Nintendojo's Reviews
Anyone who missed Swords & Soldiers the first time around, or who has been hankering for a new strategy game, will do well to give this game a download. It's as fun as it was when it bowed in 2009, and remains a fresh, unique take on real-time strategy games. Swords & Soldiers might be a little tricky to pick up at first, but the gameplay is so easy to get into, it's worth a bit of a learning curve to play. Here's hoping Two Tribes graces fans with a proper sequel in the near future! Be sure to give the two Toki Tori games a look if you make your way to the eShop for Swords & Soldiers, as well.
It's rare that a developer can not only capture the magic of 8-bit classics, but improve upon them, but Shovel Knight does exactly that. This game is a true classic, and hopefully the first of many more to come from Yacht Club Games. Bravo.
After playing through the game in its entirety, it's easy to see that a lot of hard work and love were put into creating it, but I wish that Fuzzy Wuzzy Games waited longer to release it. I really enjoyed the gameplay mechanics that Armillo has to offer, but they're held back by issues that could have been fixed with more development time. This should be one of the best platformers on Wii U, but it unfortunately remains as a flawed gem in its current state.
Pushmo World might not please all players, but for newcomers it's as arresting as its 3DS debut, and for returning players, there's just enough that's new to warrant giving it a look. With great puzzles, a fun cast and story, and excellent puzzle building tools for aspiring designers, Pushmo World deserves a spot in your download cue.
Were it a $60 boxed game, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The fact that it's available to you instantly and for less than half that, well, I don't need to finish that sentence, because you're not reading anymore.
Considering the plethora of top notch platformers available on Wii U, Wooden Sen'SeY isn't capable of earning an automatic recommendation. The game looks great and has a fantastic soundtrack, but the mechanics just feel a little too off to qualify as gameplay bliss, though they are most certainly serviceable. Finally, the brevity of the core game is going to hurt the overall sense of value to those who aren't obsessed with absolutely mastering every game in their collection; so if that isn't you it might be better to wait for a sale.
The Fall is still a great, unique title on the eShop, but you need to know what you're getting into before you play it. In terms of gameplay, The Fall struggles to deliver anything special. But if you're looking for a game with a genuinely dark sci-fi setting and an intriguing story, then you'll definitely enjoy exploring as ARID.
If you have a knack for visual novels, puzzles, and contradictions, then Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney was made for you! Fans of both series will feel right at home, as the game is faithful to each character’s style of gameplay. Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney may not live up to the hype we’ve given it after all these years, but it’s still a great game that celebrates both franchises well.
The generally disappointing soundtrack makes the game hard to recommend to those who are looking for more variety, but the gameplay is still great and helps make rhythm games feel fresh once again. If you like the soundtrack or are willing to look past it, you'll have a lot of fun punching and kicking to the beat of the music in KickBeat: Special Edition.
With great music and great gameplay, Curtain Call is a triumphant celebration of Final Fantasy.
Longtime series fans will probably get the most out of the abundant homages and shout outs to series' lore, but action games enthusiasts in general will get a thrill out of Hyrule Warriors' fabulous gameplay. Wii U owners shouldn't hesitate to give the game a purchase.
I'm really only scratching the surface of Smash Bros. There's so much to do and see that players will be absorbed by the game for hours on end. As far as fighting fundamentals go, Smash Bros. is a return to the glory days of Melee, while taking cues from the best of Brawl's presentation and refinements.
Buying the Skylanders Trap Team Starter Set probably won't be enough for you. Again and again, you'll run into times when you wish you had just a little more cash to buy that colored trap, or that Skylander. But more than any Skylanders game before it, Trap Team makes you feel good about your purchases– even if it's your kid that gets to enjoy them.
Bayonetta 2 doesn't do anything particularly new, but it does serve as an improvement of an already excellent action title, perfecting the formula even further. I didn't think it was possible to outdo the original Bayonetta, but was gravely mistaken. There's a new Witch in town, and she will put you under her spell.
Cosmophony will not be everyone's cup of tea, but those willing to brave its tunnels of torture will be greatly rewarded. The game demands skill to beat, but backs up its exacting nature by providing a bold aesthetic and soundtrack complimented with tight controls.
Persona Q is a fantastic game that does so many things right. If you're a Persona or Etrian Odyssey fan, then there's no doubt that you'll fall in love with this game. Even if you haven't played a game in either series and have an interest in JRPGs, you should still purchase Persona Q. Between the game's gorgeous art style, fantastic challenging gameplay, amazing soundtrack composed by Atsushi Kitajoh and Toshiki Konishi, and the entertaining character interactions, this is easily one of my favorite games of the year.
Depending on your exploration and puzzle solving skills, Ittle Dew will last between three to six hours. It is not a terribly long and epic adventure, but one that has a lot of heart. If you truly love the Legend of Zelda series and adventures in general, Ittle Dew is the perfect game to remind you why that love exists in the first place.
This game needs to be in every Wii U owner's collection. The replay value, from playing to collecting and unlocking everything, is almost endless. And it's going to be pretty hard to not want to play this game endlessly. This is a title that players will keep coming back to for years to come.
Pier Solar had potential to be an incredible JRPG. The game's well-written story, amazing visuals and soundtrack, and deep combat system show that the game does a lot of things right, but the poor pacing, lack of conveyance to the player, and glitches hold it back from being truly exceptional. With that said, Pier Solar is still worth your time and money. The game may have its issues, but it's still a great love letter to classic 16-bit JRPGs.
Short, sweet, and tough as nails.