Nintendo Life's Scores

  • Games
For 1,377 reviews, this publication has graded:
  • 48% higher than the average critic
  • 20% same as the average critic
  • 32% lower than the average critic
On average, this publication grades 10.6 points lower than other critics. (0-100 point scale)
Average Game review score: 62
Highest review score:
Critic Score 100
Lowest review score:
Critic Score 10
Score distribution:
1,377 game reviews
    • Metascore: 97
    • Critic Score 100
    Every once in a while a video game comes along that's just so spectacular that it ends up defining the very system it's released on and raises the bar by which all other games in the series and genre will be judged. It's safe to say that game has now arrived on the Wii console.
    • Metascore: 94
    • Critic Score 100
    Not only is World of Goo easily the best WiiWare release to date, it's also proof that you don't need a large development team or millions of dollars to create an outstanding video game. In an era of video gaming where style is often emphasized over substance, it's refreshing to see a title like World of Goo that somehow manages to feature an abundance of both.
    • Metascore: 94
    • Critic Score 100
    Beautiful visuals, improved controls, exceptional pacing and engrossing gameplay are all present and correct. The N64 version is an all-time gaming classic, but this is truly the finest edition of Ocarina of Time.
    • Metascore: 93
    • Critic Score 90
    Chinatown Wars truly is one the best titles to ever grace the Nintendo DS. Despite the fact that it took on an old-style graphical approach and introduced alien concepts, the transition of the series to Nintendo’s handheld has been a smooth one – the end result being a fantastic adult game that is not worth missing.
    • Metascore: 93
    • Critic Score 100
    A game of stunning creativity: the work of master craftsmen and women, it's a breathtaking technical achievement in many ways, with subtly beautiful visuals and audio blending with rampantly imaginative design. It's as good a Zelda game as we've ever played, and one that fully delivers on the revolution Nintendo promised back in 2005.
    • Metascore: 93
    • Critic Score 90
    Cave Story may come from humble PC beginnings but it feels most in its element in this slick portable package. Nicalis has put together the definitive Cave Story compilation, but without any earth-shattering changes or additions it's ultimately just another way to play an all-time classic on familiar hardware. Granted, that's still a rather excellent thing, as the game is so pleasing to play that we're more than happy to delve into it yet again, and again.
    • Metascore: 93
    • Critic Score 90
    While the program is simple enough for people of all ages to create a project, it still manages to offer up an almost endless amount of creative power limited only by the amount of time and effort users are willing to put into their projects.
    • Metascore: 92
    • Critic Score 90
    Fire Emblem: Awakening's masterful tightrope walk between luring in curious onlookers and appealing to the hardest of cores is a sight to behold.
    • Metascore: 92
    • Critic Score 90
    Although the developers have done a terrific job of incorporating daunting detail with intuitive controls, this title is still best suited to gamers with the strength, diligence and passion to see it through. For them, this is an experience that must not be missed.
    • Metascore: 92
    • Critic Score 100
    Rayman Origins perfectly embodies what made many of us fall in love with gaming in the first place. It's a nigh-on flawlessly executed romp through intricately designed levels that boast the most gorgeously detailed and vibrant visuals you'll see this generation. Tight controls, a perfectly judged difficulty curve, fantastically surreal boss fights and tons of replayability go that extra mile.
    • Metascore: 91
    • Critic Score 100
    If you’ve passed on the Prime series until now, your excuses for doing so have dwindled considerably.
    • Metascore: 90
    • Critic Score 100
    While it would be easy to rave on and on about the game, the best way to sum everything up would be to say this: Bowser's Inside Story is the kind of game that will remind you why you love playing video games in the first place and is easily one of the best DS releases to date. If you only buy one game the rest of this year, make sure it's this one.
    • Metascore: 90
    • Critic Score 90
    It's impossible not to be impressed by the vast number of classic Super Mario elements that have been squeezed into the package, especially given how fresh they all look and feel in their new 3D presentation. If you've been looking for a reason to pick up a 3DS, you've just found it.
    • Metascore: 90
    • Critic Score 90
    Up to this point, there haven't really been any breakout 3DS download titles; of course, the 3D Classics games are nice, but they're not completely original. Pullblox, deceptively simple as it may seem, features great gameplay, a lengthy main game, a simple to use level creation and sharing tool and, best of all, comes at quite a low price. It's far and away one of the best downloads available at the moment and a recommended purchase for anybody.
    • Metascore: 89
    • Critic Score 90
    It's incredibly fun and easy to pick up, as well as looking and sounding simply gorgeous.
    • Metascore: 89
    • Critic Score 90
    It's almost impossible to convey the sheer amount of charm and personality found throughout Cave Story. The game's eccentric world draws you in from the moment you begin playing and the ever-increasing intensity and action only further maintain the game's enjoyable gameplay scheme.
    • Metascore: 89
    • Critic Score 90
    Though lacking in any type of structured play, Colors! 3D's robust free drawing system and unique ability to let anyone create their own three-dimensional artwork more than make up for this.
    • Metascore: 88
    • Critic Score 90
    An impressive sequel that's well worth owning, but if you're new to the franchise and not sure which one to get first, DJ Hero 2's extra scratches, freestyle elements and online offerings make it the obvious choice.
    • Metascore: 88
    • Critic Score 100
    Zero Escape: Virtue's Last Reward is nothing short of a masterpiece. Riveting from beginning to end, it sets a new standard for interactive storytelling, and demands an emotional investment from the player that ultimately pays off with one of the most satisfying endings in recent video gaming memory. Unless you have yet to experience its prequel 999, there is simply no excuse for you not to play this game.
    • Metascore: 88
    • Critic Score 90
    With an all-new play control scheme and several new bonus features, as well as an online mode that can keep you busy every single day, Tiger Woods 10 for the Wii is a must-have game for fans of golf, as well as for those Wii owners looking to learn how to play real golf.
    • Metascore: 88
    • Critic Score 90
    Not only are the physics in the game absolutely spot-on, but the intuitive control scheme made possible by the Wii Remote makes playing the game easy and fun.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    Black and White are certainly up there with the best of the series: unlike HeartGold and SoulSilver they don't have nostalgia as their main attraction, but they come closest to recreating the sense of discovery felt when embarking on that first journey with Pokémon.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    You can't help but marvel at how the developers were somehow able to squeeze a console-sized RPG epic onto the diminutive DS, especially given how mammoth the quest itself is.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 100
    It's been a long wait, but WiiWare fans can now finally get their hands on this lesser known indie classic. Beating it can be an incredibly daunting task for less experienced players, but despite all of the difficult puzzles and fights there are lots of features that make the experience much less frustrating than you'd think it would be. With this title's significant size, if you can't beat one area you can just go to another first, so there are always options to progress. The lack of DLC is a bit of a disappointment, but the basic game is still, in a word: perfect.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    Although they fail to push the series forward with any true innovations, they excel at retooling now almost obsolete titles into must-haves for fans.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 100
    New Super Mario Bros. brings all of the classic fun from past Super Mario Bros. releases together in one amazing greatest hits-style gameplay experience and does so in a way that only Nintendo themselves can do. If you only buy one game for your Wii console for the rest of your life, make sure it's this one.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    The mixer-turntable controller is very responsive and as a peripheral, it is of a high quality.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 100
    Donkey Kong Country Returns is almost the perfect continuation of the series in many ways. It manages to offer the perfect balance of old and new elements to form what has to be one of the Wii console's finest platforming experiences and a game that should challenge even seasoned fans of the genre.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    It’s a quality game as was Phantom Hourglass before it, and even though at times it feels too much like a retread of past games, it remains a thoroughly enjoyable jaunt through Hyrule and puts most other DS titles to shame with its overall quality.
    • Metascore: 87
    • Critic Score 90
    Although they fail to push the series forward with any true innovations, they excel at retooling now almost obsolete titles into must-haves for fans.