Congratulations are in order for Abstraction Games: it released a topography game that's even less fun that it sounds.
Topoloco almost deserves an award for just how much it gets entirely wrong. Before you read the rest of this review, know that we didn't expect this to be much of a game, per se. Topoloco markets itself as an educational aid, and we adjusted our expectations accordingly. We were still seriously disappointed.
Quite what the purpose of this release was is unclear. Nothing about it is fun, or even aims to be, but there's nothing about it that's particularly educational either. The game flaunts its "digital atlas" feature, but that atlas is buried so deeply in the game's menus and is such a pain to navigate that it may have the dubious distinction of being the only "digital" advancement on Earth that's more cumbersome than its physical analogue.
The game begins with a lengthy — though thankfully skippable — animation that pans back and forth across a classroom. Start the game and an elderly professor walks in. This is the most realistic part of Topoloco, as the professor does indeed move with the wretched slowness of a senior citizen who no longer cares about his job and yearns for the sweet embrace of death. We're not sure that's what Abstraction Games was going for, but we're going to take silver linings wherever we can find them.
Get used to the slow and needless animation of the old man, by the way, because you'll be seeing it a lot. Between questions, while navigating menus, selecting options; nearly everything you do has a corresponding — yet irrelevant — animation on the top screen, which you will have to sit through before you can do anything else. For a game based entirely around clicking through menus and selecting answers, that's a huge and needless annoyance. The endlessly looping and boundlessly terrible music only adds to our suspicion that Topoloco was specifically designed to drive us insane.
Regarding the content of the game itself, Topoloco fails to even qualify as a lesson in topography. It's actually more of a geography lesson, as you're identifying unlabelled countries rather than considering in any way the physical and natural features of those regions.
Oddly, the game even bungles its role as a geography tool, as it only features five of the Earth's seven continents. We can almost understand leaving off Antarctica — though there's no reason the game can't at least acknowledge its existence — but surely Australia has enough cultural value to deserve some attention. In fact, it's almost insulting that it's left out, as though it isn't worth learning about at all. What does Topoloco have against our Aussie friends?
Actually, Australia shouldn't feel all that slighted. For a "topography" game, everything sure is flat and featureless. You can use the stylus to drag your way around undetailed maps, tapping on regions to learn their names, their capitals, and see their flags. We hope you weren't hoping to learn anything else at all about the world around you, because you won't get it.
What's more, there's not much educational value in tapping some small area of a blank map to see the word "Ghana" pop up. That doesn't teach you anything, it just displays a fact. There's more to learning than the rote memorization of place names, and it would be nice if some more intriguing facts about these areas were displayed, in order to better engage and encourage the player. Instead you tap the screen, a name pops up, and you tap again. That's neither educational nor fun.
When you think you're well-versed enough in the context-free names of five continents' worth of countries, you can choose to take an exam. Yes, that is Topoloco's reward to you for hours of study; you get to take a test.
All answers are multiple choice, and you'll be doing everything from telling the professor the names of countries, names of capitals and which flag belongs where. It's all the excitement of filling in bubbles with a #2 pencil, and you can have it on the go!
When you're finished, the slowly-dying professor will slug his way across the room — and nearer to his grave — to grade your paper. If you ever wanted an old man to tell you that you're bad at educational video games, then this is a fantastic feature. Otherwise it's just another waste of time as a fictional character pretends to review your answers and assign you a score.
There are three save slots available in this game, but it's hard to believe there are three people in the world who would want to play this, let alone three people using the same console. On the plus side, there's so little content that your disappointment can register that much sooner. That's a useful time-saver at least.
Conclusion
Let's not mince words: Topoloco is awful. The fact that it chose to emphasize education over fun is not the problem; the problem is that it bungles even the educational side of things. It's slow, clumsy, brainless and annoying. If taking an endless series of barely interactive exams appeals to you, then perhaps you will enjoy Topoloco. Perhaps you will also enjoy finding a different hobby.
Comments 42
Wow -
"This game is a shambling mockery of a game. You should be insulted that someone thought you were dumb enough to even consider buying this turd. If you ever see a rating of a one DO NOT even consider buying this game. RUN for your life!"
Hilarious.
Sounds like a 1/10 is pretty generous.
Good job Philip for even bothering to put up with this 'game'.
Always enjoy your reviews.
Is this game ever coming out here in Australia?
Unlikely by the sound of it.
Ouch!
MUST BUY... RIGHT NOW.
lol 1 star
I have fun reading this review. The creators of this game must be pretty ashamed and embarrased about it. God...to think I almost bought in to this game.
I know what I'm downloading next!
The developers asked for permission to allow Australia to be featured in this program... I said NO!
Judging from the review, this seems a point or two too low, but I haven't played the game.
I'm not sure this is on the same level as Hockey Allstar Shootout (WiiWare) seeming how this game at least partially works according to the review.
Yay! Another 1/10 from Phil. It's been too long since the last one!
Nintendo really needs to stop releasing such crap, it's not helping there rep when they do lol
@Hydeks Nintendo didn't release it, its not their game.
Phil's reviews of such bad games are always entertaining to read.
Wow, what a great rating. I have to get THIZ NOW!!!
P.S. I´m new to Nintendo LIfe
Ooh, sounds fun. I think I'll spend my 5 bucks on this instead of Sakura Samurai this weekend.
so good youll wanna download it twice
Whoohoo! A 1!
I was kinda halfway ok more than halfway expecting this lol
[insert " 1 STAR GAME. I'M SO GONNA HAVE TO BUY THIS LOL " joke here]
@PikminMonster I'm so going to buy it! It's the game of the year
Anyway,i kinda feel bad for however worked on this game,the time spent making the game has been wasted.
@Shotgunryugan I agree. They'll really regret wasting those 3 minutes of their life
Hehe, Although this sounds pretty amazing, I think I'll wait for GOTY edition,
It will probably come with the rumored Australia DLC pack!!!!
"This is the most realistic part of Topoloco, as the professor does indeed move with the wretched slowness of a senior citizen who no longer cares about his job and yearns for the sweet embrace of death."
I choked on a cookie. Just wanted to share that.
1/10 game, 10/10 review, I laughed constantly!
Great review of a terrible game, like Phil always does.
I found the part quoted by Cipher the funniest too. I guess Chicken Brutus felt a little like that while reviewing this one. As in "no longer cares about his job and yearns for the sweet embrace of death."
I came here expecting a 4
I expected a 3, huh.
I bet you guys use the review you'll write as a motivating factor to get through the game when you're assigned a stinker. Something like "It won't be much longer until I get through this and can finally have some fun writing the terrible review."
Oh wow. I dont think I ever saw a game get a 1 before. Has there been any other games that got a one?
Dsiware should be renamed " Nintendo Shovelware Shop"
Even the video for this game made me cringe, lol.
@black-kyurem Two words. Art Style. Still wish for it to be called Nintendo Shovelware Shop?
It's funny Australia ain't a continent in it because that professor's appearance did rip off our koalas. I hope you didn't approve that, @MadAussieBloke!
I can actually see them releasing it here in Australia for an overcharging price of $7.50 and then releasing a DLC pack to add Australia to it after people download it and go WTF where is my country?!
It's games like these that makes Nintendo Life's scoring system seem too generous. A new 0/10 category should be added!
This should keep me occupied until I can buy a copy of E.T.
Philip, the king of reviews!
@Tasuki There are actually quite a lot of 1/10's. See them all here.
@black-kyuerem There are actually quite a lot of good DSiware games, we're just getting less good games on the service now. Probably because 3DSware is taking over. Some examples of good games on the service are Mario VS. Donkey Kong: Minis march again, Reflect missile, Mighty flip champs, Little Red riding Hood's zombie bbq, Go series: 10 second run etc.
You know, the value of awful games are the hilarious reviews that follow.
All right .. sounded fun but 1 on 10 really isn't even worth typing on the eshop .. xD Thanks though ..
Guys, they can't add DLC because this is DSiWare
thanks for the review
I just got the pun in this tagline. Phil, you're great.
You know it's true.
That everything I do...
...I do it for you.
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