The folks at NintendoLife have just posted a poetic first review/impression of Little Inferno here. Some clips:

And now, thanks to a preview build of upcoming Wii U release Little Inferno, we can confirm that this next title is both a brilliant follow-up, and an intriguing step forward.

Describing Little Inferno is a challenge. Say too little, and it sounds like a quirkier cousin of Fireplacing. Say too much, and the experience gets robbed of its surprising magic. So bear with us as we dance around the impressive twists and turns of a game that consists almost solely of one screen.

…

Little Inferno is a game about destruction and isolation. It’s a deliberately small release that somehow manages to feel enormous, perhaps due to its whispered suggestions of an entire world beyond that wall you’re staring at. A world that may in fact be dying, but which is large and mysterious all the same. Sometimes in life you must struggle just to keep warm. Other times it might be worth risking the cold. After all, if you never risk it, you’ll never know…

Thank you, volunteers! The first (small) round of beta invites have gone out! Make sure you also check your email’s spam folder, as our naughty mail program loves to hang out with the spam and unsavory types.

For this first round, our Selection Bot weighted its selections heavily towards players who also volunteered to help translate into other languages, and are also running Windows natively. He’s not the smartest bot, yet, though, so if your welcome mail has not arrived, do no fret. More rounds are coming up very soon.

To help our lovely Beta Selection Bot select the first few rounds of beta testers, PLEASE CHOOSE WISELY:

CHOICE 1: I already pre-ordered and I would totally like to beta test Little Inferno, and I also understand that beta testing involves actually playing a game that’s not 100% ready, and not just a sneaky way to get the game early, jsut telL ME WHAT TO DO NOW NOW NOW!!!

CHOICE 2: Maybe? How do I pre-order so I can click the first option?

CHOICE 3: The above do not apply to me, but I would still like to click on something please.

&$8#$@@52

Hello?

Is there anybody there?

IS this how I leave a comments?

I'M ON THE INTTETERNET NOW!

You don't know me

But I know yoouuu

I likeed your Nintendo PWOERRR.

I didn't really readdd it but this fell out

Wiiii U and Nintendo PWOER are pretty fun.

but I already put them in the inferno

now they are smoooke

LItttle Inferno is pretty much my favorte game.

Even though it doesn't make any sense.

Buy stuff and thrrow it in a fire and get more money to buy more stuff?

That can't last forevver.

...

I stare into the fire for hours and days

Where does all the time go?

...

Up up up the chimney

Like everything else.

Love,

SP

If you’re curious to know more about Little Inferno, there’s a 4-page preview in the brand new October issue of Nintendo Power Magazine. Fun Fact: Our programming mastermind Allan has collected every single issue of Nintendo Power ever since he was a kid. So getting featured in one of the very last issues makes this an especially special preview for us kids of the 90s.

You can read the first two pages here, but the other two pages exist only in the real live pages of the paper magazine. (While we wait for ours to arrive, if anyone has a photo or scan, please send our way, as we haven’t even seen them yet!) Thanks to Phil, Chris, and Steven at Nintendo Power for forcing us to start talking about this game.