First 5051. Mario Kart 8 (WIIU)
52. Quell Reflect (3DS)
53. Electronic Super Joy: Groove City (WIIU)
52. Rage of the Gladiator (3DS)
54. Electonic Super Joy (WIIU)
55. Ascent of Kings (WIIU)
56. Little Inferno (WIIU)
57. 50 Pinch Barrage! (3DS)Little Inferno (Wii U) is really more of a "toy" than a "game" because it has no failure state, score, or time-limit. It does have an ending, however, and I reached it a few days ago. In Little Inferno, you order objects from a catalogue, place them in your Little Inferno Entertainment Fireplace, and burn them. Burning them provides you with more currency, which you can use to buy more items, order more catalogues, and upgrade your item storage capacity. (I am quite certain the game is some sort of commentary on consumerism...) Moreover, every item burns a different way, and combining different items in the firecplace results in "combos" you need to gain access to new catalogues. Despite its relatively simple gameplay, Little Inferno is a very compelling experience, and it kept me entertained for hours. Remarkably, it also has a poignant narrative that is revealed through correspondence you receive from your neighbor, news alerts, etc. Finally, the game - which was developed by the teams behind Henry Hatsworth (DS) and World of Goo (iOS, PC, Wii, etc.) - exudes charm. I recommend it.
50 Pinch Barrage! (3DS) is a budget platform game that has absolutely no right to be as good as it is. In it, you navigate a series of short, but increasingly difficult, platforming challenges (i.e., the titular "pinches"). You character moves a bit like the protagonist in Another World, Flashback, OddWorld, Prince of Persia, and other "cinematic" platformers, and you will need all of his moves and every frame of animation to complete the game. The game starts out moderately difficult, and some of the later "pinches" border on cruelty. Besides a few "I Wanna Be The Guy" moments, however, the game is perfectly fair, and a skilled player could probably traverse the entire thing in a few minutes. It took me just under three hours (and over 500 lives) to beat the game, and online leaderboards encourage you to improve your completion time. Accordingly, a dedicated, competitive player can squeeze a lot of playing time out of this game. I therefore highly recommend 50 Pinch Barrage! - despite its budget aesthetic - to anyone looking for an intriguing platforming challenge.
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