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
We're keen to see Waterzooi stretch himself on his next gallery jaunt, but we'd recommend getting your hands on this one regardless.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 12, 2025
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No matter how excellent its soundtrack or sense of momentum may be, there’s no shaking the sense that Bomb Rush Cyberfunk is in a race against its own sense of nostalgia. The game rips, but more often than not it feels like that's because Jet Set Radio ran before it. That’s not to say it’s bad, but part of what makes Jet Set Radio so fun and unique is its raw originality. Bomb Rush Cyberfunk feels like a sequel in everything but name—for better and for worse. For every banger in its soundtrack, there’s a moment of jank or a feeling that this game hasn’t left 2000. Again, it’s still a great time, but it’s lacking that lightning-in-a-bottle feel that JSR had. That’s totally fine, and for people who missed out on it, this will feel much fresher.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Aug 24, 2023
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All told, Tumbleseed is a game that will certainly divide opinion. The absurdly high difficulty demands that you put up or shut up; if you don't take the time to be patient and focus on improving your skills in controlling the seed, you will not find much enjoyment here. However, if you're willing to stick it out and put in the time required to 'git gud', you'll find a deeply rewarding game with nearly unlimited replayability between the daily challenges and the constant tease of getting a better score. If you consider yourself a skilled and patient gamer, give Tumbleseed a shot. If not, perhaps something else might be a better choice.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 3, 2017
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With Windjammers 2, Dotemu has taken the fiendishly addictive core formula of the Neo Geo classic and improved upon it in every way. The core gameplay here remains as immediately endearing as ever whilst being enhanced and given a real strategic kick by a bevvy of new moves and skills that add to the fun without detracting from or overcomplicating proceedings. Yes, there's not much in the way of modes, and we've yet to see how online fares here, but this is another banger from Dotemu, an all-time classic improved upon, an arcade classic refined for a new generation.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jan 20, 2022
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Retro Goal is a distinctively light and fun take on football, coming at a budget price and having enough depth and charm to get players hooked. It has a stylish look and will raise a smile among enthusiasts; in fact, the only way it fails to match its brilliant predecessor — Retro Bowl — is in the gameplay department. The team-based complexity of football makes it hard to recreate that backyard sport feel, but it is still excellent and irreverent fun that feels at home on Switch.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 23, 2022
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Dragon Quest VI: Realms of Revelation might not be as flashy or intricate as Dragon Quest IX was, but that certainly doesn't keep the game from being every bit as charming and engaging.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Feb 20, 2011
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Theatrhythm's varying difficulties make it easy to enjoy for players of all skill levels with the RPG mechanics an extra bonus for those who desire it. It absolutely does justice to the Final Fantasy brand, presenting its characters and, most importantly, music with love and respect that makes it feel like a tribute as much as a standalone video game. There are so many songs to play, items to find and characters to level up you'll find yourself struggling to put it down.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jul 9, 2012
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Murder By Numbers successfully manages to combine an entertainingly wacky series of whodunnit mysteries starring a properly entertaining cast of characters with some excellent puzzling that'll keep Picross fans happy for a good long while. There's an engaging, funny narrative at the centre of proceedings, and you'll find yourself rooting for Honor and SCOUT as they make friends and alienate people on their way to solving murders and finding out the truth behind SCOUT's mysterious past. This one's an easy recommendation and a genuinely delightful surprise.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 6, 2020
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Rabbids Go Home is an extremely entertaining and funny game – the Rabbids’ attitude and anarchic humour paper over a lot of the repetition and minor faults that pepper the game. The two player mode is passable but Rabbids Go Home excels as an all-out single player game, full of unexpected wit and a relentlessly fun atmosphere, and one you’ll love if you’re after a pick-up-and-play game to cheer up these dark Winter nights.- Nintendo Life
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Gameloft have set the bar for other developers to aspire to, with a huge amount of detailed gaming squeezed from the 800 points asking price with 28 licensed cars, 8 real-life cities and a decent-sized career mode.- Nintendo Life
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While Nintendo Switch has yet to get a proper, full-fat golfing sim to its name yet (come on The Golf Club, get your act together), it does have a handful of fun and rewarding alternatives to tee off on. Golf Peaks is one such memorable trip down the fairway, taking that classic pastime and infusing it with an isometric puzzler that's as fun and engaging as it was on mobile. Much like the original, this Switch port's only real letdown is the fact it's simply over too quickly. Let's hope Golf Peaks 2 is on the cards one day.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 15, 2019
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GrimGrimoire OnceMore takes one of the most under-appreciated RTS games of its generation and fixes some of its biggest problems, making this a worthwhile game for both new fans and those who have played the original. While the repetitive maps mean that most levels feel too similar to each other, the story is fun and the visuals have had a solid upgrade for the Switch. There is just enough depth to the strategy to keep you guessing without overwhelming new players.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 31, 2023
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After 18 years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond manages to replicate that magical sense of discovery from the GameCube original while pushing the series in some incredible new directions. Separating the main biomes with a vast open world sounds ridiculous on paper, but the slick traversal provided by Vi-O-La makes exploration more satisfying than ever…Combine this with the stunning art direction, ferocious new boss characters, and a surprisingly endearing squad of Federation troopers, and Beyond is quite possibly the boldest, most well-realised Metroid game to date. Make no mistake, the long wait has been more than worth it. Welcome back, Samus.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Dec 2, 2025
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Story Mode is a bit on the short side and each round of Party Mode is similar at its core, so things will get a touch stale after extended play, but otherwise this is the perfect game for a get-together or a family night. Indeed, this is just the type of title for which the Wii was designed.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jan 16, 2011
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Five years on, Swords & Soldiers is still an excellent title. It's quite simple compared to most RTS games, but it has just enough depth to make it a highly entertaining experience, especially when it gets ported correctly as it has been in this case.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 22, 2014
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BlastWorks provides a good amount of shooting action out of the box, but the ability to create your own designs and easily share them with others is what really makes this title shine.- Nintendo Life
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A very pleasant surprise indeed, In Other Waters is a bit of a minimalist masterpiece that you'll often want to dip into for a more contemplative experience than the majority of the Switch's library. It has found a perfect home on the handheld, the form factor of which massively works in the favour of the game's mood and atmosphere to create an exceptional and unique experience. What you're getting here is a story that you're an integral part of, and it's one of the coolest, cleverest games we've played in a long time. An absolutely first-class effort.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Apr 11, 2020
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Barebones in organisation and structure but absolutely joyous in its presentation, Musynx is pure rhythm game fun. Excellent, upbeat music that focuses on lesser-exported areas of Asian pop, charming, cleverly creative visuals, and rock-solid gameplay in both button and touch modes all come together in a lovely, personality-filled package.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jun 25, 2018
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Sonic and Sega All-Stars Racing is, despite its flaws, a well-crafted racer that’s clearly had a lot of good design work put into it.- Nintendo Life
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Blaster Master Zero is a lovely addition to the Switch's library. We suspect that it will help to fill the gap between major retail releases for anxious Switch owners looking for a low-impact game to play on the go. As Blaster Master Zero features simplistic visuals, we were able to squeeze some extra battery life out of our Switch while playing it when compared to some of the more visually intense titles already on offer.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Mar 9, 2017
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The 3DS eShop is home to some truly amazing titles, and Hydroventure: Spin Cycle is another upstanding addition to that stellar selection. It successfully builds on the foundations laid down by its WiiWare parent and delivers a physics-based puzzle experience which challenges the very best the genre has to offer.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Dec 18, 2012
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Full Metal Furies proves that Cellar Door Games is an impressively talented studio capable of producing quality games that can set new standards in some ways. We wish more developers would invest such considerable effort into this sort of puzzle design in action games, and coupling that with the deep RPG systems, punchy gameplay and memorable writing makes for an experience that no Switch owner will want to be without. Cellar Door Games has outdone itself with Full Metal Furies and we can’t recommend this release enough; put in the time, and you’ll find this is much more than just another beat ‘em up.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 13, 2018
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Elements of Burnout Paradise are starting to show their age now, but nobody can argue with the quality of its actual racing action. If you can put up with its various niggles and quirks and don’t mind the astronomical price (relative to other systems), it’s easily one of the most entertaining – and certainly one of the fastest – racing games on the Switch.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Jun 19, 2020
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This is a full fat Resident Evil experience with a neat partner system and some terrifyingly tense set pieces. There's a strong case to be made that you should ignore the original (especially if you've played it already) and simply purchase this prime slab of survival horror, but completionists won't be disappointed either way.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 28, 2017
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CastleStorm is a wonderfully well-rounded package that offers up enjoyable RTS gameplay in an approachable fashion, with a high skill ceiling that caters to players of all skill and interest levels. Although we do wish the control scheme was better thought out, the addictive gameplay, appealing art style, and hefty amount of playable content make this an easy recommendation for anybody looking for a solid strategy game on their Switch.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Aug 15, 2018
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The mobile version of Part Time UFO already had the charm of a Kirby game, the physics-based chaos of World of Goo and the compelling claw machine mechanics of Nintendo Badge Arcade. This new Switch port builds on top of that already impressive stack by adding a co-op mode that betters Snipperclips and chucks in an infinite mode that provides the sort of quick-fix joy that hasn't been seen since Paper Plane on DSiWare. It may be a game about picking things up, but the real challenge will come when you try to put it down.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Nov 1, 2020
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Every now and then, a game comes along that captures our hearts and reminds us why we love the medium in the first place. Forager is the latest in a line of stellar independent games to grace the Switch, featuring wonderfully designed crafting mechanics, addictive progression systems and more charm than you can possibly handle. It has very minor drawbacks, and its longevity will ultimately depend on how comprehensive its upcoming DLC will prove to be. Nonetheless, there's enough good stuff present here for us to confidently declare that Forager is a game all Switch owners should look into adding to their collection.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Aug 3, 2019
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While this entry of the series doesn’t really justify the move into 3D with retaining stubbornly flat gameplay, there’s still plenty of fun to be had with Minis on the Move.- Nintendo Life
- Posted May 8, 2013
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Splatoon 3: Side Order is an excellent addition to Splatoon 3, and helps to give it a stronger identity over its predecessors. Whilst we’d like to have seen more variety in the stages and objectives, the overwhelming number of options on your weaponry and how you upgrade them makes sure that things don’t get too repetitive. We found ourselves repeatedly coming back to try just one more run which turned into five, so that should speak for itself. Splatoon fans rejoice, it’s another goodie.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Feb 23, 2024
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This collection illustrates perfectly why this particular genre was the toast of video gaming in the late '80s and early '90s. Addictive, enjoyable and – perhaps most important of all – bloody good fun when played co-operatively with friends, all of the titles in this seven-strong compendium are worth your time, and by adding robust local and multiplayer support, Capcom has done its utmost to ensure they find favour with a whole new generation of gamers. If you're not a fan of the genre then you may well be wondering what all the fuss is about, but for everyone else, this is a must-have download.- Nintendo Life
- Posted Sep 18, 2018
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