Quick side note: I've actually played one game where you can't control yourself in the air but was still actually fun. It's because that is the theme of the game though, and it was designed really well. The game's Precision by Cactus. It's pretty short, but the last two levels are insanely tough.

Anyway, yea, I disliked the lack of air controls in Niki, too. I could see the game working with some very restricted air controls, but none at all makes some jumps annoyingly difficult. Even the controls aside, the game just isn't engaging. The graphics are some of the ugliest I've ever seen, and the enemies and level designs are uninspired. I haven't played Platchen and won't make any assumptions about it, but Niki is without a doubt the worst game I've ever played, no exaggeration.

The enemies and level designs are uninspired
How far did you actually get in this game? Granted, the enemies weren't the most creative, but they suited the game perfectly well, and later on, the level design gets all the more complex and interesting. There are one or two bad points in some of the levels (I draw attention to the one in world three with the upward sloping platforms - the level shaped like a cross + ), but the level design is certainly not uninspired at all. Give the game a chance, because clearly, you haven't already done so.

I really hate when people insist someone hasn't given a game a chance because they have a differing opinion. I got pretty far. I forget how far because it's been a long while and I haven't played it in a long while, though I do remember the level you're talking about. I respect that you for some reason love these guys' games. But just because others don't doesn't mean we haven't played the games enough to know better.

I gave the game a chance, but its physics didn't give me a chance, so I quit. If a game isn't fun, I don't feel obligated to keep playing for the promise of possible fun later on. That's not what games are about to me. Please don't make assumptions about how much I have played a game when there's nothing to base that on.

Not trying to be rude because you seem like a nice guy, and your jetski is pretty fly, but that kind of comment just isn't fair.

I once applied for a job at BPlus

And? Don't leave us in suspense Luc!

I just didn't think that the controls comment was right - if it's the physics you don't like, say that, rather than "controls", and if you don't like the levels, you could admit that you didn't like them for [insert reason], rather than saying that they were uninspired, which they're not.
Oh, and I like Bplus because they've made some decent games in the past, FYI.

Can we still be friends?

Niki is only 500 points; I cannot imagine it would be any worse than Equilibrio so I may cash in my Club Stars and pick it up...

It's worse. While Equilibrio at least has you doing a real task Niki's level goals are pure tedium. In Equilibrio you move to the end and that's it, as frustrating as repeated fall speed deaths may be (and hell, you get to skip levels if they're too hard so at least the game isn't locked away) but in Niki you have to kill all enemies which is so easy a piece of ducktape could do it since enemies die when they touch you (okay, you have to be in stone form for some which takes all the effort of holding down one button) and they somehow WANT to touch you and since just sitting around, killing enemies as they come to you would not sufficiently subject you to the terrible platforming gameplay there are six pearls in each level that have to be collected in a specific order which usually requires running back and forth from one end of the level to the other and make the whole experience flow about as well as basalt.

About the controls: how the ball controls is basically determined by the physics. If there's a subtle difference I'm missing, then my bad. I don't like the physics. Lack of control in the air makes it frustratingly limited.

It's been a long while since I've played the game, like I said, so I can't think of specific examples for the levels. I just remember them feeling rather bland. I don't think I necessarily have to give an example, anyway. That's just the feeling I was left with, which isn't unreasonable. I can think they're uninspired. You aren't the sole judge of whether they're inspired designs or not.

What other games have they made in the past besides Niki and Platch? I've only heard about them on WiiWare.

Oh, and I will think about the still-be-friends part and get back to you.

EDIT: @ Sean, I'll second everything KDR said.

Hmmm, Wiiloveit, KDR_11k and Adam are causing me some doubt here...can you counter it?

Wiiloveit, do you work for Bplus? Just wondering.

Very Robotron-ish

@Adam: Bplus have only made those two games, which is why you have heard about no others.
@Sean Aaron: I don't think it's half as bad as everyone says, so if you give it a chance, it's not half as bad as most people make out. If you had the points though, I'd still recommend Plattchen over it.
@PALgamer: Nope - I'd only be able to help with the writing, and then I'd just stare in amazement at the development process, and I don't think that that really qualifies as being someone good enough to work as a developer

That 1500 is a biiiig pill to swallow, but after the past few weeks of nothing interesting me on the PAL side outside of Equilibrio I may just take the plunge. The videos were confusing as hell, so I'd hope the in-game tutorial is better!

@Sean Aaron: The in-game tutorial isn't that great, but it certainly teaches you the basics of what you have to do. I've been thinking of making an instructional video to help those who are too worried about how complex it is, so I might get around to that this weekend.

That sounds like a great idea, I hope you get to it. I also hope Amazon gets me those frickin' cards before May!

By the way, guys: here's a bit more information regarding Vektor Tank, including details of the multiplayer mode, controls and the aesthetics.

Good interview and a potentially interesting game there. Reminds me of stuff that used to be on the Playstation and in arcades in the 90s (Vindicators is the immediate vibe for me).

Neither of B-Plus' previous games held much appeal to me. I'm not a huge puzzle fan, so the myriad complexities and huge price tag turned me off of Plattchen, and the bad visuals/bad reviews turned me off of Niki.

But I'm interested to see what happens with this game. We have almost no information about it (despite your excellent--and I do mean excellent--interview, Wiiloveit) and if someone asked me to summarize what the game is even supposed to be about, I'd probably just have to shrug.

Polygonal tanks blowing stuff up. Sounds pretty hard to mess that up!