Sometimes we need a fresh game with a different approach in terms of gameplay in our collection. It’s fantastic having a catalogue of triple A hitters, but variety is what keeps a gamer satisfied, there’s only so much full blown shooting action a player can take, before they reach for something different, and games like Mochi Mochi Boy are there to complement those games and moments.
Ratalaika Games S.L. have done a wonderful job in bringing Mochi Mochi Boy to the world of Xbox. Mochi Mochi Boy is a classic, puzzle adventure, with a colourful display and cute visuals, often found on the likes of Nintendo systems. The game may appear fairly simple, especially when you glide through the first batch of levels with effortless ease, earning generous gamescore on the way, and just when you think you’ve got this game sussed; the difficulty cranks up a notch and you have to start concentrating and processing scenario’s in your head in order to complete the title grid puzzle set in front of you.
Let me set the story behind the game, because yes, this game has a story behind it, a goal to your actions.
One day Mochi Mochi Boy and his friends were having another of there famous misadventures, during there travels, they foolishly stepped foot into the devil’s domain. As punishment for their trespassing, the devil kidnapped Mochi Mochi Boy’s friends and locked them away in treasure chest within his keep. Mochi Mochi Boy escaped, due to the fact that he would be to awkward to acquire, so was left in the wilderness.
As a player you take the role of Mochi Mochi Boy and his quest to storm the devils castle and rescue his friends. In order to achieve your goal, you will have to use your wits and outwit the devil by stretching, twisting and warping over each tile-based area, and there are plenty to encounter with over 130 floors inside the castle, that’s one mean castle.
A thought process is very much needed when possessed with the challenge of each floor, and as with all puzzle adventure games there’s no point rushing in, it will only play a role in your downfall. In Mochi Mochi Boy once you move over a tile, you can’t go back to where you have been, so there’s no crossing your own path. You must plot your move around the grid, assess the potential hazards set out before you, and move carefully, avoiding the hidden dangers which come in all shapes and sizes, but mostly in the form of spikes, spring traps, and monsters which lurk in the devilish dungeon mode.
The game also offer’s a cute customise feature, where you can change Mochi Mochi Boy’s appearance in a specially formed paint area, and should you rescue and collect any of Mochi’s slime friends, then you also get the chance to view them in all there gooiness in a well presented little gallery. Be on your toes there’s over 100 slime covered friends that need to be found, hidden throughout the game.
The game is wonderfully designed, simple yet very creative. With cute visuals, and stunning colourful effects, helping you to stay focussed on the puzzles on hand. The classic worm like gameplay works really well, and with progressive difficulty involved in the level designs, it forms a nice little package. The story behind the game is a little wishy washy, but then what do you expect with this style of game, all I can say is it does add to the game and explain reasons for your surroundings and actions.
Mochi Mochi features 138 floors to defeat in story tower mode, which is full of intricate puzzle platforming challenges, and the difficulty is just about right, although it does take a little while before you start to scratch your head, as you figure out how your going to solve a floor. There’s also the addition of dungeon mode, comprising of 10 randomly generated floors filed with the game’s biggest challenges and dangers, which is a nice addition to the game.
In summary, Mochi Mochi is a cute puzzle adventure, with elements of classic gameplay, complemented with progressive difficulty and visuals to match. Offering a nice change of pace, which can prove hard to put down once you get going.
CX Score
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53%
Summary
Pros
- Cute visuals
- Classic gameplay
- Lots of levels
Cons
- Repetitive
- Progressive difficulty starts a little late
- Story a little thin