Average User Score:
7.9
Nov 20, 2012
I was not expecting Nintendo Land to be good. Long story short, Nintendo Land attempts to be for the Wii U what Wii Sports was for the Wii.I was not expecting Nintendo Land to be good. Long story short, Nintendo Land attempts to be for the Wii U what Wii Sports was for the Wii. Unlike Wii Sports, there are more than 10 different kinds of games available (these games are "attractions" in Nintendo Land and there are 12 total, and yes, there is a hub world that you can traverse that's like a theme park), and these games mostly have a surprisingly fair amount of substance. Many of these games have different modes of play and plenty have more than several levels to go through (e.g. Pikmin, Zelda, etc.). You play these games for fun, and nearly all are designed to show how the Wii U GamePad (the tablet) can be used in different ways. There's something oddly cool and neat of seeing yourself going through a training area in Metroid Blast on your tablet and getting hints specific to your role, while others are training in a completely different place with their own hints, and knowing it's all coming from the same console and you're all still in the same world. This is the supposed definition of "asymmetric gameplay": not everyone is experiencing the same thing in even the same play style. The person with the GamePad has a markedly different experience than the people on the Wii Remotes. You need to play it to understand, and you should certainly play it with another friend or more to get the most fun out of it (though half the games are solo attractions and they're mostly great).
Each of the attractions have their own "achievements" or in-game special challenges. There's five in each game. Many are fun challenges, some are just insignificant fluff that striving for doesn't necessarily add to the fun (good thing fun is what this game has in spades). You get coins for completing challenges, among other things, and you can use these coins to work towards getting special bonuses that will either decorate your Nintendo Land theme park, add music to a jukebox that you'll eventually be rewarded to, or buttons on the ground that will do all sorts of surprising things. The reward/coin mechanic is a great incentive to keep playing the attractions, especially for the collectors who want to see their entire Nintendo Land be vibrant and filled with cool decor. Each attraction also has one specific goal that will signify you've "mastered" the game. I won't tell you what happens when you master all twelve ;)... because I haven't done that yet.
You'll also see people in the Miiverse occasionally popping up in your Nintendo Land. It's interesting to see so many people bustling around your theme park, posting comments and whatnot. You'll see people from different countries moving around your park with large comment boxes popping over their heads saying whatever it is they feel. You can touch these people on the tablet and see information about how far along Nintendo Land they are, along with options to comment on their comments, send a friend request, and other things. It's a nice in-game mechanic that helps make the gaming community feel more interconnected.
Overall, I can't say yet whether the game is worth $60 regardless of circumstance, but it's a great game altogether. Anyone who gets the Wii U Deluxe will not be disappointed with this pack-in. With no hyperbole, it's truly one of the best party games I've ever played in my life. It does an excellent job of showcasing the Wii U's concept of "asymmetric gameplay", and is still fun to play by yourself (I must have played Donkey Kong's Crash Course for over an hour trying to get a gold trophy!). If you're thinking about getting a Wii U, get a Deluxe. If you can only get a Basic, and are considering this game, get it if you have friends and Wiimotes and Wiimote Plusses with which to play. If you're all by your lonesome, then I'd venture to say that $60 is too much (especially since 3 of the games are only available as multi-player). So the long and short of it is: this is a surprisingly great game with plenty to do, especially if you have friends.… Expand
