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Pushmo World Review for Wii U

Pushmo World Review for Wii U

Perfectly Puzzling

There are those who insist that Nintendo never develops great new franchises anymore, and then there are those who have played Pushmo . This deceptively simple puzzle series made its debut on the 3DS, but it has now buffed up for an appearance on the Wii U eShop. Thanks to improvements in content, pace and usability, Pushmo World is the best of the series and has quickly become one of my favorite puzzle games of all time.

The basic concept of Pushmo is quite simple. Our hero, the adorably rotund Mallo, must scale “Pushmo” block puzzles by creating climbable platforms for himself. Mallo creates stairs and platforms by pulling out blocks. The puzzles start out two-dimensional, but each colored block segment can be pulled out up to three squares total, provided Mallo has the footing either to the front or on the side of his current block. Pushmo puzzles may all be three squares deep, but they vary greatly in height and width, with a wide variety of block shapes designed to challenge players.

Pushmo World Screenshot

Just as players become comfortable with the basic Pushmo puzzles, the game begins to throw gadgets into the works, giving Mallo teleporters that help him traverse the puzzle (provided both teleport entrances are pulled out and unobstructed) and switches that pull out or push in all blocks of a single color. Even without these gadgets, many puzzles are tricky and require lateral thinking, but with them, the puzzle creators have found many ways to bust our brains.

That’s the best thing about Pushmo , and is done quite well in Pushmo World ‘s all-new puzzles. The game never dwells too long on one particular kind of challenge. Instead, it constantly invents new block combinations that require different kinds of solutions from players. It’s impressive how agile this simple formula is in the hands of talented puzzle creators, and solving a tricky Pushmo is always a satisfying experience.

Pushmo World Screenshot

Pushmo veterans will have to deal with one set of tutorial puzzles in Pushmo World , and it would have been nice to get the option to skip the tutorial text, but the game doesn’t dwell too much on instruction. It quickly jumps into things, with puzzles that will challenge, if not stump, even veterans early on. Instead of boring players with unnecessary tutorials or tips, Pushmo World contains a practice area that provides easier versions of the challenges players will find in the main puzzle segment of the game. A helper character in practice mode will even demonstrate the solution to players who are particularly stumped, but you’re on your own when it comes to the normal mode puzzles. This is a great way to give players the tools they need to tackle the game’s puzzles without talking down to them as too many modern Nintendo games seem to do.

If the regular puzzles aren’t tricky enough for you, Pushmo World contains a separate area full of Mysterious Pushmo. These crazy puzzles are full of funky blocks, like yin-yang blocks that push each other in and out, or timed blocks that retract entirely after their time is up. Mysterious Pushmo are reasonably sized, so they’re not only a fresh take on the game’s formula but a nice change from the huge puzzles that tend to crop up late in the regular puzzle sections.

Pushmo World Screenshot

Little quality of life touches make Pushmo World a joy to play even if you find yourself facing a particularly difficult puzzle. The left button reverses time, allowing players to recover from a situation in which they have fallen off the puzzle or accidentally blocked their own progress. Players can skip a puzzle that they find too difficult, and unlike the original game, the “skip” option appears quite soon after starting up a puzzle. You’ll want to go back and finish those stumpers eventually, though, and not only because finishing a puzzle means rescuing an adorable child who is stuck at the top of the puzzle. Completing all ten puzzles in a set now awards a Miiverse stamp, and we all know how much fun it is to play with Miiverse stamps.

All of these puzzles would be more than enough for a regular puzzle game, but Pushmo World (like the original game) allows you go design your own puzzles and share them with the world. Players can create their own puzzles in the Pushmo studio, with all the basic tools needed to make the same puzzles found in the game (with the exception of Mysterious Pushmo’s special blocks). At the Pushmo World Fair, players can check out the creations of others, and I’ve already completed a number of fun puzzles conjured up by other players. If nothing else, attempting to design one’s own Pushmo gives you an appreciation for the design skills of the game’s developers. And never fear… there are no impossible puzzles in the World Fair because you have to solve your own Pushmo before you’re allowed to share it.

Pushmo World uses the extra screen real estate on the Wii U to create charming backdrops against which the action takes place. Players will be pushing and pulling blocks in a forested village, windy valley, lumberjack camp complete with mine cart ride, ocean pier and more. The colors are bright but not too vibrant, and the characters are all cute as a button. It’s almost as though the game’s visual design was meant to lure players into a false sense of security just as they meet their first diabolically difficult Pushmo. In addition to being attractive, the graphics support the game’s function well. There are various ways to survey the puzzles, and the blocks are colored so that you’ll never have trouble distinguishing one from another.

Pushmo World Screenshot

The game is less impressive in its sound design, but the music and effects aren’t really the game’s focus. The background music is lively but unremarkable, and the sparse effects are the usual bleeps and bloops. It all works well with the game’s overall character, even if a more imaginative score would have been a nice background to the puzzle solving.

For puzzle lovers, you can’t do much better than Pushmo World . It’s a great deal with tons of challenging puzzles, lots of variety packed into a simple premise, and tons of play value via the World Fair. The best puzzle games are easy to learn but difficult to master, constantly challenge the player to think in new ways, and ensure that players can’t be permanently stumped on a single puzzle. Pushmo World does all that and more with style and charm. Go pick it up on the Wii U and get ready for block-pulling bliss.

RATING OUT OF 5 RATING DESCRIPTION 4.0 Graphics
Vibrant and charming without sacrificing substance for style. 4.5 Control
Controls are easy to use, and additions like the button to turn back time make puzzle solving accessible. 3.0 Music / Sound FX / Voice Acting
The background music and effects aren’t impressive, but also aren’t an important part of the game. 5.0 Play Value
Plenty of great puzzles come with the game, and the Pushmo World Fair assures an endless supply of new ones. 4.5 Overall Rating – Must Buy
Not an average. See Rating legend below for a final score breakdown.

Review Rating Legend
0.1 – 1.9 = Avoid 2.5 – 2.9 = Average 3.5 – 3.9 = Good 4.5 – 4.9 = Must Buy
2.0 – 2.4 = Poor 3.0 – 3.4 = Fair 4.0 – 4.4 = Great 5.0 = The Best

Game Features:

  • Take on 250 fun puzzles, including colorful mural stages.
  • Visit Pushmo World Fair to play and rate custom Pushmo puzzles from around the world.
  • Create custom puzzles in Pushmo Studio with a robust selection of tools.
  • Share your puzzles seamlessly via the World Pushmo Fair feature or QR Code patterns.
  • Earn Stamps for your Miiverse posts.
  • Puzzles shaped like real-world objects, animals, and Nintendo characters will impress your eyes and challenge your brain.
  • Unlock special Mysterious Pushmo with new twists on gameplay, such as yin-yang blocks and timed blocks.

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