Tag: Hands On
Hands On 'Reggie: The Game' Is A Promising, Gravity-Defying Platformer That Oozes Charm
Note: No relation to NoA's ex-President
Playing around with gravity in platformers isn't anything new; Super Mario Galaxy is a prime example of the concept done right, but Limbo also performed a commendable job during the latter stages of its short campaign. Being able to manipulate gravity throughout an entire game, though? That's a pretty new one...
Hands On SteamWorld Heist II Expands On A Beloved 3DS Title, But Is It What Fans Really Want?
Sail and strategise
Is there any genre SteamWorld is afraid to tackle? Starting life as an RTS in SteamWorld Tower Defense, Image & Form’s long-running anthology series has been to space, the Wild West and it’s even taken on the form of a fairy tale. And while Dig, the Metroidvania-style series, is arguably the most popular, many have a soft...
Hands On Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition - All The Trappings Of A Game Night Great
Best of the NES
Nintendo recently invited us to go hands-on with Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition ahead of its 18th July release date. Below, both Zion and Jim have shared what they made of it. First up, let's hear from Zion... When Nintendo first revealed the upcoming Nintendo World Championships: NES Edition for Switch back in
Hands On Can Lord Of The Rings Spice Up A Stale Genre With 'Tales Of The Shire'?
"Is it juicy? Is it scrumptiously crunchable?"
Right at the beginning of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit, ‘adventure’ is a bit of a dirty word. When the wizard Gandalf first meets the timid Bilbo Baggins, a comfort-loving, tobacco-smoking Hobbit, he asks, “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very...
Hands On 'The Plucky Squire' - Wit And Charm Enough To Make Nintendo Jealous
Child's play
Walking into the Devolver’s booth for The Plucky Squire at Summer Game Fest Play Days, we felt like we were going back to our childhood. There was a huge, colourful mural on the wall, depicting All Possible Future’s upcoming adventure game in front of us. A cute, cosy couch was positioned to our left; soft plush, and a deep...
Hands On 'Hello Kitty Island Adventure' Was By Far Our Biggest Surprise Of Summer Game Fest
So much more than "Sanrio meets Animal Crossing"
“One World, Connecting Smiles.” That’s the tagline Sanrio, the company responsible for creating Hello Kitty, established back in 2021. Its brand is all about 'Minna Nakayoku', which means 'all of us friends' or 'Getting Along Together'. Unity, friendship, and love encompass the world of Sanrio,...
Hands On Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake Is Much More Than A Pretty Picture
The host with the Baramost
Square Enix recently invited us to check out the upcoming Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake — both at its London HQ and at Summer Game Fest — to see how it plays. Below, both Jim and Alana have some detailed thoughts on their time with the game. First up, Jim paints us a picture... Square Enix's Dragon Quest III HD-2D...
Hands On 'Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure' Is A Rubix Cube Zelda-Like, And We Love It
Disadventure
Arranger: A Role-Puzzling Adventure really sets itself apart from other puzzle games. We’ve seen plenty of sliding-tile puzzlers over the years, but Furniture & Mattress’ adventure is defined by its framing. It’s not an RPG, but it absolutely feels like one in many different ways. You have to use weapons to defeat certain...
Hands On 'LEGO Horizon' Builds A Welcome Entry Point To Sony's Series
Building Zero Dawn
While rumors for LEGO Horizon Adventures had been making the rounds the week leading up to Summer Game Fest, we never could have imagined we’d see the Nintendo Switch logo appear at the end of its hilarious reveal at the live show. PC, for sure, but Aloy on Nintendo? This made us wipe our eyes in amazement, as other than the...
Hands On 'Gris' Devs Are Ready To Make Us Cry Again With The Beautiful 'Neva'
Cry me a Neva
Just two games in, and Nomada Studio has already established a brand for itself. GRIS, the developer’s first game, explores the five stages of grief beautifully, allowing colour to paint a grey world of pain – it’s a stunning piece of art and a game that’s almost guaranteed to make you cry. The studio’s next project, Neva,...
Hands On Silent Hill Meets Teen High School Horror In Blumhouse's 'Fear The Spotlight'
Spotlighting old-school horror
Blumhouse Productions exploded onto the scene in 2009 as a big deal in the horror film world. The studio had been around since 2002, but Paranormal Activity put it on the map. The use of home cameras to create something that felt much older than it actually was recaptured interest in the 'found footage' genre a decade...
Hands On Luigi's Mansion 2 HD Delivers More Than Just A Hi-Def Upgrade
Dark Moon rising
As well as PJ's opinion below, check out Alex's take on the game in his hands-on preview video There's always been something very tactile, very tangible about the Luigi's Mansion experience. It comes mostly, we guess, from how this most terrified of heroes chooses to tip-toe and panic-run around levels. He moves differently, is...
Hands On Sonic X Shadow Generations Is A Love Letter To Sonic Adventure 2
Shadow Superstars
Back in 2011, Sonic Generations felt like an attempt to win back long-time Sonic fans. Whether they grew up with 2D Sonic or the 3D adventures, both sides of the fanbase were becoming frustrated with the attempts at experimentation, and the supposed abandonment of what made Sonic great – fast, frantic, flowing action. Sonic X...
Round Up The Previews Are In For Monster Hunter Stories (Switch)
The 3DS title soars onto Switch next month
The 3DS outing Monster Hunter Stories makes a return next month and ahead of its release previews have now gone live. In case you missed our previous coverage, this latest version will include "refined graphics", full English and Japanese voice acting, a new Museum Mode as well as some content that was...
Hands On Revisiting The Tale In 'Monster Hunter Stories' On Switch
A light bite
Capcom is one of the titans of the gaming industry, and among its most successful and powerful franchises is Monster Hunter. Yet it’s easy to forget that, for many years, the series was exclusive to one platform holder – first Sony systems and then a spell with Nintendo starting with Monster Hunter Tri on Wii. On top of repeated...
Hands On Hades 2 Is A Hell Of A Time, Even In Early Access
Switch successor release, then?
Hades II marks a first for Supergiant Games. This is the first time the studio has revisited a world, its characters, and their stories, and as a result, is its very first direct sequel. In a way, that might seem disappointing, but this is Supergiant Games we're talking about. Hades is a masterclass in narrative...
Hands On Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance Is More Of The Glorious, Unhinged Same
And that's fine by us
After playing Shin Megami Tensei V: Vengeance for two hours, we’d hoped to be able to deliver a smorgasbord of details regarding new additions, performance improvements, and story nuggets, but truth be told, Sega’s preview session felt very much geared toward those who might be playing for the first time over on PS5 or...
Hands On Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Unfolds Gloriously On Switch
Smoothing out the creases
It’s been nearly 20 years since we first set foot on the cobbled streets of Rogueport, the hub town of GameCube favourite Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Back in 2004, the seedy streets of the criminal town felt like nothing else in a Mario game – suspicious characters roam the streets, puddles pool on the...
Hands On 'Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes' Is 'Suikoden' In All But Name
It's destiny
If you’ve ever played a Suikoden game, it’s hard not to tear up at the opening sequence of Eiyuden Chronicle: Hundred Heroes. It’s particularly hard watching this following the passing of series creator and the director of this spiritual successor Yoshitaka Murayama at the age of 55. Character montages, a swelling orchestra,...
Hands On We've Played Princess Peach: Showtime! - Is It Any Good?
Show must go on
Princess Peach: Showtime! is a game that isn’t going to immediately appeal to many of the fans of big shooty bang-bang games like DOOM Eternal, but there’s a place for it still with an audience as sizeable as that of the Switch. Nintendo invited us to come along and give the game a go for ourselves ahead of its release on 22nd...
Hands On Strategy Fan? You Need To Keep An Eye On Vanillaware's Stunning 'Unicorn Overlord'
Stable unicorns
Company president George Kamitani wasn’t kidding when he teased that the studio’s next project was “one of Vanillaware's biggest productions” last year. The game he was talking about was Unicorn Overlord, a tactical RPG that, on the surface, looks like a homage to the SRPG greats of the ‘90s. Compared to the hugely...
Hands On Quarter Arcades Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Arcade Machine
Let's kick shell
If you're a gamer over the age of 30 with a decent amount of disposable income, then you've almost certainly heard of the Quarter Arcades range. As the name suggests, these are 1/4-scale reproductions of famous coin-ops, and the company has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the business to expand its lineup over the...
Hands On Splatoon 3's Spicy 'Side Order' DLC Isn't For The Faint Of Heart
Order from chaos
Online multiplayer, platforming, deckbuilding, horde rushes, bizarre missions that barely make sense even in context — it seems the wizards at Nintendo could put the Inklings and Octolings through just about anything and make it a blast. Now it’s time for the cephalopodic denizens of post-apocalyptic Earth to tackle the...
First Impressions Turn-Based Scrawler 'Inkulinati' Flows Well After A Wordy Intro (Exclusive)
Not at all afraid to be killed in nasty ways
Yaza Games' Medieval scribe-inspired turn-based battler, Inkulinati, is coming to Switch on 22nd February. It's picked up several awards since its Early Access release on Steam, including Gamescom 2022's Best Indie Game and Most Original Game, so it's great to see the full version finally penned in on...
Hands On Mario Vs. Donkey Kong's New Co-op Rekindles An Old Rivalry
Makes the dream work
You can tell as soon as its snazzy intro cutscene kicks in that Mario vs. Donkey Kong, a remake of 2004's Game Boy Advance puzzle-platform classic, doesn't intend to reinvent any wheels whatsoever. It fully and faithfully recreates the 20-year-old original's opening movie (albeit with a nice lick of paint) and then moves swiftly...
Soapbox Game Freak Could Actually Learn A Thing Or Two From Palworld
No, Pikachu doesn’t need an assault rifle
Soapbox features enable our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they've been chewing over. Today, Lowell locks and loads up the Pokémon-inspired game that's been the talk of the town since it launched on Steam and Xbox Game Pass last week... You...
Hands On WaterField's $380 Tech Folio Backpack – The Ultimate Gamer's Bag?
Papa's got a brand new bag?
The hybrid nature of the Nintendo Switch means that it's often an item that ends up getting chucked in a rucksack or carried around when we leave home, and, to that end, we've seen a host of carry cases and bags designed to accommodate not just the console itself, but its various accessories and add-ons. San...
Feature Meet The 'Arzette' Dev Salvaging The Zelda CD-i Games' "Genuine Potential"
"I didn’t make this game as a joke"
The year is 1991. 'Video games' — plastic, square-shaped cartridges that millions of people blow into every day — grip early-adopting proselytizers. Yet they don’t know their precious cartridge’s days are numbered. A mighty company from Kyoto rules the industry today, but a new laser-based challenger is...
Hands On Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Royally Delivers On Switch
You dropped this, Sargon
Back in June, we went hands-on with Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, a new 2D Metroidvania take on the long-running dashing and slashing franchise. We were thrilled to learn that Ubisoft Montpellier is the team crafting this new adventure as its past games like Rayman Origins and Rayman Legends were incredibly unique works...
Hands On Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy Lays Out A Compelling Case On Switch
Turnabout Triumph, or Turnabout Tragedy?
They've done it again. Capcom has done it again! Only this time, they've done it better. Following on from the success of the Ace Attorney Trilogy, which brought the first three games in the beloved series to Switch, PC, and other consoles, Capcom has taken the next three games (Apollo Justice, Dual...
Hands On Atari 50 Gets Even Better With Adventure II, Warbirds, And More
Home-brewing a winner
Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration was already a remarkably comprehensive package when it launched back in 2022, boasting over 100 games from Atari's history from its humble arcade beginnings to the ill-fated Jaguar console. Seemingly not content to leave it as it is, however, developer Digital Eclipse has launched the...
Hands On KarmaZoo's Sweet Shape-Shifting Platforming Is All About Sharing The Love
We all need somebody to Lion
We didn't really know what to make of KarmaZoo when it was first revealed in this year's Wholesome Direct. The co-op platformer from Devolver Digital and Pastagames looked sweet, for sure, but pretty pixel-art platforming is hardly a rare species in the jungle that is the Switch eShop. What was going to be the hook to...
Hands On Bluey: The Videogame, In Real Life
"Magic claw has no children. His days are free and easy."
Parents around the world rejoiced when Bluey: The Videogame was announced by Outright Games back in September, and last week, we were invited to BBC Studios in London to go hands-on with the final build of the game on Switch ahead of its launch later this month. The insanely popular show has...
Hands On Super Mario RPG Is The Most Faithful Remake We've Ever Played
A legendary star
Take a look at any Best Super NES RPG list and you’ll see a veritable bounty of genre favourites. Chrono Trigger. Final Fantasy VI. EarthBound. Terranigma. Dragon Quest V. The fact that Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Hands On Born Of Bread Is A Cut Above Other Paper Mario-Like RPGs
And we knead it
Content warning: The following preview article features an overabundance of bread-based wordplay — those who suffer from chronic pun intolerance should proceed with extreme caution. Nintendo Life takes no responsibility for 'cringuries' or loss of humour. The appetite for a 'true' return of Paper Mario has long been on the lips...
Hands On Super Mario Bros. Wonder's Brilliant Badges And Dark Souls-Style Online Functionality
Make way for his Badgesty
There are less than two weeks to go until we finally get our hands on the first original 2D Mario adventure in 11 years. It's an exciting time, especially for those who weren't fully sold on the presentation style of the New Super Mario Bros. series when it launched on DS way back in 2006. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, as...
Hands On WarioWare Move It! Takes Us Right Back To A Wii Classic
A smooth transition
The return of Wario's manic series on Switch was cause for great celebration back in 2021 (was it really that long ago?), and we absolutely loved the fresh-feeling, multiplayer-focused WarioWare: Get It Together! For many people, however, the series peaked with the classic Wii outing WarioWare Smooth Moves, and frankly we’re...
Hands On Company Of Heroes Collection Deploys The RTS Classic On Switch, Despite Complex Controls
War - what is it good for? RTS, of course
Among the heaps of releases coming our way this year, 2023 has been a pretty big one for Feral Interactive — the team behind the excellent Switch ports of GRID Autosport and Alien: Isolation. The studio brought The Lara Croft Collection our way back in June and is now setting its sights on the next porting...
Hands On Super Mario Bros. Wonder Lives Up To Its Name In The First Hour
Isn't it a wonder
A funny thing happened at (well, near) PAX West 2023. Super Mario Bros. Wonder, the latest two-dimensional Mario game — and the first original one in over 10 years — was surprisingly made fully playable for Nintendo Live attendees and media alike ahead of its October 20th release on Nintendo Switch. Anyone who’s watched...
Video Konami's Most Exciting New Release Isn't Metal Gear Solid
Time to wiggle
Of all the games featured at a recent preview event held by Konami, Super Crazy Rhythm Castle was admittedly not a game that we were frothing at the mouth to play from first impressions. The game is – to us at least – a little unassuming at first glance, but once we actually had a go with it, our mindset shifted just a bit...
Hands On Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 Could Be So Much More, But Isn't
Not for honour
We recently got the chance to have a pop at Metal Gear Solid Master Collection Vol. 1 at the invite of Konami. We had around an hour or so to dig into Metal Gear Solid and its two sequels (as well as have a quick gander at all the bonus content on offer), which isn’t a huge amount of time for games of this scale, but we were able to...
Hands On Pokémon Sleep (Open Beta) - An Absolute Snoozefest
Pokémon Let’s Go (to bed)
Pokémon Sleep was finally released in select regions earlier this week as an open beta for Android devices. After being the butt of all jokes when it was originally announced and then experiencing a series of delays, it now officially “launches soon” according to The Pokémon Company. Developed by Select Button...
Hands On Everybody 1-2-Switch! Is Harmless Fun, But It's No Wii Party
Phone a friend
A sequel to the Switch launch title, 1-2-Switch, might not have made it onto our bingo cards for Nintendo's post-Tears of the Kingdom 2023, but the rumours have been around for so long that we shouldn't have been all the surprised when Everybody 1-2-Switch! was announced with little fanfare in the early hours on a Friday morning...
Hands On Pikmin 4 Promises Heaps Of Gorgeous Exploration For Fans And Newbies Alike
Freshly picked
Thu 29th Jun, 2023 09:30 BST - Updated with some gameplay videos. Enjoy! Prior to the September 2022 Nintendo Direct showcase, you would be forgiven for having given up hope that Pikmin 4 even exists. This was a seed that was planted by Shigeru Miyamoto way back in 2015, after all, and despite being drip-fed small updates over the...
Hands On The Tomb Raider Returns To A Nintendo System In A Promising Package
A Lara Lara laughs
It’s been a bit of a barren six years or thereabouts for Switch-owning Tomb Raider fans, without so much as a remastered golden oldie or even (mercifully, perhaps) a quickie cloud version of one of the new-fangled reboots to enjoy on Nintendo’s platform. However, all of that is just about to change with the imminent arrival of...
Hands On Oxenfree II Is Shaping Up To Be A Huge Improvement On The Original
If the first 30 minutes are anything to go by
After spending half an hour with Oxenfree II: Lost Signals at Summer Game Fest, there's an immediate sense that the sequel is shaping up to be a much bigger, bolder, and indeed stranger experience than its predecessor. As it probably should be. In speaking with developer Night School's founder and...
Hands On Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown Is Dread-ful, In The Best Possible Way
Shaping up well on Switch
It’s not everyday that we demo a game at an event and immediately ask to go back for seconds. The upcoming Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown managed to quickly sink its daggers into us with its punishing but rewarding combat, breathtaking vistas, and flashy animations. So naturally, we couldn’t walk away without taking...
Hands On This Kitty Turned Out To Be Our Biggest Summer Game Fest Surprise
Dream big, little kitty
Cats are sneaky little gits. They scratch, they hiss, and they're rarely, if ever, cute. Hey, we're dog people, what can we say? [Disclaimer: Hmm, we're probably 50/50 on staff. And dogs are smelly. - Ed.] When you finally get your hands on Little Kitty, Big City in 'early 2024', however, we wouldn't begrudge you instantly...
Feature Nintendo Fans Needn't Lose Sleep Over Foamstars, Square Enix's 'Splatoon Rip-Off'
Fun-but-messy foamin'
When Square Enix's Foamstars was announced during the recent PlayStation Showcase, Nintendo fans everywhere were thinking one thing: "Er, Splatoon-much!?" After going hands-on with this PlayStation exclusive for 45 minutes at Summer Game Fest, this exclamation still rings true. It definitely looks like Splatoon, and it also...
Hands On Disney Illusion Island Is A Spectacular Platforming Surprise
We're not taking the Mickey
Sitting down with Dlala Games’ (Battletoads) CEO AJ Grand-Scrutton at Summer Game Fest to play Disney’s Illusion Island, there’s an immediate sense that this might well be the developer’s most accomplished title yet. We spent 30 minutes playing a solid chunk of the game ahead of its launch on July 28th, 2023, and...
