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Review Scores

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Alongside our news coverage and original articles, Nintendo Castle provides reviews for upcoming and recent releases of Nintendo and indie games. These reviews strive to be insightful, brief, and spoiler-free. The purpose of our reviews is simple: to help you decide whether a game is worth your time and money. We don't make any attempts to rank every game we review with precise numerical values. Instead, we give you information in the review itself alongside one of five "verdicts" that explain to what extent we would recommend a game. Below are these verdicts and a brief explanation of what each one means. Keep in mind that these scores do not necessarily equate to standard number scores. For example, Excellent is not equal to 10/10 and Mediocre is not equal to 4/10.


Excellent

Excellent

Excellent games have our official recommendation and are examples of what every game should strive to be. These games feature exciting gameplay, engaging stories (when applicable), intuitive controls and movement, polished and fitting presentations, and good value. Above all else, these games are truly fun to play.




Great

Great

Great games are generally good buying decisions and are recommended for those with an interest in the genre. There may be a few flaws that detract from the gameplay, story, controls, presentation, or value, but the game is still an enjoyable experience that justifies a full playthrough.




Good

Good

Good games are simply that: good. They are generally fun to play but might be lacking in longevity, replay value, or presentation. These games may be good buying decisions for some people but not for others. Some otherwise great games may fall into this category if they are priced unreasonably high. The devil is in the details.




Mediocre

Mediocre

These games are generally unmemorable. For the average gamer, they probably aren't worth your time or money. Significant flaws in gameplay or serious lack of content makes these games inferior. These games usually have some redeeming qualities and may be enjoyed by a niche audience, but don't get a recommendation from us.



Poor

Poor

These games simply aren't worth playing. They aren't fun to play and are seriously lacking in content. This category is usually reserved for cheap games that are blatant attempts at quick cash for the developer. Sometimes technical problems make these games unplayable. The only award these games will be winning is the Nintendo Castle certificate of participation.




Want to see these "scores" in action? Check out our Reviews page for an exhaustive list of every review we've published.

Disclaimer:
Nintendo Castle often receives free copies of games in exchange for our reviews. This process is mutually beneficial. It allows us to review more games and release our reviews in a timely manner and, given a developer's faith in their project, gives them the opportunity to receive good press and encourage people to buy their game. If we receive a press copy of any game, it will always be noted in the review. Whether or not we've received a copy of the game for free does not affect our review "scores.” We are not afraid of giving a game a poor score. While we love awesome game developers and appreciate what they do for us, we are ultimately here to serve our audience. Nintendo Castle is a site of integrity and always will be.

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