ONM said:

Nintendo might have begun to embrace the online world, but this is a clarion call for local multiplayer. Matching experimentation with (almost) consistently brilliant gameplay, this is as much a marker of what's to come as it is an excellent launch game.

Click to expand...

Kotaku said:

It's hard to assess how good or flawed Nintendo Land is. It's mostly a well-made if complicated game. If it's supposed to hook people on a convoluted console, it may falter. If it's supposed to delight Nintendo fans, it probably will without satiating them. But cutting through every other possible metric, the best thing to say about Nintendo Land is that it's fun. And it's fun in ways you've probably not experienced. It does things you could only do on a Wii U. It does things that justify Nitnendo's latest strange idea. Find a way to play Nintendo Land. It merits your attention.

Click to expand...

IGN said:

Nintendo Land is a brilliant show of what Nintendo’s new console and tablet controller are capable of, and has far more depth and content then you’d expect from a mini-game collection. The attractions are ridiculously fun and offer plenty of variety, whether you’re flying solo or entertaining a group. Throw in high scores to best, gold trophies to earn, stamp achievements to collect and tons of Plaza decorations to unlock, and what you’ve got is an experience that must not be missed, and probably the best show of Wii U available at launch.

Click to expand...

1UP said:

Jeremy Parish: I don't think Nintendo Land will do much to convince new audiences to leap into owning a Wii U -- and maybe it doesn't need to. As a collection of minigames, Nintendo Land hits the spot. But as the envoy for a new console, a game that's clearly meant to be the new system's equivalent of Wii Sports, the message it sends feels muddled.

Marty Silva: As Jeremy mentioned, the game comes bundled in the deluxe version of the console, but I can't help but feel like Nintendo is missing an opportunity by not allowing every adopter of the hardware to immediately have this in their library. The way this collection utilizes the breadth of the GamePad's functionality delivers an important message about the future of the console; Nintendo Land proves to be more than a proof of concept, instead becoming a litmus test of the creative and social potential of the Wii U.

Jose Otero: I only wish the overall economy of Nintendo Land didn't depend on my contributions so much. Each challenge tier has to be unlocked, and all the coins collected go into a silly pachinko contraption that doesn't always reward me for trying. The idea of having to unlock stages and knick-knacks within Nintendo Land feels slightly dated concept and is ultimately useless. And the overall package ultimately amounts to yet another mini-game collection, and one that doesn't have to stick to such a traditional video game structure. Obviously, mileage for these attractions may vary, but Nintendo Lands delivers a fun title to keep you busy while friends and family visit during the upcoming holidays.

Click to expand...

Gaming Examiner said:

Nintendo Land can be played alone but it’s really a terrific party game to play with your friends. Nintendo Land features quick to jump into games that allow you to have fun and start playing right away. There are even game-modes that randomly assign attractions for a set period of time to allow you to keep playing without having to choose or jump around. Though the cartoonish nature and childish themes may seem like Nintendo Land is only for a younger audience, the competitive events can be a lot of fun for friends to compete at a more social, friendlier level.

Click to expand...

Gamesbeat said:

I wish I could split out and score Metroid Blast and Mario Chase on their own terms. As downloadable games with online multiplayer, both would be solid winners, and I’d play them relentlessly. As is, half of Nintendo Land offers brief, creative fun in bite-sized chunks without ever constituting a full meal. The other half features dismal time-wasters and watery versions of great franchises that won’t appeal much to casual or core gamers. Put another way, Nintendo Land epitomizes the minigame-compilation genre — occasional flashes of brilliance surrounded by things you just don’t want to exist.

Click to expand...

Joystiq said:

Nintendo Land, then, is inherently targeted at a much narrower audience than its pack-in predecessor, Wii Sports. Whether you think that's a problem in the long term depends on how loudly you've decried Nintendo over the last six years for "abandoning" its core. In the short term, it's a great party game for people in that audience – like the ones reading this website.

Click to expand...

Digital Spy said:

Nintendo Land is a completely unique game unlike anything else available on other consoles, combining the way the Smash Bros. series tapped into Nintendo's history with the innovation of Wii Sports.

While it's true that some attractions are better than others - especially the multiplayer games - each individual offering provides a strong look at the Wii U's capabilities, whether it's hunting down familiar hero Mario as a team of four, or gently floating through the clouds by yourself.

Click to expand...

CVG said:

While there's no doubt that the Wii U can do hide and seek games well - the console probably owes its very existence to the search for the ideal Pac-Man Vs machine, actually - none of the other multiplayer games really grabbed us as being games that we'd want to keep playing years or even months down the line.

But then, Wii Sports was also a total one-trick pony, and that didn't stop developers coming up with a wide range of clever uses for the remote, so perhaps we shouldn't worry about the wider implications for the Wii U GamePad, and instead appreciate it for what it is - three excellent and very different versions of the best multiplayer game ever conceived, with a whole boatload of extras included on the disc to boot. If you've got a friend in this world, you've got room on your shelf for NintendoLand.

Click to expand...

Eurogamer said:

It's better to judge Nintendo Land on its own merits. Do that and you might be surprised. It's not just half a dozen great diversions and a few more besides; it's sweet fan service that celebrates Nintendo's catalogue with more heart and less calculation than we've seen of late. Better yet, it reclaims the used and abused mini-game compilation from the hollow hinterlands of the casual cash-in, lovingly restores it and puts it back where it belongs - amid the hustle, the buzz, the urgent appeal of the arcade.

Click to expand...

Polygon said:

I played Nintendo Land surrounded by two dozen co-workers at Vox Media's video studio. Most had never heard of the Wii U, and were perplexed and a little put off by the GamePad controller. They'd apologize for walking in front of the TV only to realize I'd been lost in the tablet's screen for the past hour.

Most of them didn't understand how the game or the console worked until I booted "Luigi's Ghost Mansion." Suddenly, it clicked. Everyone was interested and enjoying themselves. They began talking about Nintendo and their favorite characters, and wondered what the hell this weird little machine was. They were in Nintendo Land, some of them for the first time in decades. It may not be the most magical place on Earth, but Nintendo Land is definitely the most magical place on the Wii U.

Click to expand...

Digital Trends said:

It is tough to review Nintendo Land as a game, since it is tutorial wrapped around multiple games of differing quality. Some of those games are exceptional, while others are not. It does what it sets out to do though, and it helps that the game features the traditionally fine polish that Nintendo games are known for. The graphics look great, and it is nice to see an HD rendition of titles like Metroid, even if it is only a brief and heavily cartoon-ized version. If nothing else, you have to credit it for its originality as it attempts things that no one else can even begin to mimic.

For the people picking up a Wii U for their family, or those that specifically want a game that can be played with others, Nintendo Land is a solid choice. The games are somewhat shallow, of course, and the explanations on how to play each game that keep popping up get old to the point of being obnoxious, but if you are looking for something to get the most out of your Wii U, Nintendo Land is a must have.

Click to expand...

Game Reactor said:

Sure, there will be those who say: Nintendo Land is just a collection of mini games. Yet we'd respond: it's a collection of well made mini-games that everyone will enjoy, and especially those that play with friends.

Nintendo Land allows a different, new perspective on video games and leaves us with an extremely pleasant feeling in our thumbs.

Click to expand...

Now Gamer said:

At times like this, the game creeps beyond the trappings of a party game and into something else entirely. As we’ve come to expect from Nintendo, it’s nothing short of intoxicating, but there’s a lack of consistency and conviction in the product that is unusual for the Kyoto-based developer. A throw-it-all-at-the-wall approach that is uncharacteristically capricious.

When the game works, it’s one of the finest party games on offer, but Nintendo’s confusion in what it wants to achieve with the Wii U GamePad results in an erratic compilation short on hits.

Click to expand...

Gamesradar said:

As a whole, all 12 games contain enough variety to make Nintendo Land a perfectly satisfying way to familiarize yourself with the Wii U, but the reliance on Nintendo nostalgia is a blessing and a curse. Non-fans will be confused by references to little played NES and Game & Watch games. Oppositely, Nintendo fanboys will enjoy the references, but won’t like settling for imitations of games like F-Zero and Zelda instead of the real thing. In spite of all that, Nintendo Land is great introduction to the Wii U, even if it lacks the longevity of Wii Sports.

Click to expand...

EDGE said:

Could Nintendo have made similar cuts, sliced out singleplayer, and left us with the perfect party game? The shadow of missed opportunity occasionally looms over Nintendo Land, but as with any good theme park, there are moments where you’ll yell, scream and laugh yourself silly. Just add friends

Click to expand...

Game Informer said:

The question for Nintendo Land really comes down to longevity. Although I had an absolute blast playing Mario Chase for a few rounds, I’m already bored with it. With only a few similar standout games, the collection doesn’t captivate as much as it could. Still, despite some control foibles and a few uninteresting minigames, Nintendo Land gives players a proper introduction to the capabilities of the Wii U and its GamePad.

Click to expand...

Destructoid said:

Those unconvinced about what the Wii U can do would benefit from finding themselves a way of trying out Nintendo Land. It manages to do a lot with the system without, I believe, even scratching the service of what more focused and dedicated videogames could achieve. It's a game meant to excite you more about the system you just purchased, and that is what it does. Well worth checking out, at any rate.

Click to expand...

There’s a lot to like in Nintendo Land, from the appealing theme-park aesthetic to the cute, floating robotic guide; everything is presented with Nintendo’s usual care for great presentation. And there are a few minigame concepts that could easily sustain full games on their own, alongside a few more that are good enough for party time.

But in the end, Nintendo Land feels like a mixed grab-bag that never coalesces into more than the sum of its parts. Many of the minigames fall in that odd middle ground where they’re too complicated to explain in less than 30 seconds and not complicated enough to be interesting for much more than 10 minutes. As a first draft of Nintendo’s best ideas for what to do with the touchscreen GamePad, the results are less than inspiring.

Click to expand...

SFGate said:

The value of the Wii U hardware itself is a question for another day. (Specifically this Sunday, according to Nintendo's two-page list of embargo dates, which accompanied the review units sent to critics in advance.) But "Nintendo Land" is a solid starting point, and just what the system needed to lure in any gamers who were on the fence.

Click to expand...

Shacknews said:

Nintendo Land was supposed to be the Wii Sports of the console: a showcase title that converted gamers and non-gamers alike to the Wii U experience. Instead, Nintendo Land is this generation's Wii Play: a shallow collection of mini-games bundled with Nintendo hardware--and promptly forgotten.

Click to expand...

Zeer0id said:

Pretty similar to how Wii Sports reviewed, maybe a tad better

Click to expand...

The Horror the horror said:

I'm a little discouraged that some games seem to require a Wii mote. I no longer have a Wii nor its accessories.

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

For a lot of people:

I always thought it looked like a great game.

Click to expand...

MormaPope said:

How are the reviews leading towards it being a great game? It may be a good game, but saying it's great is delusional.

Click to expand...

Gianni Merryman said:

I appreciate this is more of a party-game, focused mainly on local multiplayer; if so it seems to me fair enough to take this into due consideration.

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

For a lot of people:

I always thought it looked like a great game.

Click to expand...

Sora_N said:

I'll wait till they make it a Selects with a case.

Click to expand...

shidoshi said:

It's kind of not, though. There are twelve attractions, and only half of those are multiplayer-focused. (Outside of the option where you can take a tour of the part, and have mini-challenges in every game.) I kind of wish they'd go all-out in the multiplayer focus, and not had half the game be single-player.

Click to expand...

frankie_baby said:

It comes in a case in the premium pack

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

How the fuck is calling this great "delusional"?

The game looks quality, polished, great visually, with good concepts and interesting uses for the control. What are you gonna do about it to change my opinion?

Click to expand...

Shacknews said:

Nintendo Land was supposed to be the Wii Sports of the console: a showcase title that converted gamers and non-gamers alike to the Wii U experience. Instead, Nintendo Land is this generation's Wii Play: a shallow collection of mini-games bundled with Nintendo hardware--and promptly forgotten.

Click to expand...

MormaPope said:

Nothing. But you saying people are going to eat crow over Nintendoland is oddly misplaced, I haven't seen one post saying Nintendoland was going to be shit, I've seen posters say they don't like mini game collections or that Nintendoland won't be as successful as Wii sports, but you're creating a narrative after seeing 7/10 reviews and 8/10 reviews.

Click to expand...

MormaPope said:

Nothing. But you saying people are going to eat crow over Nintendoland is oddly misplaced, I haven't seen one post saying Nintendoland was going to be shit,

Click to expand...

Skiesofwonder said:

First negative review I have seen so far:

Shacknews - no score

Click to expand...

TheGreatMightyPoo said:

Absolutely untrue, several posters have used words as "insulting" and "embarrassing" to describe this game.

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

Well, that's the problem. I've seen many people say that without even bothering to learn about the game, so that crow with a side of tears is served for them.

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

For a lot of people:

I always thought it looked like a great game.

Click to expand...

SteeloDMZ said:

For a lot of people:

I always thought it looked like a great game.

Click to expand...

eternalb said:

Weird how he focused on the single-player. I wonder how many reviewers actually properly tested playing the game with, you know, other people.

Click to expand...

Kyou said:

sounds okay for a game I'll basically be getting for free

Click to expand...

Torraz said:

In today's 7-10 scoring system all those 7/10s aren't that impressive though...

Click to expand...

ViewtifulJC said:

SteeloDMZ pls

Just stop, man

It's a fuckin' minigame collection. Just be happy it's free.

Click to expand...

Ken Masters said:

A great game? You're going to put hour and hours into this by yourself?

Click to expand...

Ken Masters said:

A great game? You're going to put hour and hours into this by yourself?

Click to expand...