In the circle game, you control a ball as it rolls within a circlular area, attempting to dodge obstacles and ram into enemies. The ball is always moving, and by pressing the A button you can alternate between right and left turns. It starts out simple, but as you progress through the many different stages, the obstacles get more obstructive. The obstacles can not harm you; they only impede your progress. They range from small circles attached to rope to floating platforms that can be knocked around. The game ends when one of the enemies escapes the circle.
The stick game, the most confusing of the lot, might initially remind you of the import-friendly GBA game, Kuru Kuru Kururin. You control a stick rotating around a ball by using its momentum to rise up past each stage's goal line. The stick pushes off in the direction that it swingsThe stick seems to randomly change speed and direction, which makes the game even more challenging. The A button triggers movement, but you'll only move at the whim of momentum. Along the way, there are tons of enemies and even the occasional boss that are defeated by a swat of your rotating stick. There are power-ups that give you the aid of a pinball, which can be knocked around to destroy enemies, or invincibility. The game ends whenever the ball at the end of the stick is struck by an enemy.
The third and final game, Square, does not use the A button like the other two games, but instead employs the use of the D-pad as you control a trail of fire. The game is turn-based: time progresses and the screen scrolls up with each move. The goal of the game is to explode all of the boxes in a stage. To explode a box, all you have to do is graze it with your line and it will eventually ignite. Adding fuel to the fire are bombs which can either aid or kill you depending on whether or not you get caught in the bomb's flame. Personally, this is my least favorite of the three games, mainly because of how slow-paced it is.
Adding another layer of strategy is how players affect their opponents' games. For example, if someone playing Circle knocks an enemy in the direction of someone playing Stick, it can knock out enemies in the stick game. Similarly, the stick player could go up against the wall of someone playing Square and ignite blocks for them. And since each player's game is separate, if one player dies, he can just restart while the other players continue. Although the game is nothing more than a high-score challenge, this style of cooperation extends the length of the game by opening up an intriguing multiplayer aspect. The multiplayer could only have been better if it had online play.
The combined effect of the three games is a mix of intuitiveness, extreme difficulty, and confusion. Since all three games more or less use one button, each is very easy to pick up and play. While they all are difficult to master, the three games are very fun and employ a lot of strategy akin to difficult one-hit kill shoot-em-ups. For example, Stick and Circle both require twitch reactions to avoid being struck by enemies or letting them escape.
In addition to the main game, Maboshi's Arcade allows players to use their Mii to record their high scores, and also offers a complete DS version of game via DS Download Play. The DS version is fully featured for one player, only with far simpler graphics. Sadly, DS scores cannot be transferred back to the Wii.
Maboshi's Arcade is another in the line of quirky Nintendo-published WiiWare games with simple controls and great gameplay. Even though the difficulty is high, the variety amongst the three games and its DS Download Play make this title great.
Pros:
Lastability: 8.5
The multiplayer offers lot of fun and strategy to an already deep experience, with multitudes of stages for each game and a difficulty that will either make you throw a controller or come back for more. The portability of the downloadable DS version also gives the game even more legs.
Final: 8.0
Maboshi's Arcade is an addictive original puzzle game with three separate gameplay modes that all interlock for a fun multiplayer experience. Even though I dislike Square, the other two games more than make up it.
The third and final game, Square, does not use the A button like the other two games, but instead employs the use of the D-pad as you control a trail of fire.
For Square, you hold the Remote like a remote. It doesn't feel great, and I agree with Neal on that mode -- it's my least favorite. Even though Stick is really difficult and frustrating, I find it to be the one I keep going back to.
Maboshi's Arcade is overpriced by at least a couple bucks, but it is undeniably interesting and strangely addictive. The DS download feature is superb and should be used in more Wii games. One feature Neal didn't mention, possibly because the game doesn't explain it well at all, is that you can play along with your own replays if you don't have any friends for multiplayer. You can also send replays to other people on the Wii system friends list, and then they can play along with you remotely (in a sense). I'll test out this feature with Neal soon, as I'm anxious to see how well it works and how far he has gotten in Stick.
