Way back when the Nintendo Wii was first released, gamers were thrilled to learn that it included a small game called Wii Sports. The point of this game wasn’t to dazzle fans, but it was for you to get used to the controls in a comfortable setting. Ultimately it was successful, since it became a fan favorite among casual gamers. With this in mind Nintendo created Nintendo Land, which attempts to accomplish the same thing for the Wii U. The only question is, can Nintendo Land bring the same joy as Wii Sports or is it destined for the clearance rack?
HOT
Something for Everyone
Easily the best part of Nintendo Land is the fact that there’s something for everyone. Zelda: Battle Quest, Pikmin Adventure and Metroid Blast are great for gamers looking for a more traditional experience, where as Mario Chase, Luigi’s Mansion and Animal Crossing Sweets Day are perfect for someone looking for a party game. Finally we have several solo games, which range from racing to rail shooting, so you can expect a bit of diversity. While I wasn’t a big fan of many of the games included, some of the more enjoyable ones like Pikmin and Zelda had a good number of stages to play through.
Stamps!
By now you’ve either heard or realized that the Nintendo Wii U lacks a trophy/achievement system, but that doesn’t mean the concept is completely absent. Whenever you load up an event in Nintendo Land, you will see 5 empty spots under a character’s name. These spaces can be filled with stamps, which are unlocked by completing various tasks in Nintendo Land. These range from things like getting a 10 hit combo in Takamaru’s Ninja Castle to beating Donkey Kong’s Crash Course without dying once (good luck with that one!). Besides simply rewarding you for doing certain challenges, every stamp awards you a fair amount of coins (like many things), which can be used to play a mini game to unlock gifts for your park. Every gift is a little different, so you might unlock a BGM, character figure or something else to make your part a bit more interesting.
Interesting Art Style
If you’re a fan of graphics, then you’re sure to enjoy Nintendo Land. While every game is designed around whatever game it’s based off of, the artwork is different than what you would expect. For instance, Donkey Kong’s Crash Course is animated on a chalkboard and Takamaru’s Ninja Castle animated like paper origami. Even some of the more popular series like Zelda, get crochet (think Sackboy) versions of Zelda enemies. Sadly some games are a lot closer to the source material, but for the most part the worlds look quite diverse and interesting.
