Nintendo Life's Scores
- Games
For 5,857 reviews, this publication has graded:
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45% higher than the average critic
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18% same as the average critic
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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: | The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest review score: | Lawnmower Game: Racing |
Score distribution:
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Positive: 2,261 out of 5857
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Mixed: 2,820 out of 5857
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Negative: 776 out of 5857
5865
game
reviews
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- Critic Score
As poignant, heartbreaking and memorable as it was back in 2013, Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons hasn’t lost any of its emotional impact in those intervening years. With a captivating soundtrack, an aesthetic design evocative of Fable and a genuinely clever take on co-op, you can really see why it’s held in such high regard. The new traditional co-op mode does offer a new way to play, but it also robs the game of one of its most challenging and rewarding features. While there’s not much here to coax back players who have already experienced Brothers, those that enjoyed Unravel Two will certainly revel in its co-operative charms.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 28, 2019
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Pepper Grinder is a wonderfully inventive and fun platformer that no fan of the genre will want to miss out on. It may have a runtime that feels a little too short, but this is ultimately a deeply enjoyable, challenging, and highly replayable game with lots of personality. If you think you’d be interested, we’d suggest you pick up Pepper Grinder at the next opportunity (and there's a even downloadable demo if you're on the fence).- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 28, 2024
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If you loved Toki Tori, you'll love this. If you loved Chu Chu Rocket!, you'll love this. At a mere 600 Nintendo Points with 60 puzzles, you're getting quite the bargain.- Nintendo Life
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Astlibra Revision may not be a truly great game, but it is most certainly an interesting one. At the very least, it is unafraid to challenge JRPG conventions in unique ways while also demonstrating mastery of the genre’s most basic tropes. It can feel a little too archaic in its design and haphazard in its pacing, while the vaguely Flash game-esque visuals are a bit of a letdown. On the whole, though, it proves to be a worthwhile experience, one that we would especially recommend to fans of older RPGs. If you can look past its faults, there’s a lot to love about Astlibra; we’d suggest you investigate if your interest is piqued.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 23, 2023
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You can never really go back – the game is still there, but the magic of that time mixes the memory up to something more intoxicating than it really was. Go back to the SNES Ninja Warriors now and it’s still fun, but it’s stuck in the square box of a 4:3 screen, the animation doesn’t stand out like it did and one-player-only looks weak alongside the other Final Fight tribute acts of the day. But when you see The Ninja Saviors, it’s somehow exactly what you remember: huge, lush backdrops, silk animation, and tight, mob-levelling ninja moves. It’s like being a kid again, and stands as yet another essential Switch release you really should own.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Aug 12, 2019
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Among Us is an instantly accessible and super-addictive casual gaming experience that serves up some hilarious whodunnit hijinks in short bursts that are perfectly suited to portable play. There are a few niggles here with regards to controls that make communication fussier than it really needs to be, but this is a fine port that finally enables Switch gamers to jump in and see what all the fuss is about with this most unlikely of gaming sensations.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Dec 21, 2020
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Stories Untold is a chilling adventure that manages to draw us right into its world through the ingenious use of its UI and perfectly realised lo-fi aesthetic. Through the walls of old technology and complicated machinery, it creates a uniquely strong bond between player and narrative, giving you a real sense of place within its world as it slowly corrupts and twists from the comfortingly familiar to something else entirely. It's one of the best interactive horror stories we've ever played and a perfect fit for enjoying alone in the dark on Switch.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jan 25, 2020
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Those of you looking for the next Castle Crashers or Streets of Rage need look no further, as Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game – Complete Edition is a great beat ‘em up for your Switch. Bombastic presentation and crunchy combat gameplay make this one enjoyable from start to finish. Though it can feel like it runs a bit short and the difficulty spikes can be rather intense, we’d give this one a strong recommendation to anybody looking for a fun, short game to play in co-op. Let's just hope it sticks around for longer than four years this time.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jan 13, 2021
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An absolute pleasure from start to finish, what Kaze and the Wild Masks lacks in originality it makes up for in the strength of its level design, responsive controls, kinetic move set and attractive visuals. Excellent, action-packed platforming through and through, with great gameplay variety and gimmicks that don’t compromise on what the game is best at – challenging, fast-paced obstacle courses and deviously-hidden secret areas. Easiest sell? Kaze and the Wild Masks is to Donkey Kong Country what Freedom Planet was to Sonic the Hedgehog. Don’t miss this one.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 18, 2021
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Performance on Switch 2 isn’t as impressive as RE7, unfortunately. Although visuals and frame rate remain consistent in docked mode, there are a few issues present when transitioning to handheld. It still looks great, but you’ll definitely notice a few stutters here and there, particularly when exploring exterior environments like the central hub and reservoir...I still very much recommend playing Village. Its gameplay and pacing are excellent, and there’s one very specific moment that remains one of the scariest in the series’ history. When compared to RE7’s superb story and the wider franchise lore, however, Village is a bit of a narrative anomaly that I’m not convinced will stand the test of time.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Feb 23, 2026
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The Touryst is a joyous little adventure that sinks its blocky little hooks into you and doesn't let go until it's done. It's got a perfect balance of atmospheric puzzling, leisurely exploring and minigame madness that'll keep you thoroughly entertained from start to finish, and its collection of tiny little voxel islands are a joy to discover, bursting with surprises to uncover and presented in a truly dazzling art-style that's achieved whilst performing flawlessly on Nintendo's console. The puzzles might not be the most taxing you'll ever come across and you'll blow through the whole thing pretty quickly, but overall this is a top-notch – and perfectly priced – little gem.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 25, 2019
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Nine years on from the original release, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn displays how focused gameplay design, creativity, and strong art direction are timeless qualities that can keep a game enjoyable and relevant for years to come. This design is then made even stronger by the inclusion of all the ‘extra’ elements, such as Ravel Abilities, new mini-games, and optional harder difficulty, which range from being harmless to actively changing the base game for the better. For those of you that never got the chance to play the original Kirby’s Epic Yarn, this is certainly the best way to experience it, while those of you that have played it will find this to be a solid portable version that loses none of the quality of the original. Either way, Kirby’s Extra Epic Yarn is a fantastic and standout addition to the deep software library of the 3DS; we’d highly encourage you to give it a go.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 4, 2019
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Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana is hardly a revolutionary RPG, but it stands as an excellent reminder that sometimes less is more. The brisk pacing, thrilling combat, and cutesy visuals all come together in a wonderfully enjoyable and simple action RPG. This is an experience that makes no compromises and holds nothing back, and even if it’s clearly less ambitious and expansive than many of the later entries in the series, there’s also something very satisfying about playing through a game where its reach did not exceed its grasp.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jan 7, 2025
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The Disney Afternoon Collection is a delightful throwback to the '90s, offering up eight mostly great games across the NES and SNES. While you could potentially skip one or two, the lineup represents a particularly prolific period for Capcom, one in which licensed games were — contrary to much of the competition — actually worth your time and money. With a handy rewind feature and the sort of supplemental material you've come to expect from Digital Eclipse, this is a great compilation that deserves a second chance on Switch 1 and 2.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Feb 25, 2026
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Kirby's Return to Dream Land Deluxe is a fantastic remake of one of our favourite Kirby adventures. With slick new visuals, some meaningful gameplay tweaks and two excellent new modes to dig into, this is a big, loud and colourful celebration of all things Kirby that should delight new and returning players alike. Magalor's Epilogue is a surprisingly chunky addition to the core action that gives the campaign a nice boost, whilst Merry Magoland ensures that you and your pals are kept busy with plenty of minigames, missions and online challenges to best once you're done with the main story mode. It's another win for everyone's favourite pink puffball.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Feb 22, 2023
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Little Nightmares boasts some superb character and environment design, and exceptional sound too, with parts of the Maw screaming as if the ship was a gigantic bionic seafarer. Its story is compellingly told, and the way the main game connects with the DLC is immensely rewarding. But you never really feel like you have full control of Six, and the long breaks between restarts can dump you into a painful loop of spending less time in the game than you do in loading screens.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 20, 2018
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It's an accomplished effort, though, and a must for fans of the franchise that can't access the new home console version, or those that simply want to always be able to slay an almighty monster when on the move.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 18, 2013
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Puzzle Bobble Everybubble! feels like a fitting, worthy new entry in the long-running series. There’s a rich mixture of single and multiplayer/online modes on offer here, and though the AI bots can leave something to be desired, this is overall a well-rounded and appealing package that’s sure to appeal to any action puzzle fans. We’d give this one a recommendation to anyone looking for an addictive puzzler that doesn’t require too much mental investment to ‘get’ and that keeps you on your toes. The simple and brilliant game design on display here is admirable and it’s sure to eat up hours of your time once it gets its hooks in you.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 22, 2023
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Capping off the Crossbell and Cold Steel arcs with a nice little bow, The Legend of Heroes: Trails into Reverie hits some high highs – such as with C and the True Reverie Corridor – and when it does, it's an RPG fan’s paradise. But as an overall package, it feels like an easy excuse to get a huge number of characters together rather than do something meaningful with them. It’s far from the series’ best, but fans will find a lot to love here, even if we'd recommend seeking it out on another platform for the best experience, or waiting for a patch.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jun 30, 2023
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Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Mega Mix is a strong portable version of a truly joyous rhythm game which loses out a little in terms of track numbers in comparison to the likes of series stablemate Future Tone, but makes up for this with a surprisingly solid Switch-exclusive motion control mode alongside touchscreen controls and a new art style that helps keep things running smoothly as you blast your way through its eclectic mix of excellent music. It's a perfect fit for dipping in and out of in handheld and is extremely welcoming to newcomers whilst still providing plenty of tough challenges for veteran rhythm game fans. If you're a follower of this particular genre, then Project DIVA Mega Mix comes highly recommended.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 23, 2020
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If you’re new to the series, Yoshi’s Crafted World has colour and charm to spare, even if its inventiveness is largely limited to its looks. For Yoshi fans, it does exactly what you expect it to, which is perhaps the worst thing we can say about it; it contains few genuine surprises. It’s delightfully presented, though, and makes for another very solid entry in Nintendo’s ever-growing pantheon of material-based platformers – it takes extreme discipline to not overuse that word ‘charm’ while discussing it. So, if you’re looking to share a light-hearted platformer with the family, or simply relax in a big chair with a cup of something warm and a comfy pair of socks, be sure to have a spare pair ready – Yoshi's Crafted World will charm the ones you’re wearing right off.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 27, 2019
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Tencent is hoping Arena of Valor’s new console port will bring its eSports success on mobile to Nintendo Switch, and with a solid netcode, an accessible and enjoyable take on the MOBA template and a free-to-play model, there’s no reason it can’t achieve that goal in the months (and years) to come. While it does have a few technical issues at launch, they don't detract from the fact Nintendo Switch now has a proper MOBA to add to its library of supported genres. One of the world's biggest games is now on Switch, and that's something to celebrate.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Sep 27, 2018
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Pokkén is also a solid choice for Switch because it perfectly suits the console's local multiplayer ethos; the game's control scheme fits perfectly on a single Joy-Con, which means you can take the fight with you anywhere you wish. Whether or not the five additional Battle Pokémon and the light dusting of additional modes and features will be enough to convince existing Pokkén fans to upgrade so soon after the Wii U version remains to be seen, but taken on its own merits this is comfortably one of the the best fighting games on the Switch right now, and offers surprising depth, stunning presentation, brilliant offline and onli ne multiplayer modes and bags of replayability.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Sep 18, 2017
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Subsurface Circular is a landmark moment in interactive storytelling. The elegance of its escalation is simply unmatched, as it tells a story that makes you feel like you’re in completely over your head, and yet still perfectly believable. The characters you meet along the way all feel unique with their own personality, which makes interacting with them a test of wit and cunning as you use the conversational mechanics to their full effect. There’s nothing quite else quite like Subsurface Circular, and when that uniqueness is combined with the phenomenal narrative at hand, you have all the ingredients for a simply unforgettable and very special journey aboard the subway.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 5, 2018
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Crystal Crisis isn’t going to dethrone the kings of the falling block genre anytime soon. It’s a solid puzzler with a heart of gold, but it doesn’t have the decades of improvements that its peers have. With a solid amount of content, an amazing cast of characters and fantastic presentation, though, we recommend this as a fun alternative if you tire of Tetris 99.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 28, 2019
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Carto's main concept is compelling, but it runs out of steam in the mid-game and succumbs to repetition far too swiftly. It's nonetheless a beautifully-drawn title that's often a pleasure to play, but when it's tedious, it's really tedious. It's arguably the perfect title to play with kids and novices who are likely to be more forgiving of Carto's many shortcomings, but everyone else should approach with a little more caution.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 10, 2020
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Its design is an exercise in perfect, effective simplicity, and with only a few tweaks it would have slotted perfectly into the Art Style series. It's clean, it's simple, and it's understated in the best kind of way.- Nintendo Life
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The gameplay is great fun, the presentation is to die for, and unlocking Nindie heroes through a really nicely put together adventure mode is the icing on the cake. We felt there was a little left to be desired with some elements of the multiplayer modes, and this might just make some think a little harder before jumping in, but we absolutely recommend giving this one a go if you’re interested regardless.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jul 2, 2018
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Concise, carefully crafted and beautifully malleable in its meaning, When The Past Was Around is a rather gorgeous little art game that remembers it needs to be interesting in its puzzles as well as its narrative. Taking the principles of escape room-style gameplay and fitting them around its theme lends them a gravitas that belies their simplicity and elevates this game into more than just the indie flavour of the month. Sure, you're not likely to play it twice, but you'd be hard-pressed to forget about it. And, honestly, after this year? We needed it.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Dec 25, 2020
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Trombone Champ is a game about perfection. Before you play, it asks you to select a stance for your tromboner: 'estudious' or 'jubilant'. Neither of these is appropriate when you know your performance will be as ear-abusive as an excited puppy mauling a bulb horn. Or are they? The true lesson is perhaps to hold your head high anyway. In life, as in Trombone Champ, faced as we all are with certain doom, be estudious if you like, be jubilant, parp like crazy, and be your very best you – no matter how imperfect that invariably is.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Sep 19, 2023
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