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Nintendo Life

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3387 games reviewed
69.6 average score
70 median score
58.4% of games recommended

Nintendo Life's Reviews

3 / 10 - BLOC
Nov 9, 2016

PONG released in 1972, and BLOC might as well have launched in 1973. It's PONG for four players, and nothing more. There is nothing of significance here that is worth your time; it's an entirely forgettable clone that feels like a cheap online flash game. If you feel like playing PONG or a similar game, save yourself the money and go play one of the many clones available on the internet for free. It won't have to do much to be more feature heavy than BLOC, and you won't be upset with yourself because you wasted money on it.

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Nov 6, 2017

Whether you're a monster truck nut or not, you should avoid Monster Jam: Crush It! at all costs. It lacks a lot of polish, has a lackluster presentation, poor controls and no semblance of progression that can in any way be construed as satisfying. It feels like a slapdash attempt at riding the wave of Switch goodwill, but doesn't join the growing list of games on the system that are worth playing.

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Nov 1, 2017

As a visual novel, Wheels of Aurelia is a lacklustre experience. As a driving game, it's even worse. However you wish to identify it, this title lacks genuine substance; it's a solid idea executed poorly. The key themes and settings are deceptive, making the title seem like it is built on strong foundations when in reality, it's made up of a series of convoluted verbal exchanges between characters who forcefully touch on an array of dicey topics relevant but not always central to the time. The historical-links also suffer as this information is often overridden by an aggressive sense of agenda-setting that robs the exchanges of impact. Then there's the main narrative focused on a person you're likely to not even care about due to the concise nature of each road trip. It's simply not on par with the best titles this genre has to offer, and although you could argue that the esoteric nature of the game means it will illicit wildly different emotional reactions from different people, the core package just isn't compelling, challenging or appealing enough to back up that line of debate.

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Sep 15, 2016

TOUCH SELECTIONS is another bare-bones double-pack that will keep players engaged for very little time. Both of these games could be played while watching television, or when multi-tasking in general. Like past releases, what you see here is what you get; there is no depth to either PEG SOLITAIRE or AVOIDER, nor is there any sense of progression. They are a basic and very plain pair of games, and there are many superior options available on the Wii U eShop that provide better value at their asking price.

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Sufin' Sam is a disappointing platformer. The controls are floaty, the level design is poor and forces you to take leaps of faith and backtrack, the sound effects are grating, and the game looks like a mashup of mismatched assets. It's playable, sure, but beyond that it offers little redemption; we recommend that you stay away from this one.

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3 / 10 - Hot Rod Racer
Jul 26, 2016

If you're feeling daring, or perhaps enjoy breaking the law and driving on the wrong side of the road like a crazy person, Hot Rod Racer might just be the game for you. The music is so catchy that it makes the merciless nature of the title almost addictive. In all seriousness though, with such poor production values outside of the soundtrack, and archaic gameplay to boot, it's hard to recommend Hot Rod Racer to Wii U owners. For those of you fixated with speed, seek your thrills elsewhere.

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3 / 10 - INVANOID
Jul 15, 2016

INVANOID has a decent kernel of a concept in its arcade hybridization, but is completely lacking in the sense of immersion either original provided or the imagination to combine these styles into something that feels worth playing. There are better items out there to take up your space.

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Jul 1, 2016

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.

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3 / 10 - ASH
Jun 17, 2016

ASH is an RPG that gives a minimal experience into the genre. Its character interactions with each other and its world are slightly entertaining. The story, as tried and true a formula as it presents, is intriguing in its own way thanks in part to its characters. That said, unfortunately, its gameplay and overall presentation, including its narrative, are not unique enough to warrant spending time with. The game breaking glitch that happens some hours into the experience ensures that too.

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Apr 28, 2016

Super Robo Mouse doesn't deliver the goods. There are other challenging, twitchy action titles on the Wii U eShop that provide a stronger presentation and are more fun to play. Save yourself a broken window and lost controller and spend your money on something else.

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With sluggish gameplay, off-putting presentation and bafflingly poor design decisions at every turn, Langrisser Re:Incarnation Tensei is an entirely underwhelming revival of a once-beloved series, and a subpar SRPG besides. It's clunky and charmless, and suffers all the more from its considerable company; on a system with multiple Fire Emblems, stylish standouts like Stella Glow, and cheap-as-chips eShop options like Mercenaries Saga 2, it's hard to think of a place for Langrisser. Maybe someday Masaya's storied series will rise again, but for now, this is one SRPG best kept sheathed.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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3 / 10 - Joe's Diner
Mar 9, 2016

Joe's Diner is a bad game with a good premise. What could have been a spooky supernatural thriller is instead a time management game trying to be something more. Bland graphics mixed with poor performance and failed attempts to induce fear make Joe's Diner a game that isn't worth playing. Save your hard-earned cash for a truly spooky Wii U game folks, because this one isn't it.

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Mar 26, 2016

Blast 'Em Bunnies is not worth your money or your time. The cute exterior can't hide the gameplay problems and ridiculous pricing structure, and the DLC is not worth it. While it's always nice to see a new IP, Nnooo is going to have to go back to the drawing board if it wants this property to succeed in the future. Unfortunately, Blast 'Em Bunnies just doesn't earn a recommendation.

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Dec 5, 2013

Frankly, it’s difficult to ascertain who would glean any semblance of enjoyment from One Piece Romance Dawn. Any ardent fan of the Straw Hat Pirates’ escapades will only find themselves angered by how little effort has gone into this tawdry misadventure, whereas this paragon of poor design will do nothing to bring new fans into the flock. Namco Bandai has published a number of surprisingly solid titles tied to their Shōnen Jump properties in recent years, but they've indisputably missed the boat on making One Piece Romance Dawn anywhere close to worth playing.

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Jan 16, 2016

There is a never-ending supply of drudgery to keep you flying in straight lines forever; in fact, there's very little to recommend here - as a simulator it fails by not being sim-enough in both physics execution and pilot involvement, but equally it's not arcade-y or fun either. With very little to actually do and way too much repetition we'd advise you to look elsewhere. To end on a positive note, the loading screen is quite nice.

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Sep 29, 2015

If this review seems similar to our review of Rock 'N Racing Off Road, it's because this is largely the same game with more tracks. Despite EnjoyUp's efforts to improve and refine the experience, Rock 'N Racing Off Road DX just doesn't do enough differently or better to warrant a purchase.

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3 / 10 - Frenchy Bird
Feb 5, 2015

If you can afford the luxury of paying $1.99 for a few minutes of amusement, maybe Frenchy Bird's your thing. For the rest of us, however, the charming presentation — while a nice break from the usual blandness of these clones — is not nearly enough to justify the asking price. This is the same recycled thing we've seen over and over in the two years since Dong Nguyen had a surprise hit, and it's high time this vapid avian adventure took a permanent vacation.

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