Nintendo Life's Scores

  • Games
For 5,862 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 45% higher than the average critic
  • 18% same as the average critic
  • 37% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 8 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 67
Highest review score: 100 Horace
Lowest review score: 10 Lawnmower Game: Racing
Score distribution:
5870 game reviews
    • 32 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Halloween: Trick or Treat is simply mishandled on every possible level.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Copter Crisis is another example of a good concept for WiiWare that has been poorly executed. With bland visuals, repetitive gameplay and an absurd Pay and Play pricing plan, there's little that speaks in this title's favour.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    CID The Dummy is a rather disappointing experience and a prime example of the recent trend of “shovelware” that seems to have befallen the Wii. There are little to no discernable areas of good quality in the game and at best it may pass an hour or two before you become at best confused and at worst utterly completely frustrated.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Like Meme Run and Zombie Brigade, Superola And The Lost Burgers is an embarrassment to modern gaming. It’s crudely put together, with no originality behind the content – intentional or not – and the apparent 'platforming action' on offer is an insult to the much-loved genre. Even as an endless runner, this low level of quality is far from acceptable. The additional content included only heightens just how bad this entire package actually is. In truthfulness, it’s just a bunch of overdone memes and references mixed together that would fit right at home on a popular message board. Avoid this one at all costs.
    • 31 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    ESPN Sports Connection's biggest problem is that it feels like it was slapped together in a manner of months, with seemingly little interest to exist beyond merely existing - someone had to make motion-controlled tennis, right? Noble perhaps to take one for the team like that, but families looking to replicate that Wii Sports magic this hardware launch are better off with a ticket to Nintendo Land.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    This is the same recycled thing we've seen over and over in the two years since Dong Nguyen had a surprise hit, and it's high time this vapid avian adventure took a permanent vacation.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Blowing up cars is entertaining, but the game somehow manages to fumble this core concept with way too many irritations: dull graphics and repetitive missions and objectives are bad enough, but even they could be overlooked if the game's control scheme wasn't so bad. Transformers: DotM - SFE is over in just about four hours, but after struggling with its cumbersome controls, you may be thankful to say goodbye to this scrapheap.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    None of these games are completely terrible or broken, but the gameplay and presentation scream out that this compilation is an afterthought; a shameless cash-in.
    • 30 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Power Rangers Megaforce isn't just a bad game — though it most assuredly is a bad game — it's downright broken in places.
    • 29 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Ark: Survival Evolved, in its current state, is not the best port to grace Nintendo Switch. It is, however, a proper MMORPG survival game with a deep and rewarding crafting system and the potential for some brilliant online cooperation with your fellow survivors. There’s a palpable thrill to moving from simple stone tools to more advanced weaponry as you begin to master the crafting cycle, an experience no other game on Switch can offer right now. But its myriad technical problems – ranging from texture pop-in to substantial performance slowdown – mean you really are better off playing Ark on a different platform for the time being. Patches could solve some of these problems over time, but we can't help but feel this ambitious title will never run at an acceptable level on Nintendo's hybrid platform.
    • 29 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Get lost in something else on the eShop instead.
    • 28 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    If you really want some 70's kung fu action, do yourself a favor: plunk down the cost of the Douglas tune and jump around your home, Wii Remote in hand, going "hiyaaaa!"
    • 28 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    This one belongs in the litterbox.
    • 28 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Even with extra content and performance enhancements, a frustratingly limited camera and lack of variety reduce Woodle to a cheap and cheerful but flawed and basic 3D jump and collect-athon. While its cute and whimsical charm and uncomplicated nature make it suitable and accessible to younger audiences, there are still plenty of contemporaries on the eShop that are more accomplished and polished. While adequate considering its price, it's nonetheless an idyllic yet simple little game.
    • 28 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Tennis is so lacklustre in every single department that we’re honestly baffled this managed to get a full release. The modes on offer are incredibly basic, the characters are dire, and the lack of any sort of progression through the game means there’s absolutely nothing to keep you going. The Joy-Con controls are a very small highlight, but Tennis is one we’ll want to forget in a hurry.
    • 27 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Decay of Logos is a mess. It looks bad, has some crippling performance issues and is stuffed full of nonsensical and overly-punitive gameplay systems that make every minute you spend with it feel like a slog. The world that Amplify Creations has created here does occasionally feel like it could be an interesting and worthwhile place to explore, but there are just far too many bugs and problems that get in the way of you settling down to enjoy this game in any way whatsoever. Avoid.
    • 27 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Unless you've played it before and can't resist the pull of nostalgia, this is one old Dog that isn't worth the adoption.
    • 27 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    There's no two ways about it - this is an embarrassing WiiWare release that lacks any of the fundamental elements of enjoyable, rewarding gameplay.
    • 26 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Overall Tenkai Knights: Brave Battle feels half-baked.
    • 25 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Absolutely one of the worst executions of a racing game to date, it's astonishing just how badly Nordcurrent has faired with this top-down racer.
    • 24 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Game Party Champions is – to put it nicely – a bad game. We're not even venturing into "so bad that it's good" territory, either. We're way past that. On the shelves on Wii U launch day, you could pick up any other title for just a few pounds more than the asking price of this. Alternatively, you could have not bothered buying any games, and still had more fun than if you'd walked out of the store with Game Party Champions. This is so bad that your great-great-grandchildren will want to change their surname when they find out that you once played it. Avoid.
    • 24 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    If Chasing Dead was a more polished product with all its issues ironed out, you might find a decent sci-fi zombie romp underneath all the mess. Perhaps the developer will go back and patch out all the issues one day, but as it stands Chasing Dead is best left on the shelves of the Nintendo eShop. Not recommended.
    • 23 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    If there's just one thing at which this particular version of Myst succeeds, it's serving as a prime example of what not to do when porting a classic game to a modern system.
    • 23 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Bounty Battle is one of the very worst video games we've ever played. It's got an amazing premise, for sure, and Dark Screen Games' has somehow managed to procure the use of all of these fantastic indie characters, but that's as far as the positivity goes. Everything else about this appalling mess is absolutely broken. Janky menus, awful combat, a shocking framerate, crude animations and poorly explained mechanics leave this one in a hole that's surely impossible to climb out of; a hole that should be boarded up and forgotten about. If you're considering picking this one up on the strength of that enticing indie Smash Bros. premise, trust us, run away.
    • 21 Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    Treat Zombii Attack like you would an undead plague: avoid it at all costs. The controls sporadically decide not to work, the graphics are terrible and gameplay revolves around the least enjoyable activity in gaming: waiting. Even if you do suck any fun from this game, it's over in a flash. Save yourself the frustration and the 500 Nintendo Points. There are far better ways to enjoy the zombie apocalypse.
    • 21 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    There are plenty of other — more talented and deserving — fish in the sea.
    • 21 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    Whether you beat the game or not, there's no happy ending to Enjoy Your Massage.
    • 21 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    If you've got a balloon popping fetish you'll probably love it, but fans of quality puzzle games have a large selection of far better games at the same price point to choose from.
    • 19 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    We would absolutely recommend that you do not buy this game; especially considering the price, just go pick up a Street Fighter game off of the Virtual Console for your fighting game fix.
    • 18 Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    At least Pong Toss is aptly named. After a few minutes of this game you'll definitely want to "toss" something.

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