I know there’s a gamer sub-culture that appreciates games that are deliberately (painfully) hard. These are the kind of people that buy into the retro-modern games and tributes. They’re the kind of people that arcade games would have sucked right in before people realised that buying a game and playing…
Read MoreHere’s the problem with taking an idea for a game that is obscenely popular in some parts of the world, but completely unknown in others: when you make that game, you’re going to be doing so on a limited budget. And that means it’s likely to turn out to be…
Read MorePeople with the Nintendo DS or 3DS may just have heard of Ivy the Kiwi. An utterly charming little puzzle game, Ivy was a perfect example of a game that used touch screen-only controls to great effect. And now it’s on the iPhone and iPad, where it’s even better. On…
Read MoreI guess it’s telling that the most popular user-created level in LittleBigPlanet Vita (LBP) is a Mario- themed level. Here we have a game that is nominally a platformer and as such despite its sheer quality it has struggled to step out from Mario’s giant shadow. But in reality LBP…
Read MoreThe best part of New Super Mario Bros. 2 is the opening scene the first time you turn it on to play. Suddenly the realisation hits: you’re about to play an entirely new 2D Mario game. Those memories of childhood come flooding back, and though the graphic style is looking…
Read MoreThe two great handheld rivals – the Nintendo 3DS and the PlayStation Vita, have been compared head-to-head on sales figures in the past, and in the same week saw a major 2D platformer released. The New Super Mario Bros 2 release will likely sell better and keep the 3DS well…
Read MoreThe Game Boy, and later Game Boy Color, had a fine heritage in puzzle gaming. From the obvious (Tetris), to the most niche games possible (Catrap), there really was a puzzle game to suit any player on Nintendo’s classic handhelds. Toki Tori is the most recent classic puzzler to hit…
Read MoreThe concept that Ace Mathician is built upon is far more complex and creative than the game itself. Considering how clever that concept is and how fun the game is anyway, that’s just fine. The basic premise of the $2 DSiWare download is this: there’s a koala named Ace, and…
Read MoreI’m going to make a very bold statement here: Yoshi’s Story is the most underrated Nintendo game ever made. The little dinosaur’s N64 romp has been criticised over the years for being too short, too easy, and not a patch on the game many argue to be the greatest platformer…
Read MoreAs I’ve already mentioned, I hate Spelunky. But it’s a great game. Don’t take my distaste for the soul-crushing difficulty as anything other than personal opinion – this is a really well made game and most people are going to like this one. Part of the appeal of the game…
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