If you want Othello, you are getting exactly what you want.
Arc System Works has a rather curious history with Nintendo platforms, as the company has released games that vary a lot in quality. Its latest game has now hit the Nintendo eShop on Wii U in Japan, and it is all about the game Othello (or Reversi in other countries).
If you have no idea what Othello entails, I will try to explain it in a few sentences. It is a strategic board game for two players in which you have to place colored disks on an 8x8 grid. You will have to place disks of your color on the board and can turn rows of disks of opposite color over to your color when your two pieces flank the row. These connections are simply lines that connect the disks together and these can easily be broken by strategic play. The game ends when the entire board is filled up, and the player with the most disks will be declared the winner.
The Wii U version has two game modes to choose from and these are pretty straightforward. First, there is an option to play against the computer with 15 different difficulty settings. Second, two players can duke it out on the Wii U GamePad screen and play it, for example, on a table together. While that is neat, Arc Systems Works didn't include anything extra in the package. Maybe some sort of learning or challenge modes would have been nice inclusions, but this isn't something the company went for. This leaves the package pretty thin, except if you have a constant stream of people to play against.
The Wii U eShop title has a simple style to it and there is nothing too wild or really impressive to look at. There is just a game board and various buttons for pausing and changing up settings in the software. Some cheery tunes gives the game somewhat more personality, but not by a large amount. It is good background music, but doesn't make up for the minimalism.
Othello might not be the biggest game in the world, but at the same time, the developers haven't done a poor job. The software package focuses purely on the titular game and works as advertised, which is providing an environment to play Othello in. I certainly do wish there was more to do in the software, but it does provide an easy enough multiplayer fix. It is worth considering, if you are a frequent Othello player or are looking to try.
