Game Reviews
Latest Reviews
Browse our collection of reviews.
Latest Reviews
Review: Junior Brain Trainer (DS)
Shaping the minds of tomorrow or simply boring them today?
Junior Brain Trainer is a learning game in a similar vein to the slew of other "brain training"' games released for the Nintendo DS. The genre was made famous with the massive popularity of Nintendo's Dr.Kawashima's Brain Training and many games since have attempted to capitalize on this popularity. Junior Brain Trainer is aimed..
Review: Gardening Mama (DS)
Mama trades her spatula for a shovel; will the result be a blossom of fun, or a game only a Mama could love?
Our bright-eyed Mama is back and this time instead of breaking eggs, mixing ingredients and needing dough to make mouth watering recipes, your task is to grow a garden that rivals Eden. As with the entire Mama series this final goal will be accomplished by beating an entourage of mini games..
Review: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars (DS)
Grand Theft Auto makes the jump from the big screen to Nintendo’s small screen.
Whenever studios branch out and transform series well suited for consoles into the handheld format, there is always an element of risk – none more a prolific example than Rockstar’s GTA Chinatown Wars for the DS. Though we’ve already seen the Grand Theft Auto franchise brought to Sony’s handhelds, it has only..
Review: Little Red Riding Hood's Zombie BBQ (DS)
Who knew Little Red Riding Hood was so much fun?
At Nintendo Life, we very much doubted that anyone expected a great deal from Little Red Riding Hood’s Zombie BBQ. The title sounded like it would attract a very immature audience, and the box art didn't exactly inspire casual gamers to buy it either. So imagine how surprised we were when we played the game to find, not a dull and dreary title, but..
Review: Final Fantasy IV (DS)
Another great RPG hits the DS in the form of Final Fantasy IV.
When Final Fantasy IV was originally released on the SNES in 1991, it quickly became a hit. Unlike many of the other RPGs at the time, it boasted a large cast of characters that were tied into a deep and intriguing plot, and this helped elevate it above the crowd. In 2005, Final Fantasy IV finally made it to American shores as a GBA..
Review: Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword (DS)
Can Ninja Gaiden: Dragon Sword live up to the standards of previous titles?
Set six months after the events of the original Xbox version of Ninja Gaiden, Ryu Hayabusa has rebuilt Hayabusa Village. Momiji, a resident of Hayabusa, is abducted by the Black Spider Ninja Clan. During his quest to find her, Ryu uncovers the mysteries of the Dark Dragonstones and the secret behind the Dragon Sword. Unlike..
Review: Blue Dragon Plus (DS)
Mistwalker gives their Blue Dragon franchise a real-time strategy makeover and the end result is one surprisingly entertaining DS title.
When the original Blue Dragon title was released on Microsoft's Xbox 360 console, it became one of the system's first traditional RPG experiences. Blue Dragon captivated the gaming audience with its unique charm and epic quest, so it came as no real surprise that..
Review: Arkanoid DS (DS)
It's not quite as fun as it should be
Released simultaneously with another Taito revival, Space Invaders Extreme, Arkanoid DS is an attempt at trying to breathe life into an old arcade classic. When Arkanoid was originally released, it was essentially a clone of the Atari classic Breakout. Despite this shameless copying, Arkanoid became quite a hit and Taito duly ported the concept to pretty much..
Review: Bleach: Dark Souls (DS)
Don't hate him because he's ginger...
My sole encounter with the lucrative ‘Bleach’ franchise occurred almost 2 years ago, and involved the entire first season, 2 flatmates, copious amounts of Scotch, and a refreshingly violent bout of vomiting. Whilst ‘Dark Souls’ isn’t quite as invigorating as that, it’s still managed to make me a happy chappy. To the unwary, Bleach is a Japanese..
Review: Rhythm Heaven (DS)
Take a trip to heaven, Nintendo style!
Simplicity in game design is often a double-edged sword. On the positive side, the player is provided with a sleek and easy to understand interface. However, this often has an equally negative impact on the depth of the experience and what you’re left with is a quick 'pick up and play' variety of game. With Rhythm Heaven however, simplicity fuses with a..
Review: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team (DS)
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon?
What if you awakened one day as a Pokemon? What if all of a sudden you find yourself in an unknown world, where you can speak and interact with many other Pokemon? Well essentially, that’s what happens in Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Blue Rescue Team; you wake up one day in a strange new world where you have become a Pokemon. You'll embark upon a mission..
Review: Chibi-Robo: Park Patrol (DS)
Saving our ecosystems, one park at a time.
Chibi-Robo Park Patrol is one of those few great games that many people are just going to skip over because of its exclusivity to select retailers. Well at Nintendo Life we took it upon ourselves to give this game the review it deserves, and we must say that doing so put huge smiles on our faces; the unique story and amazing gameplay, bundled with the..
Review: Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The stylus is mightier than the sword.
With a name like Advance Wars, one is likely to expect an action packed, heart pounding war game. Needless to say, the Advance Wars series is really none of those things. Rather, the franchise has focused on slower paced turn-oriented strategy gameplay that is not unlike a glorified game of chess. So what is the appeal? Would it be better to just pick up a..
Review: Time Hollow (DS)
Time travel has never been so complicated
Ever since the launch of the Nintendo DS console, the format has been heralded as a great way to bring out adventure games to make use of the stylus as a mouse substitute. In many ways this has borne fruit, with releases like Another Code, Hotel Dusk and the Phoenix Wright series all proving to be excellent games that can only be purchased on Nintendo's..
Review: Pokémon Ranger: Shadows of Almia (DS)
Pokemon Ranger 1.5 arrives on the Nintendo DS
During the holiday season of 2006, the attention of gamers the world over was focused solely on the release of the Wii and Playstation 3, the latest consoles from Nintendo and Sony. As a result, quite a few gems for the Nintendo DS got lost in the marketing onslaught, most notably Elite Beat Agents and Pokémon Ranger. The former is often cited as one..
Review: Eledees: The Adventures of Kai and Zero (DS)
The Elebits head to the Nintendo DS in this action-packed sequel.
Shortly after the Wii was launched in 2006, Konami released one of the most bizarre and enjoyable third-party games that year. Entitled Elebits, the game showcased the new functionally of the Wii Remote. Played from a first-person perspective, players explored the land looking for tiny electrically charged creatures, appropriately..
Review: DK: Jungle Climber (DS)
You spin me right round baby right round...
It's time to spin, swing, and fling yourself into adventure with DK: Jungle Climber! Using the game’s simple controls, players take control of Donkey Kong and Diddy Kong as they journey throughout the land trying to assist a talking banana known as Xananab. For you see, the evil King K. Rool stole five Crystal Bananas belonging to Xananab. After Donkey..
Review: Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir (DS)
Is this addition to Nintendo's Touch Generations line worth investigation?
If there’s one thing that the Nintendo DS has excelled at, it’s that it managed to expand the remit of the video gaming industry. Prior to the release of the Nintendo DS, Nintendo wasn’t doing too well in Japan. With great software failing to sell well, Nintendo had to try to find a solution to their problems. The..
Review: Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars - The Director’s Cut (DS)
Murder, mystery and… Clowns?
It is a terrible mistake to call Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars a simple port seeing as it’s a game that has more added material than Nintendo have fanboys. Yet there is some basis to the claim; this game has been released on a handheld before. Originally brought to Nintendo through the GBA, Broken Sword was undeniably a classic in its time. But why would you..
Review: Kirby Squeak Squad (DS)
Does Kirby still have the old magic or is he just full of air?
The old adage "don’t judge a book by its cover" holds true in many formats. Encompassed by that is essentially everything we deal with, and the ultimate lesson is to avoid judgment based on appearances. Needless to say, it also applies to games.To simply glance at the Kirby series, you might assume that it’s created for..
