Added: 06.03.2015 2:24 | 1 views | 0 comments

Great puzzles all have one thing in common: they present a conundrum bound by defined rules and then give you the tools to craft a plan to conquer this obstacle. Trial and error is ultimately part of the thrill of overcoming these challenges, but the truly brilliant puzzles can't be conquered by brute-forcing a million little experiments, or sliding tile puzzle pieces around: You have to actually figure out an answer to beat them. At its best, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars understands this, forcing you to create elaborate and dynamic Rube Goldberg machines to achieve victory. Unfortunately, it takes far too long for the most devilish puzzles to rear their heads.

Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars is equal parts

You'll likely get the gold trophy--calculated by how quickly you can finish the level--on your first try for most of the early levels.

If you want a game to test your children's spatial logic and reasoning skills, Tipping Stars might be a good choice, though the complex later puzzles can prove frustrating. But in 2015, there are too many, more challenging options for adults looking to have their brains stretched for Tipping Stars to feel like a worthy investment. Once you do reach the more challenging puzzles, they are wicked. The main campaign is short--it takes less than four hours to complete--but there are 24 bonus levels in the game, and, right out of the gate, they not only stretch your problem-solving skills to their limits, they continue to introduce new mechanics to the game, including magnetized walkways. But there's too much of a time investment before the game reveals its real potential. Tipping Stars does offer you the tools to create your own levels so the most dedicated puzzle fans could rise to the challenge and create their own complex worlds for players to explore, although it’s hard to gauge what that community is going to accomplish at this time.

Between its lackluster introductions and almost total lack of context for why you're doing anything in the game, Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars feels more like a particularly robust tech demo than a proper full-release. As a cross-buy title, it can be played on both the Wii U and the 3DS, but since you only use the Wii U Gamepad while playing, there's little reason to play it on anything other than the 3DS if you own both. If you have the patience to stick around for the game's true challenges, Tipping Stars is worth an inspection, but you have to slog through a lot of tedium to get there.

Added: 05.03.2015 16:10 | 5 views | 0 comments


Sean Smith: "My mind was taken back to another cross-platform classic with a superb creativity bent the astonishing Sound Shapes, which still regularly gets airtime in my household to this day. Tipping Stars looks set to remain a regular fixture in much the same way, and as such, is rather essential for the puzzle game fan."

Added: 05.03.2015 16:10 | 4 views | 0 comments


GR: Killer robots. Theyre a bit of a cliché, arent they? Well, trust Nintendo to put a new spin on things in Tipping Stars, Marios clockwork bots (known as minis) are less intent on destroying the world and more on destroying themselves. Theyll walk blindly off sheer drops, plonk themselves into spikes or even walk straight into the fiery attacks of a Piranha Plant. In short, theyre useless, and thats where you come in.

Added: 05.03.2015 14:41 | 7 views | 0 comments


New Wii U & 3DS eShop releases for the week of March 5, 2015, include Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars, OlliOlli, Proun+, and much more! Sales include Tengami, Master Reboot, Darts Up, PING 1.5.+, Wakedas, AeternoBlade, and more!

Added: 05.03.2015 14:35 | 8 views | 0 comments

Mario vs. Donkey Kong and OlliOlli x2, Proun+ and much more

Added: 05.03.2015 8:09 | 10 views | 0 comments


The Big N is taking their first steps toward cross-buy functionality between Wii U and Nintendo 3DS with Mario vs. Donkey Kong: Tipping Stars. This new game in the Mario vs. Donkey Kong series takes all the assets from its predecessors and builds upon them, while introducing new ways for players to interact online.