just as high-quality as their predecessors, but on Wii U, Rise of the Dark Spark is everything Nintendo fans have come to loathe about movie tie-ins and multiplatform gaming: a lazy port with missing features that treats Nintendo players like second-class citizens.
It's been a long time coming, but Armillo has absolutely been worth the wait. A large amount of content, regular new gameplay additions that ensure the game doesn't get stale, a full second set of levels with completely different gameplay, and high replayability have all come together to create the newest must-have eShop title. The occasional framerate hiccups are a downer, but don't detract from the overall experience.
In addition to being a fun gameplay experience, it's also an example of how artistic vision and clever, light-hearted writing can enhance an experience, an example of what can be achieved when development studios devote themselves fully to delivering a high quality product.If you're an action platformer fan with quick thumbs, this is a must-buy.
If found at a good price in stores it's a solid option, in that respect, and in our view three of the sports are strong entries — Golf, Bowling and Baseball utilising improved controllers and technology; Tennis is reasonable, too, with Boxing being a weak link. When you throw in Miiverse and online play there's certainly scope for a lot of enjoyment that takes in nostalgia of some multiplayer fun on Wii.
For fans of the series though, it's not a difficult recommendation — the game is passable on it's own merit, but filled with many nods to established characters and events that One Piece enthusiasts will love. Overall, this title goes some way to take the series away from some of the mis-steps in its past.
With Super Toy Cars, you either embrace the weird physics and accept that this is a cheap, silly experience, or you don't. Adopting the former mentality will net you a fun ride at a decent price, and though there are definitely far better racers on Wii U, the nostalgic may want to open the toy-box one more time. Boosted by an in-game track editor, it's a solid chunk of content that will amuse if nothing else.
Wooden Sen'SeY has all of the materials to be a winner — sharp visuals, clever touches and plenty of charm. The execution falls down, however, as the intention to offer 'old-school' difficulty isn't backed up by polished physics and impeccably structured level design. Those factors all need to come together for this approach to work, but what we have is an overly difficult, at times intensely irritating, platformer.
Ice Cream Surfer gets some of the basics right and offers players a crazy, wacky world, with colourful locales and varied, interesting enemies. Unfortunately, the game built around that world is just not particularly fun to play, with little challenge, poor presentation, some annoying gameplay quirks and almost no replay value. Had it spent more time in development or perhaps received more money from its crowdfunding campaign, this might have been an enjoyable title, but as it is right now it's best to keep it in the freezer.
With tight controls, a lush Western soundtrack, and beautifully animated sprites, SteamWorld Dig is one of this year's best games on the Wii U eShop, joining Ittle Dew in the "gorgeous Swedish indie adventures" category.