Nintendo Life's Scores

  • Games
For 5,853 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 Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Lowest review score: 10 153 Hand Video Poker
Score distribution:
5861 game reviews
    • 80 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    It provides plenty of challenge and longevity to make it a worthy investment, barring any paper cuts.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Putting aside a few jumps in difficulty and a rather disappointing multiplayer mode, Ghostbusters: The Video Game is without a doubt the best attempt at capturing the thrill of the movies in digital form to date and a real service to fans who grew up watching the films and cartoons.
    • 54 Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    The music is awesome, the characters are quirky and the story, is a little like 'Lost', but none of this can lift the game above an interactive story with a poor puzzle mechanic at its core. Let's hope Suda's next DS outing, The Silver Case, fares better. This one is strictly fans-only.
    • 45 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    A pretty bland game; the graphics and audio are so unmemorable that the gameplay would really need to be top notch to bring this game up.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Hysteria Hospital leaves a pretty bad taste and a craving for some morphine to make the painful gameplay disappear.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Without wishing to sound like the kind of grumpy gamer you’d expect to object to this harmless update, Rainbow Islands: Towering Adventure! is a classic case of “if it isn’t broken, don’t try to fix it.”
    • tbd Metascore
    • 40 Critic Score
    Sure, the Mario theme is cool and the ability to actually have some interaction with the experience makes it a bit more practical than the Animal Crossing Clock, but ultimately it's still not enough.
    • 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.
    • 61 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    While not perfect, it provides a fun experience for multiple players, plus one of the best presentations any Wiiware title to date has received.
    • 63 Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    Through and through, this is a fastball on Sega’s part and one that many gamers are going to want to avoid.
    • 70 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    The versatile and responsive controls are the star of the show, giving these simplistic minigames much-needed longevity.
    • 65 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    A good game with lots to unlock and good multiplayer support. But do please be warned: if it’s Lego you’re after, this title probably isn’t for you.
    • 73 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    You’d be extremely hard-pressed to find a more complete tennis package on Wii – Virtua Tennis 2009’s offline and online career modes offer the most engaging representations of the sport on any console.
    • 55 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    With clunky controls that would have worked great with a little more attention, sub-par graphics, and unsatisfying puzzle solving that can leave you frustrated, Staff of Kings tries very hard to disappoint its players.
    • 78 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The MotionPlus controls, inconsistent and ultimately underwhelming as they are, provide a level of direct control not capable with Wii games of the past. There are some definite kinks to iron out but Grand Slam Tennis is an overall solid debut in a franchise with a lot of potential and is sure to satisfy those looking for a casual game of tennis.
    • 88 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    With an all-new play control scheme and several new bonus features, as well as an online mode that can keep you busy every single day, Tiger Woods 10 for the Wii is a must-have game for fans of golf, as well as for those Wii owners looking to learn how to play real golf.
    • 84 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    A delightfully light-hearted take on the strategy genre.
    • 53 Metascore
    • 60 Critic Score
    Fish'em All is a mixed bag. The Arcade, Fishtris and multiplayer modes are all quite enjoyable. The game is really brought down by the annoying controls though - the net-swinging is just too slow and inaccurate not to get annoyed at.
    • 82 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    All around Minis March Again is a very competent, fun, and engaging package. It is easily one of the top games to be had on DSiWare at this time and in the foreseeable future.
    • 75 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    If you can appreciate a unique and silly platforming experience that doesn't take itself too seriously, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more endearing title than The Legendary Starfy.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Those of you willing to take the challenge will find a beautiful, genre-bending game with near-endless amounts of strategy, customisation and content. Truly, Knights In The Nightmare is a game worthy of the title "hardcore".
    • 54 Metascore
    • 50 Critic Score
    Texas Hold’em Tournament plays a good game of poker and is quite entertaining, but at the end of the day it’s a safe conversion of the card game without adding much, if any, innovation where it is perhaps much needed. The online multiplayer is a nice inclusion but when all is weighed up it just isn’t different enough from playing against the dull AI characters to be worth much in the long run.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The game offers quite a bit of length and game play for your 800 Wii Points, but having to purchase additional packs in order to enjoy the side stories is obviously going to rub some gamers the wrong way, especially considering that there are eight additional packs to buy in order to wrap up the entire story line.
    • 83 Metascore
    • 90 Critic Score
    Creating a great game idea is impressive in and of itself, but you have to appreciate it when a developer goes the extra mile and surrounds that great game play idea with high quality artwork and music to give the overall experience that little something extra.
    • 69 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    The games aren't terribly deep and it certainly would have been nice to have more of them, but they do offer up just enough of a fun factor to make you want to keep carrying around your Activity Meter in order to reach your daily goals.
    • 71 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    While the game's play control system can be a tad loose in feel at times, the overall experience is still solid and proves that you don't have to have a lot of bells and whistles in your play control design to make an involving and enjoyable game.
    • 76 Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    On the surface Bubble Bobble Plus! looks like a simple remake of the original arcade game, but a ton of new levels and a few new gameplay elements make it a far superior experience, which is worth buying even if you already bought the NES game.
    • 60 Metascore
    • 70 Critic Score
    On the one hand, the gameplay is virtually unchanged from the original game and it's still lots of fun to play, even though it's incredibly easy now. Sadly you just can't help but notice all the oversights, such as the lack of a widescreen option, the jerky animations and the lack of a "classic" mode for the main game.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 80 Critic Score
    Perhaps one of the best games released so far on the DSiWare service. The graphics are very pleasing, the dialogue is charming and the gameplay is simple enough to enjoy in short bursts and deep enough to keep you hooked for hours.
    • tbd Metascore
    • 30 Critic Score
    In the end, Photo Clock doesn't prove to be any more useful than the Animal Crossing Clock application, even with its ability to use your own photos as clock themes.

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