Nintendo Land
© 2012 Nintendo of America
Nintendo Land for the Wii U is an invitation to a specialized Nintendo theme park, featuring 12 single- and multiplayer minigames with classic Nintendo characters. Think Mario Party meets Super Smash Bros. With only a few extra features, most of the game centers around the minigames. They each require different skills and are difficult enough to keep you playing. For example, there's a sidescrolling obstacle course game based on Donkey Kong and a 3D racing game based on F-Zero. The only weakness is that there could have been more, since they are all fairly simple. The real attraction here is the multiplayer, which can support up to five players. The game advertises innovative uses of the Wii U gamepad, the giant controller with a touchscreen. Some of the gamepad features are a little gimmicky. For example, certain game objectives can only be accomplished by touching the pad. Others, however, are truly unique: one minigame requires you to blow on the microphone, which lifts a platform operated by a propeller. There are also differences in how certain minigames work when played with the gamepad or the regular controller, which can shake up the gameplay in multiplayer when only one player has the gamepad. The motion sensing, which is the main control mechanic, is extremely precise, unlike in many games where it has a slippery feel. The sound and music are familiar and very nice. Much of the music is remixes of classic Nintendo themes, with a jingle from the Donkey Kong arcade game and several Super Nintendo themes. The graphics are bright and whimsical, though lacking in creativity compared to other Nintendo games like Super Mario Bros. U. As usual, Nintendo has blended just the right mix of old and new to make this game feel like a tribute rather than a rehash. It's worth picking up, especially since there isn't a new Mario Party game on Wii U.
$40, Wii U
Teaches: socialization, logic
CTR Rating: 90%