Author Profile
- Username
- ConorM
- Articles
- 202 (92 reviews)
- First Article
- Tue 5th, November 2013
- Avg. Review Score
- 6.2
Review Sky Force Anniversary (Wii U eShop)
Clear skies and minimal turbulence
Shoot-em-ups are at the very core of what video games are all about. From Space Invaders to Galaga, Raiden and beyond, their simplistic design and addictive gameplay have an enduring appeal that keeps players coming back for more. Polish developer Infinite Dreams stepped into the fray way back in 2004 with its...
Review Mario Sports Superstars (3DS)
Jack of all trades, master of none
Ahh sport, the great equalizer of the Mushroom Kingdom. Whether you're a red Toad, a blue Toad, or made entirely out of metal, athletes of all kind are welcome to set aside their differences and gather together in the name of friendly competition. From kart racing to hurdle hopping, Mario and company have had...
Review Toby: The Secret Mine (Wii U eShop)
Shady stuff
The Wii U eShop has played host to some wonderful indie titles over the years, and despite the console's impending retirement there's still room for another sleeper hit to offer a charming send off. With its distinctive art-style, intriguing level design and enigmatic story, Toby: The Secret Mine seemed set to impress when first...
Book Review Super Mario Adventures
A wonderfully bizarre tour of the Mushroom Kingdom
He's undoubtedly one of the most recognisable faces ever to grace the box art of a video game, but aside from his blue-collar occupation and a dislike for turtles, fans in the early '90s didn't know a whole lot about Super Mario himself. Beyond the pixels onscreen and information found buried within...
Review Blasting Agent: Ultimate Edition (Wii U eShop)
Everything old is new again
A recipe for a good old-fashioned shooter is actually quite straightforward. Take a vaguely sinister terrorist organisation with a remote base of operations (genetic experimentation is always a plus), stir in a brightly pixelated art style, sprinkle weapon upgrades, and always serve with a buff hero who shoots before he...
Review Defend Your Crypt (Wii U eShop)
Tomb sweet tomb
Curiosity is the folly of man. Those pesky humans tread where they do not belong, steal what isn't theirs, and dig into dark realms beyond their imagining. Their greed is a plague, and there's only one cure – giant smashy blocks! Tired of people raiding your elaborate tomb in search of treasure? Don't get mad; get even, with Defend...
Review Paper Mario: Color Splash (Wii U)
Colour us impressed
For any long-running series, innovation is key to keeping fans coming back for more without getting too bored. Gameplay tweaks and changes to the setting can work wonders in refreshing a stale format, but some might argue that if an idea ain't broke, then don't keep trying to fix it. The Paper Mario series has been no stranger to...
Preview Buckets Of Fun With Paper Mario: Color Splash
Colour us impressed
Paper Mario: Color Splash is one of the Wii U's last major releases of the year, and by all accounts it should be cause for some real excitement among fans. It's the latest entry in a series that's filled with humour, character, charm and amazing environments, with an interesting new paint mechanic to keep things fresh. Our time...
Review Power Disc Slam (3DS eShop)
Sluggish slams and dodgy discs
First, there was Pong, and lo the people deemed it to be worthy. Since then it has been immortalised as a test of skill for two players, two gladiators going head to head and shooting for goals and glory. Next, the early nineties would reveal the natural evolution of this classic challenge - Windjammers. A competition...
Review Puzzle Labyrinth (3DS eShop)
A-maze-ingly strange
Without a plot, purpose, or any real explanation for what exactly is going on, Puzzle Labyrinth on 3DS lives up to its title by unceremoniously dumping the player into a complex maze filled with monsters, traps and strange riddles. Your only hope of escape lies squarely in your ability to complete each puzzle and unlock a...
It's still hip to be square
Life may be good when you're a ninja block, but the original BOXBOY! possibly ended up doing a bit too much sneaking around when it released last year. The HAL Laboratory puzzle-platformer went completely under the radar for some people, never gaining widespread attention or shaking the eShop up with its monochromatic...
Review Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games (Wii U)
Taking home the bronze
Although carnivale looms neon bright on the horizon, the party may already be winding down for Sonic and Mario. From snowy peaks to sandy shores, these former rivals are back for another collection of sporting mini-games in celebration of the Rio 2016 Olympics, and while they won't have to deal with the political turmoil or...
Review Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE (Wii U)
Superstardom awaits!
When you hit the main menu of Tokyo Mirage Sessions ♯FE, there's no start button. Instead the bright, rainbow-coloured visuals invite the player to debut, a seemingly minor change of wording that nonetheless sets the tone for the entire game. In this candy-coated world heroes are showbiz sensations, dungeons are department...
Review Run Run and Die (Wii U eShop)
As fun as running straight into a brick wall
'Runner' games similar to the likes of Bit.Trip Runner have been a popular choice for quite some time now. Popularised by mobile titles and best enjoyed for their addictive "one more try" gameplay, the genre often strips the medium down to its very basics - just one button to press and a top score to aim...
Review Dan McFox: Head Hunter (3DS eShop)
I choose you!
When you think of suave secret agents and covert crime fighting, 'Guess Who?' might not be the first thing that comes to mind. The board game classic is the kind of entertainment usually reserved for the occasional power outage or after a boozy Christmas dinner, but for Dan McFox it's his modus operandi when chasing down suspects. The...
Review Lost Reavers (Wii U eShop)
Keeping up with the Indiana Joneses
Nestled away in the busy excitement of a Nintendo Direct last January, Bandai Namco first announced Project Treasure; a 4 player co-op title set to release exclusively for Wii U. With famed Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada and a team of young developers on board, their admirable goal was to create a game that...
Review Star Sky 2 (Wii U eShop)
Moonlit meandering
Video games have come a long way from their humble, straightforward beginnings. They're still a form of entertainment, primarily designed to help you waste time and relax, so there will always be a mission to complete, a goal to achieve or an enemy to defeat. However, there are simpler, quieter stories to be told as well, with an...
Review Witch & Hero 2 (3DS eShop)
New Witch, new Hero, same old game
Of all the sequels to suddenly burst onto the 3DS eShop, Witch & Hero 2 is undoubtedly one of the least-expected. Arriving three years after the underwhelming original, this has surely provided ample time and a great opportunity to improve on the limited gameplay, dull visuals and annoying repetition that so...
Hosting Me, Hosting U
Nintendo consoles have been no stranger to party games over the years, and accessibility has always played into that success. Whether it was a dance-off or a quick bout of tennis, both software and hardware worked in tandem to ensure that absolutely anybody could join in on the fun. The introduction of the Wii U GamePad added...
Dreamal a little dream of me
Have you heard the one about the goat, the parrot, and the raccoon? It may sound like the setup to a bad joke, but it's actually the cast of Dreamals; it's a puzzle-platformer that's got cute animals and dreamy landscapes in abundance - which is probably almost definitely where the name comes from. While it isn't...
Review 6180 the moon (Wii U eShop)
You are my sunshine, my only sunshine
Many games are based around a quest to restore the light. Normally it's a kind of metaphorical light used to symbolize peace and hope; an attempt to fight back against the darkness and restore balance. 6180 the moon does away with pretense and sets up the most universally pivotal journey of all - bringing the...
Review Word Puzzles by POWGI (3DS eShop)
Preferably portable puzzling
Did you know that word games travel in pairs? It's true, and if you've read our review of Word Puzzles by POWGI on Wii U , then you've already got a head start on this review of Word Puzzles by POWGI on 3DS - its portable counterpart. It's a pretty direct port, featuring the same puzzles across the same 6 game modes...
Review Word Puzzles by POWGI (Wii U eShop)
Pretty passable puzzles
In an attempt to better suit the subject matter at hand, we briefly considered publishing this review with fiendish word jumbles sprinkled throughout. After more than a few sloppy attempts, we'd given in to frustration and decided it was best to leave that kind of thing in more capable hands. For the verbose and the...
Review Goosebumps: The Game (3DS)
Player beware, you're in for mediocrity
As one of the latest in a long line of recent nostalgia-driven reboots, the Goosebumps franchise has managed to drag itself out of the grave for another attempt at success. R.L Stine's series of horror novellas aimed primarily at children was a smash hit during the 1990s, quickly going on to spawn a television...
