Techtite's Wii Reviews

"Destined to be a cult hit of sorts, as one of the most popular Wii titles that doesn't include any of the Nintendo 'super stars.'"

---from the review

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Sidebar :

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Pros: Good controls; impressive number of mini games; successfully give gamers the feel of a real carnival game experience.

Cons: Some games are a little hard to figure out, "instructions" or no instructions; "Miis" are not available as players.

No Sidebar comments for this review. Yet...

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Carnival Games

Click picture to order this game (Nintendo Wii)

A Techtite Review

Some games are such a slam dunk idea, you wonder why this is the "first time" you're playing them. Carnival Games would appear to be the perfect mini-game collection, and yet: why is this the first such Carnival Game experience I've ever played? Maybe such a game was simply waiting for the sort of control scheme that the Wii remote provides. In any case: Carnival Games is a game concept long overdue, and more than worth the wait.

The easiest summary of this game is that it's a Wii Sports clone, with Carnival games. What a great idea this was! The controls are intuitive for the most part, the games are diverse, and no game feels like you've "done it before," or at least not exactly. There are many carnival games you've definitely seen before, yet are cool to play with Wii-controls. Other less-seen carnival games, like trying to guide a hoop across a bent electrical wire without touching it, are the perfect example of a perfect puzzle that's easy to get used to, yet very hard to master.

Yes, if I were to nitpick, I could complain about a game or two. The leapfrog tossing game is for the most part less a game of skill, and more a game of chance. Though what's wrong with a game of chance, especially when that's the whole point of carnival games? If this was an Olympic event I'd be pretty livid if the controls were not oh-so-precise. Yet in a carnival setting it's no big deal. Yeah; the leapfrog's leap depends on the "strength" you swing your Wii remote. No; it's not an exact science. Just have fun with it, like I had fun with it. Enjoy your Wii carnival stay!

Like a real carnival, there is fun to be had beyond the games. Based on your performance, you get a prize, ranging from small to large, and even super-sized. Like other (reasonable) real-world carnivals; trading in a few smaller prizes gets you one prize of the next higher size. This means that even the tots in your family who only win "Small Toys" can trade up to larger toys with a few attempts. Meanwhile; tougher gamers can try to get every large toy in as few attempts as possible. Trade up to the singular, super-sized prize in each game, and in-game gifts are unlocked, including some new games. Some mini-games even have secret challenges to discover, unlocking hidden surprises. Shoot all three of the green balloons in the dart game, for example, and unlock a special costume accessory.

If there's a nitpick here, it's how Miis are unavailable as carnival guests. I don't know; maybe there was a technical reason to not include a Mii here and there, though it's still a little disappointing that the Mii doppelgangers that we've worked so hard to design, are not useable in a game where they should be used. What's more; the "Mii" substitutes in this game are extremely limited in facial appearance. Sure you can win accessories galore, yet you can only choose between one of around half a dozen faces. Some look more like Cabbage Patch doll rejects than "people." Furthermore; the biggest limitation with Miis are their limited accessories. How cool would this game have been, if it allowed your Mii to wear a pirate costume and a rubber nose?

If there is one more nitpick here, it's how hard this game was for this critic to find. The company that distributed this game is apparently brand new, and had no idea their first Wii release would become the cult hit that it is. Of course; any Wii gamer could've told them that. Who doesn't want to spend a week at the carnival?

---Techtite