Wiiloveit.com: MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade

MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade - WiiWare Review

THE FACTS: MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade
WiiWare | Nintendo | WiiConnect24 Support | Out Now | 800 Wii Points (£5.60 / $8.00 Online)
Controller compatibility: Wii remote (Pointer)

Arcade games are a lot rarer than they used to be nowadays, with the odd pinball game and pac-man compilation being some of the only additions to the genre. When it comes to online downloads though, they're as popular as ever, with Wild West Guns, Critter Round Up, Bomberman, Tetris and several others out this year on WiiWare.

MaBoShi is also an addition to the arcade selection, with three different mini games to make up for its shallow depth. These games are based around the three different shapes: circle, bar and square. None of the mini games require much thought or skill to get to grips with, and this only adds to the fun you can get from the experience.

The first game, ball, is very simple. You play inside a circular space where you must roll into enemies before they manage to squeeze through the outer wall. To control the ball, you simply press the A button to change the direction you are rolling (left or right), and that's all there is to it. It is very addictive, and further stages bring extra "fun" with the addition of obstacles littering the playing area.

Bar comes next, and in this mini game you control a small circle in a vertically scrolling area. Along the way you must destroy enemies and blocks with the spinning bar that is attached to you, thus defending the glowing ball in the middle. To control this one, you simply press A to shoot off in the direction the bar is facing. This can take a bit of getting used to, but when you get the hang of it, this is also an addictive gem.

Finally comes the more puzzle-based game square. In this game, you control a square that you move with the D-Pad. When you move the square, a trail of blocks are left behind yourself which eventually turn into flames, burning away other blocks scattered throughout each stage. The blocks trailing behind you act the same as the blocks you must destroy, and so if you get stuck between them you can't jump over them, and so the game ends. This game only moves when you press the buttons on your control pad, making the game as fast or slow as you wish, which also gives you a chance to puzzle out certain stages before advancing as quickly as possible. This game is probably the one you'll come back to least, but once again it is a nice addition to the collection.

Overall then, the three mini games are all very simple and fun. Although the shallow depth means that only high-score veterans may play each one for over an hour, they are easy for just about anyone to pick up and play. The short-nature of some of these puzzlers will put some people off from purchasing this game, but before they move on to something else, we suggest they look into the extra features as well.

First of all, there is the option to have three games running at once. The screen is always split into three boxes which means you can play along with the CPU or invite two friends to play mini games of their choice at the same time as you. To add depth to the mini games, this option also lets different screens interact with each other. For example, if you were to kill an enemy in ball, their shadow will shoot off to another part of the screen, possibly bumping into (and killing) some enemies on another players screen. This also works when the CPU are running alongside you, and helps you to build up your high score.

As well as these features, there is also the chance to save video and high score records for ten different Mii's (with a maximum of one video per mini game per Mii). These replays can be sent to Wii friends who also own the game, and they even interact with live games if you set it to play in a separate window. Plus, at random points during gameplay, you may find the AI character Mr Maboshi pop up in a separate window. He'll ask you to knock enemies or other items into his screen to defeat the random selection of balls that keep appearing, and hopefully gain him a million points (which is a very tasking objective indeed).

Along with the selection of background designs and music, there is one other thing that sets this WiiWare game apart from the rest: DS connectivity. After playing through each of the three games once, you will be given the chance to download each of the full games onto your DS at once. As a temporary download (you lose the game when you switch your system off), this means that high scores and replays aren't saved, and since the screen is too small it also means that you can only have one game running at once, but it is still a great way to practice your skills on the move.

To play each of the DS renditions of the games, you hold the DS on its side, Brain Training style, and rather than pressing A on the Wii remote, you press the right button on the D-Pad. Although it may seem strange that you can't simply tap the screen, it doesn't take long to get used to and soon enough you'll adjust to the controls.

All in all, MaBoShi's collection of three arcade style mini games are really enjoyable, with the high scores, DS version and interlinking play all adding to the value. The only real issues we have here are with the short lived nature of the games, the fact that you can't view replays of, and play as, the same Mii at once, and the fact that every time you play one of the games, you always complete the same levels in the same order, but with the addictive fun of ball and bar, you'll hardly notice.

Final Score

23/30

Good

Gameplay 8

Very simple mini games that play very well despite a lack of real depth

Presentation 7
The graphics and music do their job, but can get a bit samey after a while

Enjoyment 4

If you forget about the repetitiveness of some of the games, they are quite good fun

Other 4
Although the mini games could have had a bit more to them, the extra features are still pretty good

How we rate games: EXPLAINED