Boingz

Here’s a game that took me by surprise by how addicting it can be.  It’s extremely simple to play and features cute jelly-like creatures with antennas.  Physics implemented into Boingz keeps it challenging and fun at the same time.

The main point of the game is to guide the colored jellies into a designated spot of the same color.  Sure it sounds easy but there’s much more to it than that.  Obstacles and distances make it so you’ll need to use each jelly to help others to their appropriate location.  All the creatures control exactly the same, you can navigate them from side to side as well as jump slightly.  When jumping or going over an object you’ll find that the jelly tends to wobble and makes it difficult to control until they’ve stabilized.  This is probably due to the physics of the game and the nature of the creatures.

Getting the little ones to their spot can be fun as you’ll need to fling them using their antennas.  How far back you pull on them determines how far or high they’ll go flying.  You can also pin their antennae to various surfaces to either have them drag an object or act as a bridge for others.

As far as presentation for this game goes, it seems NinjaBee wanted the jellies to have a friendly appearance. When the characters move they make cute noises and squeaks that brought a smile to my face.  I’m told they also have an amusing idle animation, but I was having so much fun playing I didn’t want to wait around for it.  The levels also have a fun, colorful feel to them that doesn’t make them feel stodgy in any way.

When this was announced and I was sitting there looking at the representative from NinjaBee demonstrate the game and I wasn’t so sure about it.  Having played it however, I can say it’s one of those games where it can be described to you and you simply roll your eyes, but then you play and discover the magic.

World of Goo

At first you might take one look at the little balls of goo in World of Goo and think perhaps they’re made up of oil.  Strangely that’s not the case I was informed.  Apparently these guys are a beverage of sorts that are quite tasty or so I was told.

Having never played the game I found that it was a co-op affair.  This wasn’t always the case and was added in after 2D Boy found that it was a natural fit.  Each level has you and/or three others trying to get the goo balls into a pipe so that they can be sucked out.  In your way are various obstacles like chasms and spikes.

To achieve victory players need to expand the goo by making bridges.  Extending one goo out creates a triangular shape and the more you build on it, the longer your structure gets.  It sounds simple enough with just the basic goo balls, but when you throw ones in the mix that have different properties like the Balloon Goo that lifts structures you’ve built, it can become a challenge to manage it all.  

Also it should be said that communicating with the other players as you play co-op is a good idea.  I found myself trying to use the Balloon Goo while my partner was trying to build a bridge across spikes.  After the damage was done and a few goos were lost, I discovered a way to go back before I had made the costly error.

I was pleased to play World of Goo especially after the praise it received from Nintendo.  Aside from the limited placement area of the basic balls on occasion, the game works well.  The wait won’t be long either because it’s scheduled to be released next week.