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The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is one of the most addictive roguelikes we've ever played. It's the kind of game that might appear a bit rudimentary at first, but it becomes more and more compelling with each subsequent session. With unlockable characters and challenges, an insane number of weapons and abilities, and many other discoveries to be made, there are a multitude of reasons to keep coming back for another game. A few quibbles do keep Rebirth from even greater heights, but it's nothing that should deter anyone drawn to this type of twisted dungeon crawling, which works so well as a portable experience. Go ahead and bind Isaac to your New 3DS, just don't blame us should you disappear into the depths of his basement, never to return.
Devil's Third is tricky to recommend, ultimately. There's undoubted fun to be had online, but at the same time this is an action game that sells Wii U gamers short. It's packed with good intentions and ambition, but Valhalla Game Studios was unable to execute its vision well enough. The devil is in the detail, and that's the problem.
As mentioned in the opening, Runbow is easily one of the best games that has graced the Wii U; it's a game that is very Nintendo in every single aspect, from concept to art and sound direction, to the point that Nintendo itself has taken the liberty to celebrate a launch party for Runbow at the Nintendo World Store in NYC. It's an excellent party game with a solid single player campaign and more unlockables than the colours of the rainbow; you won't regret paying the admission for this gem on the Wii U.
The Bridge is a delightful mass of contradictions. It's simple yet complex, and new yet old. Solid mechanics and puzzles that are tweaked to a level of difficulty that is just right — along with an excellent accompanying soundtrack — fill this monotone world with colour. Its focus on gameplay over story suits it well, and though it may be a bit on the short side, it's thoroughly enjoyable.
Badland is as dark, brooding, and mysterious as the most sullen teenager, but this seemingly simple game is built on a foundation of ingenious design. Its hands-off approach to guiding the player makes for an invigorating challenge where it counts, and plentiful checkpoints help alleviate the frustration that comes from later levels. It teaches you how to interact with the environment before turning it all on its head with a slew of mutations that change your abilities, and that's a little bit brilliant.
Both a wonderful upgrade to the original Etrian Odyssey 2 and an impressive improvement on Etrian Odyssey Untold, Untold 2: The Fafnir Knight is a dungeon-crawling delight. With satisfying combat, endless customization, and beautiful labyrinths that are as fun to map out as they are to explore, this is a joyously engrossing adventure - and a truly accessible difficulty setting and user-friendly interface make it the easiest Etrian to dive into yet. If you've played other Etrian Odysseys and are looking for more, you'll have a blast here, and if this is your first time journeying into Yggdrasil, prepare to be hooked - just make sure to leave some breadcrumbs to find your way back.
All of its various elements just click together well, creating a solid game that will be hard to put down as you struggle your way to the deepest recesses of Isaac's basement.
Xeodrifter is a fun little game that Nintendo fans should get a kick out of. We wish it was longer and had more visual variety, but those criticisms are mainly because we enjoyed our experience and wanted more of it. We'd love to see Renegade Kid revisit this world at some point in the future, and wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone who hasn't played the 3DS version already.
You're probably getting a feeling we weren't especially impressed with Baila Latino, and you'd be correct. The horribly thought out UI, hard to follow dance instructions and uninspired gameplay modes unfortunately ruin the cheery atmosphere delivered by the upbeat soundtrack and surprisingly nice graphical presentation. Baila Latino also arrives about six years too late to the party. If you really love Latin music, it's possibly you might learn a few new ways to shake your booty, but for others this isn't really worth the effort. Breaking out the original Just Dance disc for a spot of MC Hammer and Spice Girls reminded us that there's really no need to go Latino. To wrongly quote Mr. Hammer, 'Don't touch this'.
LEGO Jurassic World has been birthed from the same DNA that the LEGO series has been reliant on for quite some time, and it's doubtful that anyone will be truly awestruck by its attractions. But that doesn't necessarily mean the adventure's not worth embarking upon. Reliving the Jurassic Park films in such a playful manner helps to offset the gameplay and technical disappointments, and the trip down memory lane will likely be enough to keep the biggest dinosaur fans entertained from start to finish. The park can be amusing, but it lacks its usual bite.
Players looking for a speedy dose of platforming action might be able to find their fix here, but they're going to have to slog through a number of missteps on the way.
Patience is a virtue, and those who have it in spades will likely find the outstanding stage design worth enduring some of the other frustrations.
If you've got enough patience you'll probably be able to mine for the diamonds in the rough - but the easily frustrated should steer far clear.
Yoshi's Woolly World has been a long time coming, but it's been absolutely worth the wait. It's accomplished platforming within Yoshi's quirky and unique template, and has enough soft cuteness to charm young gamers and melt the hearts of the most jaded of veteran gamers.
Funk of Titans wants to draw players in with an outlandish, seemingly arbitrary aesthetic that mixes Greek mythology with funk music. Unfortunately, it fails to go all the way with this theme, and ends up a tedious and surprisingly generic auto-runner.
Featuring three different game modes from throughout the franchise's history, as well as preset scenarios to clear and online multiplayer, this is easily the most packed Dr. Mario game yet. There's a ton of different ways to play, so if you don't fancy Miracle Cure or Dr. Luigi, for example, you can easily leave them untouched and still have a lot to do. Those that are into head-to-head battles will find the online mode quite entertaining as well.
Within its solid and increasingly arduous heart of survival and exploration, Don't Starve: Giant Edition beats with a personality head and shoulders above the hoard of Minecraft clones out there. The sense of never knowing what might lie just ahead and the promise of unlocking additional characters possessing individual quirks will likely be addictive to many who enjoy this type of journey.
At the end of the day, there's not much especially wrong with Fullblast. It plays fine, looks quite nice and even with its minor flaws it's a pretty fun little game. If you haven't experienced much of this genre before you'll probably find it quite refreshing and great fun. Veterans may get an all too familiar feeling of déjà vu and it's definitely not up to the standards set by the true classics, however it's a good enough distraction for a few hours. Let's be clear; there aren't enough of these types of game as it is on modern home consoles, so it's a welcome addition to the Wii U library and it's not going to break the wallet either due to the (current) reasonable price point.
Just keep in mind; you'll need patience and focus to make the most of the lessons, so it won't interest anyone looking for something on the Splatoon side of fine art. Overall though, we reckon this is the best Art Academy title yet, and it simply wouldn't be possible on any other home console. Now if you'll excuse us, we're off to try on some berets...
The fundamental platforming of Pip and his pixelated prest-o-change-o are where his adventures shine brightest. While nothing else seems to especially stand out or, in some cases, falls somewhat flat (looking at you, secret areas), the overall package is still pleasantly portrayed and is undoubtedly mechanically sound. Certainly worth a look for anyone who likes their pixels with platforming peril.