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Having been ported from mobile devices, Dan McFox: Head Hunter is understandably simple, straightforward, and best suited to shorter play sessions, but there's fun to be had just as long as you like the core concept. Using an expanded version of 'Guess Who?' to hunt down wacky criminals is a suitably light-hearted way to pass a few moments, with online leaderboards and SpotPass challenges bulking things up a little with a competitive slant. What you see is pretty much what you get, so as long as you aren't expecting a real spy thriller then the price is just about right on this one.
8Bit Hero is a workable game on a technical level, with only a few control and rule choices holding it back. What may be the bigger problem for it, though, is finding the spark in it that gets one to keep playing.
Kirby: Planet Robobot takes a lot of the good work of Kirby: Triple Deluxe and adds a mechanised spark to proceedings. The addition of Kirby in a mech is good, silly fun, and there's pleasing variety to stage designs - HAL is on good form here, with puzzles and vehicular sections in particular that enhance the overall experience. The Story Mode itself is excellent, and the extra minigames then give players more to do, not to mention the task of finding and unlocking all of the items (and stickers) in the campaign to get that 100% completion statistic.There's a lot of Kirby for your money here, and the pink fluffball is at the top of his game.
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.
Although Color Symphony 2 introduces an original idea, it needs to work on some aspects in order to draw the player in. The story needs to be fleshed out more, and extra variation in graphics and audio would work wonders to stop the game feeling repetitive. Those who enjoy puzzle platformers will enjoy the premise (at least for a little while), but this could do much more to reel in a wider audience.
As a free app that provides an incentive to explore amiibo, Mini Mario & Friends: amiibo Challenge is a good effort. It offers a nice taster for those with non-Mario-themed toys, with 12 levels to tackle, and adds enjoyable twists and extra content for those with the correct figures. It's a fun if not premium experience, with some rather uninspired level designs mixed in with moments of greater quality - for amiibo fans it's well worth a look.
Without its problems, Escape from Flare Industries would likely feel much too short for some, but still has the potential to be a fine little title for anyone seeking a quick and retro-feeling jaunt. It's pleasant when it works; it's just a shame Splat suffers from more than one frustrating bug. Even with its bright eyes and squishy smile, we can't recommend this to anyone until it's recalled and patched.
Sweetest Thing leaves a lot to be desired. Fans of the time management genre may find a modicum of enjoyment, but it just seems like 'My Kingdom for the Princess' reskinned to include candy. The game gives it all away upfront, so once you have played the first couple of levels there isn't much more to discover; it proves to be mundane after a while. Approach this one with caution.
On one level Tachyon Project is quite a cruel game, making old writers with slowing reflexes question their gaming abilities. More importantly, though, it's enjoyable and represents the work of a development team committed to producing a quality download title. From solid mechanics and smart gameplay to online leaderboards and neat touches like stat tracking, it immediately sets its stall as a game worth investing in.Though there are a few flaws and the difficulty level makes it a game for those with fast thumbs, Tachyon Project is well worth consideration on Wii U. For fast-paced twin-stick shooting action there aren't many better options on the eShop.
The Deer God is beautiful. Sadly, that beauty is only skin deep. Poor design choices take away from fantastic visuals that really have to be seen. With the right level of polish, this could have been one of our favourite indie games on Wii U.Instead, clumsy quest design, repetitive environments and poor performance ensure The Deer God will be remembered as little more than eye candy.
Lost Reavers is bitterly frustrating. Not awful, not unplayable, but frustrating. There's a great idea in here somewhere - at times it even manages to shine through - but there's far too much awkward padding and grinding repetition without the depth of gameplay that keeps players coming back for more. The best thing about it may well be that it's free to download right now on the eShop, so there's every reason to give it a try and maybe even get a few friends together into a group. It's worth a shot, but we can't be the only ones who see the potential here yet mourn the lifeless end result.
There's no denying the fact that this budget-priced Wii U eShop title would be much better suited to mobile platforms, perhaps even as a free-to-play app; the classic challenge of bettering your score by blasting wave after wave of reptiles is Reptilian Rebellion's single allure. So, unless you're desperately seeking a game experience inspired by retro arcade gaming with a modern touch, this might be best left to conspiracy theorists.
Anyone who played the original Midnight should know exactly what they're getting into. It might have been fun to throw an extra idea into play somewhere, but the sequel still provides the same fun-if-not-perfect gameplay of the original. If you enjoyed your first round and ached for more stages, this is a no-brainer. Others who might be interested can freely dive in with either game.
Blockara is a fun concept, but it's dragged down by its presentation. Unlikable characters, poor voice acting and music and art that don't do it any favours are all negative points, but aren't enough to completely obfuscate the fun that can be had here. Blockara won't be fondly remembered, but if you have a friend that's good at puzzle games and you can put up with the rest of it, there's some enjoyment to be found.
The Wii U port for Super Meat Boy may not necessarily bring anything new to the table, but it's still an enjoyable experience. The new music is great. The level design is brilliant. The gameplay is difficult, yet satisfying. It's an excellent ode to original platformers, and a nice middle-finger to a lot of games that hold your hand throughout your experience. Super Meat Boy is trial by fire; here's hoping you make it out alive!
If you like match-3 puzzles the Queen's Garden is a good addition to your Wii U library; there is a lot of gameplay to be had for the price. However, if you are looking for the customization and social side of a gardening simulation game this will disappoint, as the 'garden' element leaves a lot to be desired.
Pocket Card Jockey is a relatively impressive effort from Game Freak, with terrific presentation, an abundance of charm and hugely addictive gameplay. For some players that's enough to make it a must-have, but there is a caveat - it's also poorly balanced, delivering a video game representation of the futility of compulsive betting. You can be the best player in the world and still lose, or have a mediocre round and win a minor race anyway. It inflates prices, sets ridiculous odds and makes you sweat for every reward, with your fates often in the hands of the pocket Gods. Yet it's addictive and fun, so you might not mind - for this writer, though, it left a tinge of regret at time wasted, where effort didn't seem to be rewarded.Pocket Card Jockey is absolutely worth consideration and will hook many gamers with its irreverent and addictive gameplay, but beneath its charming veneer is a cruel world of lost bets and unfair odds.
Sssnakes is a very basic game, and this can be a good or bad thing. It works well for those who might have limited time to play whilst on a commute, but for those who are looking for something to immerse themselves in it's definitely not that kind of game. For the low price of entry it's worth having on your 3DS just to relive the nostalgia of the Nokia version, but we would not expect Sssnakes to be one you rave to your friends about. It does not have the originality of other classic action puzzle games, and unfortunately the graphics and music do little to reel you in.
Epic Dumpster Bear is the epic adventure of a dumpster-diving bear as he attempts to battle against the evil corporation, and proof that you should never judge a book by its cover. The title sounds ridiculous, because the premise for the game is ridiculous, and everything looks ridiculous… but that's the charm. This fairly robust platformer does have some balancing issues but is hiding under a hilarious layer of ridiculousness and provides a surprising amount of challenge and fun. Plus, while you wait for levels to load, you get interesting little tidbits about bears. "Don't camp on the shore of a spawning stream".
A lot of the enjoyment is still left up to the player and their expectations, with little inherent substance to grab and keep direct hold of your attention for long. It's a difficult experience to pin a score on for this reason, but despite the improvements, we're still left wanting something more from any future installments.