knifeandfork

I loved previous installments in this light-hearted puzzle series, but this time Nintendo have cut it a little too short, making this latest one a game that is only worth buying if you haven't got any of the others. The main game consists of the same old classic puzzle challenges that, while fairly enjoyable, introduce hardly any new mechanics. Instead, they take all of the previous Mario vs DK games' innovations and simple recycle them. This means that the game is rarely surprising and you'll probably get bored if you've played the previous Mario vs DK titles. Still, the single player isn't the focus here, of course, as the title suggests. The level editor is what is supposed to keep you coming back for more, and that is, in the end, the biggest disappointment. You can use it to design levels, like in the previous games, for sharing online. But the trouble is, because the game barely introduces any new ideas, if you've played the previous games and made a lot of levels with them, then you won't have many ideas for new levels here. According to Nintendo, this is where the 'tipping stars' come in. The idea is, if other people like your levels, they'll tip you stars which you can then use to buy new mechanics and options to use in the levels you make. This, according to Nintendo, should keep people making levels. And it's a nice idea- but it's made pointless by the fact that these new mechanics are merely new themes, not anything else! How is a golden pipe going to help you make more creative levels any more than an ordinary green pipe? Or a new background? I don't know what was going through the developers' minds, but they really got this very wrong indeed. And did I mention you can't even share more than 20 levels anyway per account? Oh, and the price tag- the game should be half that price, but the fact the purchase was crossplatform seemed to make Nintendo think they could charge double for it, even though it's exactly the same on Wii U and 3DS! If you've never played a Mario vs DK game before, this might be worth picking up. But even then, you'd get more enjoyment from buying the old DS entries in the series than this one, for their more inspired level design.

I loved previous installments in this light-hearted puzzle series, but this time Nintendo have cut it a little too short, making this latest one a game that is only worth buying if you haven't got any of the others. The main game consists of the same old classic puzzle challenges that, while fairly enjoyable, introduce hardly any new mechanics. Instead, they take all of the previous Mario vs DK games' innovations and simple recycle them. This means that the game is rarely surprising and you'll probably get bored if you've played the previous Mario vs DK titles. Still, the single player isn't the focus here, of course, as the title suggests. The level editor is what is supposed to keep you coming back for more, and that is, in the end, the biggest disappointment. You can use it to design levels, like in the previous games, for sharing online. But the trouble is, because the game barely introduces any new ideas, if you've played the previous games and made a lot of levels with them, then you won't have many ideas for new levels here. According to Nintendo, this is where the 'tipping stars' come in. The idea is, if other people like your levels, they'll tip you stars which you can then use to buy new mechanics and options to use in the levels you make. This, according to Nintendo, should keep people making levels. And it's a nice idea- but it's made pointless by the fact that these new mechanics are merely new themes, not anything else! How is a golden pipe going to help you make more creative levels any more than an ordinary green pipe? Or a new background? I don't know what was going through the developers' minds, but they really got this very wrong indeed. And did I mention you can't even share more than 20 levels anyway per account? Oh, and the price tag- the game should be half that price, but the fact the purchase was crossplatform seemed to make Nintendo think they could charge double for it, even though it's exactly the same on Wii U and 3DS! If you've never played a Mario vs DK game before, this might be worth picking up. But even then, you'd get more enjoyment from buying the old DS entries in the series than this one, for their more inspired level design.

While not an especially deep or massive game, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is nevertheless a great title that will keep you addicted and coming back for more. Its visuals are pleasant, taking many assets from Super Mario 3D World but using them in new ways. Many of the levels have one-off aesthetic themes that are unique to that level and will never be seen again, which means that nothing ever feels stale. One minute you’ll be playing through a detailed Wild West themed level, the next you’ll be on a steam train hurtling through a snowstorm and then you’ll be thrown in a giant hamster cage. Not only are the themes and visuals varied and impressive, but the game has so much charm. Captain Toad and Toadette, similarly to Luigi in Luigi’s Mansion, are adorable characters who are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who has a heart. Treasure Tracker’s undeniably cute look should be enough to draw anyone in, ten years old or thirty. Treasure Tracker’s core gameplay mechanic revolves around getting Toad, who can’t jump, to the star in each bite-sized level. Toad’s lack of a jump ability turns a goomba or a shy guy, which was a laughably hopeless enemy in Mario games, into a real danger, meaning your playing style must be totally different to that of Mario titles. There are still ways to kill enemies, but it’s much more of a challenge to do so. A lot of the challenge lies within the camera, as you must constantly manipulate the camera to get the right angle, often exposing nooks and crannies you previously couldn’t see. The GamePad is utilised particularly well; there are some challenges that involve tapping blocks to move them to the right positions and you can also prevent enemies from moving by tapping and holding them on the GamePad’s screen. The best way the GamePad is used is definitely in the mine cart levels. Here, Toad travels down a precarious track in a mine cart. The TV gives you a third person view of what is going on while the GamePad’s screen gives you a first person view. You have to aim it- using its motion sensor- to shoot turnips (which are stripped from Super Mario Bros 2) at targets. It’s things like this that are the icing on the cake for Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker. The only thing I wasn’t a fan of was how you sometimes have to blow on the GamePad to make platforms move. It’s not fun; rather, it’s an annoying inconvenience. The levels’ sizes are akin to those of Super Mario 3D World’s Captain Toad levels; they are tiny, so much so that many of them can be beaten in under a minute if you know exactly what you’re doing. Finish one level and the next is instantly unlocked, so each levels shortness makes the game addicting, leading to a ‘just one more level’ approach that could keep you playing for ages. The levels are easy enough to beat, with puzzles that are clever and often require thought, but are also not hard to beat. However, each level houses three gems which are often a real challenge to obtain, but are optional (though you sometimes need a certain amount of gems to progress through the game). This is what gives the game such broad appeal- a less experienced gamer can still beat it while not grabbing too many of the gems while a more experienced gamer will rise to the challenge of getting every last one. Regardless of skill level, you can have a great time. There are two main bosses that you fight three times each throughout the game. While they are challenging and inventive, it’s disappointing that there are only two bosses. In spite of the gems, which make the game more challenging and increase its lasting appeal, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a short game. It only has just over 70 levels, which, as mentioned before, are very short themselves. And that number includes the game’s bonus levels, some of which are stripped straight out of Super Mario 3D World. The levels’ shortness isn’t a problem in itself- in fact, it suits the game perfectly- but you would expect for there to be many more levels to compensate for this. There isn’t any other content at all apart from the three episodes and bonus levels that the game is split up into- no extra modes, nothing. This would be fine if the game was longer, but it isn’t long, which leaves you wanting more considering it’s a retail game. Overall, Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is a huge amount of fun. Although it could do with more content, or be sold as an eshop game with a lower price, it’s still a must-have game with its addicting challenges and puzzles.

After Ocarina of Time and The Wind Waker getting remakes quite close to each other, it seemed unlikely there’d be a Majora’s Mask remake too, but thankfully there was. Majora’s Mask is a masterpiece, so the 3DS getting it for its second Zelda remake was definitely a good thing. The reason it remains so highly regarded to this day is for the same reason as Ocarina of Time- it’s timeless. But Majora’s Mask is a very different game to Ocarina of Time in every way except for the art style. Zelda doesn’t even feature in the game, and instead of the game taking place in Hyrule, Link has ended up in the darker world of Termina. What straight away makes Majora’s Mask feel so unique is this new world: all of its characters are the same as the characters from Ocarina of Time, as if it’s some sort of eerie parallel universe that Link has been unlucky enough to end up in. What adds to this is the perpetually restarting 3-day Moon cycle, going through the same apocalyptic scenario again and again and again. And the fact all of the characters are exactly like those from Ocarina of Time makes the world seem odd, dreamlike. The soundtrack reflects this. This and the game’s unique storyline make Majora’s Mask darker and more eerie than Ocarina of Time. Of course, this world would never come of life as it does without the presentation and graphics and along with the 3D effect, they make the game even more magical than it was to begin with. Grezzo have once again done a wonderful job updating the 15-year old visuals for the 3DS, granting the world of Termina much more detail. The locations look superb and all the character models are clearer and more detailed, including the enemies and bosses. Many of the gameplay mechanics have also been polished to make for more seamless gameplay. The actual gameplay of Majora’s Mask is excellent, as it always has been, using the same control scheme as Ocarina of Time but with new features, such as the masks. As well as collecting the items, there are also many masks that each grant Link a new ability. As the game was released soon after OoT, this was another good way to shake up the gameplay. Though most of the masks are optional and are obtained from side quests, a few of them are transformation masks that transform Link into a character that has died. For example, the Zora mask transforms Link into a Zora character who drowns. Not only is that idea quite different from what you’d expect, but these masks play big roles in the game. They are used as much as the dungeon items to solve puzzles and fight bosses and enemies. Another thing that set this Majora’s Mask apart from OoT was the 3-day cycle system. The plot is, obviously, that Link has only 3 days to save the land of Termina from its Moon crashing into it. Throughout the game you must reset the 3 days (or you’d only have a few hours to beat it) but reset the cycle during a dungeon will mean losing a lot of progress, which leads to some frantic situations when you only have a few minutes left. You have to constantly move, or you will run out of time. The way the 3-day cycle is implemented is complex and very clever, adding to the gameplay immensely as certain things can only be done at certain times. It also means that the developers could make it so that you can ‘fail’ side quests permanently, only to reset the 3-day cycle to get another try. Put simply, Majora’s Mask mechanics are flawlessly implemented. The dungeons are innovative, especially the final one, and the locations have been updated well for the 3DS. However, the game has one flaw which is still present in this version: its shortness. Compared with OoT, which had nine dungeons, Majora’s mask has only four. And while the larger overworld partly makes up for that, the game is noticeably shorter than OoT. Grezzo could have easily made up for this at least in part by including an unlockable tougher hero mode as has been customary in all recent Zelda titles, even non-remakes. But for some reason, they made the puzzling decision not to, which is a shame. It’s not like the MM’s massively short though and the side quests offer a good amount more of extra length. Despite its shorter length, Majora’s Mask is a timeless classic, setting itself apart from OoT with its different overworld, 3-day cycle and one masks. Without a doubt, one of the best Zelda games and that has become even better because of the remake.

Before the gravity mechanic of MK8 was revealed, I expected it to be just another Mario Kart game, with few actual new ideas. But I was proven wrong. In Mario Kart 8, Nintendo has created their best Mario Kart in years. There's an abundance of ideas in this new entry, which makes it a joy to play. One of the most exciting things about MK8 is the fact we're finally getting a Mario Kart in HD. And it doesn't disappoint. The game looks amazing, constantly throwing in another welcome visual surprise. Mount Wario, for example, is a wondrous sight. The visuals in it are varied all the way through and you'll see a variety of views. What about Sunshine Airport? This intricately crafted track has you crossing a wide variety of terrain, with the visual spectacle of seeing a plane soar above you as you glide to the end of each lap. It's clear that there are a lot of points in the game which serve the purpose to simply amaze you visually again and again. With the fluid animations and crystal-clear graphics, it's impossible to complain about the visual side of things at all. What's more, the new anti-gravity mechanic makes it even more spectacular. You'll see things you never thought you's see in a Mario Kart game. But what about the sound? Simply put, it's wonderful. Much of the music is recorded live, giving a much richer quality than in past Mario Kart games. All the various pieces are excellent, contributing to the polish of MK8. However, the graphics and sound are merely an afterthought compared to MK8's revolutionary gameplay. Though gliders, kart customisation and all the rest of it return, the focus is on the brand-new mechanic that changes everything: anti-gravity. You can drive up walls, upside down, up a waterfall, and more. This new mechanic is used in many ways, and apart from the visusl thrill of driving upside down, it grants the gameplay a lot too. In Toad's Turnpike- which is actually a remake of the N64 version- you get the choice of driving on the walls the whole time, or staying on the road. This gives gameplay a whole new strategy. Also, when driving in anti-gravity, slamming into another racer doesn't slow you down, it instead gives you a speed boost. This means that now, even if you're playing as Mini Mario, you'll want to hit Bowser or DK to get that speed boost, completely overturning everything we knew about Mario Kart. Of course, MK8's other big innovation is Mario Kart TV- a feature that creates highlight reels of a race, with impressive camera angles, slow motion and the ability to edit the reel. You can then share these short videos on Miiverse and Youtube, a pleasant surprise from a tentative company when it comes to online. MKTV works well with anti-gravity because during gameplay, the camera still stays right behind you when you go upside down, meaning you still see it from the racer's perspective. However, MKTV shows the highlights from other camera angles, so you'll see your racer on their side or upside down- an impressive sight. On the whole, MKTV is an excelent addition which gives you the chance to share the best moments with friends. As for the multiplayer in MK8, it's a lot of fun. It's disappointing that you still have to play split-screen in spite of the Gamepad, but multiplayer is so fun that's easily forgivable. Online is great, with the well thought out voting system making a return so that a variety of courses can be played. There's no voice chat during play, and I wish you could type messages yourself between races, but the online is nevertheless solid. So far, I've been very positive about the game, though there are a few small complaints I have. The fact the Gamepad has the map is no longer a flaw since the update, so I can count that one out. However, the amount of characters you can play as is small. I appreciate the inclusion of the Koopalings, but overall the roster is underwhelming. And the less said about MK8's horrendous battle mode, the better. It was an enjoyable distraction from the main game in previous MK titles, but in this one, the battle stages have inexplicably been replaced by ordinary tracks, making it a mundane experience. These are small flaws when compared to the quality of the majority of the game. MK8 is one of the best entries in the series, with some of the most innovative game design I've seen in years and an impressive feature enabling you to share highlight reeks of races. Despite a couple of odd slip-ups, it's an outstanding game overall.

NES Remix is a good idea, a great one. The best way to sum it up is like WarioWare's short bursts of challenge, but with the focus on 'remixing' classic NES games to make up these minigames. It starts out as simple as simply speedrunning a Mario level we've seen hundreds of times before, or reaching the top of a level in Donkey Kong Jr, but the creativity increases a lot, and before you know it, you're blazing through a series of highly creative challenges that put a real twist on classic gameplay found in the selection of NES games that are featured in NES Remix. These challenges are each unique and can involve anything from having to beat a snowy Mario level without stopping to playing through a level that's completely silhoutted. These genuinely inventive ideas apply to these remix challenges that are based on a whole amount of classic NES games. Sadly, these remixes don't make up most of the game- most of the levels are simply short challenges with no twist just based on reaching a particular goal, for example performing a certain action in Excitebike. While this is fun, it's not addictive and this is how NES Remix fails to deliver. It could have been a great game if all the challenges were remixes, but sadly the remixes make up but a fraction of the overall game, meaning you'll usually be playing through ordinary, uninventive minigames. Not bad ones, but not a huge amount of fun, either. In NES Remix there's an emphasis on beating each challenge as fast as possible, and depending on how fast you are, you are graded one, two or three stars. This increases the lasting appeal of challenges, however the lack of online leaderboards is a massive disappointment and it's another way NES Remix shows promise but fails to deliver. Overall, though NES Remix is a very good idea, it simply doesn't live up to the promise it first shows. You're bound to have some fun playing these games, as they're all to some degree exciting (yes, even the ones based on NES games like Baseball). But it could have been so much better had it lived up to its potential.

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy is a great ending to the series that will be remembered for years to come. At its heart it doesn’t stray far from what Professor Layton has always been, but that’s for the best and it makes it a solid finale. It retains the regular puzzle gameplay that you know and love, but the puzzles are better this time round than before. Many of them are very creative and I would say they were much more enjoyable and satisfying than in Miracle Mask. Unfortunately, there are a few stinkers here and there, and, annoyingly, the second puzzle in the game is one of these, I was stuck on the puzzle for very long and I had to use all the hints to figure out the answer because there’s just no way the player can know the answer. Some of these disappointingly unfair puzzles hinder the game but for the most part they’re brilliant. For the storyline, Professor Layton has to visit many areas around the world this time and this for me is where Azran Legacy truly shines. The locations vary from a snowy town to a tribal village in a jungle, and every one of the locations possesses a quality of magic. The story is another reason why I love Azran Legacy so much, it takes a long time to unfold, but once it does, you’re in for a spectacular and surprisingly emotional ending to the series, and one that it ultimately very satisfying. What begins as an adventure to beat an evil organisation called Targent, ends as something quite brilliant. Of course, there’s lots of content beyond the story, tonnes of it in fact! When you combine the number of in-game puzzles with the huge amount of (free) DLC there is, you get a positively meaty game, and one that you will not regret buying. Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy doesn’t really change the tried-and-true formula much (although it gives you some non-linearity), but it doesn’t need to. The puzzles are inventive and marvellous, the locations are superb and it has a fulfilling and emotional ending.

Zen Pinball 2 has great tables. They are excellent. But getting to the tables is the biggest challenge in Zen Pinball 2. The menu system is AWFUL! You can download Zen Pinball 2 for free from the e-shop, but you need to buy each table. Unfortunately, it's far too difficult to buy tables because of the selection system. You can also play demos of each table, but demos are over in ten seconds. What the hell! When trying to buy tables, the unhelpful menu system seems like it is trying to put every obstruction between you and the tables. It's bizzare. I thought Zen wanted to make money here!

When Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze I was a bit disappointed that Retro Studios weren’t working on a different project. I knew that it would be a good game, but it would be more of the same. I was right. It’s a blast to play through Tropical Freeze but I can’t shake off the feeling of over-familiarity. Let’s start with the best thing: the graphics. Sometimes it feels like the main reason of this game was to have Donkey Kong in HD, and it sure looks good. Country Returns I regard as a brilliant platformer, but because of the Wii’s graphical limitations, it didn’t look as good as it could have. Tropical Freeze looks excellent. It’s not the visual spectacle that Super Mario 3D World was- scenery and locations don’t have that same wow factor- but it still looks impeccable. All the enemies have great animations too, and Donkey Kong’s fur particularly is very detailed and realistic. If it is true that the main justification for this sequel was the potential of HD, then Retro have succeeded. The game also has a powerful musical score alongside the graphics. In some ways, though, the game is a total letdown. At this time Nintendo should be showing off the potential of the Gamepad to benefit games, so it’s slightly worrying that they didn’t even consider using that second screen. It doesn’t even have the rarely used functionality found in 3D World. In fact, the screen goes black when playing. For that reason I played the game entirely with the pro controller. The Gamepad doesn’t benefit the game at all, losing some potential to make levels more creative than they are, however the excellent design of each of the levels, requiring very precise jumps and movements to get through, is as great as it was before. Sadly levels aren’t as challenging as they were in Country Returns but they’re still designed with fantastic flow, with very well thought out ideas every time. They are also extremely dynamic, forcing you to stay on your toes. While it’s a lot of fun and quite challenging as well, there aren’t too many new ideas. Levels aren’t really that creative and some of the best ideas- such as silhouetting, cannon level and rocket barrel and mine cart levels, all appeared in Country Returns. Often the levels are made to constantly be falling apart, so that you have to keep moving, however this too is a great idea but recycled from this game’s predecessor. The 3D camera allows for some potential in perspectives and ideas, and some levels make excellent use of it, like a challenging rocket barrel level, but it just isn’t used enough through the game, featuring in only a handful of levels. The bosses are an excellent example of how the game excels, with amazing creative ideas. They also return to the punishing, brutal difficulty of Donkey Kong Country Returns. Unlike Country Returns, which had eight worlds, Tropical Freeze has only six. This means it’s beatable- along with lower difficulty- in much less time. There are still the puzzle pieces and kong letters to collect in each level, which offers a lot of replay value, but the game could seriously do with more levels. There’s one thing I’ve left to the end, and that’s the characters. Whereas in Country Returns you could only play as DK and Diddy, Dixie and Cranky are added to the list here. They each come with special abilities: Dixie can hover like Diddy and then boost upwards and Cranky can bounce on spikes. While this is a nice thing to include, the problem is there’s one outright winner you will use all the time- Dixie. Her superior powers render Diddy effectively pointless and though Cranky’s bouncing abilities are also useful if you want to get to higher places, Dixie, again, does the same job with her ability. Multiplayer functions incredibly well, which was a surprise. It can be quite chaotic, but that much was to be expected. The camera is (usually) perfect in multiplayer too. There’s no online though, which is disappointing. Overall, Tropical Freeze is great fun to play, with some good ideas introduced. It does play it safe in the level design, which drags it down quite a bit, but there’s no denying it’s a sight seeing its environments rendered in full HD.

Rush is a very, very clever game, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good one. The general gameplay revolves around getting your cubes to the goal point using different types of pads that change the direction of the cubes. Puzzles get very difficult, very quickly and the solutions are always clever. The hint system is helpful, as if you get stuck on a puzzle for too long (and this will happen a lot), you can just see several hints for the puzzle to help you. As I mentioned, though the solutions are clever, that doesn’t mean they are fun to work out. Part of the reason is the awful camera. Not only is it a pain, but at times it’s almost impossible to see part of a level- take a level shaped like a crocodile. Inside its mouth, I worked out I needed to place a pad, but I couldn’t see into it properly to place it- even when zooming in. What’s more of a problem, though, is that Rush just isn’t fun to play. However genius the solutions got, I found myself admiring them but not actually enjoying the puzzle. The graphics of Rush aren’t too good either. It’s not that graphics are this important in this kind of game, but they look horribly garish. The soundtrack is awful, meaning you’ll turn the volume off unless you want to be driven crazy. These problems all make an interesting, experimental idea into a problematic game. It’s a good concept on paper, but in practice it’s just not fun. thankfully it is cheap, at under £2 when I bought it. That doesn't make it any more enjoyable, though.

A charming, wholly enjoyable game from start to finish, Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask is a great instalment in the puzzle/mystery series with a very good storyline spanning decades. It’s a must for puzzle fans. The game is utterly charming, with characters full of personality. There is so much to utterly love about Professor Layton as it has a whole range of eccentric characters. The game is driven by a very good storyline with a very clever twist at the end which leaves you feeling fully satisfied. All the cutscenes work out well, although an important point is that Miracle Mask is actually better played in 2D. The cutscenes’ 3D hasn’t been worked out well so it looks all wrong, and 3D never enhances gameplay. The puzzles don’t make use of 3D either, which is disappointing- there is lots of potential for some clever challenges here in that form. What’s more dismaying is how the game generally feels like it could be played on a DS without losing anything. It doesn’t make use of the new technological enhancements of the 3DS. As mentioned, it’s actually better in 2D because of the cutscenes. However, that is little problem for a puzzle game, especially one whose puzzles are so startlingly clever. It’s amazing to think they- and there are hundreds of them when including the ones you can download- were all designed by one man, even more so as it doesn’t even show. They all have a separate kind of idea, and almost every one is creative in how it is designed. Most of them are real head-scratchers, leaving me challenged for a pretty long time before I find the answer. I said almost all of them were good because not all of them are- there are some which were clearly designed with an original idea in mind, but in practice, it was practically guesswork to find the solution. These bad puzzles are few and far between though and Professor Layton and the Miracle Mask will leave you fully satisfied. It has a wonderful story, and the sheer amount of clever puzzles you can download will keep me entertained for months on end, as I haven’t even scratched the surface yet. Gaming’s most gentlemanly hero has scored a great 3DS title.

Toki Tori is a puzzle game, one about an extremely cute little bird of a species that apparently has not been discovered yet by mankind. A very, very cute bird species. In fact, Toki Tori is the most completely innocent and cuddly game character in a long time. And he stars in an excellent game, one that actually came out for Gameboy years ago. This wonderful indie game by Two Tribes involves controlling this very cute little bird (who looks even cuter when wearing a Santa hat) in a 2D environment collecting eggs. That’s all. While it may seem simple, this puzzle game is very clever, even in the early stages, and will challenge even the most experienced of puzzle enthusiasts. Toki Tori has a number of powers which are gradually introduced throughout the game. One for example, is the ability to build a short bridge in front of him over a gap. Toki Tori only has a specific amount of these resources to spare per level, which means you have to use them sparingly and wisely. On top of that, the requirement for combinations of these powers mean each level has an extremely clever solution. I sometimes got stuck for long, long time. Toki Tori’s visuals also look pleasing beyond that adorable bird. Levels look just as good on the gamepad, something not all games can say. Toki Tori’s animations are especially cute: keep turning around quickly and he will get dizzy, then shake himself normal. Fall off a ledge and he slowly flaps to the ground with an adorable expression on his face. But Toki Tori’s level design is what secures it as an excellent game. It’s simply unrivalled. Sadly, on this port, there’s not the option to continue that cleverness into a level editor, which is the only thing missing from this intelligent, and super-cheap, puzzle game.

Simplicity is what makes EDGE a success. There are no enemies, no power-ups, or anything really, other than cubes. Now, if you have an allergy to cubes, stop reading now. You mustn’t buy this game. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is made up of cubes. The easiest way to sum Edge up is to say that it’s a retro 3D platformer in which you control a cube, one that can’t jump, only roll about the grid-like floors. Surprisingly for a game made up of big cubes, the graphics are very good. Set in a blackness that looks like space, the cubes that everything is made up of have a distinct sharpness to them, meaning they really stand out from their background, though Edge does lose some of its graphical fidelity on the gamepad. The core gameplay of Edge revolves around controlling your cube, from an isometric camera angle (which is very hard to do at first) around a restricted 3D environment, climbing up walls, timing movement across moving platforms, and climbing and hanging onto walls. As mentioned earlier, you cannot jump and there are no enemies, which sounds like it means innovation is restricted. It’s not. The amount of clever ideas Two Tribes have come up with using just blocks and switches to press down is astounding, and it means that level after level, you’ll be hooked. The gameplay gets very challenging, pushing reflexes and the occasional puzzle- solving as well to the limit. It never becomes frustrating however hard it gets because of the frequency of checkpoints and level design is never so hard it’ll make you give up in a puff of rage. It’s a formula VVVVVV could definitely learn a lot from. And for under £2 at time of purchase, Edge has hell of a lot of content. It just keeps on giving, with well over 100 levels. Increasing its replay value are prisms, little collectibles you find a lot of in each level. It’s no big innovation, but as it keeps track of how many you collect per level and grades you depending on your speed and how many you collected, there is definitely an incentive to back and get them all. And of course, this is a retro game so it contains retro music. Some of the 8-bit era pieces are catchy, including the main theme tune, but many have no substance and come across as odd, which made me turn the volume off on some levels. Where Edge began to falter a little was with its use of the gamepad. I hate it when the gamepad mirrors what is on the TV screen, and sadly that’s what Edge does. I get that it may not always be easy to implement the second screen, but you would never get that on a DS. But when there’s actually a bird’s-eye map of the level in Edge at the top-left hand corner of the screen, wouldn’t it have made sense to put it on the gamepad? It’s small and hard to see on the TV screen, and when there are some challenges that actually force you to look at the map, it seems completely nonsensical not to have put it on the gamepad, especially since that’s one of the main things the gamepad was made for. But that’s a mere **** when you consider how addictive Edge actually is. The Wii U is lucky to have it, and at so cheap a price as well. In a land made of grey blocks, there’s a surprising amount of fun to be had.

The original Wii Sports was the best-selling game of all time, and it’s clear Nintendo want to attract the original game’s audience to Wii U. That’s fine, but at least make some changes to the game. And it’s true, they have. Wii Sports Club is different from the original in that it’s free to download, but you then have to buy each sport you want individually. The main problem is that the prices are too high. The original was free with the Wii, but here each sport costs £8, a lot for something like this. The HD update adds nothing to the sports. In fact, you can barely tell that it’s HD. The sports run similarly, except that you need Motionplus to play them. It makes a difference to golf, which also makes clever use of the gamepad, requiring you to put it on the floor facing up. It shows a close-up view of the golf club and the ball, so it’s as if playing a real golf game even more. This is the best thing about Wii Sports Club, but sadly none of the other sports available use the gamepad, which isn’t a disappointment in itself- how do you weave second screen gameplay into a game of tennis? But the sports themselves, apart from golf, are largely unchanged, nor are they enhanced by motionplus. There was great potential here for tennis, but I was disappointed by how it was the same. There is a success in Wii Sports Club, however, and it’s in the online. This is what perhaps slightly justifies downloading some of the sports, but then again it doesn’t. £8 for the addition of online (and a few new modes)? Certainly not a bad price but not a good one either. Better to blow the dust off your old Wii if you want more of Wii Sports.

The Mario series has recently got repetitive and unimaginative. I was worried this would be the point where it stopped being the perfect example of game design it once was, but Super Mario 3D World proved me wrong. Super Mario 3D World is the best Mario game since Galaxy 2, and in many ways it’s almost like a new Mario Galaxy game. It’s full of playful ideas, creative power-ups and pitch-perfect design. The graphics look beautiful. They’re crisp and sharp, and 3D World revels in telling you that. From visually stunning cutscenes to camera angles that show you the world’s beauty, Super Mario 3D World uses graphics to generate an atmosphere that’s unrivalled by other games. This is the best Mario games have ever looked, in glorious, colourful HD. Lots of new environments help make it look so good. Tiny details aren’t overlooked- small droplets of water trickle down the screen in rainy levels. There is a level set in the African Savannah, in which the sun casts a spell on the land. Even environments from previous Marios are updated to look fantastic: the water sparkles beautifully in the beach levels and the lava in volcano levels has never looked more alive. The fantastic music sets the atmosphere, ranging from the haunting ghost house theme to the many jazzy tunes in the game. The recordings are of excellent quality, too. But while the presentation of the game firmly pushes it into the next-gen, it’s the groundbreaking gameplay that makes it one of the best Mario games. Multiplayer is a riot, with chaotic gameplay that’s full of calamity, and yet fun. Each character has different strengths and weaknesses, for example, Peach is one for inexperienced players as she can glide and runs slower. It’s one of the best additions to a Mario game since he went to space. It is annoying, however, that players share lives, so an expert player may find all their lives drained if they’re playing with a novice. This isn’t a huge problem, though, as getting a game over only takes you back to the start of the level. Local multiplayer is a blast, but it’s a shame there’s no online. There are loads of new power-ups and items. As well as returning ones, the cat suit allows Mario to climb walls and scratch enemies, but the double cherry was my favourite. Every time you collect one, it creates a clone of you that you control at the same time. Soon I had five clones of myself and combined with fire Mario, I could shoot five fireballs at a time! It allows for fun, chaotic gameplay. Of course the power-ups would be useless without the level design, and 3D World succeeds on that area too. Levels are brimming with creativity. Each one is wildly different from the other. Some of my favourites were an underground level in which you could only see the shadows of everything. In another, there were platforms that appeared and disappeared in time with the rhythm of the music. Mario 3D World juggles tonnes of new ideas but never lets any of them outstay their welcome. I constantly complete a level (which usually take about 5 minutes) to be faced with yet another idea which turns everything on its head. Sadly, the Gamepad is integrated very little into the game. That second screen’s capabilities are not utilised nearly as much as they should be. This doesn’t remove the creativity in the game at all though, and 3D World has some of the best bosses in the series, with hugely inventive battles, despite there not being enough of them. Levels are at their most challenging in this entry in the series, as well. Prepare to die a lot, especially in the later stages. Some of the levels in the Bowser world seriously challenged me, with one in particular killing me over fifteen times. Overall, the game took me about 10 hours from the beginning to the end credits, which is an underwhelming length when compared to its predecessors. It’s got a lot of content, but the fact levels are short bursts of energy rather than the long challenges they were in games in the Galaxy series means 3D World is a lot shorter. There are however 3 green stars and a stamp to collect in each level, which are hidden in hard-to-find areas or put in precarious positions that are extremely hard to reach and survive. There are also extra levels available after you beat the game, but fewer than in past Mario games. Altogether, though, 3D World does add up to a longer experience than 10 hours, particularly if you aim to complete it 100%. It’s an excellent Mario game, one that’s constantly throwing in something new. It has better graphics and framerate than the majority of PS4 and Xbox One launch games and, best of all, it’s huge fun to play. It can easily claim the prize of being an outstanding platformer, and it proves that even now, Nintendo can still create an inventive, fresh and well-designed Mario game as much as they could 25 years ago.

Every time a new Legend of Zelda game comes out, it once again raises the bar for what fans have come to expect. It’s a series that has very rarely delivered anything below a fantastic experience. But for all series, a time comes when it must change. A link between worlds has done just that. The latest entry has similarities to a link to the past, but it’s full of innovation and surprise. The one thing that disappoints here is the story, which is bland, boring and very functional. After Skyward Sword’s fantastic plot and characters, I can’t understand why the story here is as thin as toilet paper. Fortunately, everything else is near-perfect. The graphic style is immaculate, making ALBW the best-looking 3DS game of 2013. All areas of Hyrule and Lorule are gorgeously presented. I strongly advise to play with 3D on as the visuals are not so much enhanced as completely different with it on. Yes, this is a 2D Zelda, but 3D really does make a huge difference. The music is of equal quality, with a mixture of remixes of previous tunes and new ones. All the music and sound effects here are to a very high standard. But ALBW’s greatest triumph is how it ditches the usual Zelda structure. There are still dungeons full of puzzles and combat, but instead of going to the dungeon, getting its item, using the item then defeating the dungeon boss, now all the items are available from the start in a shop. This means that you can get any item you want, if you have the rupees, right from the get-go. It also means that in the second half of the game you can tackle dungeons in any order you want. This is a brilliant idea for a number of reasons, for example it gives more reason to collecting rupees so you will never be disappointed if you find them in a chest: over my playthrough; I used over 10,000 altogether. However there is one flaw- the dungeons you choose to do later are as a result considerably easier and though all are well-designed, with challenging puzzles and enemies, you will find the later ones easier. A hard mode unlockable after completeing the game normally does add challenge as enemies do 4 times the damage. Dungeons do have one inconsistency, and that’s the boss battles. Zelda is known for its outstanding bosses, but ALBW’s bosses are mostly easy and unmemorable, save a few. But largely, ALBW throws away what had gworn stale in the franchise, but it brings back something that was missing in the last few titles: the exploration. Hyrule is full of secrets, and the more you explore, the more you uncover. Finding pieces of heart and other items requires clever thinking and as well as that a lot of exploration of Hyrule and its dark opposite, Lorule. The more you explore, the more you find and as a result, the exploration of the kingdom is unpredictable and it always feels as if you are finding something new, something unprecedented. There are not so many side quests at all, which is very different, but there don’t need to be: the kingdom of Hyrule has it all. One addition to the game which deserves a mention is the ability to become a painting and then move left and right in the wall. It doesn’t sound like it adds much, but for me this was what really settled ALBW as an excellent game. It adds a new dimension to the puzzles and it makes exploring Hyrule even more fun. A Link between Worlds is a Zelda that does so much to the series. It completely reinvents the franchise and it never stops giving. At round about 20 hours from start to finish, it certainly isn’t the longest Zelda, but the amount of countryside there is to explore adds on so much more to that length of time. Finding every single secret will take much longer.

When I played New super Mario Bros 2, I was worried Nintendo had run out of new ideas, but New super Mario Bros U has proved me wrong. This is not as good as the Mario Bros DS and Wii, but it comes close. The world map is all connected, a bit like Mario World, but it's not really different from the world maps in the other mario games. Mranwhile, the levels are fantastic, full of creativity, challenge, and great design. Almost every level was cleverly designed, and the perfect difficulty balance. Especially the last three worlds were challenging, but super guide is usually there to help out noobs. Multiplayer makes it yet crazier. Some may not like multoplayer but I do. It is annoying though when the screen freezes mid-jump while someone else is collecting a power-up. That is a stupid idea. But the game doen't end there. There is also challenge mode, which contains about sixty challenges, each of which tasks you with a specific aim, eg speedrun a level, or bounce on bullet bills withput touching the ground to earn sixty 1-ups. Even the easier challrnges could have you failing many times, and the hardest could possibly have you dying hundreds of times. Challenge mode is a fantastic addition. There are also boost rush modes and coin battle. But how does nsmbu make use of the gamepad? The answer is boost mode, in which players use wiimotes, and an additional player places blocks using the gamepad. Is it fun? No- it's as creative as it sounds. But despite not using the gamepad in a good way, NSMBU is a fantastic mario game.

Ocarina of Time is one of the best games ever. This remake shows its relevance today. The graphics are awesome and the 3D effect adds an entirely new dimension to zelda. It's amazing. The same spooky, masterful, beautiful music from the original remains. The simple but touching story is still relevant. Ocarina of Time features familiar dungeon gameplay, each with puzzles, enemies, and a boss at the end. In each dungeon, you get a new item that is the main subject of that entire dungeon, needed to solve puzzles and fight the boss. Needles to say, every dungeon is perfect, always using items to their full potential but never abusing them either. All the bosses (except Morpha of course) are amazing and clever. The final boss is one that will always be remembered. Additionally, there's a boss fight mode, including a gauntlet in which you take all if them down one after another. There's even a revamped unlockable master quest mode, in which attacks do double damage and the dungeon puzzles themselves are redeigned. It's extremely taxing and a great idea, doubling the lasting appeal of the game. I could go on forever about how Ocarina of Time is a brilliant game, but I won't. Just buy it.

Damn! Accidentally deleted my review! I'll just say that in Trine 2, the graphics are beautiful the puzzles are creative, and it supports one to three players. I hate the controls for the wizard. It's the best wii u eshop game as of writing, which, at this edit, is Dec. 2013. GET IT!

There are so many platformers around now that to survive among them, a new platformer needs a unique mechanic. Cloudberry Kingdom has exactly that, but it fails to go any further. Cloudberry Kingdom's unique mechanic is a random level generator, boasting 'infinite levels'. That much is true. This is something that totally increases the replay value of Cloudberry Kingdom, even more so because you can actually customise the amount (and, often, size)of each object that will appear in the level. So you could have loads of firebars, maybe just a few falling blocks, lots of, and very thin, elevator platforms, and tonnes of lasers. Using this mechanic you can create the perfect level for yourself. I had immense fun coming up with strange combinations of enemies and objects, and the level generator always actually puts them in for you. You don't design anything, just decide how many of each object will be in each level. Admittedly, the automatic level designer resulted in problems. Often, how you time a jump at the beginning will affect what happens later on, and it's hugely frustrating when you almost complete a level only to be hit by a trap with no escape, just because you timed your first jump too late. Of course, you had no way of knowing you timed it too late. But the level generator's true selling point is that you can have the level as easy as pie or as hard as gobstoppers. This accommodates both casual and hardest of hardcore players. If yu get too stuck on a level, you can call the AI to give you a super-guide-style explanation of how to clear the level. Th clever thing? It's completely randomly generated, so this incredibly advanced AI has to be made up on the spot! You can also pick particular types of characters, for example one on a pogo stick who always bounces, or one who can flip gravity like VVVVVV. And the level generator will always design a level within the boundaries you declared, and to fit the character you chose. There is a multiplayer mode, as well, and you'll be glad to hear, no characters bouncing off of each other like in mario games. One great multiplayer mode is 'bungie'. Here, all characters are connected by elastic wire, which results in all sorts of madness. Despite this mechanic, this must have convinced the developers to slack when thinking of actual objects to include. All you get is the standard sort of stuff- firebars, clouds, ghosting blocks, falling enemies... the most creative is a serpent, and even that only bobs up then down off the screen. One of Cloudberry Kingdom's terrible problems though, are the visuals. They're not exactly bad, but still look lifeless and unappealing. This is even worse in story mode's awful cutscenes, which can thankfully be skipped. To be honest, story mode is pretty bland as without the level generator, Cloudberry Kingdom is just a simple, uninteresting platformer, and story mode is exactly that- there is no level generator. There's also arcade mode, which fares slightly better due to a level generator. Here, you continue as far as you can until you run out of lives. Even this mode gets old quickly however due to you being completely unable to customise the level. Obviously you can't have that option in an arcade mode, so I think both arcade AND story shouldn't be here, and the game sold at a lower price.

There’s nothing quite like the slick sailing of the Great Sea’s vast waters, the scream of a defeated Moblin or the charming toon graphic style of the Wind Waker, and this HD remake enhances everything you loved about the original yet further. What’s so admirable about Nintendo’s effort here is that beyond the HD treatment, there is still so much they have done to improve Link’s sixth-generation adventure and add so much more to it than was there before. The most obvious enhancement of the Wind Waker is the HD. What looked great originally is not only improved but given more life. The character and enemy models and the landscapes look so much more 3D and full of life and personality. Upon approaching Windfall Island from the distance you’ll be amazed how much HD has benefited the game. Admittedly, some of it looks stuck in the past but problems in the visuals are rare. Of course, the reason the toon style was originally chosen was because of the fantastic way it brought across the atmosphere and characters’ expressions. The impressionist style makes the enemies look spectacular and interesting: Moblins are easily recognisable as stupid, for example. The music, needless to say, is excellent. Meanwhile, the story is simple but effective, and for once actually Ganon’s evil attentions are something you can sympathise with, not just a thirst for power and control. For anyone who hasn’t played a Zelda game before, it is a mix of puzzles, combat and exploration. As in any other Zelda game, the Wind Waker features multiple dungeons, maze-like puzzle areas littered with cleverly placed enemies. The dungeons are always cleverly worked into the plot of the game. Needless to say, the Wind Waker’s dungeons are intricate, genius and great fun. The puzzles are challenging and often get you stuck. The Wind Waker has an excellent combat system, perhaps the best of all Zeldas except for Skyward Sword’s revolutionary sword-swinging. The target lock system Zeldas are praised for makes a big difference in making combat as strategic as possible without ever being unfair. The exploration outside of dungeons is a big part of Zelda too, and what a world to explore the Great Sea is. Nearly fifty islands, all with different characters, secrets and landscapes, litter the Great Sea. There are many side quests for rewards such as pieces of heart, treasure charts and more, and are more than enough to keep the hardcore 100% completionist occupied. Side quests included, the Wind Waker is a good solid thirty hours of gameplay at least, obviously quicker for those who played the original. Beyond the HD refinement, this remake does much, much more. There is a new mode, hero mode like in Skyward Sword- enemies do double damage and you can’t find hearts in plants or pots. For those who complained of Wind Waker being easy, which it is a bit, hero mode is an excellent challenge, perfect for people who completed the original and also great for newcomers to Wind Waker looking for a challenge. It’s no master quest like Ocarina of Time’s remake included (which is a shame) but I appreciate its inclusion nonetheless. Another improvement is the Swift Sail, which increases the speed of your boat. Some gamers complained of sailing getting slow and tedious after a while. This was of course due to the gamecube’s slower processing power, but because the wii u is much more powerful, sailing is faster, smoother, and a whole lot of fun. It really adds to the exploration element of the adventure. Also, the Triforce quest towards the end of the game has been streamlined. Originally, this had required the player to go sailing about the Great Sea using a map to locate the eight shards of the broken Triforce of Courage and get all eight from under the water. This was very tedious and took a possible hour to do, really damaging the pace of the game. But this has been streamlined so that five of the eight are found in mini-dungeons on certain islands, leaving only three to be found in the sea. This really is a great improvement and has changed the Triforce quest from being a lowlight of the game to, for me, being one the highlights. It’s disappointing that most of the mini-dungeons are only composed of just lots of rooms, each full with enemies, with no puzzles. But they are fun challenges regardless of that. And wii u integration. Now, your inventory of items and the map of the area or dungeon you’re in are all on the gamepad, meaning faster, easier access to everything without needing to pause the game every time you want to see your inventory or map. As well as this, you can aim projectile items using the Gamepad’s motion sensing, allowing for improved precision. Also is miiverse integration. The Wind Waker HD goes the extra mile to make an awesome game even more awesome. If you played the original you simply must get this to experience the game in a new way. If you haven’t played the original, you have an even greater need to play one of the greatest games ever.

You know how although Mario games are fun, lately they have been lacking innovation? Rayman Legends is in that sense everything a Mario game isn’t- it’s bold, and it isn’t afraid to do things differently. Every level is bursting with crazy ideas that work really well. One level, I had to eat cake with the gamepad to guide Globox to the goal, the next I was dodging between layers of rotten food. And when Rayman Legends comes up with a really unique concept (which is all the time) it never outstays its welcome. Every single level throws something different at you and you’re constantly marvelling at the great ideas. The world maps are clumsy- it takes a Mario 64-style way of laying out the levels, except in a 2D format. It’s annoying finding your way around. But the level design is amazing. Rayman Legends is very challenging; you’ll find yourself dying loads. But a huge amount of checkpoints prevent frustration. The amount of checkpoints allow for more difficult, faster and more innovative gameplay. There are also about 10 teensies to collect in each level, increasing lasting appeal. Multiplayer takes the fun to a new level, allowing up to four players. There’s also a mad but hugely enjoyable multiplayer minigame called kung foot, which has you playing football in 2D platformer form. It’s a huge bummer, though, that there’s no online multiplayer. The visuals are breathtaking, looking beautiful consistently. So much care and attention to detail has gone into them. Nice touches also, like the swirling of leaves when you run past one point. This delicate style makes Rayman Legends’ visuals feel like a painting. The sound is also of outstanding quality: the music is fantastic and is my favourite-sounding game of the year. It’s come close to my all-time favourite sounding game series, Zelda. A concept that stretches music even further are the musical levels, when everything you do is to the rhythm, like runner 2, but lots better. One great gameplay innovation is where you take control of a character named Murphy, and Rayman becomes computer-controlled. Here you must use the gamepad’s touchscreen to do things like cut ropes, eat cake, and move protective shields to guide Rayman to the end of the level. This proves a 2D platformer CAN make use of the gamepad, unlike Mario. Unfortunately, as he’s AI-controlled, he can make some daft mistakes where a real person would not, and it can be so annoying when he walks straight into a lava pit. But this type of problem is rare, and you can have a a real person control him anyway, while you use the gamepad to interact with the environment. It’s not like mario’s boost mode as you actually NEED to use Murphy sometimes. The bosses at the end of each world are so creative and cleverly made. The boss fights are one of Legends’ many highlights. Rayman Legends also features all the levels from Rayman Origins as bonus levels without sacrificing anything. These greatly increase the lasting appeal. What does this even more are the Challenges. Every day, there’s a new one updated, and these single player Challenges have a leaderboard for each day. It could be completing a specially-designed level as fast as possible, or collecting as many lums as you can, or getting as far as possible. And these get updated every single day. This means you’ll be playing Legends for ages, even after getting all the teensies. It introduces a new level of competitiveness, made better by the ability to challenge your friends. Rayman Legends is amazing. It relentlessly challenges, never stops innovating, and it’s even better multiplayer. This is my first Rayman game, and I’m really impressed. It’s the best non-remake wii u game this year.

Skyward Sword is the best zelda ever. There's simply no other way of putting it. In fact, it's the best game I've ever played. It constantly surprises, and just when I thought it had done everything it could possibly do, it wowed me again. Skyward Sword does a lot of new stuff. It is definitely the most innovative, creative and risk-taking zelda yet. The best innovation is the way you control your sword: it responds directly to your wiimote's aim, as if you are wielding a real sword. This enables completely new opportunities, both with swordfights and puzzles. It's the best thing to come to zelda since the introduction of 3D. It wholly immerses you in the game, but the wiimote has many other uses. From slingshot-aiming to swimming to rolling to shield-blocking, motion-sensing is used a lot. But it never feels forced, and it rarely fails you. Dungeon-traversing, boss-fighting, and exploration is what you know and love, but with so many surprises and innovations. A great storyline with genuinely emotional moments and immersive character development is a first for zelda, and while it may not be as good as, say, the Last of Us, it sets a new benchmark for the series. The graphics are the best so far on wii and the music is majestic and emotional. A good plot also drives away the repetition some zelda fans may be familiar with at this stage. Sure, the dungeons have kept the structure from previous games, with a mixture of puzz,e and battle, and with a new item obtained each time, but there are plenty of surprises in between, even the odd boss battle. The depth of your hub world, Skloft, is also excelent. Expect lots of side quests and character interaction. It's bursting with character and personality, with so much to do. Often you'll have to revisit areas in the storyline more than once, uncovering whole new areas. The world you explore in skyward sword isn't the biggest, but it's certainly the most immersive. To reach the end of the plot takes roughly forty hours, but much more with side quests included. There's also a hero mode (like a hard mode) once you finish it, a feature hardcore zelda fans will love. Skyward Sword is awesome. It brings motion control into a hardcore game. It's full of ideas, constantly amazing you every step of the way.

Why can't I review this on wii u, metacritic??? There are so many platformers around now that to survive among them, a new platformer needs a unique mechanic. Cloudberry Kingdom has exactly that, but it fails to go any further. Cloudberry Kingdom's unique mechanic is a random level generator, boasting 'infinite levels'. That much is true. This is something that totally increases the replay value of Cloudberry Kingdom, even more so because you can actually customise the amount (and, often, size)of each object that will appear in the level. So you could have loads of firebars, maybe just a few falling blocks, lots of, and very thin, elevator platforms, and tonnes of lasers. Using this mechanic you can create the perfect level for yourself. I had immense fun coming up with strange combinations of enemies and objects, and the level generator always actually puts them in for you. You don't design anything, just decide how many of each object will be in each level. Admittedly, the automatic level designer resulted in problems. Often, how you time a jump at the beginning will affect what happens later on, and it's hugely frustrating when you almost complete a level only to be hit by a trap with no escape, just because you timed your first jump too late. Of course, you had no way of knowing you timed it too late. But the level generator's true selling point is that you can have the level as easy as pie or as hard as gobstoppers. This accommodates both casual and hardest of hardcore players. If yu get too stuck on a level, you can call the AI to give you a super-guide-style explanation of how to clear the level. Th clever thing? It's completely randomly generated, so this incredibly advanced AI has to be made up on the spot! You can also pick particular types of characters, for example one on a pogo stick who always bounces, or one who can flip gravity like VVVVVV. And the level generator will always design a level within the boundaries you declared, and to fit the character you chose. There is a multiplayer mode, as well, and you'll be glad to hear, no characters bouncing off of each other like in mario games. One great multiplayer mode is 'bungie'. Here, all characters are connected by elastic wire, which results in all sorts of madness. Despite this mechanic, this must have convinced the developers to slack when thinking of actual objects to include. All you get is the standard sort of stuff- firebars, clouds, ghosting blocks, falling enemies... the most creative is a serpent, and even that only bobs up then down off the screen. One of Cloudberry Kingdom's terrible problems though, are the visuals. They're not exactly bad, but still look lifeless and unappealing. This is even worse in story mode's awful cutscenes, which can thankfully be skipped. To be honest, story mode is pretty bland as without the level generator, Cloudberry Kingdom is just a simple, uninteresting platformer, and story mode is exactly that- there is no level generator. There's also arcade mode, which fares slightly better due to a level generator. Here, you continue as far as you can until you run out of lives. Even this mode gets old quickly however due to you being completely unable to customise the level. Obviously you can't have that option in an arcade mode, so I think both arcade AND story shouldn't be here, and the game sold at a lower price.

Spirit Tracks is the standard zelda- dungeon structure, items, bosses, puzzles. Though it doesn't innovate as much as it should, it's a solid adventure. Link must, as usual, take on some terrible evil, rescue someone, and save the land of Hyrule. To do this, he must traverse dungeons, fight enemies, solve puzzles, and explore Hyrule. This is the ordinary zelda we have known for years. I won't talk about the structure of a zelda game, or any of that, because you know it already. Instead, the differences. The graphics are good but not great- scenery is especially flat, but dungeons look good. The music is often great, woth a lovely overworld theme, though I wasn't keen on the dungeon music. Spirit Tracks has an unusual control scheme ehich using the stylus for everything, like Phantom Hourglass. While this sounds cumbersome, in reality it opens up new possibilities. It's used in a variety of clever ways, from drawing a path for you to throw the boomerang to control where Link (or Zelda) goes. And Spirit Tracks deserves an award for being the first ever game to make blowing into a microphone fun. One item, the whirlwind, which you obtain early in the storyline, lets you create a gust of wind. You do this by blowing. Another innovation is one I didn't enjoy: the train driving. Link has explored before by horse, by boat, on foot, by bird... but now he commands a train. The touch screen is used well for this, but when on the rails, there is little to do, and in the end you're just sitting there waiting for the train to reach its destination. There are other features brought in to try to make it more interesting, like enemies, but all you do to kill them is to shoot with cannons, an incredibly boring experience. Worse, if they hit you enough, you'll die, forcing you to make the entire journey again. Thankfully for Spirit Tracks, there are very many stations and places, so when advancing through the storyline, you'll rarely be driving for a very long time in one go. There are many fiendish overworld puzzles, which are excellently presented. Sometimes I however found myself hating those tedious fetch quests. Spirit Tracks also has a 'tower of spirits', which plays a vital part in the storyline. You'll progress through it in between dungeons, but it's like a giant dungeon, with multiple sections, in itself. I found it a little uninspired despite introducing an interesting new mechanic. Spirit tracks' dungeon gameplay is thankfully as good as ever- puzzles are inventive and challenging, and you'll find a surprisingly high amount of mini-bosses, something which I love. The dungeon bosses are very cleverly constructed too. And don't be put off by the fact there are only five dungeons, as Spirit Tracks has a lot more content in between each dungeon than other zeldas, resulting in 30-40 hour experience. There are also plenty of side quests to complete, which could add on over twenty extra hours, too. Spirit Tracks is a Zelda game, through and through. While this means it plays it a little too safe, it also means you're guaranteed a great time. There's even a multiplayer battle mode that sees you fighting to collect more gems than your opponents. It's crazy, and, surprisingly, hilarious fun with plenty of traps you can activate to bring down your opponent. Expect a lot of fun from that feature.

Wacky races was a popular cartoon, and, of course, somebody somewhere had a bright idea to turn it into a racing game. There is nothing wrong with this concept, but something(s) happened along the line to drastically change it. Upon starting, you'll be greeted with okay-ish presentation and graphics. It's slapstick, over-top kind of looks. The sound, while true to the cartoon, is not fit for a game. Yes, it's full of wacky music, but the voices are annoying, to say the least. Of course, to be similar at all to the show, the gameplay would have to be chaotic, with it's fair share of traps and craziness. Well, mission accomplished. With no acceleration button, you must simply move the stylus left and right to control the car, viewing from a bird's eye angle. This control scheme frequently gets in the way of things. If you crash into too many obstacles, you must use the stylus to re-assemble your car. While this sounds damaging, for some reason it seems you never get left far behind, as if you actually get put back on the track further forward. But the identical, mundane design of the tracks makes it difficult to work out if you're in the same place or not. It makes me question the real make-up of this game. Yet what's worse is that in the middle of a race, every car suddenly stops to play a simple touch minigame in which **** **** has caused something bad to happen. In the middle of a racing game! One example is tracing your stylus over a narrow path. If you fail the minigames, you'll face a penalty. Maybe the players who succeeded get a headstart. Maybe you get put far back along the track. But it's all very unclear to tell because the entire track looks near-identical. If you win, you also get rewarded with a terrible cutscene of **** **** screaming drat, and that weird dog **** Worse yet- towards the end, just when you've had enough of this blasted race, you must blow. For ages and ages. As hard as your body can muster before you drop your DS from nausea. At this point, your car is driving by itself for some inexplicable reason, and the more powerfully you blow, the faster it'll go. This section is surely just a joke, surely just the designers secretly pointing a camera into the cardboard-box-house of the person who is playing this game. What misguided person ever mistakenly thought blowing was fun? So I shall conclude this review by asking Eidos: do you enjoy blowing **** of air for twenty seconds or longer? Is that your idea of fun?

Mario Party 8 should've benefited from motion control, but instead it implemented it in lots of lousy ways, including minigames that required you to pump your arm up and down the fastest. Mario Party 9 gets the balance right- motion control is never vigorous, but used in interesting ways in minigames. Also, figuring 10 mario parties were a bit too many, Nintendo drastically changed the rules. Part of Mario Party 8's problem was that it was too similar to the other mario party games. In Party 9, all players travel in a vehicle alltogether along a one-way board. When someone gets a six, the vehicle- and all of the players- will move six spaces. Byt the space landed on will only affect the person who threw the dice. The aim is different too: instead of collecting stars using coins, mini stars dotted around the board in clumps of 2-10 are the prizes, and they are also the prizes for minigames- no coins in Mario Party 9. And the player who rolled the dice is the person who collects those mini stars when the vehicle passes through them. Once the vehicle reaches the end of the board, a boss is fought, and the person who dealt the most hits wins mini satrs. This change in formula makes Mario Party 9 feel radically different from the rest of the mario partys. It's also what changed my scores for this game from a 5 to a 7. Each party board has a different theme and several twists that make it different and enjoyable. There is chance in Party 9, but it rarely angers because there's more strategy on the boards with the new formula, and the minigames are great skilful fun too. That said, there was the odd chance minigame, which was annoying. The boards really get the balance though, so no-one is unfairly treated. The minigames are great fun, but many don't use the motion sensing, which was unusual. But not using it at all is better than abusing it like in Mario Party 8. Though Mario Party 9 is awesome with friends, the same can't be said for single player. Solo (story) mode is actually, unusually, fun however, so single play isn't as bad as in Party 8. Additional to the main games, there are special minigame challenges that combine minigames with extra strategy. I found most of these to be quite lame apart from choice challenge. Mario Party 9 is great with friends, an 8/10 for that. But single player included, it's not AS good. Still, with company, this is a must-have party game.

Every so often, a new 'mii series' game comes out for wii- these are basically a party series that exclusively uses your wii's miis to play. They have ranged from great ones, like Wii Sports Resort, to mediocre ones like Wii Play. But the basic make-up of them all is generally similar: minigames. Wii Party is the latest entry in this series. This minigame collection sees players using the wii remote to play various mii-exclusive minigames. Some are good, some are bad. Some use the wii remote in clever, enjoyable ways, others abuse it. Some don't use the motion sensing capabilities at all. But overall, what you're getting is a rather predictable however entertaining package. On your own, there is not a single thing to do- all the options are available from the start. But that's fine, because since when was a game titled 'Wii Party' a single-player experience? The issue with the game comes with some of the modes. In addition to minigames, there are some modes that use these minigames- balance boat is a good two-player mode which uses only co-op minigames. The aim is to balance 20 miis on the boat. But to get the right size miis, you must succeed at the co-op minigames. But for every great game like Balance Boat, you get an unengaging minigame like Globe Trot, which is a competitive game that requires players to explore the world in between playing minigames. Wii Party is a good multiplayer game, a riot with friends, but the fun wears off quickly.

Not the best 2D mario to date, but Bew Super Mario Bros brings classic mario gameplay together with multiplayer. The basic concept and design has barely changed, but level design in brimming with new ideas. There are some new power-ups, including the propeller, which lets you soar into the air for a short amount of time. It sounds cool, and it is, but it's also a cheat in my opinion- it ruins many of the star coins. The next new power-up is ice mario. This lets you freeze enemies then chuck their frozen bodies at other enemies. This is a good power-up, though the good ol' fire flower beats it by a mile. Lastly there's penguin. This is merely ice power with a few extra abilities. So it's not really new. The fire flower also returns, good news for any mario fan. One of the biggest additions to New super mario bros wii is multiplayer. This is great, chaotic fun due to players getting in the way of each other. While this may sound bad, in reality, it just increases the challenge. But while someone powers up, gets hiy or dues, the screen freezes for a split second. So if you're making a jump when that happens, the momentary freeze will de-sync your jump, probably cause you to plummet to your doom. This results in largely broken multiplayer. The graphics and sound of NSMBwii are good, but hardly great. The music is the same sort of bubbly, predictable, but catchy tracks you heard in New Super Mario Bros, while the graphics are a bit disappointing, even for a wii game. Level design, meanwhile, is the mario we've come to know. Every single level is created with skill, offering a decent challenge and throwing in many different mechanics, though I was disapointed in the lack of many uses for the wiimotes motion sensing. The bosses are the same ones from mario world- the koopa kids. Each has a twist that changes it from an average boss fight to something special. Every single boss is different and well thought out. In conclusion, NSMB wii is a fantastic game, and one of the best 2D platformers on the wii. It does have flaws- mainly broken multiplayer and lacklustre visuals and music- but overall, it's a challenging game any fan of platforming games will enjoy.

The donkey kong series has been revived in the best possible way. The latest installment borrows ideas from other 2D platformers, but makes them all its own through unique twists and punishing difficulty. It's pure platforming bliss, and will especially impress hardcore gamers. The wii's motion sensing is put to subtle use- mainly for hammering the ground, one of Donkey Kong's many actions. There are eight worlds to explore, each with their own nine or so levels. There's a jungle world, a cave, and more. These may not seem original, but the many original mechanics, objects and bossses you come across certainly are. The settings are brought to life by lush graphics full-of-life scenery, charming music and great sound effects. Enemies are creatively designed and levels are expertly crafted. The difficulty is especially high, and will even challenge hardcore players. Seriously, Country Returns has a brutal difficulty level that will delight fans of the series. Many a time I got a game over, but it's never unfair- every time you die, it's due to your own mistakes rather than dodgy level design. One of my favourite elements of Country Returns is the barrel blasting. This mehanic has you time your exit out of a barrel/cannon thing. It propels you quite some distance. It's all about the timing to blast out of the cannons and land safely in the next one. This idea is used a lot in Country Returns. The bosses are excellent too, and they take many hits to kill. The bosses are all very challenging, even the very first one, because the more you hit them, the harder they get. Of course, this isn't a new concept to videogames. But Country Returns uses it a huge amount in boss battles, which makes them very hard and satisfying. Hidden in each level are various collectibles- four KONG letters and seven to nine puzzle pieces are to be found in each level. They are so difficult to get, even the best of the best will be challenged by these. Often these collectibkes introduce an element of puzzle into the platforming. There's also a addition called Rambi- a bit like Yoshi, except he's a rhinoceros. It's fun using him, but he only actually appears in three or four levels, which is slightly strange. Other than that, Country Returns is perfect in every way.

Wii Sports was the first game to show of the wii's motion sensing. It also made a whole lot of non-gamers actually buy a game console. But, I wasn't very impressed. Sure, it was fun, but not exactly amazing. Wii Sports Resort not only improves gameplay with the addition of motionplus, which is an add-on that improves motion-sensing, but has more and better minigames. I won't go through every one, but generally, Wii Sports Resort was great fun. It takes place on an idylic island setting, with beaches, ocean, sand, znd a volcano in the background. Wii Sports Resort didn't need a setting, so this is a nice touch. Some of the best minigames take place on the water- wakeboarding, which uses the motion sensing of the wii remote, is maybe my favourite. Another favourite is power cruising, which has you race through arches as fast as possible. There's also cycling, which is especially fun in multiplayer. Another great minigame lets you freely explore the island resort... on a plane. In this minigame, you can fly over places, dive down a crater, and do so much more. Archery is another excellent game, one of the best. Of the twelve sports, though, there are a few stinkers. Golf in the original wii sports was bad because half the time, it couldn't sense the motion properly. It returns in sport resort, and you'd think motionplus would improve it, but no. The sensing is just as bad. Another stinker is bowling, again copied from wii sports. But unlike wii sports, the ball moves erratically however you flick the remote. Weird that it's actually worse with motionplus. But overall, sports resort is a great minigame collection, and uses the wii remote in a variety of different ways. There's no online, which is a shame, but multiplayer is a complete blast. It's one of the most addictive experiences on the wii. Sadly, single player is greatly lacking, so if you for whatever reason can only play on your own, I suggest you give this a miss. But with friends, it's the ultimate party game.

Where do I even begin? This is an incredible game, which is even better than the original Super Mario Galaxy. And Super Mario Galaxy was absolutely amazing. The thing that makes galaxy 2 successful is that it takes all the creativity that made Galaxy a superb game and not only expands on it, but completely reinvents it. The basic goal of each level is the same- grab that power star. But Galaxy 2 throws in so many new elements as well as keeping the old ones. Each galaxy has a particular theme that is fully stretched to all its potential- such as the shiverburn galaxy, a mix of lava and ice, with bliss platforming so perfectly crafted. Then there's the Cosmic Cove galaxy, so damn pretty it's a shame the wii isn't HD. And then there's the chompworks galaxy, a sort of intergalactic chomp factory. Throughout the 49 galaxies, you'll meet interesting and eccentric characters, and run round planets, puzzles and enemies that are full of beauty and creativity. The storyline doesn't even matter- it's the characters in it that are important in Galaxy 2. They're funny, full of eccentricity and you always want more of them. Each galaxy has a unique concept that often could be made into an entirely new videogame! The gravity-defying mechanic of galaxy is used in a variety of interesting ways, and the camera rarely lets you down. The bosses are challenging and it's up to you to figure out how to defeat them. What makes galaxy 2 so incredible is a,so that galaxy's very few issues are addressed. There weren't many of them, but there were certainly fun. The first was getting to the levels: It was cumbersome and annoying trying to get round the observatory. Now, all the levels are in the same place, easily accessible. Another problem had been comet levels. These special twists appeared in galaxies and replaced all the levels until you completed it. In galaxy 2, it doesn't replace the levels, and the only way to unlock these extra levels is to collect the comet medals- one in each galaxy. They offer a superb challenge to completionists. Galaxy 2 also lets you know when you've passed a checkpoint, unlike galaxy, when you didn't know if you'd restart from the start of the level or halfway through. Galaxy 2 also doubles the amount of the stars to collect, thanks to a secret that will reveal 120 bonus stars. The graphics are also incredible and spectacular- it's a feast for the eyes- and the music is played by an orchestra, which really conveys both the loneliness and vadtness of space. The music and graphics both are simply beautiful. Gakaxy 2 is the sequel we all wanted.

This 'new' mario and sonic game is, uh, not that new at all. Most of the sports are from the original mario and sonic at the olympic games, but with little tweaks. Some of them, I have to admit, put the wii's motion-sensing to good use, but those are rare. The thing is, we've had two mario and sonic olympic crossovers now, one winter, one normal. So this one's simply taking concepts from the original and simply improving them. There's lots of fun to be had here, but the same could be had in the original. Minigames are generally designed well and are great in multiplayer. As well as the main events, there are so-called 'dream events', which are different takes on a particular sport, but done in a way that wouldn't be possible in real life. It's a good idea, but for a lot of the minigames, you can't even tell which sport they're meant to be like, making them feel like mario party minigames or something. Regardless of that, they are a lot of fun, despite being a little too cluttered. There's also a multiplayer mode that takes place in London, which has you run around in a miniature model of the city. Every so often you play minigames, but a lot of it involves playing in London. You need to do your best there to shift the tide over to you. But this mode is simply lacking in ideas and is tedious to play. Mario and Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games isn't a bad game, but it doesn't do much to distinguish itself from the original.

Pikmin 3 is a stunning game. As a newcomer to the series, I didn't know quite what to expect. But Pikmin 3 eases you in gently, and before you know it you're thinking strategically, plotting out each day. The tutorial is fantastically subtle- not the boring navi-like stuff we've come to know. For example, when introducing blue pikmin, it doesn't tell you they are resistant to water. Instead, they first appear in the water so you know that. Game mechanics work like this: you control 3 crew members throughout the storyline of Pikmin 3. They can only progress by using pikmin. You can grow pikmin, but that wastes valuable time. You can have up to 100 pikmin with you at one time. These cute adorable little creatures can be thrown at enemies. The pikmin will all attack the enemies, but the enemies can also attack the pikmin. And there's nothing as heartbreaking as the squeal of a dying pikmin gobbled up by a bulborb. You go through the game in a cycle of days, and each day you must get all your pikmin back to the ship or they will perish. And that is a heartbreaking cutscene. The pikmin can also carry objects back to the ship, which is a vital component of pikmin 3. Various different types of pikmin each have different qualities, and these qualities are needed to solve puzzles. But it can be annoying when pikmin often do stupid things that you don't want them to do. Every day, the crew members consume a portion of fruit every day and you need to keep using pikmin to collect fruit on top of the main game. If they run out, it's game over. But it's fine because you can always skip to an earlier day before things went wrong. Pikmin 3 gets lovably complicated and challenging, and is really a joy to play. The puzzles and combat are so expertly made, and each boss is unique and geniously crafted. Equally, environments are glorious in HD, and are really beautiful to look at. They are all perfectly natural, no human intervention, and you are tiny compared to them. Like, you can stand on a leaves. Enemies are weird and unique, and creative in both presentation and combat. I can't stress enough how inventive Nintendo have been in enemy design and ideas. The gamepad is very useful as you actually play with nunchuk and remote, and have the gamepad stood up beside you to look at for the map. You need it to think strategically and plan your day. It's as good as essential for success in Pikmin 3. In addition to story mode, there's a mission mode, which sets you goals to collect as much fruit as possible or defeat enemies. This can also be played co-op. The missions really help your strategic thinking and increase the longevity of Pikmin 3 by a huge amount. There's also a versus multiplayer mode, but the player with the gamepad has a huge advantage because they can see the map. Pikmin 3 is a beautiful game, and though flawed, you shouldn't hesitate to buy it.

Pullblox was one of the best games, if not THE best, on eshop. Fallblox doesn't match its predecessor's quality, but is still an addictive (and hard) sequel. The physics are completely different from Pullblox- this time blocks fall instead of stay up, which requires a whole new method of thinking. The aim is still the same- get to the goal- but that is now trickier to do than ever. This genius puzzing sequel will bend your mind while you desperately try to work out the solution. But try long enough, and it will come. Levels are very tough, but clearing a level that took an hour to do is so satisfying. Of course, Fallblox is damn addictive as well as tough and the addition of new gadgets along the way help to freshen the experience further yet. Each of these gadgets adds some completely new concept, which results in an even trickier and more confusing fallblox. There's one downside though- there are remarkably fewer levels in Fallblox than there were in Pulblox, AND Fallblox is more expensve. The shorter game may be a result of fewer murals- Pulblox had over 70 of these, but Fallblox has only ten. Murals are very interesting because they are like normal levels, except that they look like pictures. It's a neat idea, so it's a shame there aren't many of them in Fallblox. As well as the main game, the level creator idea from Pullblox is back. This greatly increases the lasting appeal of the game, and pushes your thinking to the limit. But, just like Pullblox, it's lacking in a good way to share your levels online- a scheme like in mario vs donkey kong would've been better than qr codes.

Warioware snapped is the worst title in the warioware series. As usual, it's a collection of microgames you play on your own. But there are only four themes, each with five minigames that always appear in that theme. Warioware snapped attempts to use the potential of the dsi camera to play the games. To win each game, you may need to move your head in a particular way, or your hands, for example. This had potential for a lot of fun, but is bad for these reasons: to set up each round takes a very long time for the camera to recognise you actually exist. Also, whenever you lose a minigame, it's down to the camera's bad eyesight, not your lack of ability. But the thing is, these minigames are so easy and simple, only an idiot could possibly lose them- unless the camera messes up, which is often. You may need to wave to someone (wow, I can wave my hand!), or eat the food by chomping your jaw up and down. All of the minigames are pointlessly easy, and I think Nintendo meant that to be the case because there is no high scores, and once the five minigames in whatever category you chose are over, that's it. The minigames are so few they are not randomly selected. At the end of each game, the video of you doing these actions is shown ,with photoshopping. It can be quite funny, but if you 'lost' a minigame, this appears broken. Also, the videos aren't even saved. I would not go as far as to call Warioware Snapped a game. It's not even a tech demo, as it constantly fails to see you. This sort of thing can be played more reliably on a computer, with actual fun.

Luigi U is essentially an expansion pack of New Super Mario Bros U. Other than Luigi's unique abilities- a higher jump and a glide- the concept is more or less the same. Story is no different except that it involves Luigi instead of Mario. But levels are more challenging. A lot more challenging. Luigi U is for anyone who, like me, has been finding mario games too easy lately. The world maps are exactly the same, and levels are often alike to their mario u counterparts. But what Nintendo have done is include unprecedented combinations of obstacles. This results in a fresh and exciting experience. Especially the castles are very dificult and will kill you countless times no doubt. But the bosses are all the same, with not ven the subtlest change to the formula. This I found disappointing. But level design is so challenging it compensates for that problem. Rarely does Luigi U ever feel samey, but it is annoying that you have to watch the exact same cuscenes as in the main game with no option to skip.

What a disappointment. The latest mario kart should be a 8 or even a 9, but instead it's an example of how one problem can ruin everything. It's a shame because Mario Kart Wii's control system is flawless- the wiimote is the wheel. This is the best addition to the mario kart series to date. Also it contains online, which is another good addition, albeit not as good as it would be on xbox 360 or ps3. All these additions combine to make a very enjoyable new mario kart game. Or should I say they would, if not for the fact you may as well be playing a board game. The amount of items being chucked about and madness happening is enough to put off all but the most casual gamers. Once I was first, just about to finish a gruelling 150cc race, then I got hit by a spiny shell. Now this is infamous in mario kart games, but previously, if you had enough of a lead, you could easily still make it first. Bu tin mario kart wii, when this happens, it is immediately followed by a red shell, and, before you can recover, a green shell. Then a banana lands on your head, then a bob-omb blows you up before you can react, and finally, to finish things off, Bowser barges your still recovering kart off the course. By that time, everyone except you has reached the end, and you are 12th. Not your fault. But tough luck- cos that's all it is: luck. But it's made yet worse in the ferocious rubber-banding. I repeat that it's a real goddamned shame because Mario Kart Wii features excellent use of the wiimote with the wii wheel accessory, and has awesome multiplayer and online options. Which brings me to higlight those. Multiplayer is great. This is partly because one thing that contributes to the unfairness of single-player is the ferocious rubber-banding. But with it gonr in multiplayer, it's a blast. The problem is you have to play through the courses in grand prix to unlock them in multi-player, so you'll need to endure those single-player torture sessions to unlock the fun in this game. A good feature is time trials- where you race on your own against 'ghosts', trying to achieve the high score in that track. This is a great feature as it removes both the rubber banding AND the inclusion of complete chance. Unfortunately, just like in the multi-player, you must win the courses in grand prix to unlock them in time trials. The graphics in Mario Kart Wii, though nothing astounding, are good. Additionally to the main game, there are also balloon battle modes, but they suffer from the same problem that the rest of the game has, unless played multiplayer. But the various soundtracks are lacklustre and the voices of the characters are enough to drive a person crazy. I'm disappointed to have to rate this game a six, but I felt that any initial enjoyment gave way to frustration. Sometimes a wii remote is just not enough.

Judging by the extremely positive reviews from critics, you'd think this RPG was amazing. It's not. It's a good game, but there were a few drawbacks. It has a reasonable plot, especially for a mario game, but the cutscenes are a bore. They try to make jokes, but they are not funny in the slightest. Once you get to actually play, things get better. It takes the form of RPG gameplay mixed with platforming. The stroy switches between Mario and Luigi, and Bowser. When you play as Mario and Luigi, you must control them at the same time inside Bowser's body. It takes the form of 2D platforming, along with some puzzles involving Bowser's body. Controlling them is a pain, especoally when you have to mke jumps- you must press a and b at the same time. Combat is more exciting. It's turn-based, and clever, as certain attacks require you to coordinate attacks with both Mario and Luigi. The other person you play as is Bowser. He is forced to work together with Mario anf Luigi to resolve the plot. This is far better than the other form of control because you only control one character, it is not platforming, and it takes place from an isometric viewpoint. Overall, Bowser's Inside Story is good, but not a true RPG. Fans of the series will especially want to invest in this.

Deal or no Deal is a sad enough tv show to watch. As a game, it's abysmal. People look like cardboard cutouts, and sound is awful and samey. But you haven't even **** the surface with that. See, if you enjoy picking numbers out of boxes, Deal or no Deal is for you. Anyone with half a brain could make a deal or no deal game without electronics. There's also a board game out of deal or no deal. Its existence on consoles is absolutely pointless. In addition to the main game, there are other modes barely worth mentioning. They're supposed to be extras, but in realoty the best extra would be for this game to burn. If someone tries to sell this to you, whatever the price, even if it's free, say no deal.

Wow. Just wow. Nintendo know how to make a good mario game, that much is for certain. Super Mario Galaxy is a 3D platformer with a unique difference. Hence the name, Mario's in space. While you could easily dismiss this as a gimmick, that is exactly what it is not. First off, it means that everything looks gorgeous. The Wii isn't HD, so it's amazing Nintendo managed to pull this off (but it would be even better in HD, and that's why I'd like a remake for Wii U). Everywhere, it's cosmos, but that doesn't mean Nintendo have gone for one background and reused it- every galaxy is unique in everything, including looks. Next is music. It's amazing. Recorded by an orchestra, every piece conveys the atmosphere of the galaxy (and, oh, those atmospheres are things to treasure). So that's excellent presentation. Beautiful and always, always unique. But the most important thing that Galaxy introduces is planet-hopping. You can run right round a planet and come back to where you were before. While this seems pointless, in reality it brings a whole new dimension to the platforming, and is used in a variety of clever, different ways. Here's the clever thing: you always use a launch star, which is like a cannon except it's a star(don't ask) to get to another planet. And most levels consist of a few conxecutive **** set out of the game is essentially about forty galaxies, each holding a one to six levels, or 'scenarios'. The goal of each is to collect the star at the end. The way to actually reach each galaxy is a bit like Super Mario 64- levels are in different places in your hub, the observatory. Getting to them is annoying. It's not like you get lost- it's just boring getting to them. The good-for-nothing map of the observatory doesn't help either. So each galaxy has a particular theme, and it is always very imaginative. Even the routine desert galaxy is filled with surprises. A lot of the gakaxies have levels with boss fights, and a lot of the themes of the galaxies could be turned into entirely new games themselves. There are loads of new powerups, and they are always required to progress when they appear. So they're not so much power-ups as they are like items in zelda. There's the bee suit, to name just one. Each power gives you unique abilities which are always very cleverly and creatively implemented. Each galaxy usually has one or three normal levels, then maybe a hidden star in one of the levels, and one or two comet levels. Comet levels are special stars that come into galaxies you've cleared as you progress through the game. They give you a particular aim and are always very hard. The downside is when they arrive, they replace all the other levels in that galaxy until you've completed that comet level. There's a spin jump to assist you in Super Mario Galaxy, like a double jump. The camera is perfect, never wondering. My biggest problem is that although there are checkpoints, they're not marked, so you've no idea where you'll respawn if you die. There's also a mode where a second player can assist Mario by collecting star bits(in game currency) for them among other things, but this mode is too limited. Overall, Galaxy is a fantastic game and one of the best if not the best, refreshing plstforners around.

This game is fun for about two minutes, but it quickly wears off. The graphics are crude, motiom controls unresponsive, and there's not a hell of a lot to do. It's got way too little content.

Thrillville off the rails for DS is a game in which you own some theme parks and try to build them up and get more money to build more up... all the while trying to stop the evil... clowns... from wrecking your business. Makes sense, eh? The problem is, it's way too easy as you make money always however discontent customers are. You can't even create your own rides, just buy them, but that's easy with that huge stash of money you've got that is constantly increasing. It's mildly fun, but the problem is that you hardly have a role. There are minigames in which you have to 'clean up' rides, but they are so easy and tedious. There are also seven slightly more fun minigames, and even though you've seen them all before, they are still enjoyable. Also incorporated into the main plot is some point and click action, but it's quite basic and rudimentary. Thrillville off the rails is a bland, uninteresting game that doesn't even let you properly customise your park.

Wii Sports shows off the potential of the wii remote. It's a compilation of five sports, each showcasing what the wiimote has to offer. You use your miis in each of these. The first is bowling- swinging the remote as if you were playing it in real life. This is always responsive, and something anyone can dip into. For that reason, bowling is in my opinion the best game in Wii Sports. Next is tennis. This should be amazing but instead, it's just shaking the wiimote at the right time. It doesn't matter how you swing or shake it- the way it aims is due to your timing. Still, this is a great game, though matches are too short, even at the highest settings. There's a baseball game, which responds accurately to how you hold and swing the wiimote. In the same way, when bowling, the controls are fast and responsive. Depending on how you swing, you can put a spin on the ball. Golf and boxing is where it all goes haywire. Golf works how you'd imagine, with the wiimote being the golf club. The controls respond well when hitting the ball long distance. But when you're close to the hole, on the fairway, the wii remote's sensing can't pick up gentle hits. So you're forced to hit the ball harder, and then it zips over the hole. Golf is more frustrating than it is fun. Boxing, meanwhile, responds accurately- just a second after you do something. This lag stops it from being enjoyable. As well as these sports, there are training minigames for each of them, which adds to the fun, plus improves your skill. There is also a fitness test which is useless as it tells you nothing about your fitness. The better you become at sports, the higher your 'level' becomes. At 1000, you become 'pro level'. And that's far from easy to do. Wii Sports is the first game to get for your wii simply because it showcases what that remote can do. But bad boxing and golf bring it down.

This is an embarrassment to Peter Jackson. His magical film has been degraded to an awfully disappointing game. The level design is actually pretty good, with challenging puzzles requiring more than one character. It's the awful graphics that let it down, making it often very difficult to actually see what's happening properly. And, 'oh, please', don't listen to the whiny 12-year-old who goes by the name, 'vampirejoe' and thinks graphics are unimportant in a game. There also many glitches that force you to reset your wii. It's a shame because otherwise the game is good.

Usually, Nintendo are known for their shameless quality titles. But sometimes, they can be lazy. And what better time to be lazy than on Mario's 25th anniversary? Sure, how can I say I didn't enjoy playing through some of the best games of all time, but they should have released a new game. Super Mario All Stars is here on the Wii to celebrate Mario's anniversary. Fantastic! But what is it? It's a port **** that came out in 1993. Come again? But that's it: a port of a 15-year-old game. And guess what? This 15-year-old game was actually a collection of 4 classic mario games. Couldn't Nintendo actually release a new game? Why did they chose to re-release a past-generation game, WITH GAMES FROM GENERATIONS BEFORE THAT, on a seventh-generation console? Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Bros The Lost Levels, Super Mario USA, and Super Mario Bros 3 are the games on this ridiculously-priced port. I could tell you how good they are and how much I enjoyed them, but then you know that already, don't you? All these games are available seperately on virtual console (for a lower collective price). So this is a rip-off. Oh, and this version comes with a CD with some of the most annoying, generic sounds in the world, and a history booklet with one-line interviews. I like the four games available in Super Mario All-stars, but it's highly priced and it's a port **** that came out years ago. Other than nostalgia, there is nothing to save this port, ehich isn't even a remake. To add insult to injury, it doesn't even contain Mario World, the best 2D platformer ever made. If you're looking to play these four games, look no further than the wii's virtual console.

What makes Colours 3D superior to painting apps you might have on your phone is the obvious inclusion of 3D. So now you can paint anything you want to have much more depth. It's a breakthrough in art. You can also look at other people's amazing drawings, and submit your own (though I wouldn't dare!). You can also play a fast-forward video of the painting. Seriously, what some people can do with it is just incredible. The only thing I dislike is the menu system for brush types, colours, and things like that.

So many ways to die! Minis on the Move is somewhat different from mario vs donkey kong titles in that you must place tiles in a 3D environment using the touchscreen to create a path for the mini. It's a stressful, panicky, but incredibly fun game. The tiles come from the pipe, and if it fills up, you die. If you run out of time, you die. If you fall off, you die. There are also even more ways to die, but you never feel unfairly treated. Yes, the tiles coming into the pipe are randomised, but in such a way that must place them later on down your path. It's not chance, and it's always possible. Anyone who doesn't say so is a noob. There are four modes. Mario's Main Event is what I've just been talking about. Puzzle Palace has a calmer approach. All the tiles are already there, and are always the same. It's a lot less stressful but is actually a lot harder than Main Event. It's a mode where you have to think a lot before you start your mini. Then there is So Many Minis, in which several minis walk around at the same time, but instead of placing tiles, you move tiles around. The last mode is Giant Jungle. This is essentially Mario Main Event, but four times as big. It's incredibly challenging, so the three levels are all that are needed here. There are 183 levels alltpgether in Minis on the Move, each with three M-tokens to collect. The more you collect, the more minigames you unlock, but the minigames are boring, which lessens the insentive to get those tokens. It's a shame, but I can never bring myself to replay levels- I simply don't see the need. There are also not enough innovative ideas to keep you interested- all the items are from the 2D Mario vs DK games. So the fun wears out. Thankfully, there's create and share, where you can design your own levels and share them online. The sharing system is more practical than in Pullblox, but you can only create levels based on Mario's Main Event. Why not the other three modes? In conclusion, this is a good game lacking in enough new ideas to keep it fresh.

This charming retro platformer is sure to have you hooked. Following a mutant invasion, Max sets out with his squirt gun and jetpack to bring those mudds to justice. But what keeps it from being an unoriginal platformer? First, Max has a jetpack that can let him glide for a limited time. Enemies are all invincible to anything but his squirt gun, you'll need to use strategy to avoid and shoot them. But what makes Mutant Mudds unique is its 'layer-hopping' idea. While Donkey Kong Country Returns included this before, Mutant Mudds has many different layers on top of each other, so it's not doing it for show as much as DK Country. This great idea is dragged to, and past, its full potential: you get clouds that blow you forwards to the layer in front, and enemies generally navigating between layers. It makes such good use of the 3D effect that Mutant Mudds is very frustrating without the 3D on, as you find yourself trying to avoid enemies that are on another layer, and making stupid mistakes due to confusion. This means that Mutant Mudds is at home on 3DS and wouldn't work on any other platform. The graphics are simple but charming, a lovely throwback to a by-gone era. The chiptune soundtrack is excellent. Generally, Mutant Mudds' presentation is truly great. The price is a bit too high for only 40 levels, but you're still getting several hours of enjoyment. But Pullblox was round about the same price and had a potential sixty hours in it. This is how a level editor would have really helped Mutant Mudds. It's not a complicated platformer, so a level editor would've been ideal. It would also make the price a lot more worthwhile. Still, this is one of the best platformers on eShop, and you must, without a doubt, download it.

Mario Party just sunk to a whole new level. As in any other Mario Party, you run around the party boards, throwing dice and landing on different spaces. It's just chance, with no strategy whatsoever, and it's always been a multiplayer experience. To be honest, it's often the party boards that let down mario party games, but at least the minigames were fun. The main problem with Mario Party 8 is how it tries to take advantage of the wii remote. In one minigame, you must shake the wiimote as fast as you can. Wow, so... fun. In other, you must control a chimp by flicking the wii remote, but controls are largely unresponsive. And some other minigames don't use the motion capabilities at all, and are just plain boring. It's needless to say playing on your own is terribly boring. Multiplayer isn't much good either, but at least it's slightly better. Just like any other Mario Party game, Mario Party 8 also features a 'story mode'. This is often actually fun because at least there's a goal to actually do something, unlike party mode. Except in Mario Party 8, it's terrible. Chance plays a bigger part than ever before, especially since minigames aren't even included in this mode. At the moment, I'm stuck on Boo's Haunted Hideway(and always will be beacause I've sold the game). Here the rooms are in a random pattern every time, and you don't know where anything is. There's alwaya a Whomp blocking a doorway somewhere, which requires you to pay coins to him to get past. Except once, the design was so bad, there was no way to get enough coins to pay Whomp, especially because of the 'no minigame' rule. There was only one coin space, so it took too long to possibly even get one star before the time ran out. This is the 'fun' you have in Mario Party 8.