Contrary to popular beliefs, people actually enjoy the odd mini game title now and again. Warioware, Mario Party 8 and Rayman to name but a few, are a collection of games as opposed to a whole game. Although varying reviews on all three games can be found, there is no escaping the fact that “Carnival Games” will incur the same media attacks.
So in short, yes it’s a collection of mini games, but how does Carnival measure up to the aforementioned titles? Well, in my personal opinion, it outshines them all. Yes the format is very similar and there’s no actual storyline involved, so how does this collection of games differ from other similar titles on the market??
Firstly, its worth noting, it’s called ‘Carnival’ as Americans would call it so, unlike Europeans who call them Funfairs. You have the option of Single or Multiplayer. (Already one step ahead of Warioware where you had to complete the game to get this choice) Within the multiplayer option, you have the selection of either up to 4 players sharing a wiimote or each player can have their own. A further option in multiplayer is head to head or competition, both offering a huge competitive side to the whole game.
I will elaborate on the Single player mode for a moment. You are first met by a list of signposts, with each one indicating a different area to the carnival. Upon entering each area you are faced with a choice of several of the 25 mini games the title has to offer. Each game different in its own right, the idea is to score as much as you can with prizes given as a reward. Prizes can be traded up for larger ones until you reach the Jumbo prize. Upon receipt of this award, you are graced with one of the 10 bonus mini games which are unlockable for single and multiplayer use. Although the bonus games are a pro version of some games on offer already, the difference is worth the extra effort.
Another feature is that after playing a game, you are awarded tickets. Just like a traditional fair, you can trade the tickets in for more items, In the case of Carnival Games; you can trade them in for extra objects to add to your already customisable character. It is here I will make my first criticism. Why, oh why did they not include Mii’s? The characters on offer are editable just like our favoured Wii creations, but the options to edit are limited. That aside, the added excitement of not knowing what the unlockable add on things are, adds to the longevity of the game.
And so to the multiplayer modes. The head to head is self explanatory. You are given a list of the games plus the unlocked ones to compete against each other simultaneously, or you can choose the competition mode, where a selection of the games are set before you in which you compete for better scores against each other. These modes really extend the life of the game and although a relatively new addition to my collection, I can see it being a favourite at parties for a while come.
So what are the games then? Well as you would expect, they are the old favourite funfair games we know and love. A day at the races is the first one I headed to. This is the classic rolling the balls up the runway to score points which in turn moves your horse along the track. I have always been a fan of these on Piers and in arcades alike, and to be fair, it’s actually quite realistic. My next visit was to the Clown splash, where you aim the water jet at a clowns face to make the balloon on his head, blow up (literally). Now before I go on listing every game it has to offer, I want to make a point about the controls. Obviously this would be a very uninteresting game on any other console, but because of our revolutionary wiimotes, it’s a whole new ball game. Each game requires a skill to master in the form of a unique control method such as tilting, throwing, winding up, pumping up and skimming amongst others. This is where I will compare the game to Mario party 8. Each game uses the wiimote differently, as opposed to the on the side NES style controls of that title.
Aside from these mini-games, each area has an extra attraction. These in my opinion were unnecessary to the game, but still add an element of realism. They are those machines you see but never go on: Fortune telling (zoltar in the film Big style), a love-o-meter (!) and various other non prize wining games. They serve no purpose in the whole game except to make you feel like you are actually at a Carnvial.
So in summary, although sounding very ‘Warioware Smooth moves”ish, it offers much more in the way of freedom to roam and play whatever you want without the unecceasarry maps and menus to scour through. Its more enjoyable than you think and will encourage more non-gamers to pick up a wiimote and join in the fun of the fair. At under £20 too, it’s surely worth investing in.
So step right up, boys and girls of all ages and take you chance with one of the best budget titles the Wii currently has to offer.
Carnival Games Review by Red Daze
Linear Mode
