It’s always a treat to see a new ZeptoLab game available on the App Store. Amongst the cheap knock-offs and micro-transaction hounds, the Cut the Rope series and its new brother Pudding Monsters have always felt classier and more polished than most other iOS titles, thanks in no small part to how well-crafted the games are. Their work is designed to a high standard and it shows, especially in the older titles in the series that still hold up fantastically well. And as such, unlike most of the disposable hash constantly cluttering up the Top Downloaded section of the App Store, the work of ZeptoLabs have always been a digital breath of fresh air. And now, after nearly two years… Read More →

Even though it has only spawned a few games, the Paper Mario franchise is one of the most widely praised, inventive, and fun RPG series in history. From the  series’ very first installment in 2001, the paperized, battle-heavy games have never failed to create outrageously interesting worlds, side-splittingly hilarious stories, and incredibly strong gameplay. And now, in its fourth installment, the series has decided to make the jump to portable. Paper Mario: Sticker Star seemed like a blessing when it was first announced. “A Paper Mario game you can take with you on the go? Awesome!” However, as buzz began building for the title, it was slowly revealed that the game would disregard many of the franchise’s staple mechanics in… Read More →

Thanks to the success of Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros. franchise, the mascot brawler genre has seen a fair amount of titles in recent years, covering everything from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Cartoon Network shows to Shonen Jump mangas and Konami games. Though some of these titles were okay, none of them ever seemed to capture the same spirit or nostalgia that made Nintendo’s fighter so great, with many being hunkered down by gameplay that was unpolished 0r simply lacking the Smash’s fun feel. And now, with Sony now on its third generation of home consoles, they feel the PlayStaytion brand has a more than adequate stable of iconic characters to create a mascot fighting game. Developer SuperBot Entertainment… Read More →

It’s been a very long time since Mario has accompanied a new Nintendo system as a launch title. However, as the next installment in the New Super Mario series comes sprinting out of the gate, the tried-and-true concept of side-scrolling Mario platforming has continued to become even more tired and blue. And, just like with the last “New” Mario game, the biggest question with this release is whether or not Nintendo can provide enough new elements to create another truly special and unique Mario game. They couldn’t last time, but can they this time? Once again Bowser and the Koopalings kidnap Princess Peach and Mario, with the possible aid of Luigi and some toads, must go and rescue her. Along the way… Read More →

Nintendo needs to open up their own theme park. I don’t care if it’s a part of Disney World, Universal Studios, or even if it’s their own, completely unique thing. Hell, I don’t even care if I have to fly to Japan to check it out. I just want to be able to see a Disney-style realization of the classic Nintendo magic that has been a part of so many childhoods since the ’80s. Until that park becomes a reality, however, Nintendo has given us what they think is the next best thing: Nintendo Land. One of the Wii U’s premiere launch titles, and the one that comes packaged with deluxe editions of the system, Nintendo Land puts players in… Read More →

Nintendo consoles have been a consistently strong home to great “E for Everyone” titles and games generally aimed at a younger audience ever since they released the NES back in 1985. With games like Mario, Pokemon, and Kirby leading their pack, the Big N tends to stay away from the grit and gore of more mature titles, very rarely going more “adult” than simple sword-fighting. However, the ever family-friendly company just turned 23 this last September and with age comes yet an ambitious console release in the Wii U. With this new system, both Nintendo and Ubisoft hope to usher in a new era of Nintendo that gives greater attention to hardcore gamers. How do they hope to kick this new… Read More →

Never before have I felt that a video game system has released as strongly as the Wii U. While many people criticize the console as being “late to the party,” as it is Nintendo’s first high-definition system, the innovation it’s presented since its Nov. 18 release is practically boundless. To start, the technicals. The Wii U’s visuals and audio easily compete with and frequently surpass those systems that have been HD for so long, like the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. However, the console sounds as though it works rather hard to do so as it plays discs with a massive amount of memory on them very, very audibly, to the point that it is noticeably annoying. Though the system itself is an… Read More →