Puffins: Island Adventure – NDS – Review

Oh, Canada.
For all of its real-world accomplishments and proliferation in the field of
hockey, Canada hasn’t been paid its dues in the video-game world. That’s a damn
shame, as I am sure that North America’s nicest neighbor would love to be a part
of the next Call of Duty or Assassin’s Creed. While we sadly may
never see any AAA shooters set in Quebec, Puffins Island Adventure for
the Nintendo DS does allow you to visit a Canadian wildlife habitat for some
bird-centric mini-games fun.

Your
adventure begins with the creation and naming of your character. Seeing as to
how every character in this game has a beak, you are given a few hair and color
choices for your fowl’s form. Sadly, there aren’t many options available here,
so those hoping to make Toucan Sam will probably end up disappointed. You are
then thrust into the 3D world of Puffins Island Adventure, a land packed
with birds, burrows, and business. Once you gain control, the camera stays above
your character as you walk or fly your way towards the quest markers mapped on
the top screen. It is during these island segments that you can talk to other
birds, learn about what can be done in the habitat, and jump into a couple of
eclectic mini-games.

The
mini-games are unlocked by chatting with some of the local wildlife. Many of
these games are stylus-based, as you will catch fish by circling them on the
bottom screen, do diving tricks by drawing your puffin’s path through the
on-screen targets, and rolling falling eggs towards the safety of nearby
parents. There are also a few more advanced pastimes, including a Mario Kart-style
3D racer and a mode that requires you to jump through oncoming hoops. These
mini-games are all functional, with each featuring their own sets of levels and
environments as well as online play for the racing. Unfortunately, the common
feature between all of them is that they are unbearably easy. Holding down the A
button will win a race without much additional effort, and hastily scribbling on
the bottom screen while fishing will net you enough points to advance. While
this game was clearly built for children, the lack of any challenge whatsoever
would leave even the youngest gamer feeling like there is little point to what
they are doing.

While the
‘sometimes fun but always too simplistic’ mini-games will fail to excite, the
island sections fair even worse. To unlock new mini-games, levels, and sections
of the island, you need to talk to specific birds. The problem here is that the
game will send you flying across the entire island to talk to a bird, whose only
reason for existing is to say “I just opened up a new race level for you.”
Occasionally, these creatures will send you on a fetch quest or provide you with
some helpful information, but most “conversations” play out like the above
example. It is truly a shame that there isn’t any personality to be found in the
inhabitants milling about, which makes your requirement to constantly talk to
them feel like nothing more than busy work.

Sadly,
Puffins Island Adventure also contains a few other half-cooked features.
While you can fly around the island at any time with the touch of a button, you
can only land in certain spots. This makes the flying pointless, as you will
still have to walk to most objectives. You can attract a mate and build a family
during your adventure, but your interactions with them are extremely limited.
While each mini-game has a few different levels, there is little gameplay
deviation between them. There also isn’t a whole lot of mini-games to begin with,
with only eight unique types to be found. The visuals are hit and miss, with
some smooth and colorful 3D art being hindered by horrific draw-in that has the
world popping into existence as you move. The vibrantly drawn 2D graphics used
in other mini-games end up faring better, as the illustrated vistas and cheerful
puffins should delight any youngin that encounters them. The music is whimsical,
but not for long. The songs tend to repeat themselves far too often,
transforming their pleasant tones into monotonous annoyances over time.

At 20
bucks, children with a fascination for fowl might enjoy some time with
Puffins Island Adventure, but there are far better kids games and mini-games
collections available for Nintendo’s dual-screened handheld.

Review Scoring Details for Puffins Island Adventure

Gameplay: 4.0
The gameplay is
entirely made up of mini-games and exploration, but the adventuring is poorly
laid out and the events are too simple to enjoy.

Graphics: 6.0
The 2D and 3D
visuals are detailed, colorful, and smooth, but some nasty environmental draw-in
and a lack of variety mars the experience.

Sound: 4.0
The music sounds
like something you would hear at Disneyland, but the same tunes repeat far too
often.

Difficulty: Easy
The younger crowd
might be comfortable with the ease of the mini-games, but older players would be
able to win blindfolded.

Concept: 5.0
Wander around a
community of Puffins, chat with and challenge them to a handful of competitive
events, and explore your island in search of a family. While solid in theory,
the execution leaves a lot to be desired.

Multiplayer: 5.0
Feature-packed,
with both local multi-card play and Nintendo Wi-Fi connection support included
on the cartridge. Only problem is that there doesn’t seem to be anyone playing
online.

Overall: 4.2
Puffins Island
Adventure offers
a 3D habitat to explore, cute characters, and a bunch of decent mini-games.
Unfortunately, a lack of variety and challenge will keep most gamers from
flocking to this one.