Nintendo Land

The only way to not having fun is not having company.

If it wasn't for a few duds, this game would be incredible, but even still, it's the best game to show off your WiiU and a great experience to play with some friends.

Nintendo Land is indeed a pleasant surprise. Not only does it do a great job at demonstrating just about every one of the Wii U's features, but it also delivers on some incredibly fun experiences, particularly in multiplayer

Nintendo Land is both a wonderful celebration of Nintendo's past and an exciting glimpse into its future, but more importantly it is incredibly, riotously fun. It's one of the best local multiplayer experiences ever crafted, and playing with friends is a guaranteed great time. There's also a surprising amount of depth to the single-player offerings, and Miiverse integration means you're never really on your own. It definitely taps into the nostalgia vein - and this is fan service par excellence - but it's also just pure entertainment.

Matching experimentation with (almost) consistently brilliant gameplay, this is as much a marker for what's to come as it is a truly excellent launch game.

A brilliant show of what Nintendo's new console and tablet controller are capable of, and has far more depth and content then you'd expect from a mini-game collection.

Nintendo Land highlights the potential of the Wii U console, especially when it comes to the capabilities of the GamePad that is definitely a very impressive gaming controller. By combining elements of the 3DS and a Tablet with streamlined Nintendo controls, this game not only plays well but gives the player and players some great single and multiplayer excitement. Add in high scores, trophies and lots of unlockables and this may be the future of gaming! Brilliant!

Nintendo builds a funny theme-park for Wii U, probably the best option to discover the GamePad and the asymmetric gameplay. Crazy when played with friends; still good when played alone. It's a must have.

An essential purchase for party lovers that whets the Nintendo appetite. Bring friends. [Christmas 2012, p.84]

An entertaining minigame collection. The games are quite well fleshed out. [Jan 2013]

This may not be game of the year, but it doesn't try to be. What it does try to be is an ode to Nintendo's rich history and an introduction to the Wii U's capabilities and control potential. In those efforts, it succeeds greatly.

Single-player attractions may have some flaws, but for now, Nintendo Land is the quintessential multiplayer game that everyone should at least check out.

For all its similarities, Nintendo Land is a wholly different experience from the Wii and Wii Sports-and that isn't necessarily a bad thing. While the presentation and concepts still exude a casual shell, the real meat of the experience is deceptively deep and unmistakably challenging. It's no "killer app" launch title, but it's no slouch, either.

Nice set of mini-games with a visible touch of the Nintendo spirit. Nothing good for lone-wolves to be found here but family sessions should be satisfied. [Christmas 2012]

The most interesting is that the twelve attractions somehow spread through all functions of the GamePad, accommodating different rules in different games. Each game is thus a unique and challenging experience.

Your level of enjoyment will hinge on how often you can play this game with friends. When there are plenty of people around this game is a blast. Playing it solo can still be a lot of fun, but it feels like some of the magic is lost.

The clear purpose of Nintendo Land is to play with more people: it's a step forward in the party game genre and also a new (and great) way of having fun with some friends.

Nintendo Land oozes with familiarity and might even alert some of the most ardent players to gems they may have missed. With that in mind I have a number of Pikmin games to acquire and devour.

If this review hasn't spelled it out for you already, there is a lot of content and potential included in this package to make it more than worth your while and keep you coming back for more as Nintendo Land is a pretty darn good game.

So no, it's not another Wii Sports. It isn't a game-changer, nor is it likely to be nearly as successful as a seller of hardware...But it might just be the better game of the two.

Nintendo Land is a pretty cool Wii U feature-demo, which introduces the new gamepad with all it's innovations for the player. The games are pretty cool, but there are only 12 included, and only a few are damn fun. If there were more games and an easy-mode for untrained gamers, the game would be more entertaining.

The Wii-controller was instantly understandable thanks to Wii Sports. Nintendo Land doesn't do exactly that for the GamePad, but it does show that it can be a great addition to games, especially with friends. Thanks to an original concept – a theme park based on 12 Nintendo games – which is well executed, this is more than a simple minigame collection.

It´s a nice little time sink for a single player and a real blast in a group of friends or family. All of these games cater far more to the needs of the classic gamer than Wii Sports ever did and at the same time they manage to show of the capabilities of the new gamepad pretty well. It's not the revelation the Wii once was, on those first evenings after you brought it home. But its an endearingly crafted piece of quality software.

A clever demonstration of all the Wii U's features and, more importantly, a mini-game collection that can keep any gamer – from casual to hardcore – equally entertained.

Nintendo Land tries to evolve Wii Sports with a mini games compilation based on well-known franchises and using the Wii U GamePad in a creative way. It's not Mario Party, but it works as party game and a unique experience in the console line-up.

Nintendo Land is a great game to understand what the new Wii U GamePad is capable of. The 12 attractions are very different from each others and guaranteed a unique gameplay experience. Every mini-game is inspired by Nintendo most famous characters, such as Mario, Metroid and Zelda. Perfect if played in multiplayer or co-op, it's a must own game for Wii U users and for party game lovers.

Nintendo Land is something that goes beyond the simple teaching of the new features of the console and the controller. It makes you want to go on with the next attraction. It's a title that will give you much more than just one night with friends, in fact, you'll probably enjoy it better on your own. Too bad for some recycled mechanics and for some attractions less successful than others.

Nintendo Land is available as a pack-in with the Wii U Deluxe Set, but it's a good enough game on its own to warrant a purchase for anyone buying the Wii U Basic Set. Plus, it's an effective tool for users as they learn the ins and outs of the Wii U GamePad. There's plenty of value in that alone and having an entire theme park of fun games based on Nintendo's best franchises makes the deal that much sweeter. Sweet enough to call Nintendo Land a must-own for new Wii U owners.

Definitely has a more long-lasting appeal than Wii Sports, but also has a much higher learning curve.

In a wonderful cartoon world populated by Mii characters, the players are able to play twelve different games, inspired by Nintendo biggest franchise, from Super Mario to Zelda. Nintendo Land is the perfect bundle game for the imminent launch of the new Nintendo console. We suggest the game to all the Wii U buyers, Nintendo fans, and casual gamers.

There's a good possibility that if you're interested in getting a Wii U at all, you'll end up with Nintendo Land anyway, since the game is bundled with the deluxe package that includes the black version of the console, four times as much internal storage, and a two-year discount on eShop games. That whole package is $10 less than buying the basic white Wii U model and Nintendo Land separately, and the good news is, Nintendo Land provides enough rousing minigames--provided you've got the players and the hardware--and a convincing enough case for the new control scheme to make it a worthwhile companion piece alongside your new Wii U.

Nintendo Land isn't just a fine showcase of the Wii U's capabilities, though it certainly is that. It's also a great game in its own right.

Nintendo Land is a completely unique game unlike anything else available on other consoles, combining the way the Smash Bros. games used Nintendo's history with the innovation of Wii Sports.

It's not just half a dozen great diversions and a few more besides; it's sweet fan service that celebrates Nintendo's catalogue with more heart and less calculation than we've seen of late. Better yet, it reclaims the used and abused mini-game compilation from the hollow hinterlands of the casual cash-in, lovingly restores it and puts it back where it belongs - amid the hustle, the buzz, the urgent appeal of the arcade.

It's massive, but disposable; grotesque, yet striking; commodified, but affecting. Not everything in Nintendo Land works, but what it does well, no one else is even trying.

The complexity of the GamePad makes it best suited for people who know their way around a video game, at least at first. Tying some of the fun to recognition of familiar Nintendo series helps the right initial audience self-select.

If you're buying the Premium version, Nintendo Land is a great addition, but if you're buying the basic one, keep in mind this game is meant to be played with friends and family. One way or another, Nintendo Land is a title every Wii U user should, at least, try.

It may not be at the top of your play list in the long term, but as an ensemble it's well worth a look - particularly if you have a fondness for the various included Nintendo franchises.

Nintendo Land becomes a great game only when played with at lest 2 friends, and even in this case it never shows the scope or genius of the best Nintendo efforts. It's just a good party game.

If you frequently entertain guests, Nintendo Land is an invaluable party staple. If you're a solo gamer, it's a much harder sell.

Planed to act as a demonstration of Wii U's capabilities, Nintendo Land is actually more than that. Despite a great number of basic mini-games, this product features three fantastic concepts based on Mario, Luigi's Mansion and Animal Crossing's worlds. As fun as Mario Kart, these mini-games can justify the purchase of Nintendo Land alongside the Wii U.

There are a few dud mini-games, but Nintendo Land does a good job at highlighting the strengths of the new system and the potential of asymmetric multiplayer. [Feb 2013, p.64]

Intended as a colorful and welcoming invitation for new Wii U owners, Nintendo Land succeeds as a broadly enjoyable tutorial on the myriad features and abilities of the console and its unique GamePad controller. [Dec 2012, p.72]

Nintendo Land's defining quality is how it teaches the Wii U system to the player without making it complicated. This unfortunately also means depth is sacrificed.

Nintendo Land offers a unique gameplay experience which benefits from the new Wii U controller. The play value for single players is quite short, but you can spend hours in the different multiplayer attractions.

Nintendo Land is exactly what it set out to be: a mini-game compilation to show off how fun local multiplayer can be with two screens. None of the mini-games is bad; some are but a tutorial to the GamePad, not really interesting, others are pure genius.

Could Nintendo have made similar cuts, sliced out singleplayer, and left us with the perfect party game? The shadow of missed opportunity occasionally looms over Nintendo Land, but as with any good theme park, there are moments where you'll yell, scream and laugh yourself silly. Just add friends.

When the game works, it's one of the finest party games on offer, but Nintendo's confusion in what it wants to achieve with the Wii U GamePad results in an erratic compilation short on hits

Nintendo Land epitomizes the minigame-compilation genre - occasional flashes of brilliance surrounded by things you just don't want to exist.

It manages to do a lot with the system without, I believe, even scratching the service of what more focused and dedicated videogames could achieve. It's a game meant to excite you more about the system you just purchased, and that is what it does. Well worth checking out, at any rate.

Although I had an absolute blast playing Mario Chase for a few rounds, I'm already bored with it. With only a few similar standout games, the collection doesn't captivate as much as it could.

Non-fans will be confused by references to little played NES and Game & Watch games. Oppositely, Nintendo fanboys will enjoy the references, but won't like settling for imitations of games like F-Zero and Zelda instead of the real thing. In spite of all that, Nintendo Land is great introduction to the Wii U, even if it lacks the longevity of Wii Sports.

It's hard to see Nintendo Land becoming anywhere near the sensation that Wii Sports was. It requires too much equipment for the modes that last, and the rest can be quickly milked of their entertainment value. It proves that Nintendo is capable of creating addicting one-dollar games, but at 60 bucks, it's not priced to sell. As a pack-in for the deluxe version of the console it's a nice extra that shows what the Wii U is capable of.

It's certainly a game that can be fun with a group, but as a single player experience I found it lacking. It does a great job of showcasing new system elements, but also comes up short in fully realizing that theme park look Nintendo was going for.

In the end Nintendo Land can't fascinate as Wii Sports did when Wii launched. From time to time it shows what the new touchpad controls have to offer, but most of the time it is more reminiscent of WiiPlay. And if you don't have friends to support you in the few minigames that are actually fun, the entertainment is short lived.

Nintendo Land is charming in concept and execution, but it's also a game that doesn't have the depth or gameplay offerings to really reach its full potential. As a pack-in game, it's great; as a $60 retail game, it's horribly overpriced.

This is an interesting, but inconsistent mix of twelve mini-games that are meant to teach you how Wii U works. Nintendo Land is up to that task, however, the game is not entertaining enough.

Nintendo Land isn't a bad game, for free. As something that is included with the system, as long as you bought the deluxe model, this makes for an interesting tech demo, letting you and your friends try out different methods of how a game can be played on the Wii U. There is some fun to be had, but it's short lived, mainly due to lack of content, and not all of the content will be fun to everyone.

If you're likely to get together with at least two friends and have the required extra hardware, there's enough here to warrant a purchase - just know that you're essentially buying the game for three incredibly fun party games. If you're going to be playing solo, there are better options available for the Wii U.