TheMitch

After clocking well over 100 hours on Xenoblade Chronicles X, I can assert the following: 1. This is the biggest video game I have ever played, in terms of scale and the amount of content. At first it was quite overwhelming, but once I got used to its size, all was good. 2. The story is highly interesting with its twists and turns. Character development is really great and lends itself greatly to the development of the story. 3. All missions help with the understanding of each character, irrespective of how small a role they play. In this way, each mission feels like something is being achieved upon completion. 4. The continents might house the most cliche environments of all time (grass world, forest world, desert world, ice world, fire world), but the level of detail in each really makes each environment feel alive. For example, Oblivia (the desert world) has a huge quantities of debris strewn all over the land. Old parts of machines and spacecrafts can be seen from many miles away. 5. The atmospheric details are fantastic. Auroras at nighttime, sandstorms, snowstorms, and even meteor showers! 6. The battle system is interesting to say the least. It took me a long while to adjust to the battle system and get a feel for what's going on. I'd never played the previous game in the series and hadn't experienced a battle system quite like this one. Now that I know how it works, it would say that it's not the best battle system ever, especially for the start of the game. As the game picks up a bit and gets a bit more difficult, you need to strategise effectively. Go in all guns blazing and you could suffer severe consequences. 7. Skells take too long to acquire. They take even longer to fly with. But the experience is phenomenal once you're finally able to soar through the skies. The soundtrack when you fly is pretty great, too. Which reminds me... 8. The music in this game is amazing for the most part. I only have two problems with the music as a whole. Firstly, the music for New LA is pretty bad. It's made worse by the fact that you're in that area for a lot of the game. Vocals are seriously unneeded in those two songs (one for day, one for night) and this can really grate on your ears after just a few listens. The second thing is that the music sometimes plays way too loudly when cutscenes are going on, making it hard to hear the characters. Monolith Soft forgot to add in a volume slider, which ****. But these are only small problems. On the other side of the scale, the music from Oblivia and Sylvalum (the ice world) is the best in the game in my opinion. Maybe I think that because those tracks lack vocals, I'm not sure. But I don't ever really prefer music with vocals in my video games anyhow. 9. There is always something to do. Apart from missions and exploring, you can also go around collecting items and trying to fulfil the requirements of each of the little segments of the map on your FrontierNav. It's seemingly endless! 10. For some missions you need to be well affiliated with other characters. This can take some time, but adds another layer of complexity to the game, making every battle you spend with characters important in getting them to like you a bit more. And we all like to be liked, don't we? Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles X is not a perfect game. But it is more than worthy of a 10 out of 10. It's sheer volume and immersion make it one of the best games I've ever played. And given all of the stuff you can do in it, it will keep you entertained for a very long time to come.

Stick It to the Man! has all the makings of a fantastic game. The gameplay is your garden-variety 2D puzzle-platformer but with a twist: a knock on the head has caused your character, Ray, to have a large pink hand stick out of his head. This hand is used as a grapple to travel around the world, and can pick up stickers to solve puzzles and others' problems, usually by reading peoples' minds, in an attempt to save the world and Ray's girlfriend, Arlene. This mechanic isn't particularly original, but it is used very effectively throughout the game. The art style is reminiscent of LittleBigPlanet, the world being completely made of cardboard with corkboard pins used as grappling points. The most engaging part of the game, though, has to be the voice acting. It is seriously good and makes the whole world come alive and really fun to explore. I had a ball just listening to all the citizens' thoughts, laughing out loud at the wonderful humour and the wittiness of the monologues. But with all of this positivity, there must be something that keeps the game from getting a perfect score - and that is the length of the game. It took me just six hours to beat, and I was going extremely slowly, having fun listening to all of the monologues and exploring the cardboard environment. It is unfortunate that there isn't even a small inkling of bonus material, no secret cutscene, nothing beyond the main game. A little disappointing, but this doesn't detract from the overall quality of the game, which really is very high. I recommend Stick It to the Man! to anyone looking for a short adventure with amazingly witty humour in the form of a puzzle-platformer. Really great game and much enjoyed.

Pretty much the game that a lot of people have been wanting to see from Nintendo for years! Super Mario Maker is a great tool for those who love to design levels as well as play them, and it's all too easy to spend hours and hours trying to get all of your level's gimmicks to work. Without a doubt one of the best recent games in terms of replay value. Unfortunately, it can get a bit tedious in the beginning when you're playing purely to unlock the various parts to use in your level. But after that, it's only fun and good times to be had. Even if creating levels is not really your thing, you will have a really great time playing the creations of others. That is, if the levels you play do not involves copious amounts of enemy stacks or several hundred platforms in space. With checkpoints recently added, it would not seem unlikely for some DLC to be rolled out at some point in the future - namely slopes - which would make a lot of people very happy. Super Mario Maker is perhaps not everyone's cup of tea in terms of creating levels, but it's all great Mario goodness. And we love Mario goodness.

Seeing this on special, I thought, why not, before proceeding to purchase the game. And I'm really glad I'd done so. Shantae and the Pirate's Curse is a solid game. A very solid game. Great gameplay, amazing humour, a charming art style, and dangerously catchy tunes. Something I really like about this game, however, is how well it handles upgrades. So often in games do we see upgrades become useless shortly after being acquired. There's none of that here. Every upgrade is useful from the time you get it right up until the very end of the game. In this day and age, it's very hard for a game to show amazing originality, but Shantae and the Pirate's Curse holds its own very well. It's not the most outstanding platformer I've ever played, but it is definitely one of the most solid. Absolute pleasure to play this game and I highly recommend it to anyone, gamers and casuals alike.

Thomas Was Alone is a cute little game designed for children aged roughly ten years old. I am not ten years old, but I decided to pick it up anyway to see what it's all about. What I found was that the game oozes charm. It is its charm that makes the game what it is. Had it not been present, the game would be completely and utterly boring. The gameplay is simple yet effective, which is great. However, I found it to be much too short, especially compared to many other indie titles available on the eShop, and this really was a killer for me. I understand that the intent is for the younger audience to play it, but even a little bit of experience will get you through the game with little trouble, no matter how old you are. If you're looking for a game that's full of charm and minimalistic visuals, look no further than Thomas Was Alone. But don't expect an amazingly in-depth adventure with bonus material and side quests because you will surely be disappointed.

SteamWorld Dig is a solid game. But it starts off very slow. So slow, in fact, that I was worried that digging and collecting minerals was all there was to the game. But as I went further into the game, I grabbed some upgrades and traversed some well-designed platforming sections, and it felt really nice. Quite a short game if you're just looking to finish it, and not too much longer if you aim to find every secret and mineral there is. But SteamWorld Dig is still a pretty good game. Definitely worth a purchase if you like to explore and have a bit of platforming action.

From the engine that birthed the brilliant Rayman Legends comes yet another Ubisoft marvel. And its name is Child of Light. This game is just beautiful. The somewhat playful art style contrasts heavily with its dark undertones, making Lemuria a very intriguing place to explore. The battle system is quite standard in being turn-based and having a timeline, but is made a little more unique by the fact that you are able to interrupt enemies that are preparing attacks. You can also use Igniculus - your guardian firefly friend - to heal your party in between turns. In terms of difficulty, Normal mode is actually really easy, even without upgrading. However, it does take a steep turn later on in the game. If you're upgrading your party at a consistent rate, you probably won't notice such a large spike in difficulty. The music is amazing and reminds me a little bit of the sounds from Knytt Underground at times, which I absolutely adore. Lastly, the rhyming dialogue gives this game a lot of great charm - even if they like to change the pronunciation of the word "again" every so often. Overall, Child of Light deserves a solid 9 out of 10. Had a blast playing it, listening to the music, reading all of its quirky rhymes, and whacking around some very frightful monsters. Much enjoyed!

Nearly two years ago, I bought and played Mighty Switch Force! Hyperdrive Edition. And I thought it was an all right game. A good theme, solid gameplay, and unique enough among a vast sea of platformers. I gave it a 7 out of 10. Mighty Switch Force! 2 adheres to pretty much the same criteria. Not a bad thing, but not really trying to be a candidate for anyone's favourite game. More of the same can be good, and this is one of those times. Great game for those who enjoy the platforming genre and love the idea of breaking records and setting new personal best times. Otherwise, it's a pretty all right game.

Settle it in Smash! Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is absolutely perfect for adept gamers and newbies alike, and features a variety of modes and difficulties. It isn't as fast-paced as Melee, but it's a little bit quicker than Brawl. Add in amiibo functionality and challenges and this game really gives you countless hours of replay-ability. And don't forget the sheer beauty and variety of the playable stages. Pure awesomeness, as expected. 10 out of 10.

Need For Speed: Most Wanted U is a superb racing game. Quite superb, actually. The gameplay is outstanding, it's packed to the brim with things to do, and the sceneries are gobsmackingly gorgeous. However, in the fine print, there lies a few little bugs that can cause you to fall through the floor or make your car not appear for a little while causing your driver to just sit on the floor for a bit. But putting this aside, the game is very solid. One of the best Need For Speed games that I've ever played. Granted, it is very similar to its predecessors. But that does not detract from the fact that it's a very nice game. If you're into racing games, this is not one to miss for the Wii U.

Swords & Soldiers is one of those games that does exactly what it sets out to do and nothing more. The type of game that you can't be disappointed in, but at the same time doesn't give that little bit extra. This game is essentially a stripped-down CastleStorm, which is justified by its very low price tag. Some of the challenges are quite hard, and the different modes give it a little more replay-ability, which is nice. The dialogue is quite humorous, too. Ultimately, Swords & Soldiers is a great cheap title to pick up if you're bored, especially if you're a fan of the tower-defense genre.

Sonic Lost World, like any game, has its strengths and its weaknesses. Its main strength is very easy to identify, as from the moment it loads the first time, you will be drawn in by its stunning visuals and gorgeous level designs. But as it starts to grip you, it slips quickly through your fingers, leaving you cold to experiencing the daft, clunky controls that everyone despises so much. Because the controls are so lackluster, Sonic Lost World is made that much more frustrating -- that much more disappointing -- that it's an absolute shame it wasn't taken better care of. As a gamer, I am always going to be attracted by great visuals, but that won't ever be enough to hold me. Silky controls are an absolute necessity, especially when playing as a character as wild as Sonic. Granted, some of Sonic Lost World's stages are absolutely brilliant, highly reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy -- a game that I am particularly fond of. The great stages don't control any better than the mediocre ones, but the hazards involved are not nearly as frustrating to overcome. The stages that require fine movements are awful to play, as Sonic is very much a two-gear fellow; he either isn't moving much or moving really fast. Wide open areas played much better, such as in the The Legend of Zelda DLC, which I found to be awesome. Even the Yoshi's Island DLC was great because it didn't require tiny fiddly movements. On the other end of the spectrum, the boss battles were so astoundingly bad. Sonic's homing attack is pitiful, and as a result you're forced to put him in way more danger than you'd like. Overall, Sonic Lost World is a very challenging game, but for all the wrong reasons. If you're a die-hard Sonic fan, you'll enjoy this game without question. However, it's not one of the Hedgehog's better outings. That's an absolute certainty.

Here's the thing. Nintendo have this gift; a gift of magical prowess. They know how to make games that attract all kinds of people, no matter their personality. It's a gift that is so rare nowadays, yet never goes under-appreciated. Mario Kart 8 is the prime example of this. It delivers with such poise that it makes you wonder if the Wii U was ever on struggle street. Titles like Mario Kart 8 are what bring supposedly doomed consoles back to life. Every game has its issues, and Mario Kart 8 is no exception. But when the magic of Nintendo shines through, there isn't anything that makes you feel let down. For over 30 years, Nintendo have been the kings of game development, and Mario Kart 8 shines brightly with every other classic gem they've ever made. Kudos to you, Nintendo. Pats on back for a job well done.

As a chess game, Pure Chess is one of the best out there. The AI is challenging, cross-platform online play is possible, and extra challenges are included. The game even offers some basic and advanced tips to help you with some important aspects of chess. While all this is fine and dandy, Pure Chess as a video game leaves a lot to be desired. Small bugs can cause chess boards to load incorrectly at times, and the online is very slow due to it not being a real-time experience. Overall, Pure Chess is great as a chess game, but quite mediocre as a video game. Veterans and beginners alike will appreciate the novelty of Pure Chess, but only the truly passionate will keep returning to the game for more.

Playing through Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, I thought it was a nice platformer. The designs were nice, it proved to be challenging, and it used some nice dynamic camera angles that I hadn't seen before in a 2D platformer. Then it was over, and I found myself a little disappointed at how bare-bones the game turned out to be. Unfazed, I decided to extend my playtime by collecting all of the K-O-N-G letters and Puzzle Pieces. It was then that I saw the game start to open up. Although it's not as extensive as New Super Mario Bros. U or Rayman Legends, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze had one important thing going for it; the "just one more try" mentality. The inclusion of collectables such as Images and Dioramas added to the thrill of trying and failing, and listening to the absolutely gorgeous soundtrack over and over was never irritating. It's just one of those games that you may not love at first, but overtime you begin to appreciate the smaller, finer details that the game poses to you. In a long line of 2D platformers for Wii U, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze finds itself amidst some stiff competition. But this game doesn't ape the others (pun intended); it merely puts its own spin on the meaning of 2D platforming just like other greats before it. If you are a Wii U owner and are desperate for a game that is challenging and rewarding, look no further than Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. It is a title that has definitely earned its place in every gamer's home.

There really isn't any other game quite like Knytt Underground. It is by no means one of the best, nor is it one which scratches that proverbial itch. But it does offer a unique experience, a gorgeous art style, and a solid content-to-price ratio. You play as Mi, a female Sprite who is given the great task of halting an imminent apocalypse by ringing the six bells of fate. However, as you journey, you begin to question if any of what your doing is real; can ringing bells truly stop an apocalypse from happening? Mi is joined by two Fairy companions named Dora and Cilia. Dora is very spiritual and caring, while Cilia is a brutal atheist with a strong fixation on reality. These two are great friends and get along despite their totally opposite opinions. The game tackles the major concepts of faith versus no faith over the course of the game. In terms of the gameplay; it's interesting to say the least. The map is a huge labyrinth with shortcuts and hidden areas galore. Using the GamePad as a map proved to be very helpful as it would have been very easy to get lost otherwise. I think the labyrinth is supposed to represent the Internet and the human mind alike; the many routes are like links or nerve endings in the brain. Overall, this game is quite deep, meaningful, and at times it can be quite dark. It's like a 2D platformer puzzle game with the addition of quests and sandbox elements. Definitely not a game for everyone, but I enjoyed Knytt Underground quite a bit. It is very absorbing once you get right into it.

As I was playing through The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD, I thought that it was all a bit too easy. Like it was just me just going through the motions. Which was fine, but I felt like it was lacking that something special. But the further I got through the game, the more I realised I couldn't have been more wrong. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD is a phenomenal game with its classic Zelda patterns involving a tonne of puzzles and loads of combat. It's that gentle mix of linear and open, making it alluring for those who love a good story as well as those who love to roam around. Although there is a little bit of hand-holding at times, it is generally only in times when the next step isn't so clear. As such, this did not detract from the quality of the adventure in the least. The Wind Waker HD offers many different objectives and side quests, from gathering pigs to taming seagulls to winning auctions. And every character is just bursting with flavour and personality, courtesy of the cel-shaded art style. I have played only two Zelda games prior to this one: Ocarina of Time and Skyward Sword. These two and The Wind Waker HD have that elaborate adventure that binds the player to the environments with its great authenticity and depth. And its my personal opinion that The Wind Waker HD does this the best of the three. Nothing really compares to venturing on the sea like a pirate, searching for loot and invaluable objects. If a single fibre of your being is even curious about what The Wind Waker HD has to offer, buy a copy of it immediately. There is seriously no adventure like a Zelda adventure, and you will not regret getting it.

Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams does a lot of things right and a number of things wrong. For starters, the visuals are absolutely amazing. The transitions of environments as you switch between the adorable world of Punk Giana and the frightening world of Cute Giana are flawless. This gives the game great aesthetic appeal for those who are willing to give any game a go. But be warned: as appealing as this game is aesthetically, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams is a hell of a tough game. It is almost a requirement for you to be a platforming enthusiast or genius, otherwise you'll find your money may have been better spent elsewhere, such is its difficulty. Even on Easy mode, this game is a tough challenge, and will make you cry a little bit if you aren't up to said challenge. To add to your woes, you may find yourself getting stuck inside walls, forcing you to reset the entire level. "Oh, well", you would think. But the sheer length of each of these levels means that your "Oh, well" will be more like an "Oh, no..." as you try to clamber your way back through the level. Difficulty and glitching aside, there is some really promising gameplay. It involves switching between Punk Giana and Cute Giana and using their special abilities -- a dash attack and a spin jump, respectively -- in order to solve puzzles and progress through the game. There are lots of hidden areas in every level, giving you a real sense of adventure as you try to collect every last diamond and gallery artwork in your travels, making it tantalising for completionist gamers. At the end of the day, if you're in the mood for a game with gorgeous visuals, worthwhile replay-ability, and gut-wrenching difficulty, Giana Sisters: Twisted Dreams will be able to satisfy that hankering with no problem at all.

Runner2 has everything you could ever want in a single-player platformer: simple gameplay, beautiful aesthetics, and a smorgasbord of collectibles. Slap in a bunch of leaderboards and a grand sense of humour for good measure, and you have yourself a very solid video game. As CommanderVideo and friends, you are to run, jump, slide, kick and dance your way to the finish line in a whopping 100 levels, plus an additional 25 retro levels which can be found within the main levels. The learning curve is very nice, and the number of obstacles is increased with the difficulty to give experienced players a real challenge. There are another seven characters to unlock, as well as 40 costumes in total; more than enough to tide you over before your next purchase. If you're looking for a well-crafted game with an addictive sense of pleasure, the game with the longest title in the world will be more than willing to sate your desires.

Now, here's a game that's a whole lot of fun! Enter CastleStorm: a game which brings together a wicked combination of Angry Birds and Age of War, throws in a levelling system, a castle editor, leaderboards and online multiplayer, and calls it art. And what a masterpiece this game is! The Campaign mode is very long, with charming humour and a plethora of weapons and magic to boot! If that's not challenging enough for you, try measuring up against the rest of the world by collecting all of the Campaign stars, or doing the best you can in Survival and Hero Survival modes. Any fan of tower defense strategy games should pick up CastleStorm immediately. You will not be disappointed!

When a game is as good as Super Mario 3D World, it's hard to think of the words that sums it up with sufficient accuracy. But I'll give it a go: Nintendo's Game of the Year. This is a fresh installment to the Mario franchise, unleashing outstanding class and originality in one neat little package. It captures the very essence of platforming and makes it relevant for any age group, at any level of expertise, in single player or in multiplayer. A casual audience will love having their mates over for a bout in racing for the flag, while the hardcore gamers will have their hands full in trying to achieve 100% completion and setting personal bests for the online community to beat. For many, Super Mario 3D World is the game that justifies their purchase of a Wii U console, and it opens the minds of Wii U owners to fully see what the newest Nintendo home console is truly capable of.

I picked up EDGE as a gamer who simply loves picking up cheap games. My rash behaviour and over-exuberance caused to feel a little disappointed with it at first. It felt clunky, hard-to-control, and overly minimalistic. But I pressed forward. And I'm so glad that I did. EDGE turns out to be a marvellous game, stretching the mind into new territory that I didn't think was possible given EDGE's type of art design. The music is top-notch 8-bit brilliance, and the gameplay trudges forth with the motto "tough but rewarding" bolded and underlined. EDGE is a short game, no doubt. However, the feature of collecting prisms as you progress adds some much-needed replay-ability for those who love the nit and grit of games such as these. Comparing EDGE to its cubey-brother, RUSH, I noted that my experiences playing both games were quite opposite in nature. That is, when I first started playing RUSH, I felt an instant pull toward it. However, later on, I found it was getting to be a little monotonous. EDGE was the opposite: I started out feeling a bit awkward toward it before the game reeled me in. Hook, line and sinker! Both games are lovely bargains, however, I feel that EDGE has a slight...edge over RUSH because of that lasting impression on me. As a result, EDGE is rewarded a 9 out of 10, one point better than my rating for RUSH. Overall, EDGE is a fantastic game. But its cheapness makes it so much sweeter to own, and more likely to edge into many more living rooms. When an indie developer takes the path with obvious design limits and pulls off something with such vivacity and life, it proves how good the developers at Two Tribes really are. Brilliant!

RUSH is ideal for people who love to sit down, strap on a thinking cap, and let the brain juices flow. The game provides a plethora of beautifully made puzzles, based around the concept of transporting cubes from point A to point B under various conditions and using a given set of pieces to alter pathways. Price tags are not something I usually bring up in a review, but given how cheap it is compared to many other games, RUSH is a game that's hard to ignore. The monotonous nature of the 100+ levels may prove to be a bit of a drag for non-puzzlers, and replay-ability is virtually non-existent, but for its price, this is easily forgivable. As a newfound lover of puzzlers, I thought RUSH really hit the mark. Really great game, and a fantastic addition to Wii U's eShop library.

The cute little chicken is back! This time in his original game, Toki Tori. The game has been rendered to 720p, and includes a nifty rewind feature, which allows for mistakes to quickly become forgotten. As a classic puzzler, Toki Tori stretches the mind to the fullest, so don't be put off by the cuteness of this humble game. The various items must be used in their correct positions and at the correct time in order to solve the puzzles at hand. Otherwise, you'll find yourself reaching for that rewind button more than you'd like to. Well worth the purchase, especially if puzzlers are your forte. Toki Tori will keep you occupied for hours comparable to most full-priced games.

Wii Fit U is a game that does exactly what it sets out to do; it battles the bulge and tones those glutes! In all seriousness, Wii Fit U is largely similar to the two previous instalments on Wii. The differences, however, are significant enough to keep the game fresh namely the mini-games that involve the use of the GamePad and the inclusion of the Fit Meter as an additional peripheral. The Fit Meter works like a dream, and shows up many other pedometers on the market in doing so. Steps, calories burned, an altitude graph and a METs graph are all able to be viewed on the Fit Meter, with temperature and time also viewable. Not to mention a picture of your Mii's face with a few little animations! Sync the Fit Meter with the GamePad to view a full-colour bar graph of your energy output and altitude on the Wii U. If a calorie goal has been set for the day, and you haven't met your quota, Wii Fit U will recommend exercises you can do in-game so that your quota is met. Fit Meter Challenges allow for long-term goals by translating distances and altitudes onto famous areas and landmarks, complete with some trivia from the talking Balance Board. Wii Fit U isn't the most revolutionary fitness game, and a lot of it is rehashed from the past instalments. But that doesn't take away from the fact that this is a great game to consult about getting fit, and does little to suggest otherwise.

There comes plenty of competition in the Wii U's current library when it comes to 2D platformers, but Rayman Legends holds its own very nicely. The level of innovation surpasses even that of Rayman Origins, making this game very appetising in its beauty, as well as its humour. The controls work very well and the gameplay is highly addictive. Value for money won't ever be an issue either, with many delicious scenes to explore, as well as the inclusion of collectibles in the form of Teensies, Creatures and Cups. Daily and Weekly Challenges add further longevity to your playtime, giving you the satisfaction of rating yourself against the rest of the world. Rayman Legends does have one drawback, however, and that is that it was a bit too easy to complete 100%. As a seasoned gamer, there were times when I struggled to complete certain sections but were quickly overcome after a few attempts, with most other sections being easily breezed through. This is where Rayman Legends doesn't measure up to the likes of New Super Mario Bros. U, where it is very difficult to complete 100%, but also very satisfying when 100% completion is achieved. Still, despite this, Rayman Legends deserves a 10 out of 10. Its beautiful soundtrack never gets old and it brings new things to the table the whole way through, including touchscreen and rhythm stages. Oh, bellissimo! This is a must-buy for any Wii U owner.

In the beginning, there was nothing except Mr. Miyamoto. Mr. Miyamoto said "Let there be Pikmin 3!" The game began to materialise, sometimes fading back into delay, but eventually coming fully into existence. Mr. Miyamoto was pleased with what he'd created, and distributed Pikmin 3 all around the world for others to enjoy. At this point, you're probably wondering where everyone else came from. To which I'd say that that isn't all that important. What is important, however, is the fact that Pikmin 3 is definitely the best game on Wii U to date. The controls feel very natural with the Wii Remote Nunchuk combo with its simple "point and click" mechanic, making it easy to grasp for beginners, and easy to manoeuvre for the more experienced Pikmin players. And the crazy-addictive Mission mode and Bingo Battle multiplayer more than make up for the slight shortness of the Story mode. But the shortness is again justified as the game records your top five fastest runs through Story mode to keep you engaged for longer as you strive for a personal best or a world record. And the graphics; oh, bellissimo! Normally, I would say graphical detail doesn't matter in video games. But just one glance at the visuals and your jaw will hit the floor, such is its beauty. In fact, Pikmin 3 boasts the best graphical detail I've ever seen in any video game, making the wait for future titles of the same detail that much more exciting (and agonising!). Overall, this game is pretty much perfect. Sure, your Pikmin may get stuck in annoying places. Or they might not even come when called. But that will hardly prove to be any hindrance. Fan of the franchise or not, this is a must-buy for any Wii U owner, and a system seller for anyone on the fence about buying a Wii U. Pikmin 3 marks the beginning of the end of the Wii U's "drought", and a gratifying revival of a franchise nine years dormant.

A nice little game. As short as it is, Nano Assault Neo has that element of replay-ability that many other games lack. The old-school 'try to beat the high score' type of gameplay is done nigh on perfect, easily giving gamers their money's worth in terms of play time. On the flip side, there are a couple of minor issues that keep it from attaining a perfect score. The first, of course, is the shortness of the main game. However, with the inclusion of Arcade, Co-op, and Survival modes, as well as leaderboards, this won't be an issue for those who love those sorts of games. The second issue is a bug which causes freezing of the console. But I have a feeling that this happens with a lot of third-party games that were available at launch. Apart from that, Nano Assault Neo boasts easy-to-learn controls, a modest learning curve, and an interesting look which resembles a mix of Metroid Prime, Super Mario Galaxy, and Space Invaders. A must-have for those who love grinding out personal bests, and those who treasure replay-ability over the amount of content.

If you're looking for a physics-based puzzle game, you can trust Puddle to satisfy that incessant hankering. In my books, this game is near-perfect. It's very polished and realises concepts of such vivid imaginations. The physics is well utilised, involving situations you wouldn't normally expect, such as anti-gravity. Puddle is difficult, however. And while you may breeze past the first few stages with relative ease, it's the back-end which will make you squirm just a little bit. It's that feeling of being able to complete the course, despite failing over and over again. This is the sort of characteristic it boasts which gives it a sound level of replay-ability. The inclusion of gold, silver and copper (bronze) times to beat, as well as a leader board, adds even more replay-ability. Overall, this a fun little game to play and, if physics-based puzzle games are something you enjoy, your money will not be wasted on this game they call Puddle.

Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition is a very good 2D-platform game. The goal is clearly outlined and is the same for every level. The melodies in each level are very catchy and don't ever get irritating. And the puzzles which involve causing blocks to disappear and reappear are quite innovative, despite their simplicity. Not a difficult game to grasp, it serves as a relatively good game for beginners in puzzle games and 2D-platformers alike. However, with all it's shiny positives comes the truth that the game is, in fact, very short and, for most people I fancy, lacks sufficient replay-ability. I mean, it goes without saying that one can try and beat the par times in each level for a bit of added challenge, but it's just you doing the same motions again a bit quicker. Overall, Mighty Switch Force! Hyper Drive Edition is not a must-buy. But it certainly has some intriguing details that could persuade you to enjoy it. Even if for only a short while.

I gave New Super Mario Bros. U a 10 out of 10 because I found it to be original, yet classic, mechanically perfect, and a very good challenge. New Super Luigi U follows suit brilliantly! It's original, but retains its classic feel. The mechanics work wonderfully all of the time. And the challenge was utterly fulfilling. The time-limit of the levels have all been shortened to 100s (as opposed to the usual 300s) and with good reason. While New Super Luigi U is challenging, the levels are easily able to be completed within the 100s time-limit, provided Luigi keeps up a steady gait. I managed to complete it 100% and there was never a dull moment. If you love New Super Mario Bros. U, or any 2D Super Mario game for that matter, you'll adore New Super Luigi U. The DLC is well worth its value as the content will have you entertained for countless hours. It's pretty obvious to me that Nintendo have these 2D Super Mario games down pat, spicing them up with new features in each successive release, while maintaining that original Super Mario Bros.-type feel. And New Super Luigi U is definitely no exception. Oh, bellissimo!

The entire way through Trine 2: Director's Cut, I found myself thinking the same few words over and over again. Beautiful! Gorgeous! Stunning! This game is, by far, the most aesthetically pleasing game I have ever played. Or even seen! Such is its beauty, you'll find yourself so mesmerised that you won't even be bothered that the physics aren't quite what you'd hoped for. However, over time, you will adapt to the physics and it will hardly be a hindrance from then on. Apart from the obvious visual brilliance which the game possesses, Trine 2: Director's Cut contains many puzzling challenges throughout the course of the game. In order to solve them, you must consider the abilities of your three heroes: Amadeus the Wizard, Pontius the Knight and Zoya the Thief. The game is quite long, making it well worth its standard $20 AUD price tag in the eShop. Plus, the addition of multiplayer and headset compatibility adds greatly to the game's play time. In short, Trine 2: Director's Cut is a breath of fresh air despite its imperfections. If you are seeking a unique 2D puzzling experience with copious amounts of vivacity and flair, then picking up this game should be a no-brainer. And you shan't be disappointed!

Oh, bellissimo! I expected Toki Tori 2 to be a decent, solid puzzle game. But what I experienced was so much more! Playing this game, the love and affection that the developers have put into it is very evident. Everything runs smoothly, the colours are vibrant, the music is hypnotising. But most importantly, the puzzles are excellent! Toki Tori 2 takes the restriction of stomping and whistling and turns their usage into something so much more elaborate. The learning curve is perfect; newcomers to the game will find ways to progress to different exits as they learn more about how the game works, leading to many hours of potential replay-ability. Don't be fooled by Toki Tori's cute, "kiddish" charm. This game requires patience, timing and a lot of lateral thinking. Toki Tori may be adorable, but his quest to rescue his fellow chickens will involve much pain and even excruciating death. Overall, there is no way I can fault this game. It is nigh on perfect and made me smile the whole way through. If you are into puzzle games, Toki Tori 2 will surely not disappoint. It's right up there with the 2D Mario's and 2D Metroid's in terms of gameplay brilliance. And if you ever get stuck and are unsure what to do, take a deep breath, grab a snack and come back to it later. But whatever you do, don't give up! As the old saying goes: "If at first you don't succeed, whistle-whistle-WHISTLE-WHISTLE again."

This may be the most addictive game I have ever played. And it doesn't cost a single cent! The only things keeping it from a perfect score are some minor bug issues which sometimes cause players to attain world-fast speed-run times unjustly. Apart from that, perfect! This is exactly what the Wii U needed to curb the appetites of all the hungry Wii U owners before E3 2013. Striving to outperform fellow humans squeezes out many hours of gameplay, and you will always find yourself saying "Just one more go", such is the addiction. And with the worldwide rivalries that have formed, the game also acts as the driving-force for many Miiverse friendships. Also, on the topic of Miiverse, it's great to just be able to ask for help or give advice, knowing that the community is a very friendly one. An excellent move by Ubisoft. I'm sure they've won many hearts back, with this "App" as their heartfelt apology for delaying the release of Rayman Legends. So, I think I can speak for most people when I say thank you, Ubisoft. And apology accepted.

After watching the trailer for Kung Fu Rabbit, I decided to buy it because it looked like a nice, easy game I could enjoy. Plus it's downright adorable! But as beautiful as this game is in terms of its colouring and content, it just felt a little bit the same the entire way through. Not much variety. This, by no means, makes it a bad game. It's a good game. But it lacks that element of replay-ability. And that's due to the lack of variety. Overall, this is a fun game that will keep you entertained for a day, maybe two, though not much longer than that. But really, who can say no to saving a bunch of adorable square rabbits with no feet? I certainly couldn't!

If you are considering getting this game, but you don't know anything about it, you should get this game. In not knowing, more attention is payed to the story and what it all means. The gameplay is simple, but this is a game that isn't about the gameplay. It warns you of the choice of comfort over what is more important. Of course, if it were possible, everyone would much rather watch the pretty fires dance majestically in their fireplace rather than face outside adversities and overcome fears. This game produces a beautiful, yet seamless connection between warmth and cold, light and dark, known and unknown. The humour is silly, but it fits well with the mood of the game overall. The game also pokes fun at other games that are blatantly repetitive by being blatantly repetitive itself in a very parodic way. Little Inferno provides a very unique experience, and for those game enough to try it, I implore you to give this game a whirl. You may be pleasantly surprised.

My past involving 2D Super Mario games hasn't been good. Playing them would always lead me to eventual frustration and abandonment of the game altogether. I liked the games, but I never loved them. I simply wasn't skilled enough, nor patient enough, to continue on and finish the game. That is, until I started playing New Super Mario Bros. U. This game is the most indulgent experience in the series to date. The content is enormous. The designs are flawless. And the ****, bellissimo! I knew I would like this game, but I never suspected I would love it this much. I've also gotten 100% completion something I would never dream was possible for me in a 2D Mario adventure and I'm still wanting to play more. The New Super Luigi U content destined to come out later this year cannot arrive soon enough, and will effectively double the content of an already-mammoth game. If you're considering picking up a Wii U, and you can't decide which game to choose, pick New Super Mario Bros. U. Even if 2D Mario adventures aren't your cup of tea, you won't be disappointed with the content-cost ratio. Plus the multiplayer is absolutely hilarious.

After seeing the beautiful designs for the first time, I was totally astounded. 20 tracks in all, and every one of them unique. If I had reviewed this game after the first few hours of gameplay, I seriously would have given it a 10. But at that point I was so mesmerised by the designs (as well as only playing Intermediate difficulty), that I didn't care to notice the **** little things that take away from the overall experience. These things are more noticeable in the harder difficulties because the oppositions are tougher, but also because you're trying a lot harder to win. Little invisible walls kept slowing me down or spinning me around (though that could have been my own errors), and sometimes my character would fall through the level into glitch city. Another annoying aspect was the fact that sometimes it would take so long to reset the vehicle after falling off an edge, often costing me a race. But they're the only bad things I noticed, and even though they are small, they are still existent and deserve to be mentioned in a review. Bad stuff aside, the good stuff is good. Really good. Not only the aforementioned track designs, but also the layout of the career mode with its many different kinds of modes, the large number of playable characters, the involvement of a pre-race slot machine for a potential upper-hand, the online races with their lack of lag (though I'd only played a few races online), and the time trial modes were done very well. I like how the game "borrows" things from Mario Kart, such as slide-boosting and computers to beat in time trial modes. I also like how the weapons don't have a huge impact on the race, but provide enough hurt to oppositions to just put them off-balance. This is quite opposite to Mario Kart, where a single powerful weapon just before the finish line can cause you to go from second to tenth. (Though it is this kind of thing that makes Mario Kart one of the best games to play with friends.) Transitions between vehicles in races are pretty decent. Just be sure that you're facing the correct direction when transforming otherwise you may find yourself smeared along a wall, or plummeting into the adjacent abyss for way too long. Overall, Sonic Al Stars Racing Transformed is a must-have game crammed with 95% loveliness and its **** bad 5% bugginess. It serves as a great substitute until the Wii U's Mario Kart is released, and could even give Mario Kart a run for its money in terms of replay-ability and sheer content level. We will see in due time.

Sometimes, simple is good. It means nothing gets confusing and makes things easier to understand. Sometimes, it makes things a little too easy to understand. The majority of the puzzles that need solving are very simple. This is by no means a bad thing. It just means it's more suited for a younger audience. However, that being said, a teenage-and-older audience can have equally as much fun trying to think of weird ways to satisfy the game's characters. Conversely, some of the shard puzzles were ridiculously difficult; I actually resorted to looking the last few up on the Internet, because a totally specific answer was required. The game wasn't as buggy as past installments, which means big ticks. But of course, a game with an encyclopaedia inbuilt will occasionally have its mishaps. I find that this is a game that is more centralised on imagination of the person playing, rather than the plot or gameplay, making this very much a "just for funsies" kind of game. For me, this was a bit of a fresh change, and the GamePad worked great. In fact, you could probably save a bit of power and not use your television at all, since the whole game can just be played using the GamePad without the need for the television anyway. Overall, this game is a cakewalk with the occasional roadblock, with the game having virtually no learning curve. However, it does allow for the person playing to unleash their inner imaginations and bring to life nearly anything they dream up...except for petals - strangely, the game doesn't know what a petal is.

An excellent game with magnificently crafted puzzles and action, as well as being large enough to keep you entertained for many hours, easily pushing the content-price ratio in favour of the consumer. The GamePad is utilised enough to be useful, and doesn't force you to look down any more than you would like to in an adventure game. Bugs caused me to have to reset the console on numerous occasions, but seeing how vastly huge this game is, the number of bugs is easily forgivable. An overall beautiful game brimming with content and awe-striking detail. This is a must-have game in your Wii U library.

I'm no expert in Tekken games, but this game is so mesmerisingly beautiful that expertise won't even be an issue. The standards such as Arcade and Team Battle are mechanically crisp, and will provide entertainment for countless hours whether you're going solo or in versus mode with friends. But what separates this version from the others is, of course, the Nintendo-based content. The various kinds of Mushroom Battles are mainly for giggles and are purely for fun - great for battles with friends. Each of the fighters also have costumes pertaining to a certain Nintendo character, such as the hilarious Peach-dress on Panda. Because the fighters in the game are generally quite serious in attitude, it's quite funny to see them being serious while being ridiculously dressed. Pleasing aesthetics with beautiful mechanics makes this a brilliant game to play.

At first, I was a little worried. I was concerned with how Nintendo Land would follow up Wii Sports and Wii Play - two exceptional games which showed us the ropes when it came to the use of the Wii Remote. But that concern melted away once I'd started playing the game for myself. Nintendo Land brings virtual funfairs to life in this exceptionally beautiful and charismatic atmosphere, packed to the brim with countless hours of fun and hilarity. The mini-games are all beautiful, though the Metroid and Yoshi mini-games are my favourites. The Metroid mini-game really lets you live the role of Samus whether you're in the sky or on land, and the detail is positively mesmerising. The Yoshi mini-game makes you think, like a good puzzle game should. It also helps you to coordinate yourself by getting used to there being two screens to look at. Plus, it's adorable! Overall, this game is quite deep - much deeper than Wii Sports and Wii Play (perhaps combined!). There is definitely something for everyone to enjoy in this marvelous game. Nintendo are truly the masters at what they do.