Topic: Momonga Pinball Adventures (Wii U eShop) Review

[Daan]

A lovely game but there isn’t enough of it.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/41334/momonga-pinball-adventures-wii-u-eshop-review

I really like pinball games. They are the sort of arcade style game that I want to keep playing time and time again. It is why games like Zen Pinball and other games of that ilk are constantly being played on my Wii U or Nintendo 3DS. When something like Momonga Pinball Adventures comes around, I also get really excited. It mixes the things that I love with new elements that can make it fun in brand new ways. That isn't what is the wrong with the game, but it’s a predictable problem that there’s not enough to this game.

You take control of a small momonga (sort of squirrel), who has quite a task ahead of him. An evil gang of owls appeared in the momonga village and started to raid every inch of it. All the animals were taken, but Momo was saved by a panda who took him under his wing. He teaches him the basic principles and helps him to start the long road ahead.

That road is filled with pinball stages and this is a very exciting prospect at first. You have to reach the top of a stage and get past enemies and obstacles to survive. You have a health bar and a few unlucky hits could be the end of you, which makes every flick on the flippers actually count. It is a game where precision really matters. With a ton of collectibles to throw you in a bunch of directions, Momonga Pinball Adventures should have had everything to make a perfect game.

Then we start to talk about length and it sort of falls apart. This game only has twelve stages, of which three are fun but simple bonus games. Momonga Pinball Adventures can be finished in an hour, which is a huge shame. They try to extend the playtime by giving each level extra objectives. but getting multiple of these in one run isn't possible, so you are forced to complete them one by one.

What helps to keep you playing is the online leaderboards, which will allow you to share your scores. There are some extra achievements as well to keep you wanting to fully finish the games, but once you played every level twice, you sort of know what you are getting yourself into. That doesn't mean it isn't fun, but the focus on repetition is annoying to me. Players who don't care will be done way too quick and people who do will see your interest slowly diminishing. It is just a shame.

The controls are great and the presentation of Momonga Pinball Adventures is lovely. There are the things that keep this ride glued together. They invite you to keep playing, which makes the ultimate reward that much more underwhelming. Paladin Studios made a decent game and I can be frank about that, but that doesn't mean that you are exactly getting your money's worth.

[Phil]

Something that detracts from the experience for me is the game hard locking my Wii U twice. It stinks, as I actually really like the game, though I was aware of how short it is if you don't want to go after achievements or challenges.