Nintendo Life's Scores

  • Games
For 5,880 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 Shantae: Risky's Revenge
Lowest review score: 10 Hockey Allstar Shootout
Score distribution:
5888 game reviews
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Beyond its educational value, though, Parking Star 3D is like real-life parking: stressful, tedious, and makes you regret not using public transport instead.
    • 79 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While it's probably not a top tier download title, Scram Kitty and his Buddy on Rails is still an entertaining and fun game, with big, challenging levels that all have plenty to do.
    • 58 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Beenox sure is trying to do well by the character, but it's becoming evident that the studio needs a rest from being the only one churning out Spider-Man titles on a sort-of-annual basis.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Gamers who already played Moon on the DS won't find anything different here, but for everyone else Moon Chronicles is easy to recommend.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    It offers a lot of content and will be enjoyed by anyone who has a love for classic platform games, but there are rough edges which should have been dealt with before release.
    • 81 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Its unique blend of psychic gameplay and surreal visuals won't appeal to everyone, but if you want to spend a free afternoon with something completely different then it's well worth a look.
    • 68 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Picross e4 offers very little new from its predecessors.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 10 Critic Score
    With plenty of educational titles for the DS, 3DS, Wii and mobile platforms, gamers of all ages are advised not to waste their money on garbage like this.
    • 59 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Abyss is a small game with limited appeal: tight, difficult controls, a grainy aesthetic, and not much variety in gameplay outside “get to the end of the level.”
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    All in all, Return to Ravenhearst will scare even the most enthusiastic hidden object fan away before the game is finished – and that's not because of the spooky story, either.
    • 47 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    With more polish, Hometown Story could have been a worthy successor to Harvest Moon, but sadly the final product doesn't come close to matching the highs of that famous franchise.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    For children dead-set on becoming vets when they grow up, Me & My Furry Patients 3D is worth a try, but for kids who just want cute animal fun, you're better off sticking with Nintendogs.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Sound combines with art and writing for the creative triple treat. Piano is at the forefront of most of the game’s soundtrack, with an orchestral accompaniment providing a robust lift; perfect for this manner of presentation.
    • 80 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Kirby Triple Deluxe is a pleasant package that doesn’t push the envelope very far.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Mario Golf: World Tour delivers, most notably right out of the box, a lengthy and involving experience.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    At 200 points, Sea Battle is a good deal for those desperate for something new to play on their aging DSi, but once you get past the nostalgia factor of its source material Battleship is a shallow, luck-based board game remembered best by children for its fun plastic game pieces and tactile feel, that Sea Battle's low-budget presentation doesn't come anywhere close to replacing.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Smash Cat Heroes is a hack-and-slash game distilled down to the bare essentials: flashy attacks, waves of enemies, a combo system, and plenty of kittens.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Everything works, but with lifeless aesthetics and barely any reward for playing, kids will find this dull and slow-paced while adults would only view it as lacking and simplistic.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Boxzle had the potential to be a fun little puzzler, but the lack of variety, poor presentation and frustrating gameplay make this a game to skip.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    Atlantic Quest is a well-made game that has the unfortunate fate of existing in an all-too-often explored genre.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    No beating around the mulberry bush with this one: My First Songs is nothing more than a glorified karaoke machine.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    With a hands-down fantastic soundtrack, a boat-load of charm, and a genuinely insightful celebration of the game development process, there's the ghost of a very good game buried somewhere inside. But confusing design choices, recurring glitches, and boredom that sets in far too quickly make it tough to recommend.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    On paper, Flowerworks is an intriguing 2D action-puzzler spin on the Pikmin aesthetic; the dialogue text even blooms onscreen letter by letter, the same way it does in Pikmin.
    • 62 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    With fun characters, unique and engaging combat, a cute central conceit, and an irrepressibly cool soundtrack, Conception II is a bundle of JRPG joy.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 20 Critic Score
    There's no mystery about this one: it's just not worth playing.
    • 42 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Those looking for straight-up, no-frills Texas Hold ‘Em can find it in Governor of Poker. Those looking for engaging goals and atmosphere, however, likely will not; the constant tug-of-war on the tables to build the funds to buy the next non-interactive building feels more like a chore than a real accomplishment.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate – Deluxe Edition is as problematic as its title is long
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    My Exotic Farm is a functional, cute farm management sim; at an affordable $4.99 price point it's also decent value. But beneath the kid-friendly exterior, it's nothing more than an empty test of your micromanagement and grinding skills.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Pure Chess on the 3DS is a thoroughly competent piece of software, which in some respects stands out on the system's eShop.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    For all its charm, there's no escaping the fact that Nintendo Pocket Football Club will be compared to rival titles in this genre, and in that regard it falls short.

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