
Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is certainly one of the more mysterious WiiWare games to date. It was the very first title to be announced last year before the WiiWare service went live but has been plagued with several delays. Aside from the fact that it was a "puzzle shooter" and would cost a wallet-busting 1500 Wii points, little else was known about the game. Now that Plättchen has finally been released it is with great interest we get to find out what it’s all about and if it really is as innovative as we have been led to believe.
The first impressions are good. The graphical effects are impressive and there is no denying that this is one of the better looking WiiWare games. The on-screen imagery is accompanied by a bouncy, joyful soundtrack. There is no questioning the production values in terms of visuals and audio; unfortunately when you actually begin to play the game, it quickly begins to fall apart.

To play, you first twist your Wii Remote (or nunchuk) to select the paint colour you want and then apply that colour to a grid of panels (plättchen is German for panel, fact fans) to destroy them. In order to destroy the panels you simply have to make lines of four or more panels. You'll then get 3 seconds to continue adding more panels to this group before they all explode, ending your combo. The more combinations you can manage, the quicker the bar on the left side of the screen will fill up with points. When it's completely full you can move on to the next level. Each panel that explodes costs you one point in addition to gaining you a point, thereby cancelling out the benefit. To gain points, you need to get as many panels as you can grouped into one explosion. Painting a few panels to connect one group to another is an ideal way to gain points. Each explosion costs 4 points so you want to make sure that you only explode groups of 5 or more tiles at once in order to proceed. When you destroy panels a new set drops in instantly to take their place, which can also set off a reaction.
Most of the time the playing field is filled to the brim with white panels that do not react to one another; therefore you have to paint them. This adds to the difficulty of clearing a stage because each panel you paint also costs points. Black panels are an added complication as they cannot be changed to another colour; when the grid is filled with too many black panels you instantly lose as there are no possible moves left.
The complexities to this puzzler do not end there; however, as each panel explosion causes the 'gravity' to change. New panels wait off-screen to all four sides of the playing field, depending on the way the gravity changes. You can press a button on your Wii Remote to see a small map of what is waiting for you, but in practice checking this is a needless annoyance and more often than not you are simply left to the mercy of whatever comes your way.

As we touched upon briefly before, the unique 'twist' in the gameplay (no pun intended) is the way you select the colour you wish to paint the tiles: you have to twist the Wii Remote (or nunchuk) like a key to select the colour from the colour wheel. With just two colours in play this is not too bad, but when there are more it becomes more difficult to select the colour you want as they fight for space on the wheel. Thankfully, you can lock your colour by holding down a button to avoid changing it accidentally, but this whole game mechanic feels like more of a gimmick rather than fundamental to the core gameplay. An option to alternate colours with a button press instead would have been nice to help avoid getting an RSI from playing this game for too long.
As if things weren't complicated enough already, during gameplay your cursor becomes a "FantasyME", which is a little character such as an astronaut or butterfly. Each one has their own specific ability, such as a torch to make it easier to see in darker levels, but this really serves to be a pointless addition to what is already a convoluted game.
One of the biggest annoyances in Plättchen is the presence of large floating objects, such as asteroids, skulls or pieces of fruit, that obscure your vision of the playing field. From time to time they crash into your FantasyME and cause you to have to twist the Wii Remote (or nunchuk) continuously to bring it back into play. On the bottom-right of the screen there are a number of gear-like creatures called ZeLiLi which act as an energy bar; each time your FantasyME is hit you lose one. When they are all gone its game over. There are also power-ups that appear on certain tiles such as a minus symbol, which destroys all tiles on the horizontal line it is on when destroyed, or a plus symbol, which destroys a line both horizontally and vertically.

By now you may have formed the impression that the gameplay is utterly confusing, unintuitive and convoluted. If so, you’re bang on the money. With all these elements to consider at once it is hard to really get too much enjoyment out of this game. What could have been a simple and inoffensive fun puzzler seems to be weighed down with several ill-conceived game concepts that all fight with one another making the experience more like a chore than fun; it’s almost as if the developer had so many ideas floating around that it couldn’t resist dropping them all in at once, but as the old saying goes “less is more.” That is most certainly true here.
Once you have had your hands burnt with the Classic mode you can give the Copycat and Mission modes a go for a bit more variety. Sadly, what might have been a fun diversion requires you to play more of the Classic mode to unlock them. Copycat levels are unlocked by finding a special item on each stage in Classic, and to get Mission stages you have to beat Classic stages with as few twists at possible.
Copycat mode presents you with a large grid and a small picture to the left. The aim is to copy the picture across to the large grid; you have to clear multiple pictures to proceed. To make things more complicated you have a time limit which only serves to annoy as you do your best to handle the fidgety ‘twisting’ system. The Mission mode sets objectives such as guiding a FantasyME through a maze of tiles. The missions we unlocked were fun for a while but feel like an afterthought to boost the longevity of an otherwise irksome game. Unlocking the missions requires you to beat the developer's high scores in Classic mode and make it into the top three on the scoreboards, which is not an easy task. It’s a shame because the missions themselves are more interesting than the actual game.

There are of course multiplayer modes which you might hope would be mildly entertaining. Sadly all five of the modes on offer are just slightly modified versions of the exasperating Classic mode. In "Classic VS" up to eight players can take each other on in a head-to-head battle for Plättchen supremacy. Actually, it isn't really eight players but rather four teams of two, the idea being that one person in the team points and paints with the Wii Remote and the other uses the nunchuk to twist the colour wheel. "Destruction" is more of the same except instead of waiting three seconds for the tiles to blow up they instantaneously explode. "Out of Control" prevents you from controlling your colour wheel so you are at the mercy of whatever the CPU selects for you randomly (we surely don’t need to point out how blood-boilingly frustrating this is). "Split" is a one-on-one battle where each player has half of the field to themselves. Finally there is "Bomb Rain" where a ton of bombs come across the screen in a similar fashion to the asteroids and other obstacles in Classic mode.
The multiplayer modes offer limited value and transparently recycle what game elements exist in Classic mode. For a price tag of 1500 Wii points (1000 in the US) it is not unreasonable to expect that online wi-fi modes might have been included to boost the entertainment value further. It is understandable for an indie developer not to make that commitment when they are only asking for 800 Wii points for their game, but when the cost is twice as much this missing functionality stings even more.
One of the developer's boasts for Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is that there are more than 100 hours of gameplay, but from what we saw after a substantial play test was more and more repetition dressed up as something new. The sad reality is that Plättchen proves too much of a chore for the player to continue to unlock everything. It doesn't start out that great and by a tenth of the way in you will most likely not have the heart to proceed further. Any developer can argue that their game offers 100+ hours of play; the question is does the game offer enough entertainment to actually make you want to play for that amount of time? Titles like Tetris certainly do, but sadly Plättchen doesn’t.

Last but not least we should mention that support for the Donkey Konga Bongos peripheral in one of the game modes has sadly been scrapped. However, determined to not be seen to lack innovation, Bplus shoehorned Wii Zapper support in instead. When playing with the Zapper you can use the pump action shot which has greater speed and doesn't twist the tiles. You can also control your FantasyME by using the analogue stick on the nunchuk. However, given the lacklustre nature of the gameplay, it all seems a bit pointless really.
Conclusion
Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is the videogame equivalent of trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time; there are too many elements to consider in tandem for this to be considered much fun. You not only have to pay attention to the playing field, but also gravity, your FantasyME, obstacles, and items, all while you try to coordinate twisting your wrist to select a colour to paint with from the wheel. This convoluted game mechanic is then further complicated by a series of additional game modes designed to extend the longevity of this sub-par game. The price tag of 1500 Wii points (1000 in the US) is extortionate taking all this into account; it would have been far preferable to have had a much shorter game which offered a more refined and focused experience. Considering that WiiWare already has several far more accomplished puzzlers on offer at a lower price this really is one to avoid. We applaud Bplus for trying to bring something new to the table but they have succeeded only in overcomplicating what otherwise could have been a decent game.
Comments 229
Ouch! It would seem that Drake wanted to twist his own wrists off after playing this one.
And how about some props for Drake who had to do two reviews this week. Great job Drake!
Hope this doesn't come out to american anytime soon.
Nice, detailed review. I had a feeling when that BPlus guy first tried to describe the gameplay and afterI read it and did not pick anything up that it was going to be too confusing. 3/10 though, isn't that tied for the lowest score? Anyway, definately not worth $15, like I expected.
Pong Toss got a "2"
Awesome review Drake, and like Corbie says, you are the writing king this week!
This game sounds like it has too much going on at once, to be honest.
Thought it would be better than 3/10...next up in line Tertis Party.
its funny how everyone looks forward to games like this and SPOGS, and they then fall flat on their face
Good review. It can be hard to write a "good" negative review, so I was a bit worried about how well it would come off, but you did it justice. Between the lacklustre critical reception and the absurd price tag, this game won't sell very well.
Sad, the game had so much promise.
I still am interested in trying it but wouldn't spend most of a points card on it.
Good review sir.
On a side note, I wonder how the game would have played with the bongo controllers. That feature was what really had me interested in this game at the beginning. Shame on Nintendo for blocking that feature.
@Corbie
I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a 2 somewhere. My sentences above were a lil convolted but basically I was saying that Wiiboy (BPlus)'s brief description confused me and I had to skim read parts of the review because I was so lost.
EDIT: I put this in Word, and starting with the teaser line, this review is 1,904 words long! That really highlights the overly-complicated gameplay, doesn't it?
I had to look at them to be sure. I gave it the "2" and still didn't remember it.
I was never excited about this game.
Great job though, Drake.
Two wonderfully written reviews in a matter of days.
I bet you wish you had a few more Europeans reviewers though!
Oh and this is funny, comment 39.
He had a nightmare about this game getting a 3, and it got a 3!
Talk about ironic.
Any developer can argue that their game offers 100+ hours of play; the question is does the game offer enough entertainment to actually make you want to play for that amount of time?
I said this! Comment 52.
I said it doesn't how many hours the game has, if it's not enjoyable!
I've done good with the whole "predicting the quality of games" thing.
I wasn't excited about Eternity's Child either, and we all know how that turned out!
Now if only I could use my powers for something a little more constructive....
I really don't mind reviewing a lot, it's great to get your opinion out there for the masses to read
To be honest I was skeptic about this game when it was first announced, we didn't see the actual game (Screens/videos) for ages!
No offense, but it seems to me the reviewer was just overstrained with the gameplay and therefore dismissed the game before even really trying. I downloaded Plattchen when it became available and already had multiple hours of fun with it. Truth is you have to take your time to get into it, but it is definitely worth the 1.500 points.
Plattchen seems to be polarizing people, everybody either loves it or hates it. I just hope people will nevertheless give it a try, otherwise they may miss a great game they might like. I'm just glad I downloaded before this review came out ...
Ha, I called it. I wasn't really planning to buy this title either way. I never really liked the concept of it.. and using the wii remote for "waggle" more than every now and then can really ruin a game for me..
Also "I just hope people will nevertheless give it a try, otherwise they may miss a great game they might like."
Where's WiiBoy to?
He's not going to be happy with that score.
@ +matthew²- Nope.
But then WWW can't compromise the accuracy of their reviews to please developers.
But giving something a try for $15 isn't my thing
Exactly! Nobody wants to just "try a game out" for $15.
Rentals don't even cost that much!
Which is why the high price range doesn't benefit this game one bit.
I really don't mind paying $15 for a game from great developers (such as Square Enix).
I haven't even heard of Bplus before this.
_Call me crazy, but I'm still not deterred from giving this one a go. I think the review was a tad bit harsh. The whole "it needs to be online!" notion I'll never understand, anyways.
As an aside: I think there is a definite drawback to our reviews here (mine included) in that we're not given enough time to delve further before delivering said reviews - blame the impatient readership. Two days, which may just mean a few hours of gameplay, is not a whole lot of time to fully judge a game...
@ Pegasus- From what I've gathered, Drake didn't want to play much more.
Sounds like the game is bad... very bad.
It's a real shame, as I personally love puzzlers but this sounds like it's trying to be too many things at once. Something like Space Invaders Extreme would be a good example to go by, incredibly simple to play but with lots of hidden gameplay mechanics that the player discovers to perform better at the game. Presenting lots of obstacles all at once isn't the way to make games challenging and deep.
In any case, great review Drake!
@Jazzem - I also love puzzlers. When I saw the score, I was surprised... very surprised.
"Two days, which may just mean a few hours of gameplay, is not a whole lot of time to fully judge a game..."
Unless he got so sick of it, he couldn't continue playing.
Plus Wiiware games don't seem to have a whole bunch of depth to search through... Main things to look at are Gameplay, Controls, Graphics, Music, and the different Game Modes... If gameplay fails, It's going to pretty much fail the whole game...
And if you say, "Well, At least there are a few other modes to play!"
Well if I'm going to pay $15, I don't want half of a game
@Pegasus - Honestly Drake was struggling to motivate himself to continue playing this beyond the first few hours. I caught him on MSN yesterday and cheered him on to play some more for the sake of an honest review. You know when it's got to that stage that the battle is already lost!
At the end of the day we're really looking at the games as a customer would in our reviews, not a product tester methodically analysing minute details.
ps: how many days would you like for your upcoming Potpourrii review anyway? hehe
@ Dazza - Monday would be nice.
I want the Mega Man 9 review five minutes after it's released.
Corbie better type fast!
Well I've already got the 7 score so I might as well just make up a review ahead of time as well.
@ x.SuperMario.x - I could care less about Mega Man 9. Give me a Space Invaders review.
How's twist 'n' paint doing in Europe?
Ehh, I never really got interested in Space Invaders...
and, a review 5 Minutes?
He could give a review of the title Screen within that amount of time XP
Haha, Kidding.
Also.. We should start guessing Future Reviews. I suspect a 6/10 from space invaders, and 9/10 from Megaman 9... Space invaders from my complete biased thoughts, and 9/10 for Megaman 9 for the fact that its megaman, and come on, its the ninth one, it deserves a 9... Now when Megaman 10 comes out, It better be Perfect
@Matthew It hasn't appeared on the top 20 chart in the UK, which I'm betting is down to the price as Pop seemed to do pretty well and is also a puzzle/shooter hybrid!
@Pegasus - I agree that points should not be shaved off every time a game lacks online functionality. As much as I love WWW, the online whining has got to stop. Oh, Super Mario Galaxy... great platforming, great levels, great controls, great graphics... WAIT! It doesn't have online functionality! Hmmm... 5/10. No, it doesn't work that way. I think it's great when a game has online, but it is never necessary (except for deathmatch shooters). Phantom Hourglass would have still been great without online even though I think the online is a creative and fun experience.
That said, this game doesn't look very good. I don't like games that have too much going on at one time. I'll pass on this one.
Online gaming is just a big part of gaming this generation. Fact of life. I honestly hardly ever play online at all, in fact I have two Xbox friends and 3 Wii friends TOTAL. But the majority of gamers today place online functionality in high regard so it's a factor that must be taken into account. That being said, a lack of online function rarely degrades a game's score that much, even when it's mentioned in the review.
@ Clayfrd- I've never heard the WWW staff complain about online functionality, much less take points off because of it.
I think online whining comes mostly from the members of this site.
@ Corbie- I almost didn't recognize you!
That's a good idea though. Just base the review off previous Mega Man games, nobody will know the difference.
I have a total of three Wii friends though. So I'm not too worked up over online play either.
@ Mario64Dstyle- I think Mega Man will do very well. Possibly even this site's first 10.
@Clayfrd
He made a comment about the game not having online, and you suspect he baised the whole score around that... Did you not notice the many other things he pointed out that made this game fail?
Also, Mario Galaxy is a terrible example of something that needs online..
Multiplayer Puzzle games SHOULD have online, I seriously Doubt they deduct points for not having it, but they SHOULD have it (when it's priced so steeply- I guess I should add), and he was just stating that it didn't for people that wanted to know.
@Mario64DStyle - I wasn't saying that he based the whole review on that, I was just saying it is complained about commonly on this site. You are putting words into my mouth (or text...). I agree that I may be exaggerating when I say points are lost over online functionality, but it is true that lack of online play bothers sitegoers of WiiWare World a little too much. Hundreds of amazing games don't have online even if they could use it. Maybe I'm alone when I say that online play is usually the last thing I look at when I judge a game. If any disrespect was taken by anyone, I apologize. I could also point out dozens of other things that are complained about (and I complain too) on WWW and VCR, but the online stuff just really bothers me.
By the way, Super Mario Galaxy was a sarcastic exaggeration of what some WWW goers' comments consist of. I know a game like Galaxy is not fit to have online functionality.
Gee a 3 a pretty low score .
A least i can tell you prefer a diffent puzzler via your avater Drake which is an image of the always cute Toki Tori
I love that game .
@Corbie
I didn't reconize you a first because of your avatar & i thought you were going to return that sickle back .
@x.SuperMario.x - They probably haven't taken off points, but complaints are definitely there... The Groovin' Blocks review is a fine example...
"Whilst it is understandable that online play was not included on this offering from start-up developers, it is sadly a glaring omission for a game of this nature."
No offense is intended in quoting the reviewer (Corbie, I think), but the complaints, small though they may be, are there.
To make this comment relevant. I shall not get this game!
Wow, a 3/10. Well I know what I won't be using my 1500 wii points for. I might get lost winds and
my aquariumDYC instead.rather get get two decent game than one big pile of fail.Buuuuuuuuuut, I maight take the plunge if I'm not in a good mindstate....
Ouch! Well maybe BPlus can use this game as a learning experience and make future games better. How many companies hit a home run the first time anyway?
It looks like the Hudson dominance of Wii Ware continues
@Corbie
Dear god! Your new avatar--what the hell is it?!?!?
can't wait to see tomorrow's releases...
You have to understand, these puzzlers very much lend themselves to online competitive play. I thought Groovin' Blocks was really well done and would have been a fantastic online WiiWare title so I was a bit disappointed that it had no online play given the fact that many had hoped it would. But I really didn't knock the score down just for this one gripe. I could care less about online gaming personally, but as popular as online gaming is, I couldn't go without mentioning it at least once.
Oh and the new avatar is a monster called a "Skullarach" from the Dragon Quest Monsters 2 games. Scary, huh?
WOW, totally unexpected. Wow, just wow. This game has been all hyped up, and BAM, it's terrible.
Put your gaming faith in Mega Man 9
@ supermario.x
I want the megaman 9 review in 4 minutes after release. Sorry Corbie
Hmm...I wasn't expecting a good score, but a 3? Demon212 seemed to like it in his Youtube video and I'm usually ok with complicated games....not that I can think of any, but still. I may give this a try someday, although it would have to be when I feel like splurging cash as 1500 is pretty steep.
For 1500 points you could get Toki Tori and DYC.....Not this piece of crap.
Wow! Super expensive and super bad!
i lol at this game FAIL!!!!!!!!!!
I refuse to think the game can be THIS bad. Just like I did with City Connection and My Pokemon Ranch. And I ended being wrong!
Please don't come out in US tomorrow. Please?
better to stick with bomberman. that ones good fun.
I still have a good feeling about this game, of course I`m talking about me liking it not the hole world, but the review really helped, thanks Drake great job, it must be an awful thing to have to play a game you just dont´t like for a review; now I´ll wait to have extra wiipoints before giving this a try, but at the end I'm sure I will.
@Clayfrd
Sorry about the Galaxy comment, Sarcasm isn't the easiest thing to detect on the internet.
Ow! My Brain is hurting halfway through this review! I don't know if I can read any more of it! No wonder BPlus wouldn't talk about the gameplay, it's freakin' confusing!
I wonder if you can win by shooting things randomly?
Edit: Okay, I read the rest of the review, and while it sounded a little more appealing, it still doesn't sound like something I'd want to play, unless I could get somebody to unlock those missions for me, or if I could play the Zapper mode with out actually using the Zapper.
I can pat my head and my stomach, with either hand too.
G-D I shouldn't have listened to that "Code Monkey" song a zillion times, it's stuck in my head like crazy right now!
@MarkyVigoroth
Edit:.....Marky, where'd you go?
@Corbie
Pretty cool new avatar! Maybe even better than the old one...yep, definitely better!
Not that your old one was bad...
Code Monkey get up, get coffee
Code Monkey go to job.
I never gave a hoot about this game. When I heard "Twist" in the name, I figured it would give about as many broken wrists as, oh, I dunno, mgntca Twist?
@Corbie: Aww, I'm gonna miss that grim reaper with the lollipop…
Thanks! Well with October coming up, I thought a scarier avatar was in order.
@Mickeymac I went 2 starmen.net but dont know what you're talking about. As someone who's always wanted to play the Mother series, please tell me more!
@PLATTCHEN Is Wiiboy gonna come back?
I certainly wasn't expecting this, but after reading the gameplay aspects the score perfectly fits.
isnt mega man 10, mega man X(x= 10 in roman numerals). And if so, Mega Man 9 needs a 10 or some buildings are being burnt(IGN better watch out).
wow , didn't expect that, but the controls surely looke messy O.o
looks like am not getting this when it comes to the states
@Objection_Blaster
They're translating Mother 3, but I can't remember why. I figured it was for everybody who imported it, but actually I think it was either to prove something to Nintendo, or maybe even give it to Nintendo so they can do a NA version of Mother 3.
And where is Wiiboy, anyways? Figured he'd be here by now.
Oh and I've had Dragon Warrior Mosters on my list since I saw some kids play it in the 2nd grade! I never got around to it, but I try to remember to look for it every time I'm at Gamestop. Sadly, they seem to be running out of Game Boy games.
Code Monkey go to boring meeting
With boring manager Rob.
I finally went and looked at a video of this game...
It was one of the most confusing experiences of my life..
I still don't quite understand the objective......
We are coloring blocks, and they explode? while avoiding death, destroying objects, breaking our wrist, using some weird ME character, getting no where, having explosions going off... Its such a mess >_>
Maybe if they took one idea at a time.. geez.
Yeah, I was pretty overwhelmed by the video too, I figured the review would help, but it just made it worse!
Rob say Code Monkey very dilligent, but his output stink
his code not funtion or elegent, what does code Monkey think?
I am doing this again.
Oh, boo. A lot of people anticipated this, and it just disappointed everyone. I hope that this one has a sequel so that it has a chance to be less complex and more fun...
Corbie-san: "Oh and the new avatar is a monster called a "Skullarach" from the Dragon Quest Monsters 2 games. Scary, huh? "
Me: "...really?
I kind of like it."
(My quote came from the Navy SQUEAL from Mother 3.)
Mickeymac-san, what was your response? (By the way, apparently, my comment got deleted. If you see this new comment, you might know my guess why...)
Wow, after reading the review I thought it was going to get a 4.
@Corbie
I thought your avatar was something DQ related at first glance, but I never got to play the 2nd one only the amazing 1st, and the quite fun Joker.
Wiiboy is probably taking a cue from the eternity's child review debacle and sitting his game's review out. So I wouldn't keep calling out to him.
@Final_Starman
Corbie's Grim Reaper had a Dreamcast logo I thought (correct me if I'm wrong, Corbie)
I love all the DWM games. Joker was fantastic. Dragon Warrior Monsters 2: Cobi's Journey and Tara's Adventure are both amazing. They're both basically the same game, so if you pick it up just grab one or the other. I think they're even better than the original Dragon Warrior Monsters game.
And yes, it was a Dreamcast logo in honor of September 9, the day the Dreamcast launched in the US nine years ago. But everyone was making fun of it because it looked like he was holding a lollipop.
@MarkyVigoroth
Just that I new of that project you mentioned.
What's the best mission in the whole game?
Code Monkey think maybe manager want to write G-D damn long in page himself!
A 3?! No way. Just... no. I won't let this deter me. Many have said its truly worth 1500 and I've said this from the beginning. I won't regret my decision.
I won't regret my decision.
We'll see about that when you actually buy the game.
@KnucklesSonic8
Make sure to tell me how effective shooting tiles randomly is, as well as if it's any fun.
Code Monkey not say it out loud,
Code Monkey not crazy, just Proud.
Some poeple have seemed to like it so I'm not going to fully write off the game yet. But if it doesn't sell well I wonder if Nintendo and BPlus would consider a price cut or something.
@Corbie
I saw it right away as a DC logo. Silly kids missing good gaming history
@KnucklesSonic8
Let us know how it goes...
I sure will. I'm not dense in continuing to purchase it. Its one of my most anticipated titles and whether its bashed or not, I'm giving it a go! Its just like some other Wii games I could name: Averages of all Critic Reviews aren't good and yet those same games I enjoyed after disregarding the negativity (whilst still taking it into consideration). Same with some WiiWare titles.
Yeah, there are lots of games that I like that get poor reviews, too. I hope you like Plattchen, since you were looking forward to it so much.
Code Monkey like Fritos!
Code Monkey like Tab 'n' Mountain Dew!
Code Monkey very simple man,
with a warm fuzzy secret heart
Code Monkey like you <short guitar solo> Code Monkey like youuuuu!
Wiiboy's nightmare has become a reality. Oh well, I wasn't really looking forward to this one.
@KnucklesSonic8
Thats true, with some games you just have to follow your instincts more than the reviews, I respect you for keeping your decision. I think this game ain't that bad, I just feel it's right for me.
Ultimately it's your money and you should buy the games you want to buy. You still have to go with your gut sometimes. I too love a lot of games that didn't get very good reviews. People have to remember that reviews still contain a lot of opinion.
I hope this doesn't discourage Bplus in anyway. I did like the presentation of this game as it looks like one of the better WiiWare games, graphically. Still I felt like all those skulls, fruits, asteriods, and whatnot are a little distracting to the gameplay. It just looks like everything is coming at you at once.
Great review by the way! Like I said, I hope it doesn't discourage Bplus as I would like to see another project of their's soon.
@knucklessonic
i agree, i think this game looks actually pretty fun to play and i also heard its worth the price, so im going to get it also when it comes to the u.s. which better be soon.
Maybe I'll luck out and Bplus will make a classic space shooter ala Ikaruga next. Now that would make me quite happy. Are you listening Wiiboy??? HINT HINT
Don't take this the wrong way, but anyone else think it's a coincidence that a Sonic fan would still buy Plattchen even after reading the WWW review?
Ai, 3/10 A shame, I thought that this game would be the king of the puzzles on WiiWare.
Anyway, good review d(^_^d)
@Gitaroo_Dude
What do you mean? Let me see, you're saying sonic games get bad qualifications and still fans buy them (me included).
As I'm also a big sonic fan, and I'm still buying Plättchen, maybe it's not a coincidense.
Is this game more or less complicated than this?
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CfgRGW9Ghik
Seriously, when I heared how confusing the game was this was the thing to come into mind...
Yep, i knowed it from the first moment, that this game will be bad...
No comment Can I have a job reviewing games now Drake?
Just kidding, good review though.
Too bad there´s no user grading like in vc-reviews.com. Would be very interesting info for Plättchen.
I am sure Plattchen will still do very well in downloads. Look at Pong toss in America! That thing is on the top 10 list every week
You can so not compare those two games. PLÄTTCHEN is a complex game with high production value and unique gameplay. Everyone I showed it too really liked the game, so do most of the users here who already gave it a try. Same is true for the other boards i read. I don't get why just because one person here (the reviewer) disliked the concept everybody else now thinks the game is crap, because it isn't!
So I agree with Mange, User scores would be a great information to have!
Never really cared for this game so I'm not too disapointed, though I hope people who have been looking forward to it can still salvage some fun out of it for the high price point.
@cms - We found it quite revealing looking at your website.
Did you enjoy your time working at Bplus as a product & sales manager during 2003 - 2005?
Maybe we need a second opinion here? From a second reviewer? I think 3 is really bad for a game and i don´t think that the game is "SO" worse, only because it is very complex...
RGVEDA - there's no need for a second opinion - all the reviews on this site are checked by the key members of the review team. They are then proofed by myself and Dazza to ensure that the opinion contained within is the correct one.
There's no two ways about it, folks - this isn't a good game. I honestly can't see why everyone is so shocked - name me another bplus game! It's not like the developer has the track record of Nintendo or Sega, is it?
Ouch! A three, didn't see that one coming. The first impressions I heard were kinda negative, but a three?
I have to say that I agree with everyone who has said that this site should have user reviews as well.
I forgot about pong toss getting a two lol. I think people miss the point of the game, you gotta do a shot or drink some beer when the other guy makes a shot. Much less messy than real beer pong and for the price of 2 beers at a bar its a decent drinking game. I'll probably end up downlaoding it at some point (don't hurt me! )
Now I'm only jealous about MaBoShi and especially bomberman you lucky europeans .
One more thing, has anyone played using the nunchuk? Seems like the twisting motion is one of the bigger problems, and I'm curious if it plays any better with a nunchuk. Thanks.
Edit: @dazza (#98)
Busted! Lol...
@Dazza. You beat me to the punch there. I was thinking exactly the same thing about cms when I read his comments an hour ago.
I think Bplus and their 'associates' should stop digging themselves an even deeper grave. Really this self-promotion is not doing them any good at all.
@Damo. You guys are my heroes. If I wasn't married and straight and not wanting to stress out my pregant wife I'd kiss ya! I completely agree that user review scores are not necessary.
@ calculon - Awwwww, geez. You say the nicest things!
Sometimes
Well. While the game doesn't deserve a 10, it doesn't deserve a 3 either. I love to get my WiiWare and VC news at this site and usually like the reviews, but this score has made my confidence in this site to go down a big notch...
(No, I don't work for the company that made the game)
Edit: Now that I actually read the review, I see how the reviewer wasn't even trying. Is the game for everybody? No. It doesn't make sense to give this game to review to someone that was already skeptic about the game. He knew from the start he wasn't going to like it and, surprise! He didn't.
Now many people won't even give the game a try when it could have been one many would have liked. I am not disappointed I bought it, because so far I'm enjoying the combination of elements that make the game.
These couple of paragraphs though, I don't think were right:
"Most of the time the playing field is filled to the brim with white panels that will not react to one another; therefore you'll have to paint them"
Not true. Most of the time there are a few white blocks (except some levels which do start with a lot of white blocks). If you're not careful, you can find yourself with the screen full of white blocks due to the bad items. But white blocks are not usually an issue. This is not a problem of the game, but of the player...
"New panels wait off-screen to all four sides of the playing field, depending on the way the gravity changes. You can press a button on your Wii Remote to see a small map of what is waiting for you, but in practice checking this is a needless annoyance and more often than not you'll simply be left to the mercy of whatever comes your way."
Not true. You really have to see what's coming to plan ahead and complete the levels. Just randomly flipping blocks will get you killed. That's why it's a puzzle game... I completed about 10 levels and for now each level had unique twists (in the layout, items, etc...) that required a different approach. I still wish the map would show the current game situation, and not just the one for the beginning.
The rest is the opinion of someone that just doesn't like this kind of game... convulted gameplay? What? Now all the puzzle games have to be simple one button affairs? (And I do love MaBoShi ) I'll just say I like the "convulted" gameplay and I think the addition of the ME is very fun and I like having to dodge the objects while solving the puzzles. Yes, I too can pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time...
As I said in the other thread, for me the biggest problem the game has is the twisting mechanic to change colors, especially because it is too sensitive and sometimes the wheel spins out of control. This could be addressed in a patch, and it'd be great, but that won't stop me from playing the game
7,5/10
@Dazza
Thank you very much for your question, actually I did enjoy my time working for Bplus three years ago when they concentrated their business on a whole other field than videogames.
Since then I started and finished my studies of Marketing + Sales and Bplus started making videogames. I have not worked for the company within the last three years, especially not since they started developing PLÄTTCHEN. *
Of course I still know the folks at Bplus and was therefore very interested in the game they developed. I also got the opportunity to test the game while it was still in development. This is why I initially downloaded it and it turned out that I really like it. *I think I should still be able to say that apart from what work I did years ago.
So to clarify once more: I am not an associate of Bplus. I do not work for them. I have worked for them years ago when they were not involved in the videogame business. I think I should still be able to tell my opinion.
@ xSJx: Playing with the nunchuk is even worse than playing with the Wii remote, as you might know the sensor in the nunchuk is slightly less accurate than the one in the remote!
@cms - So it is only a coincidence that you have worked for Bplus and just happen to post here with such great zeal about Plättchen? I can't really take anything you write seriously now.
I am honestly telling you and all other WiiWare-World readers that Bernd did not put me up to this! As you can't take anything I write seriously (as you wrote) me saying that won't matter to you I suppose. But let me ask you just one question: Did you play the game?
oh well at least it didn't get a 1/10 like EC lol (wait that's my own game)
@cms - Yes I have played Plättchen as I was curious to see if I agreed with Marcel. I thought that the production values in terms of visuals and sound were great, but the crucial factor of the gameplay was too overcomplicated to be very enjoyable. I am a big puzzle game fan, but playing Plattchen just felt like a chore to me.
I am really looking forward to other opinions on the game. Not that I dislike your reviews, oftentimes they were a great help for me as a gamer. But PLÄTTCHEN really seems to be polarizing people as I already wrote. The few users here who gave it a try seem to like it, so do I and everybody I showed it to. It takes some time to get used to it, but once you digg into the gameplay it becomes second nature.
I really worry that many gamers here who would have liked the game won't give it a shot because of the bad review. But let's see how things develop.
hmm... I guess I will give it a try. This was one of the games, I felt in love with when I saw the first screenshots and read about the concept. I downloaded MaBoShi and imho it's pretty boring, so maybe I'll disagree once again.
Ah, so this is why we never got a video!
Even though I was fairly excited for this game, I started to get suspicious ever since I heard the price point, and saw how hush-hush Wiiboy was about the mechanics. I was starting to expect a 5, or some score around that area. A game would have to be pretty damn good in order to get 15 digital bucks from me, and this game sounds far too confusing for me. I'm spending 1500 pointerinos on MLaaK instead.
I'm sure Wiiboy read this review, realized his nightmare has become a reality, and is now hiding in his closet in a fetal position.
@SRpirate. Are you the same SRpirate from IGN? I think I saw your name in one of the comment threads!
@Tony. Given the uber-confusing mechanics and the 1500 pt. price, I don't think this is gonna do so hot in the states. This game is crappy, but not Pong Toss crappy.
@x.Supermario.x. The Destructoid guys are idiots. I prefer Chipmunk 777's review (comment #42). Also, Luc Bernard fixed up the glitches and control problems, so It's much better. EC is down, but not out!
Edit: Hmm, it looks like the link doesn't work for some reason.
@Luc. You did fix up the problems, right?
No doubt WiiBoy thinks he's been betrayed and no longer wants to return here again. If the game was simpler, it would've been better. I'm intrigued as to what BPlus's future projects may be though.
PS: We want you back, WiiBoy!!!
I thought the review was a little hard, but not unfair.
I got the impression that the developers had an interesting new idea (the twisting and painting), but when they executed it they realized it wasn't really challenging enough for a game, so they added additional, sometimes random elements which eventually clogged and maybe even ruined the entire game.
It really is a game that you'll either love or hate, and since the majority of gamers will fall into the latter category, the 3 is justified. After all, reviews are there to help us make decisions, not to make our decisions for us.
"Ah, so this is why we never got a video!"
I don't know about you, but I'm pretty sure I watched a video of the game before I decided to buy it...
"It really is a game that you'll either love or hate, and since the majority of gamers will fall into the latter category, the 3 is justified."
How are you so sure? Most of the hating comments on this thread are from people that haven't (and will never) buy the game...
BTW, the "arcade" elements don't come into play in all the levels. There are levels that don't have obstacles at all. I think all the elements offer variety with different levels needing different approaches (some need more reflexes, some more thinking).
@Gitaroo Dude. What does being a Sonic fan have to do with Plaatchen?
@Corbie. So that's what that thing's from. It looks strangely familiar. I haven't played any of the DQ Monster games, but I do know a friend that had the old GBC ones. They sound really good.
Guess you finally got sick of ol' Greg, eh?
Speaking of your Dreamcast lollipop you had a few days ago, I wish I had a Dreamcast. I've really want to play Sonic Adventure and Chu Chu Rocket! . I should get around to looking for one on Ebay or Amazon or something. Any other good games on it (try to suggest ones that are a little less obvious. No PSO or Soul Calibur. )
Edit: @Maka. I was specifically referring to this site not having a video.
Just want to add that I'd expect the reviewer to actually appear at the high score tables (maybe he's under another name??) I found it pretty easy to reach the scores of the top ten in the first 10 levels... (maybe because not many people are actually playing the game... their loss...)
I wonder how often the boards update...
The boards don't get updated. The scores are in there from the beginning. You are trying to beat the GameClub-Members who tested the game and achieved those scores in the first place. Also the scores will get more difficult to beat in the later levels, so don't expect it to stay that easy to get into the Top 10.
From what I know there will be the opportunity to compare your highscores in the upcoming board of the PLÄTTCHEN-site.
oops... I was wandering what the GC was for
Online High Score boards would have been really cool...
@Mr. Cheez
The PC controls are, but I don't look after the wiiware version or know when it's coming out either.
I want to try plattchen to be honest, this is probably why wiiware needs demos, I must admit that it seems that they did put alot of polish into the title
I know how BPlus must feel right now heh at least they don't go drunk onto a website cursing out everyone hahaha
@Luc Bernard, you have nothing to be ashmed of with Eternity's Child. I downloaded it on Steam and it never deserved the battering it got from Destructoid. it wasn't a 8+ game but certainly was well above average.
By the way, it's best to curse when you're drunk. You get to say what you really feel and feel so cursedly bad in the morning you don't care how you feel about what you said the night before. Confused? Yep, I'm drunk too
@ Mr. Cheez - Rayman 2 is the pinnacle of Dreamcast platforming. But to be honest, most of my Dreamcast games are Japanese shooters like Ikaruga.
And you should try out Dragon Quest Monsters: Joker on the DS. Amazing game. Then if you like it, go back and buy the Game Boy games.
Okay back on topic now...
@ MR. Cheez - you crack me up some times
@ Luc- Yes Wii ware does need demos and I really think the new Animal Crossing should include VC and Wii Ware demos since they will not include the full games. As much as I love Animal Crossing not having the mini games is such a step backwards. Come on Nintendo don't drop the ball with Animal Crossing
WWW is consistent with their reviews and I don't think they should sugarcoat them. I think BPlus should learn from the issues that gamers do not like and start on a new project. Why does one bad game have to be the end of the world, they can try again until they land a hit.
If you don't agree with review I think thats OK. WWW is consistent with their reviews and I don't think they should sugarcoat them.
If you don't like it, go to another site.
Well, i must say this was a very well written review. I also must say i find reading all the comments (and arguments) very enertaining. While WWW is my 1st source for wiiware reviews, i will also look at a few other reviews to see what the majority of reviews say about this game.
P.S. Its funny how WiiBoy does not seem to be any where around.
BTW, the reviewer doesn't seem to understand the way energy is won and lost.
This paragraph is wrong:
"Each panel that explodes costs you one point in addition to gaining you a point, thereby cancelling out the benefit.
To actually gain points you have to connect a set of panels that are primed to explode with a set of panels which are not primed. These additional panels will not deduct points for the explosion so you can gain the much needed points in this fashion. When you destroy panels a new set drop in instantly to take their place which can also set off a reaction, but you will not be credited with any points unless you connect them to another group."
What actually happens is that the an explosion of one color always costs 4 points no matter how many blocks (or panels) it has. So, you need to explode groups of 5 or more in order to win points.
Also, the chain reactions do give you energy even if you don't add more blocks unless of course they're just 4 blocks big. This changes in multiplayer, where you need to "claim" the reaction by twisting a block adding it to the explosion.
Maybe that part should be changed as to not mislead your readers...
@maka
That doesn't make it any less confusing!
Also, the fact that you can't shoot the blocks randomly and win is pretty much the final nail in the coffin for me, since I figured I'd at least get some enjoyment out of it if I just sprayed 'n' prayed, like in Bejeweled( won, too).
Everyone: Different people have different tastes. There will always be people who like the game and those who do not. For example, I like Boktai, even though it was a failure in the U.S.A.
@maka: you really like this game, don't you? I'll look out for more reviews and if they rate it highly then I'll definitely consider a purchase. Wait a second... are you WiiBoy in disguise?!?
@Mickeymac: C'mon, the fact that you can't win just by playing randomly is exaclty what makes it good. Else, what's the point of playing?
@WiiloveitOnline: You're not serious, are you? (No, of course I'm not Wiiboy in disguise) I like the game enough to complain about this review which is not only quite hostile but wrong in many points, especially the scoring.
@maka
Because it seems too confusing for me to enjoy( I am easily confuzzed), and spray 'n' pray would've amused me for at least a few minutes( in case somebody I know gets it).
@ MarkyVigoroth
I liked Boktai too. In fact, it was well recieved by reviewers, it just didn't sell well, like Toki Tori.
@Maka. That makes it even MORE confusing!
@Calculon. Of course. You Europeans are always drunk. JK
@Marky V. Boktai got great reviews though, it just didn't do so hot in the U.S. market.
@Corbie. Now to get off topic again for a moment...
Oh yeah! I loved Rayman 2 on the PSone! I still have it, so buying the Dreamcast version would be a bit redundant. I didn't even know it came out on the Dreamcast, I thought it was just on N64 and PSone. I'm sure there's plenty of other games for the Dreamcast that aren't just shooters. Not big on them. Though I did read about this one in Retro Gamer called Border Down which looks kinda cool.
I read that you do a lot of level grinding in DQM: Joker. Do you do hours upon hours of it? cause that makes me a little worried.
Also, you're avatar reminds me of the red viruses from Dr. Mario, I have no idea why.
I normally go by what reviews on this site say before making a WiiWare purchase, but this time maka's arguments kind of won me over so I thought I would check it out to see for myself if i liked it or not as generally I do like most puzzle games.
I can only say I regret not heeding the words in the review now. Everything about this game is awful. Far too many things are going on at once for me to concentrate on whats going on. Twisting the wiimote all the time is a royal pain in this ass, why not just let a button press change colours? Also the points system is completely stupid, losing points for exploding blocks, painting stuff GAH!!
This is a truly awful game with far too much going on at once. When compared to most other puzzlers it falls flat on its face. After about an hour I was so bored I just turned it off, I doubt I will go back to it again. 1500 points wasted!!
maka - i dont know how u dare call into question the credibility of this site over this review. I think the 3/10 score is totally justified in this case. it is a real shambles.
@ maka: I've had a group of about 16 panels come in from offscreen and detonate, giving me no points at all. It's really confusing how it works.
@ Mr. Cheez - Rayman 2 on the Dreamcast is by far the best version of the game and LEAPS ahead of the awful PS2 rendition they threw together. As for DQM: Joker, yeah, there's a lot of level grinding, since that's mostly what the game is about - breeding and leveling monsters. If you don't like that, avoid the DQM games.
Border Down is amazing. And about $200. Is it worth it - not really. It's good, but not that good. If there are other games that aren't shooters for the DC, I probably don't know much about them. In truth, I bought a Japanese Dreamcast when my US model went out and about all I own for it are shooters. And one unique and amazing platformer called Napple Tale.
@Maka - Ok, we understand you really enjoy this game.. but the average person doesn't like chores compared to actual games. If you enjoy it, then thats good, but if other people don't then thats fine too.. And if you really want to complain that much about the review, go make one and submit it on another website...
I bought this game on sheer impulse on Friday as I have the Wii points available. After 10 minutes of playing I knew I had made a mistake, I just didn't have a clue what was going on.
As there is no page for this yet on GameFAQs I googled for somewhere that could help me make sense of this confusing game and came across this review. Now I understand a bit more about the rules I think I know why I dislike this game so much, it is just the fact that there is too much going on at once.
This line in the review sums it all up for me:
"Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is the videogame equivalent of trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time; there are too many elements to consider in tandem for this to be considered to be much fun."
I tried going back to it one more time after reading the breakdown of the scoring system, etc in the review this afternoon. It actually helped a lot, but I still didn't enjoy the game as a result. It's really hard to put my finger on exactly what I dislike the most, but it really hasn't clicked with me at all. Very disappointing, I wish I had bought Bomberman instead.
I would like to add some things...
What SHOULD have been done with this game...
-Kept it only 4 player.. each person has a Wiiremote +Chuck..
-Press Z and C to swap colors.. C for clockwise, Z for counter...
-FantasyMEs could have stayed.. but can't die.. thats dumb.. they should just do special effects (Such as: color a 3x3 area with one click, or extend the 3 seconds for some reason) to gain more points after they, themselves, obtain a certain amount of energy
-Flying objects could stay to be a distraction... But they should be much smaller, and less constant.. and have no other effect on gameplay other than to get in the way rarely
-Points system should have worked MUCH differently...
@Maka
The biggest thing about a review is that is largely an opinion. You can analyze unbiased if a game is broken in some manner but in some areas it comes to overall preference. Okay, the game is polished. But is it enjoyable? I enjoy Theater. Other people like Sports. Different tastes. I respect your differing opinion and I will admit that I haven't bought PLATTCHEN but I also don't see why people can say they won't buy the game because it looks horrible. Can I not diss something without wasting my money on it first? Not attacking, just voicing here.
BTW, I just got TEAM FORTRESS 2. Anyone plays, let me know.
@Terranigma
That coment made me wish for an online puzzle league wiiware game, ooooh I would really like that! I'd buy it even if it were 2000 wiipoints.
I don't say the game is for everyone. I do like it, others may or may no. What I don't get is... I can play this game for hours and feel I'm advancing, unlike in games like MegaMan or most shooters where the difficulty level goes through the roof. Still those games are classics but this game just has "too many things going on".
Again. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but when you write a review, especially for a site like this, the least you have to do is to get the facts right and have the decency to play the game enough to be able to inform objectively. This review fails in both regards. Bash the game for what it does wrong, not for what you don't understand about it. It's not that hard to understand if you bother reading the manual and playing for a while. That's the least you should do when reviewing a game.
Excellent purchase, Objection_Blaster, I'll shoot/burn/blow you up somewhere in the near future
Wow that's a lot of discussion and a score I wasn't expecting... maybe I will try it out if someone else has downloaded it to see which side of the coin I fall upon... but 1,500 points is too much to risk for such a title without playing it first.
@Maka
Take it easy, see, Drake's review was very good, so good that it convince me to buy the game, how? well he really make an effort to explain the game mechanics, specially for someone who didn't like the game, he didn't fully understand many of them, but I think I will like them. When I read a review I want the reviewer to explain the game, but I know he is not an instructive, then give his opinion, I respect his opinion and thanks to him I made one of my own, if the game you read about seems awful to you, you have all the right to express it, also if it sounds interesting. There are people out there who's gonna like Plättchen concept, of course thats why one should always read all the review and not just check the score.
@ Maka- Wanna know a solution?
Go somewhere else for reviews.
A majority of Europeans have disliked the game.
But I like how the two Europeans that DO like the game, decide to criticize negative reviews.
I hope everyone realizes you don't HAVE to read these reviews...
I hope everyone realizes you don't HAVE to read these reviews...
SSSSHHHHHHHHH That was supposed to be a secret!
@Drake
Oh, you will. I am decent at CTF but I suck at that cart-pushing mode. My screename is Shitakemushroomninja. Anyone else? Friend me.
@Maka
While I think you're doing more bashing of the review then the review bashed itself, your statement of "everyone is entitled to their own opinion" is (correct and) the whole backbone of free speech. Nuff said.
@Maka - This is a very long and detailed review so I don't understand how you can accuse the reviewer of not spending time with this. It seems to me that the game is far too complicated if you have to sit down scratching your head reading the manual just to get any enjoyment out of it. I don't blame him if he got one or two minor fact slightly wrong. It confused the hell out of me too and I have a degree in Mechanical Engineering!
Now I better understand the rules better it doesn't make the game any less tedious to play. I am actually getting a bit bored of you chiming in every other comment and trying to discredit the reviewer. I commend him for persisting long enough with this piece of crap to write the review personally.
@Doogle - I wouldn't worry too much about maka, you know what they say about empty vessels right?
@maka - End of the day, some people like the game (i.e. you and cms) and the rest don't, it's that simple. I think the best thing for you to do is to play all 100+ hours of what Bplus want to torture us with and then write your own review - at least that should give the rest of us about 2 weeks of peace and quiet from your incessant ramblings.
@x.SuperMario.x: That's what I'll probably do. This site is great for news, but to expect a good review of a game that takes more than 1h appreciate was very naive on my part...
@Objection_Blaster: The review bashed itself? You mean bashed the game? Well, you have to be careful when writing a negative review, especially about the facts you state about the game. If the facts are wrong and give a misleading impression of the game, you're misleading your readers. For example, the statement I quoted above: ""Each panel that explodes costs you one point in addition to gaining you a point, thereby cancelling out the benefit." is very misleading and were it true, it would change the game significantly as to practically make it unplayable. The problem is not the negativity, but it combined with the wrong facts.
@Doogle: At least you're only bored of one poster. I have to put with you all but seriously. Just as I don't have to read the reviews, you don't have to read my comments. Don't like them? Just ignore them.
@calculon: "As empty vessels make the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers." From Plato. So you're basically saying I have no wit and am a babbler. Yeah, resorting to insults is a typical last resort behavior... Thanks for confirming the norm.
At the end of the day some like the game, some not. But many (about 90% in this thread) haven't even played it. That is, I think, a more accurate statement. And if you don't like my posts, see above.
BTW, I find it very funny that even after I pointed out the mistakes in the review, they're still there... At least change the part about the scoring...
@maka - Nope, here's my last resort. I'll lay it out in plain, simple English.
We've heard your rant and appreciate that you like the game. Sadly, you don't understand that most people appreciate the quality of the reviews at WiiWare World and have used this site and it's sister site, VC Reviews to get a good idea of how hundreds of games play and hence trust these guys to lay it out like it is so we don't just blunder in and buy on a whim (well, maybe I still do when I'm drunk)
Drake is an excellent reviewer and I recognise that he and the rest of the team put a great deal more effort into promoting and reviewing WiiWare and VC games than most mainstream magazines and even the big publishers do. I also respect them a great deal because they're willing to put up with a great deal of slack from dumb-assed commenters like me moaning about some of their scores
At the end of the day, it's fine to put your point across if you disagree but quite frankly, your efforts are so excessive that they're simply giving people reason to attack you rather than the game which is why I'm asking ... no begging you, to stop. The whole argument's really tired and I question why you're coming back to the site if you're feel so negative about the reviews ( I notice an attack on one review has now become all-encompassing) and the commenters.
Ok, I took a quick peek at the game's tutorial and you do indeed get points by setting off an explosion bigger than 5 tiles, so I've amended the text slightly. It still doesn't change anything for me though!
@maka - thanks for your input, as Drake has just said the review has been amended slightly to reflect the scoring system. However, as Drake has also pointed out it doesn't change the fact that the game itself isn't really worth playing.
Please lets draw a line under this now and move on.
@Maka
Um... you completely misunderstood my comment. I was saying that you were far more negative of the review then the review was of the game.
@Maka - I wish there was an ignore button for your comments as you are getting seriously boring now. I think we have both stated our respective thoughts on this game quite clearly. Lets agree to differ and leave it at that. Do you really need to keep going on and on about it?
OK guys Eurogamer's review of Plättchen is now up!
"Plättchen is a game buried under an avalanche of ideas, few of which are adequately developed or incorporated into a coherent play experience. Somewhere in there is an interesting puzzle game, but it's obscured by a deluge of vaguely explained and often conflicting gameplay concepts."
5/10
@Maka and Doogle
I think the points on both sides have been made so lets leave it at that. Further comments will probably be irrelevant and won't convince either side of the others' views.
I just think it looks ugly. Like someone threw a load of stuff at a screen and said "voila"!
@Drake: Thanks for taking the time to correct the facts.
@Objection_Blaster: I did understand, but maybe I wasn't clear on my reply. Sorry.
To the rest, I'll just say that I'm not trying to convince anyone that the game is the next best thing since sliced bread (it certainly isn't). Just trying to state the facts, that's all. Thankfully, Drake has listened and corrected the review. I appreciate it (seriously) even if we disagree on the game's worth value.
I'll read Eurogamer's review, but from the quoted statement and score, it already seems more fair than this one...
5/10 seems to be a better score.
3/10 lead the game to be considered as the same level of mediocrity of spogs racing or pong toss.
The gameplay mecanics sure needs to be optimized but at least graphics, animations and all technical aspects of the game are good.
Taking into account the preposterous asking price of 1500 points, the lower score given here seems entirely justified to me. Squabbling over a minor difference like this is pointless anyway. Both reviews nicely sum up the disappointment I felt after downloading Plättchen. I wish that I could only get my money back!
Mickeymac-san and Mr. Cheez: I guess you just gave me a corllary. There are people who like games (like Plätchen) even though they are rated lowly, and there are people who hate games (like Boktai) even though they are rated highly.
(By the way, you should consider that Konami not only tried to redo Boktai in Lunar Knights by changing the names for the US market, but Konami also noted that Lunar Kngihts came from the same people who made Metal Gear Solid. That seems a little overkill, hai?)
3/10 is a bit too low in my eyes (it would be at the same step as SPOGS and imho it is at least worth a Critter-Roundup if you get into those complicated things ), however, I understand the critical points.
Btw: The bongos had to be removed because of Nintendo's policies (they don't want it to support them anymore) and the Zapper was planned since the beginning, I guess at that time it still was a one-handed gun...
A review is largely an opinion and if the reviewer has to "force" himself to continue playing for the sake of an objective review, I don't see how a very low score (like a three) isn't warranted.
I'm glad to see some opposing views of the game in the comments. Not because I like the game or even intend to play it (too expensive!), but simply because no one can come to a clear picture of a game they haven't played without listening to multiple disagreeing sides. The negative comments in the review and the negative comments posted by readers about the review are both important.
I wish Cho Aniki, Plattchen and Pong toss all came out the same week. It would be the most contrversial week ever in Nintendo history.
I bought Plattchen (and Midnight Pool and Bomberman) the night it was released, as I was quite hyped and excited that we received 3 new (2 Europe exclusive) games.
Bomberman - great. Midnight Pool - great. Plattchen - worst game I have bought in 20 years. I really, REALLY tried to enjoy it, I've spent about five hours on it, but it's just such a mess. I found one level enjoyable (ish) - One of the copycat levels, but each of those must be unlocked individually by playing/ranking highly on the impossible to progress Classic mode.
To the Plattchen loving guy complaining about WWWs review/score, I'm with you all the way, 3/10 is a stupid score. 0.5/10 is far more appropriate.
Do not purchase this game - You'll feel as depressed as I do for wasting your Wii Points. It's so bad, it's even put me off of the WiiWare service a bit. No more impulse buys for me anymore.
Ohhhhhh! Boktai is lunar knights? I was wondering what you guys were talking about . Thats a pretty sweet game IMO. Yet another game in my collection I haven't got around to beating, but what I've played of it was pretty cool.
Back on topic about plattchen, I think that Doogle is right. Charging 1500 points for your game is pretty much asking for people to be hard on it. The only game on wiiware that costs 1500 is FFCC:MLAAK, and that has the final fantasy name to get people to download it, as well as being a really fun game with a lot of hours of enjoyment (if you like that kind of thing, of course). I see people on this site all the time who complain that if a game was 200 points less they would buy it. I don't really agree, since if I think a game is good the difference between paying 8 dollars and 10 dollars is minimal (IMO). But developers need to realize that they are going against a lot of other games and the lowest priced games tend to sell well, like dyc and my aquarium.
@Terranigma
Thanks for backing me up .
@Tony
Lol, if all those games came out in the same week people would be starting petitions to boycott WiiWare.
I don't see why people are so hard on pong toss though, the game is clearly meant to be an easy way to play beer pong without having to make a mess with a bunch of plastic cups and beer. Plus, with real beer pong your beer gets warm . I haven't downloaded it but I'm sure eventually I will when some buddies are over and we feel like playing a drinking game. NOT a good game to play sober though, that's for sure lol.
Edit: I'm not bashing Corbie's review, when reviewed as a video game pong toss is terrible .
@Dazza
Thanks for the link, I wanted to read another review, but Drake's is much better than that one, I'm really staying in WWW , you really put your everythig on your reviews.
Btw For what I'v read the worst flaw in Plättchen is: The 1500 wiipoints.
Wow this is really lower then I suspected, but I'm buying it anyways! Funny how mostly Americans are giving this one a thumbs down even though they haven't played it yet???
@Supermarioman
Let us know how it goes.
Some of these articles on WWW have more drama than a furry site...
Okay, seriously. Reader reviews. Or at the very least, reader ratings. Isn't an argument like this a pretty good indication that such a thing would be helpful? We've got people who diss the review saying that they liked the game, we got people who tried the game and agree with the review, and we got those who will never play the game because of the review. And there are those looking for more opinion than just the review, and want to find out what everyone else thinks, but in order to do that, have to get through this mess of posts to find another person's for-real opinion.
I'm not saying I don't trust the WWW reviews, 'cause I do. The description of the gameplay is very confusing and I don't think I'll be getting it 'cause it sounds so confusing. But with all this arguing going on about the quality of the game, it sure would be nice to have a score representing what the general consumer thinks.
And besides, if the sister-site VC-Reviews can have user ratings, why can't this site?
After reading the comments, I'm piecing together why everyone hates WiiBoy, but could someone give me an abridged rundown? I'm slightly confused. I've been a member of WWW since its launch (I was a VCR member since near its launch too), so I don't know how I missed the WiiBoy controversy. Please clear this up... somebody!
@Clayfrd
I didn't even realize there was any hate towards WiiBoy, I just figured everybody just wanted to hear what he had to say, especially after he hyped Plachen up so much.
Thanks for suggesting the reader reviews. We'll place it in our suggestion box (trash can) as soon as possible.
@Corbie
Thats where I think my doctor puts all my reports about those voices in my head
Well in all seriousness, I'll talk to the team about it and see what we can do about having at least the Reader Scores like the ones found on VC-Reviews.
I forgot the DreamCast even had a logo! To me back then it was like what the PS3 is today, at least in my opinion.
@Drake
Dear God, man! I checked your SteamID and...with the hrs you've put into TF2...I'm gonna get obliterated!!
@Corbie
Awesome news. I havent said much about it but I've been hoping for this feature since WWW launch.
Yah, I, myself, was hoping a player grading system would come out some time ago..
But alwell.. these reviews suffice =p
@Clayfrd & Mickeymac
The hate has been more towards the negative review that this site gave the game.
As I said earlier, I think WiiBoy is avoiding treacherous ground by not getting involved in this discussion since it is his game.
Also, if poeple are so concerned about getting a variety of reviews concerning games then use sites like meta-critic and game-stats. If you want a variety of opinions then you need to go out and get them. Its like watching multiple news sources like Fox and CNN to get both sides of a subject.
We're not so arrogant to think that we are the be all and end all of WiiWare reviews. That's why under every review score there are links to Metacritic and Gamerankings so you can easily find more opinions for comparison.
Aren't we nice to you guys?
We're not so arrogant to think that we are the be all and end all of WiiWare reviews.
Speak for yourself.
I hardly ever look at reader scores anyway.
Sorry readers nothing personal
Honestly after reading this review, I feel like I need a PHD to understand the concept. I was so confused after reading it. Its like there are panels, colors, things flying across the screen, 800 power meters, complex codes, long division, square roots, etc. Ok I am just kidding, but this game would be perfect for Mensa members and multi-taskers
You know what people who want reader reviews are saying to me?
"I have no faith in the guys who do the official reviews"
If you don't like what the review has to say, go to another site and watch the game get a bashing there too before you realise the truth. Eurogamer might have given Plattchen a 5/10 but from what I gathered it was really more of a 4/10 but someone was being nice.
It's a good job I'm not reviewing half these games because WWW would need some serious anti-hate filters in place Maybe the team should give me a slot ... call me Uncle Grumpy or something and write down on my profile that I like to eat small children and make designer furniture out of live puppies, or something to that effect....
Well, looks like Maka turned tail once more people came out to say how bad Plattchen is. Probably just another BPlus plant.
BTW, I don't see reader reviews as insulting. I just see them as a 2nd opinion, which is nice. Better to have an environment that encourages multiple viewpoints imo.
@Gitaroo_Dude: You wish! I said all I had to say on this subject. There's no point in continuing. I have absolutely nothing to do with BPlus and I'm not leaving this site anytime soon. Cheers
I still think the wrong person reviewed this game. The game def deserves higher than a 3. Maybe they should get someone that likes to review more complex puzzlers or hope that people dont just see a 3 here and run away. Im not attacking the reviewer I am just saying some people do not like popular or great games. Me for instance, I do not like halo and if I was the only person around that reviewed it, the xbox would not have sold. Just need to take more than one person's opinion into account. Not just for this game, but for all. I'm done now.
Oh my god, here we go again. This review has spawned more replies about how Drake isn't right, we need user reviews, we have no faith in what the reviewers have to say, blah blah blah.
Drake corrected one minor over-sight and still thought the game was an awfully complicated mess - just accept the fact that he thought the game rated no higher than 3/10 and move on,
If you can't agree then buy the bloody thing or shut the hell up and go and find some form of self-gratification on another site. If a game ruins the most essential element of it's purpose then it deserves a poor rating - poor graphics and sound are manageable if the gameplay's good, but a game without decent gameplay might as well be a chore.
I think you guys are reading too much into scores like 5/10 from Eurogamer, who also agreed that it was overly complicated and eluded that most players wouldn't bother going too far. Quite frankly if that's the case, why give it an average score? It's not even a low average. I think people are falling into the trap that just because it's WiiWare it shouldn't be scrutinised as harshly and so I applaud Drake for doing what's right and meeting his review with the appropriate score rather than meeting up half-way with people's expectations of the developer..
By the way, way to make it sound like Drake is an idiot. There's only one idiot on the WiiWare World site and that's me ... and maybe x.SuperMario.x. (just kidding there fella)
There's only one idiot on the WiiWare World site and that's me ... and maybe x.SuperMario.x.
I could agree with that.
Oy, which of you cheeky admin buggers changed my comment to imply that my bestest ... er, buddy, x.SuperMario.x is somewhat limited in his intellect. Why I oughta...... (grumbling, calculon goes to make a cup of tea before munching choccy biscuits and watching Predator)
It must have been an inside job, obviously. I'll look into this heinous abuse of power.
Reader score were a great idea at VC-Reviews, however, they won't be at Wiiware World.
Reader score can easily get abused because you don't have to give reasons for your number.
VC-R could care less about that abuse because all the games there were out for a minimum of around 5 to 25 years and so they got enough reviews.
At Wiiware World abuse could seriously mean sales deficit or pushing by manipulating the score, which could be a serious problem for small Indie developers.
For Example: If my neighbors were all gamers but didn't like me personally, they could bash the game I made with low scores although they never played it, while my friends (who don't have to be part of my gaming company) can raise the score easily, it could even be that I convinced them the game is good because of my rhetoric knowledge and make them easily to marionettes
I have to point out that this was just an example, I'm neither making games nor do I have rhetoric knowledge.
@Bensei - that is exactly why we have been reluctant to carry this feature across from VC Reviews so far.
Check out Metacritic's Pong Toss page. There are 4 professional reviews giving it an average of 1.9 out of 10.
The average reader score is 5.6, in fact last week I think it was 10/10. Obviously this system can be too easily abused. We do still have plans to do something, but we want to make the votes more visible to avoid this sort of thing.
Oh and thanks for pointing out gamerankings and metacritics below your reviews, I usually overlook banners automatically because of advertisement, even when it's in the center Yeah, zee interwebs
The 3 reader ratings of Plattchen on metacritic average at 9.6/10, so I can definitely see why you're reluctant to add this feature. Maybe you should make readers add a short overview as well, and make every individual rating visible.
@Dazza
well just allow people who have commented X number of times to post a review, so then you won't get fanboys making the score higher
@Bersei: @Dazza:
Reader average always will be higher than pro reviews. Is more common that people that like the game are the ones that will rate it. I think is no big deal either, people know that reader average is no pro, there will always be people that like a game (even pong toss) and the "angry neighbours" problem will disappear when more and more people rate a game.
I think you should develop a system to profile readers, so people will look for reader reviews that fit their profile. For example, I've never played Megaman, It would be great if I can read reviews of Megaman 9 from people that I know never played Megaman either.
@LUc
Good idea. At least 50 osts required or a certain amount of member time, like 6 months or something. If it isnt abused, Reader Reviews are still something I;m interested in, and not because I don't trust your reviews (Mostly cause I wanna rate them myself.)
That would save from double accounts, but not from Hype and flame
Ugh I was SO looking forward to this game...thanks for the review though, I'm really tight on money!
Hello there, after playing this game for more than I expected I have to say I love Plättchen!, I just can't stop playing it, but this is not a very good game, is really frustrating, it's menu is crap, and it's harder than it should be. This is an average game that only a few people will like, 1000 wiipoints is OK, 1500 is a ripoff.
I always tought It would appeal to me, but I have no idea why, so I can't recommend it since I don't know what I like about it maybe it's the music, is beautifull. I like to play all the modes, but I think all of them have flaws that most people would find annoying, but I kind of enjoy to fight against this game's controls and gameplay, and try figure out how the heck are you going to end those coplicated levels.
The review is right, I recomend everybody not to download Plättchen untill you try it, or if you're very very sure you want it.
@Twilight Crow = I think you need to brush up on using the phrase "it's a steal". It wouldn't be a "steal" if at a higher price. You mean to say that they're ripping you off.
You guys asked me to come back and here am I. The game is great, imo and I'm really enjoying it. 'Nuff said. Some of you are skeptical but in a way you're missing out as far as I'm concerned. And why in the world would you guys limit yourself to JUST WWW's Review or any other critic review for that matter.
I don't let reviews impact my purchasing decisions (with a few exceptions) unless the review highlights major flaws in the game's design that noone can overlook. In any case, I'll still give the game a try. Case in point: I think EVERYONE knows that DK Barrel Blast for the Wii isn't exactly highly-recommended by any means. However, I gave it a try after wanting to for so long just to see if the reviews were exaggerated and tbh, DKBB is a fun, decent, enjoyable game that I'm really into. It's a unique game for sure and the control scheme isn't "bad" or "broken" at all. I don't want to get off-topic but my point is, you can't let reviews MAKE your decision for you. If you're interested in the game and after seeing footage of it think the game is for you, then by all means dish out the points and give it a try. You may surprise yourself like I did with DKBB (in fact, I'm playing it right now!) and Plattchen.
In summary: I'm the type of person that likes to give games a chance even when the general populus bashes it (e.g., SRZG, DKBB, and now Plattchen) and I can safely say that my expectations have been satisfied with Plattchen and more. If you can be patient with the game and NOT expect to learn it in 1 minute, then you'll find that underneath it all lies a great, really unique, very challenging, replayable and lengthy game.
But that's just my opinion on the matter. I'm sure many of you will have a difference of opinion as my opinions tend to differ from that of others anyway.
I wish BPlus could see this. If you guys are still out there somewhere reading this page, please be assured that just because some people didn't like your game doesn't mean that everyone hates it/isn't willing to give it a chance. And by all means, DO NOT let this discourage you!! You guys are a creative bunch from what I can tell from Plattchen's overall design. I look forward to seeing more WiiWare iterations from you in the near future!!
FTR, there are many aspects of this review I disagree with but I think I've said more than enough.
I wanted to rant on about how you guys keep picking at Plattchen unnecessarily but I'll stop. I don't need to be in high water.
@Knucklessonic8
You're right, it was a bad translated said, I have corrected it.
I'm glad to hear you liked the game too, I'm sure that if there were demos in wiiware more people will try it and find it enjoyable, not too many though, this game is not for everybody, but I hope Bplus will make an improved sequel
I agree on giving chances to all kind of games, but sometimes you just don't have the money to do it, and rather buy a well rated game you like, of course, when you're certain that you want a game, because of what you've seen and heard, the reviews shouldn't be that important.
@KnucklesSonic8
I'm really glad you enjoyed it, after all, you had been waiting for it for a long time.
Personally, I base most of my purchases off gameplay videos rather than reviews( like you, I just use them to make sure there are no crippling flaws), and I might actually consider getting Plattchen, since the Nintendo Channel video was absolutely mistifying! The one on this site still confuses the hell out of me though, and those things that block your view mid-game do seem really annoying, so it's still not very high on my list, but at the very least it's on it.
They got greedy for gold, and they flopped like flying flapjacks onto the floor.
[flapjacks = pancakes, in case peoples in the EU don't know]
Didn't expect that.
OT: Flapjacks are pancakes in America?
No they aren't. Flapjacks are little oaty things.
at knucklessonic: glad you enjoyed and not changing your decision based on this review, and yeah i saw bad revies for DKBB, but i still got it and i think its so much fun!
@ILoveWii
Nope, Flapjacks are just another word for pancakes, over here anyways.
Even Demon212 liked this game, it's his #3 on his Top 10. Guess it's not as bad as some people think, just really niche.
over here anyways.
By "over here", I hope you're referring to your city.
I've lived in Florida for a very long time, and I've never seen a pancake referred to as a "flapjack".
It must be something connected with certain states/regions.
But it's definitely NOT a universal American thing.
lol, thanks guys.
@SRPirate: Yes, DKBB's reviews are horrid and yet I'm so surprised at how much I enjoy it. I'll be doing Time Trial vids once my camera is fixed (i.e., I get batteries or my adapter arrives).
Oh and someone at BPlus tracked me down and commended me for my above comments of notable length! I'm glad they saw it.
@Supermario. I think it's midwestern/eastern states that call them flapjacks.
But then again, I live in Ohio and and I always hear people call them pancakes.
Edit: according to Wikipedia (what would I do without it?), a flapjacks are bigger and thinner than pancakes, and are crispier and chewier. Mmmmm... crispy and chewy flapjacks drools.
@Tony. "You crack me up sometimes."
And you me.
I think people are more amused by my stupidity than they are my jokes.
Why did this turn into "PLATTCHEN SUCKS" "Nuh uh!" and then "Flapjacks, pancakes"?! What the deuce?!
I will not tolerate any bashing of flapjacks and pancakes in this discussion
Where are the IGN and Gamespot reviews? They're long overdue.
You know, I considered suggesting that WiiWare-World have 2 reviews per game, or a "2nd opinion" (a la Game Informer). But I figured the idea's already occurred to you folks, and if you had the staff, you'd do it.
I'm probably going to still give this game a try. I've enjoyed bad games before, and it helps that it's only 1000 points here in the states.
Here's a 2nd opinion, and a 3rd and a 4th: Metacritic.
The overall average from all 4 reviews is a pathetic 37/100 - ouch!
IGN doesn't quite agree:
http://wii.ign.com/articles/940/940232p1.html
@Juampi. Darn, ya beat me to it. I was quite shocked by that score.
I'm beginning to think IGN isn't exactly the best review site for Wiiware games. They're the ones that gave Madstone a 4 after all.
@Mr Cheez: It isn't as bad as everyone is making out, and for once, I actually agree with ign's score. The game is fundamentally great, it's just the extra additions such as the obstacles and your FantasyME avatar the spoil it. The basic game idea works really well though, and I'd really enjoy it if it was a bit easier.
i just got this earlier today, and i must say, the game IS quite confusing...although I don't think it's as bad as the review says by any means. I'll post more after I play it for another few days, but right now i'd give it around a 8.0.
I'll be giving Platchen (and B Plus) a chance and purchase the game next week once I'm done with an urgent work-related report (and finish Tiki Towers to release some space in the fridge).
From the review:
Plättchen: Twist 'n Paint is the videogame equivalent of trying to pat your head and rub your stomach at the same time; there are too many elements to consider in tandem for this to be considered much fun.
You muppet.
Also, here's exactly what I thought about PLATTCHEN.
You muppet. Is that an insult? ANd I'm trying to figure out your site's grading system. You have 4 categories that a game can get 0-10 points but the total is out of 30. I think that's a little strange.
The "enjoyment" and "other" ratings are out of five, as is explained here.
Oh - and my comment was simply pointing out why the reviewer found it so hard to play through PLATTCHEN - he can't even pat his head and rub his stomach at the same time, which really doesn't help.
To be honest, I don't think this is the kind of game you can review. For like a minute, I played it at a friends house and was frustrated, but overall it got fun. It a love/hate game. Although there are many better games on WiiWare (WoG, MM9, Toki Tori, SIGE) this is an okay game. I'd give a 6.5 most likely, which rounds up to 7. P.S. I actually didn't buy it. My little brother has plans to though.
Yeah, it most certainly is a tough game to review.
Also, nobody gave the game a chance so far. I mean, is this game the same quality as boingz or SPOGS? No! You ought to try. I learned that after playing MaBoShi. Total waste of 800 points.
Don't assume, rayword. Many have, myself included.
Oh and FTR, I just got Boingz and it's not what the review makes it out to be. And Maboshi wasn't a waste for me but I'm sorry you felt that way about it.
Anyway, it's a unique game I wish more people would try... provided more people here actually wouldn't pass judgments so quickly and actually give games time (this game needs it because of the learning curve and the overall difficulty).
Might get this somewhere down the WiiWare gets yanked. Don't care about this review, this is the same reviewer who removed comments on VC-REVIEWS back in day to cover his mistakes, and loved reviewing ROMS from the Wii VC days.
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