Nintendo Life's Scores

  • Games
For 5,859 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: 10 153 Hand Video Poker
Score distribution:
5867 game reviews
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Electroplankton Nanocarp is certainly one of the more unique experiences of the series, and while it does offer a nice alternative to your normal gaming routines, it just feels a little empty when it's made available as a solo release. It's one thing to have all of these titles in a package deal, but even at 200 Nintendo Points, it just feels a little bare as a single release.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Quantity over quality has never been exhibited so perfectly as it is here. Having 150 games is undoubtedly impressive, but when the vast majority of them are barely decipherable, let alone playable, you’re probably only really left with around 15 titles that will hold your attention for more than a minute. While the contribution these games made to the evolution of gaming in its early days can’t be denied, many of them are stepping stones that we don’t need to walk over again.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    If you've got a very young child and you're looking for a safe, harmless game to keep them busy, BIG-Bobby-Car - The Big Race is a perfectly fine option, especially because you can already find the physical version pretty cheap if you shop around. There really isn't a lot to it for anyone whose age is in double digits, though, and the whole thing is so poorly optimised that you're going to need a strong tolerance for jankiness.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    This might be good if you're looking for a quick tower defense fix, but there's little else to it.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Star Story: The Horizon Escape is an inoffensive time sink with some competent gameplay that's ‘fun’ for an hour or two. Once you’ve seen a couple of the endings, though, it quickly palls. If you’ve run out of things to play on your Switch – and given the current flood of software, that's highly unlikely – and you’re willing to forgive a lack of polish, you could do far worse, but look elsewhere if you’re after a meaty adventure game.
    • 64 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The console version is nothing but a quick cash-in for Square Enix.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    G.G Series VERTEX is a game that's just a bit too simple for its own good. While the gameplay is engaging and fun at first, its failure to expand in any meaningful way later on in the game makes this a one trick pony
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Fall of Porcupine has a lot of potential, but our diagnosis is that it's fallen short. The cute art style and evocative soundtrack are its main drawcards, and while the wide-eyed animals can mask the dark themes of an unhealthy system, they can’t quite cover up the haphazard story or keep players engaged. We felt the game needed either a stronger narrative thread or more involved gameplay to improve its condition. Performance bugs can be treated with patches, but it’ll take more than a band-aid solution to cure the ailments in Fall of Porcupine.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Christmas Adventure of Rocket Penguin is a nice burst of holiday cheer, at a budget price, on the Wii U. With solid gameplay and polished art assets, it's definitely a fun game. However the extreme shortness of it, coupled with the fact that there is very little variety between game modes and level layouts, makes it hard for us to give a strong recommendation.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Those new to Heathcliff will likely find little here to draw them in and would probably better be served by a spot-the-difference game with wider-ranging images and themes.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed on 3DS tries to emulate the terrific offering on Wii U, with what seems like a disregard of its platform.
    • 48 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    An average title overall. Qualities such as smooth driving controls and an impressive open setting are let down by inconsistent levels of challenge, a city lacking in population, repetitive gameplay and, unfortunately, an irritating and clichéd main character.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Lost Sea isn't necessarily a bad game, but if you're not a fan of roguelikes, steer clear. For fans of roguelikes, Lost Sea doesn't quite nail what makes them so addictive and replayable. If you don't mind a slow, plodding trek over and over again, Lost Sea can provide some hours of mindless enjoyment.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Struggling isn't the first game whose main gimmick is a protagonist who's deliberately difficult to control. Whereas other games do this for comedy effect, though, here it only serves to frustrate. It's difficult enough in single-player, but as a co-op experience you're far more likely to want to slap your friend in the face before you'll high-five them. Success does feel like an accomplishment, but the end rarely justifies the means, making this strictly a game for masochists.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Knockout Home Fitness doesn't do anything inherently wrong with the selection of short fitness routines it offers, but it fails to support its bare-minimum motion tracking with any extra notable features or gamification to differentiate it from fitness DVDs or YouTube videos. Ring Fit Adventure has blown the fitness genre open on Switch, and with various other alternatives available, Knockout Home Fitness feels a little too limited, old-fashioned, and outclassed by the competition.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Neon Battle is one of those games that you'll play once or twice and then forget about; aside from the potential couch multiplayer, there's really no reason to keep coming back.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    With a variety of actions available, things to collect and different enemies to deal with, Super Putty Squad has potential. Unfortunately it's often underwhelming. There's some control frustration with the game using more buttons than is strictly necessary, with the challenge often coming from Putty not doing what you intended. A bigger problem is the levels, which often get repetitive as you simply move from one spot to the next collecting the putties. Sometimes things do get interesting, however, such as when you have to work out how best to get through a group of enemies or have to consider the best route through a level. The number of levels (and the challenge mode) ensures that there is some entertainment to be found in Super Putty Squad, but it is an average experience overall.
    • 56 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    When you think "party games," you don't normally think of playing multiple games in the exact same manner, and there's a reason why – it gets boring.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Younger children could easily stomach the experience enough to put countless hours into the game and will enjoy the references to the movies. Anyone else, on the other hand, will struggle to maintain any real determination to play past the first few missions, and will instead find themselves grasping for the "eject" switch fairly early on.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    If you or someone you know likes word searches and can withstand the no-frills presentation, you may well garner some sort of entertainment from this eShop entry. But it's hard to recommend a game that does so little to differentiate itself from its pen and paper roots.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    The Mario theme is obviously going to make this appealing to some, but much like the Animal Crossing Calculator application, it's still just a simple calculator, something than can already be found on almost any electronic device in existence today.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Castle Conqueror Defender is an unfortunate game that, while not doing anything inherently wrong, doesn’t do anything to make itself stand out within its over-populated genre.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Rubik's Cube does exactly what it says and does it relatively well, though lacks creativity in taking the core concept further. For the price it can be a good addition for those who love puzzles and prefer them virtually. Unfortunately for those who don't, there isn't much else to it.
    • 66 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    LEGO games are typically quite good. Movie franchise games are typically quite bad. The LEGO Ninjago Movie Video Game is, both, but ultimately it feels more like a movie game than a LEGO game. Poor level design, long load times and bugs make for a game that doesn't realise its full potential; funny dialogue and entertaining movie clips can't elevate this one to greatness. If you're looking for a great LEGO game for your Switch, stick to Undercover for now.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    It would be one thing if Reynatis was a decent enough action RPG to turn your brain off to and enjoy some simplistic, button-mashy battles with. The problem is that the creators behind this title so obviously wanted it to be more than that, but it doesn’t have the writing quality, the technical spectacle, or the mechanical depth to make it happen. Just like its co-lead Marin, Reynatis’ single-minded ambition to reach greater heights unveils its greatest weaknesses — a sense of aimlessness and a general apathy toward its own fantastical world. If you believe you can still find some enjoyment in Reynatis despite its failings, it might be worth a shot. Unfortunately, the performance deficiencies of this Switch release make it a game that’s best played on just about any other console you have available. With plenty of other great action RPGs out on the market, you have to wonder if it’s worth the trouble.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Frogger 3D balances interesting, clever level designs that will make you want to keep playing just to see more with infuriating cheap shots and a ridiculous difficulty curve that will make you never want to play again.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Millie is without a doubt a video game: it has defined rules, properly implemented game structure and clearly explains how to achieve victory. But it was clearly designed for another market, the casual mobile market and it cannot escape those origins. While it will be able to entertain the younger gamers among us, the later portion of the levels will test the patience of any gamer of any age, something that even the low price point can’t excuse. There is some fun here for puzzle/maze runner fans to be found, but we must caution readers that this millipede might never take off.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Certainly a novel way to connect with pals, and not without merit in its relaxing blend of gathering wood and testing yourself to keep the fire burning, Chillin' By The Fire has its positives. The GameShare aspects, when playing with friends, work well and are easy to set up, and it's nice to be able to buy one copy and then invite folk along. I also enjoyed the light puzzling for a time as I worked to keep my fire alive. However, beyond these basic aspects and some achievements, and especially for solo players, there's not much else here.
    • 67 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Nintendo Switch finally has a proper simulation game to its name, but the reality of the console’s hardware limitations proves that not every game can be ported wholesale onto the platform without serious issues. Cities: Skylines - Nintendo Switch Edition has so much potential and offers a fine alternative to SimCity’s broken reboot, but this game needed to be revamped and re-approached for Switch in a way that doesn’t turn it into a performance quagmire. Sadly, this is a game better played elsewhere.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Excellent, enjoyable gameplay clashes with a shoddy and lazy set of features. It's up to you whether that's worth your money.

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