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Review: Boing! Docomodake
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Boing! Docomodake is an unusual game. The hero is something of a Japanese icon, but not the kind of icon you would expect to make it over here. If 'Docomodake' sounds familiar, it’s because he's the mascot for the telecom company 'NTT Docomo'.
When you think of mascot based games, M&Ms and Burger King probably spring to mind, but rest assured, Boing! Dcomodake is an entirely different league. No gimmicks, no cheap knock-offs of old arcade games, just a solid platform puzzle game with a cute mushroom like thing as the character.
Papa Docomodake is a big mushroom, and he can absorb other, smaller versions of himself to grow in size. You use this ability to grow and shrink to help you navigate the levels, or 'worlds'. Youhave been separated from your family members during the annual festival which is being held in Docomodake Forest. While you are looking for them you collect coins and ingredients littered around the level, so that you can feed your family members when you find them. When you shrink into a group of 'Minis', you can order them to stack up on each other to reach high places, or use them as replacements for blocks. You only have a handful of Minis to start with, but as the game goes on you get the ability to control more of them.
The game is easy to learn, and if you want to just finish the story you could probably beat the game in a couple of play sessions, but if you are a perfectionist, there is a lot to keep you coming back. It’s easy to get through each world, but to collect all the coins you need to really think about each move throughout the levels, and one wrong move could make you miss out on a perfect score. The grading system uses the Japanese grades, with the ‘S’ grade being a good one.
The controls are very well thought out – the d-pad moves Papa Docomodake, and you can drag Minis out of him using the stylus, and control them with the stylus too. Most of the play takes place on the lower DS screen.
The graphical style of the game reminds me of old-school 2D platformers, but with the typically Japanese touches that will make you smile. Cute, funny level transitions, and a fluffy story add to the game, but the light-heartedness and quick game play make it perfect for the daily commute.
There isn't much substance to Boing! Docomodake, and at times it can be frustrating – the puzzles range from 'barely noticeable and easy' to perhaps overly unforgiving, but what’s there is very well executed. The controls are smooth and responsive, the levels play through quickly to give a satisfying feeling of progression, and the graphical style is clean and attractive.
It may be a game based around a Japanese icon, but you don't have to be an Otaku or Japanophile to appreciate it. Boing! Docomodake has a charm that every DS gamer can appreciate.
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