When the Wii U was first announced Nintendo showed off a series of mini games to show off the use of the brand new tablet controller. Although these mini games were nothing more than tech demos, as time went on Nintendo decided to turn them into a game. By E3 2012 Nintendo had put together a new game to be bundled with the Deluxe version of the Wii U, that would act like the Wii U's version of Wii Sports; that game was a collection of mini games called Nintendo Land.
By using the tech demos, as well as some new ideas, Nintendo crafted a virtual theme park to help players explore the different features the Wii U had to offer. Using different series as the theme for each area, Nintendo created 12 different "attractions" for players to explore, and help ease them into the new controller. Still, how does this game compare to the Wii's Wii Sports? Is it worth a buy if you don't have the Deluxe Wii U?
Before we get started though, I would like to say one thing. Since Nintendo Land is a collection of mini games, this review will not follow my standard review format. I will be covering each game as a game of their own, and I will also be discussing the main features of Nintendo Land as well. If you're only interested in certain mini games in this collection, feel free to skip to that section of the review; however please keep in mind that this game does in fact have 12 games, and I wouldn't recommend buying it if you only plan on playing one or two of them games. So now, with that being said, lets get started!
Nintendo Land Plaza:
When you first turn on Nintendo Land you will find yourself in the middle of the theme park, which is basically just a round circular area, with the park guide Monita telling you the basics of the game. She will go over camera movement, character movement, as well as show you other aspects of the park as well. Although the main aspect of Nintendo Land is the mini games themselves, that doesn't mean you won't be spending quite a bit of time in the plaza as well.
While in the plaza you can move your character with the left analog stick, control the camera with the right analog stick, and jump by hitting the RZ button, but that's not all. The plaza also makes use of the motion controls on the tablet, and really, this can be a little bit annoying. While the tablet screen shows the very same thing that's on the TV, it also acts as a sort of window to the world, and that allows you to look around by actually moving around in real life. By holding the LZ button you can actually enter a first person view, and that allows you to get a better look around the park. Really, this feature is pretty cool, and it really does help pull you into the game. If you want to look at the ground you're standing on, point the tablet to the ground, if you want to look up in the sky, move it up into the air! It's really a nice feature, but it really isn't that useful. Still that doesn't mean it doesn't have problems of its own.
Since the game pad screen is the same as whats on your TV, or rather, your TV is showing whats on your game pad, you will also see black bars from time to time as well. If you don't hold your game pad perfectly aligned with your TV screen, you will see black bars around the picture. Really it isn't too big of a deal, but if you're the type of person who rather be looking at the TV instead of your game pad, it might become a little bit annoying to always see the black bars as you move your hands around.
Although the game pad is mostly used to control the camera angle in the plaza, it does have other uses as well. By touching on different objects you can actually interact with them, but I'll get into that more below. Starting with the Mii Verse feature.
Miiverse -
Nintendo's Miiverse is a massive social network that is built into the Wii U. You can visit different game's group pages, make comments, reply to other peoples comments, post pictures from the game you are playing, as well as draw pictures for others to see. In short, it's a social network; however Nintendo Land is one of the few games that is actually built INTO that social network.
As you walk around the park, you'll notice a lot of other Mii characters walking around as well. Now these Miis are in fact real people, but they are not actually walking around your park; instead a computer is taking control of them, with messages they've posted lately showing up above their heads. Basically every time you post a comment in Nintendo Land, your Mii will randomly show up on someone elses' game, and they will see that comment you posted as they get close to you.
By clicking on these Mii characters (by using the game pad) you can also view that players stats in game. A menu will come up that shows you how many badges they've gotten in each game, which ones they play the most, and you can also add them to your friends list or reply to their message as well. Really its a nice feature, but it's also something parents should watch out for.
Although Miiverse does in fact have mods to remove anything that violates the terms of use, sometimes things do get through. Just because mods are there to take action, that doesn't mean you wont sometimes see someone running around with the f bomb floating above their head, or hand drawn pictures that you wouldn't want your kids to see. Still the good news is that you CAN turn off this interaction either in game, or by using the parental controls.
The only real issue I have with the whole Miiverse thing is that although you can make posts and read others posts from in game; if you go to comment on something, you actually HAVE to load up the Miiverse app. Now this really isn't too big of a deal, but it does take about 20-30 seconds to load, and another 20 or so seconds to be closed out. Really not sure why Nintendo couldn't have just let us comment in game, but oh well...
Coin Drop and Prizes -
Another big part of the plaza is actually the Coin Drop mini game, and the prizes you can earn from it. By going to the tall tower in the center of the park, which can be done by either clicking on it or jumping next to it, you can play a coin drop mini game. As you play through the parks mini games you will earn coins, and these coins are used to earn prizes in this mini game.
The Coin Drop mini game in Nintendo Land is basically Nintendo's version of Plinko, which is something you may have seen before in Japan, in a toy store, or even on TV game shows. The basics of the game is that there are different pegs and "walls" allover the board, with a few prize spots as well. By dropping a coin, or disc, at the top, it will slowly make its way down between these pegs and walls, and hopefully land on the prize. Well in Nintendo land to earn a prize you actually have to hit ALL of the prize spots. While a lot of the time these prize spots will be on the bottom of the board, other times they are actually scattered around, and sometimes there are even skull spots which will destroy all of the coins currently on the board.
Really there isn't too much to this mini game, and it isn't really even that fun; it's just something extra to help you earn prizes and fill up your park. It's no where near as addictive as Super Smash Bro's coin shooter, and it doesn't even involve that much skill. It's just basic physics (as in, gravity pulls stuff down), and it requires a lot of luck.
Still if you manage to hit all of the prize spots, you'll be rewarded with a ? Box which will shoot out of the tower and land somewhere in the park. If you find the ? Box, and either touch it or click on it, it'll transform into some kind of prop. These objects range from enemies and objects that you will meet in the mini games, to objects that will actually change the music or even change the park from day to night.
Attraction Tour -
The Attraction Tour is a train which circles around the park, and it is used in a sort of party style mini game mode. While on the Attraction Tour you pick a series of mini games you would like to play, and then the game will force you to play them in that set order where your objective is to try and score the highest out of your group of friends. The Attraction Tour is completely based around 2-5 players, and it cannot be played on your own. It is pretty understandable though, since it is designed to give you a way to compete against your friends (even in the otherwise single player attractions).
The Nintendo Land Menu -
If you're not a fan of walking around a hub world, there is another option you can actually use which is much easier. By clicking the little "menu" button at the bottom right of the screen you can open up the Nintendo Land Menu. Here in the menu all of the attractions are listed by groups (Team Attractions, Competitive Attractions, and Solo Attractions), and you can just simply click on which one you want to play. You can also access the game's options from here, which will allow you to change how the game interacts with Miiverse, as well as camera, microphone, and pointer settings. You can also see which version Nintendo Land is currently running on at the bottom (at the time of this review, it is Version 1.1.0).
Badges and Star Players:
Before I get into each mini game, I would also like to explain one other system which plays a major role in Nintendo Land; the Badge and Star Player system. Every single attraction in Nintendo Land has five badges that you can collect, and you can also become a Star Player in each one as well. To unlock the badges you have to complete different goals (such as catch the ghost in Luigi's Ghost Mansion without picking up a battery power up), and once you do so they will show up on your Mii's profile. Really badges don't add anything to the game feature wise, but they are challenges you can work towards completing, and you can show them off to other players. As for the Star Player status, that is a little bit different.
Star Player status is rewarded to you whenever you complete the overall goal in one of the mini games. This overall goal can be anything from "beating the main levels" to simply playing the game 30 times, and it is always different for each game. Although Star Player status also really doesn't add anything feature wise, it is a goal for you to work towards, and any attraction you Star will have a star floating above it.
So anyway, with that, let's get into the actual games! Please note that I will be starting with the Single Player games, work my way to the Team Attractions, and then finish off with the Competitive Attractions. Although the games can be played whenever you want from the very start, for the sake of this review I will be working my way from left to right off of the Nintendo Land Menu.
Yoshi's Fruit Cart (Solo):
Yoshi's Fruit Cart is a very simple game that makes use of both the TV screen as well as your game pad. The goal of the game is to lead your Yoshi Cart down a path to eat every piece of fruit on the map, and then exit though the door to the next area; however there is a catch!
On the TV screen you have a view of the entire map. You can see the fruit, the traps, walls, etc; however on the touch screen you cannot. By using the touch screen, and by looking at the TV screen, you have to draw a path for the Yoshi Cart to follow. While earlier levels have checkered colored pieces of ground to help you judge where the pieces of fruit are, later levels become quite a bit more challenging where all you have to go on is the shadows of moving clouds. As the game goes on more and more hazards and challenges are added in, such as fruit which must be eaten in a set order and fruit that moves, and you are also limited on how big of a path you can actually draw. As the game goes on you can also unlock markers you can place to help you tell where you're at, but they are very limited.
If you mess up three times, the game ends, and you have to start all over from the beginning; however sometimes warp gates do open up which will allow you to advance faster. Even so, the game does become pretty addicting, and it is actually a lot more challenging than it first may seem. Although this game also is in fact a single player only game, you can challenge your friends to shoot for the high score by using the train I discussed earlier.
OCTOPUS DANCE (Solo):
This is another single player attraction, and it is based on the Game and Watch. In this game players must preform the dance moves the computer player does, but you also have to make sure you stay keep up with the beat. The game uses both the game pad and the TV screen, and it basically requires you to switch off every round. While one screen shows the front view of the characters, the other screen will show the back view which is basically the screen you will want to be looking at.
By shaking the tablet, and by using the left and right analog sticks, you must copy the moves the computer player makes, and dance to them. Yep, that's basically it. As the game goes on it will try to confuse you, such as by blocking off the back view screen with ink so you'll have to look at the front view screen where the controls will be reverse, but other than that it is pretty simple. This one is also a single player game, but by using wii remotes the other players can actually interact with the game to try and confuse you by clicking on different objects which will then get in your way.
DONKEY KONG'S CRASH COURSE (Solo):
Donkey Kong's Crash Course is a mini game based off of the original Donkey Kong arcade game. In this game you must make your way through a crazy crash course where you must steer your roller car by tilting the game pad. The crash course is basically set up like a maze using different objects found in Donkey Kong, and you've got to figure out how to get from beginning to end as fast as possible.
TAKAMARU'S Ninja Castle (Solo):
Takamaru's Ninja Castle is based off of a series of game which have never been released outside of Japan, but that doesn't really matter here. While the actual games are a lot like The Legend of Zelda, Takamaru's Ninja Castle is actually a rail shooter that uses shurikens (throwing stars), bombs, swords, and other ninja weapons.
In this game you hold the game pad in a vertical position, take aim at the TV screen, and then use the touch screen to throw stars at ninja targets. Although this may seem easy at first, it's actually pretty challenging! Not only do you have to hold the game pad steady with your left or right hand, you have to use your free hand to press down on the touch screen, and then fling the shuriken with quite a bit of force! It's not as simple as pointing and shooting, and it takes quite a bit of practice if you want to master the game and land a high score.
As you go through the game you'll also unlock the ability to use other items, and these items will require you to draw different shapes on the touch screen to use. For example if you want to use a bomb, you'll have to draw a circle.
Just like the past few games I explained, this is a Solo Attraction, but, once again, it does have a score board so you can compete against your friends.
CAPTAIN FALCON'S TWISTER RACE (Solo):
Captain Falcon's Twister Race is an attraction based off of the F-Zero games, and it also plays a lot like them! In this mode you once again hold the game pad in a vertical position, and you can then either look at the game pad, or the TV screen to actually play the game.
In this game your objective is to race down the track, dodge hazards, and hopefully make it to the end without wrecking your futuristic car. While the game pad shows a top view of the track, the TV screen shows it from a behind view 3D perspective. By tilting the game pad left and right you can turn your racer, and by touching the screen you can slow down.
Although Twister Race isn't as fast and crazy as the actual F-Zero games, it is still a really fun mini game, that a lot of F-Zero fans will enjoy. Too bad this one is single player only as well.
BALLOON TRIP BREEZE (Solo):
Balloon Trip Breeze is the final Solo Attraction, and it is based off of the NES game Balloon Fight. In Balloon Trip Breeze you play as a Balloon Fighter as they sail across the sky from island to island. By using the touch screen on the game pad, you can create gusts of wind by sliding the stylus to help guide your character around hazards, kill enemies, and pick up items to help increase your score. Each day in Balloon Trip Breeze has a daylight, sunset, and night round, and the object of the game is to make it to the final island on the final day.
Just like in the original Balloon Fight game, enemies will attack you, which you can kill by popping their balloons, there is a fish which will try to eat you when you get too close to the water, and you will fall if all of your balloons pop. Like Captain Falcon's Twister Race, this attraction is actually quite a bit like the original game, and it can be pretty addicting.
THE LEGEND OF ZELDA BATTLE QUEST (Team):
The Legend of Zelda Battle Quest is the first Team Attraction, and it can be played with 1-4 players. Unlike the single player attractions, Battle Quest also features two different modes of play: there's the quest mode, and the time attack mode.
Quest Mode -
In the Quest Mode you can either go at it solo, or team up with your friends as you battle through an on rail Zelda themed level. Before you start the game you can actually pick between using the game gad and a Wii Motion Plus controller (yes it HAS to be a Motion Plus controller, or a Wii Remote with the Motion Plus add on to work). While the game pad user has a bow, and will be looking at the game pad during play, Wii Motion Plus players will have a sword and shield and use the TV screen.
After you have selected your players you can then begin to work your way through a series of on rail levels. While your characters are always moving forward, you must shoot (if you're on the game pad) and slash (if you're using a Wii Remote) your way through mobs of enemies. While the player with the game pad can stand back with the bow as they take aim, the sword users can only stop in place if they are to put up their shield, and they can only change the way their characters move by changing the target they are locked onto.
Although this on rail set up might seem strange at first, it actually works really well, and it controls great! With the game pad you have dead on aiming thanks to the motion control (although you can also use the left analog stick to move the camera, since the right analog stick is used for pulling back your bow, but it isn't as spot on as aiming with motion control), and with the Wii Motion Plus you actually have full control over your sword with 1:1 sword slashes. The controls really do look great, and they really help show off both the game pad and the Motion Plus features.
Time Attack -
Time Attack mode is a single player only mode in Battle Quest, where you use the bow to take down enemies as fast as possible. In this mode your character always stands in a single spot, and waves of enemies charge at them as you try to protect yourself, as well as stop them as soon as possible. Once you've cleared the wave of enemies your time is recorded, and you can then try to beat your record. There's a few different maps to play in Time Attack, and it is good practice if you like to use the bow, but it isn't anywhere as deep as the Quest Mode.
PIKMIN ADVENTURE (Team):
Pikmin Adventure is the second Team Attraction in Nintendo Land, but it also has two different modes of play. While the main game can be found in Challenge Mode, there is also a Versus mode as well.
Challenge Mode -
Pikmin Adventure's Challenge Mode is basically a dungeon crawling action RPG. It can be played with anywhere from 1-5 players, with one player on the game pad, and up to 4 players on Wii Remotes (standard Wii Remotes work for this one). While the player on the game pad plays as Captain Olimar, the players on the Wii Remotes get to play as Pikmin.
As Captain Olimar your job is to command your pikmin by throwing them at enemies and objects to break, as well as to assist the other players (which will be playing as large pikmin). Captain Olimar's gameplay completely takes place on the touch screen, where you can move with the analog stick, tap the touch screen to throw pikmin, and hit either LZ or RZ to call and pick up the other players. Since both the left and right analog sticks move Olimar, he can be easily controlled by both left and right handed players.
When playing as a pikmin in Pikmin Adventure, things are a little bit different. The Wii Remote is held on its side, and you basically use only three buttons. There's the D-Pad which allows you to move, and then the 1 and 2 buttons are used to jump, and to attack. It's simple standard classic action RPG dungeon crawling action, but there is a bit more too it.
The objective in Challenge Mode is to make your way through different stages, kill enemies in your way, break boxes, find coins, and then make it to Captain Olimar's ship in order to escape. Throughout the levels you'll find nectar which allows you to level up your characters, which will increase their attack power as well as how many pikmin that follow Olimar, and you'll also be able to find power up items as well. There are quite a few different power ups to pick up, and each one of them will give your characters different types of attacks. From a hammer which allows you to break stuff faster, to a fist which allows you to punch hard and shoot charged up fireballs, there's a wide verity, and they are all very helpful.
Although most levels just have you running from start to finish as you destroy everything in your path, some levels do include extra challenges (such as timed stages where you have to collect clocks to increase your remaining time), as well as big boss battles.
Even though this mode can be played on your own, it really is much better when you play with a group of friends... Just don't let your pikmin friends know that they can escape you by shaking their Wii Remotes... When you reach a button which requires all players to be standing on, and you've got a rebel pikmin who won't come when you call him, advancing through the levels might become be a bit harder than they should be... Just say'in...
Versus Mode -
Although Challenge Mode can be played solo or with friends, Versus Mode can only be played with 2 or more players. In this mode all players are thrown into a battle arena, where enemies, boxes, and candy will randomly fall from the sky. The object of the game is to fight the other players to collect as much candy as possible, and whoever has the most in the end, well, they win. Candy can be found in boxes, from killing enemies, and from attacking other players. In short, the Versus Mode is a chaotic battle mode, which is better with a large group of friends, and there are quite a few maps to play on to help change things up.
METROID BLAST (Team):
The third and final Team Attraction is one called "Metroid Blast," and just like the name sounds, it is based on the Metroid series. Just like in Pikmin Adventure, Metroid Blast also features a 1-5 player mode, as well as a versus mode; however there are actually two types of versus modes this time. One for Surface-Air Combat, and one for Ground Battle.
Assault Mission -
Assault Mission is the 1-5 player mode in Metroid Blast, but once again, it is better with friends. When playing this mode you can have one person on the tablet and up to four people using Wii Remotes, with the Nun chuk attachment.
When playing with the game pad you will be in control of Samus' ship. By using the left analog stick to strafe, the right analog stick to climb/dive/turn around, the ZL to zoom in, and ZR to attack, game pad players get to fly around the sky, and shoot enemies with complete control over the ship. With aiming controlled by motion controls like in Zelda Battle Quest, you can also easily target in on your enemies, and snipe them from afar. In short, the controls work great, and they are very easy to use.
Although the game pad controls are pretty unique, players using the Wii Motion Plus Remote use controls most will be familiar with. While on the ground the game plays just like a standard 3rd person shooter, with the Wii Remote being used to aim, and the Nun Chuck being used to move. You can also transform into a morph ball, use a graphing beam to hang from Samus' ship, and zoom in on your targets as well.
As for the actual game, it too plays like a 3rd person shooter. Each level has you in a map with many different enemies, as well as bosses, to fight, and the whole goal is to survive and kill them all. Throughout the level you can different power ups, including health power ups, and sometimes you are given different goals to complete as well (for example one mission requires you to find all of the hidden items in the stage). As time goes on each level becomes more and more challenging, and the bosses become harder as well.
Even though this can be played on your own, I strongly recommend playing it with a group of friends if you can. It's really too bad Nintendo Land doesn't have any online multiplayer.
Surface to Air Combat -
In the Surface-Air Combat mode one player takes control of Samus' ship, while the others play as Samus on the ground in a death match style game. At the start of each round players can pick how much health they would like to have (Ship's max is 12, while ground player's max is 6), and then they are thrown into combat. While in this mode ground players must work together to bring down the ship, while the ship must do everything it can to take out the ground players before time runs out. Just like in the Assault Mission Mode, there are power ups to find, and different maps to play on as well.
Ground Battle -
Ground Battle is just what you might it expect to be; a versus battle mode that takes place on the ground. Just like with the Surface-Air mode, players are thrown into a battle arena, and the whole objective of the game is to defeat the other players. Really the only difference is there's no ship in this mode, and it is a complete free for all. The only other difference is this mode can only be played with 2-4 players instead of 2-5 like with Surface-Air, and the main Assault Mission Mode.
MARIO CHASE (Competitive):
Although Pikmin Adventure and Metroid Blast included Competitive modes, there are also a few games based around competition, and Mario Chase is the first of these.
Unlike the other multiplayer attractions, Competitive Attractions can ONLY be played with 2 or more players (in this case 2-5), and there is no way around it. No computer players to take the other players spots, and no extra modes to be played. It's local multiplayer, or nothing.
In Mario Chase one player plays as Mario on the game pad (where they can see a map of the arena), and the other players play as toads. The whole objective of this game is for Mario to run away, and for the toads to chase him down... Yep, that is it. Sure Yoshi Carts are controlled by the computer, and they do help chase Mario down, but they don't do anything more than just knock him down.
Really there isn't much to this game at all, and all the toads can really do is run around as Monita ties to give them hints on where Mario is hiding, and all they can do is try and tackle Mario to the ground when they get close enough. It's nothing more than a game of tag where everyone is it besides one person. Truthfully, this one won't be a game you'll want to return to after you've collected all of the stamps and played it 30 times for Star Status. While younger kids may enjoy it a lot, older gamers won't have much of a reason to even play it.
Luigi's GHOST MANSION (Competitive):
Luigi's Ghost Mansion is the second Competitive game, and it can be played with 2-5 players. Luigi's Ghost Mansion is basically Nintendo Land's version of the GameCube game "Pac-Man VS." While in Pac-Man VS Pac-Man was on the bottom screen with a full view of the map, the ghosts were on the top screen with a limited view as they tried to catch him. Well, things really aren't that much different here.
In Ghost Mansion the game pad player plays as the ghost, while the other players walk around the dark mansion on the TV screen with a flash light. Since the ghost is invisible while in the shadows, players must work together to hunt him down, and then drain his life by shining a light on him; however the ghost has a goal as well.
As the ghost, your mission in life is to scare everyone until they pass out. Sneak up on them, or use a magic attack to keep them from moving for a few seconds, really it's up to you how you want to about scaring them, but either way it won't be easy.
The thing about Ghost Mansion is, it does in fact become "funner" as more players join in. Not only does the ghost have more people to worry about, but the maps actually scale based on how many people are playing. While with two or three players the map is pretty small, with four or five players it'll actually be pretty large and provide quite the challenge for all players.
Really Ghost Mansion isn't a bad attraction, but it is just another hide and go seek/tag game. It's fun to play with large groups of friends, but it can get a bit boring when it's only two...
Animal Crossing SWEET DAY (Competitive):
The final attraction in Nintendo Land, and it too is basically a game of tag. In this one, one player plays on the game pad where they control two gate keepers (one with the left analog stick, and one with the right analog stick), as they try to catch the other players who are animals running around eating candy.
As an animal your goal in life is to run around the town, eat candy, shake trees to get more candy, and then spit the candy out in specially marked places. If you can manage to get the required amount of candy in the goal before you are caught three times, you win; however if you (or the other animal players) get caught a total of three times, you lose. Really the game is quite simple, and in a lot of ways will remind you of the old children's game Hungry Hungry Hippos. Not only do the animals eat little round balls that are "candy," but their heads flop open just the same.
Although this game is just another game of tag, it does add its own spin on things, and it can be fun with a large group of friends. Really though, it isn't anything too special...
The Art Style of Nintendo Land:
Although I normally don't talk about the graphics of a game in one of my reviews, I felt that this was something important to discuss this time. Since Nintendo Land is going to be the first game a lot of players will see in HD on a Nintendo system, I thought it would only be fair to warn you; this game does NOT show off the power of the Wii U.
Nintendo Land uses a cartoony graphic style very much like Wii Sports, and just about every other game that uses Miis as characters. The park attractions are made up of metal and cloth, and everything just has that theme park feel to it. Nothing looks realistic, and nothing comes from the games themselves. Everything is either a costume, or made out of metal, and it really shows. Still this isn't a bad thing, and it really does help give the game character! However, it doesn't show off what the Wii U can do like some people may have hoped.
Although the image is nice and sharp, there is one thing that did bother me about it all, and that is the draw distance. For some reason Nintendo thought it was a good idea to only how whats around you load, while everything else just pops in as you get close. Mii characters, attraction gates, and even prizes you've earned from the coin drop just pop in and out of view as you walk around. Really there's no excuse for this to be happening, and I really don't know why Nintendo chose to make it like this.
Other than that, the game does look nice and sharp, there's a wide range of colors, and it is all easy on the eyes. No more blurry edges!
The Good and the Bad:
Nintendo Land, for the most part, does everything right; however that doesn't mean it is perfect. The truth is that the game itself is standing on the border of being good, and of being bad. The thing is, everyone will like something different about this game, and chances are no one will like everything about it. Some people will love some attractions and hate others, some will like the art style, others will wish it was more realistic, and some people will like the use of the game pad, while others would rather stay away from it. Really, this game won't make everyone happy, because that is impossible. EVERYONE likes different things, and in a game with 12 "mini" games that is especially true.
When it comes down to it, Nintendo Land is a great collection of mini games, and it is a great party game. The co-op attractions are amazingly deep and filled with content, and the single player attractions give you a nice challenge; however the competitive attractions just seem a bit lazy. All three of them are hide and go seek/tag based, and Luigi's Ghost Mansion is really the only one worth playing (it was one of the first games they showed off at E3 after all; it just seems like they spent a lot more time working on it compared to the others). Although the game does use the Mii verse feature very well, it does lack online play (which is kind of a let down considering the Wii U is the start of the 8th Generation of gaming), and truthfully, Nintendo Land doesn't really bring anything new to the table.
While the game is a lot of fun to play, everything in it is actually something we have seen before. The touch screen controls really aren't too much different from the DS and 3DS, and the Wii Remote is still the Wii Remote (although it now uses Motion Plus a lot more). Now I'm not saying that this holds the game back, but if you were looking for something new, you won't really find it here.
Anyway, Nintendo Land is in fact a great game, and I would recommend picking it up if you already haven't. I give Nintendo Land for the Wii U a 9/10! It's a great game, with a few minor problems holding it back.
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