Have you stopped by the 3DS eShop lately? To be more specific, did you visit on April 2, 2015 after the April 1 Nintendo Direct? You should have, because you could have been there the moment one of the best deals on the eShop launched. Hal Laboratory, creator of Kirby, has given us a new hero – Boxboy!
Though, to be honest, that isn’t the name of our new, virtual buddy. Boxboy! ‘s star is Qbby. However, he is a box, and (probably) a boy, so the descriptor is apt.
The important point is that $4.99 can get you Boxboy! for your 3DS right now, and you can’t go wrong if you make this little guy a part of your life. Trust me. I bought this game the day it launched, intending to save it for a plane ride later this week. I started playing April 3, and have since ruined my plans by playing it to completion.
Boxboy! is amazing for a number of reasons. The first is that it’s an undeniably charming puzzle game. The clean, monochromatic aesthetic is clear and pleasing. Every level’s goal is evident, which makes it easy to find success in each world’s seven levels. The first seventeen worlds also gradually build the player’s skills, focusing on using Qbby’s distinctive ability to complete a larger, noble goal. The following ones take all of that cumulative knowledge and provide more substantial challenges.
I should really get into what makes Qbby special as the star of Boxboy! . He’s an anthropomorphic box that can spawn other boxes. Each level lets him spawn a certain number of boxes at a time, and also has a “limit” of boxes that can be created in each level. You can go beyond said limit, however, so don’t let that scare you. However, if you do, then you won’t get a “perfect” score for the level and your crowns, the game’s supplemental collectibles, will disappear.
The thing about the boxes is, it isn’t just about making one or two appear and pushing them around to make things work. Qbby can disconnect the boxes from himself, using them to trip switches or act as platforms. He can keep them attached, using them as a shield or ferry to get a dangerous creature from point A to point B. The boxes can even be used as a mode of transportation, should he stay attached, to ride gravity fields, snake through tight spaces, rappel to higher ledges, or attach to sticky spots on ceilings and walls. If all this sounds incredibly clever, rest assured that it is.
Most important, however, is the amount of content someone gets for their $5. I went into Boxboy! expecting about ten worlds, which would amount to around seventy levels. I don’t want to get into a spoiler situation, but there are over 140 story levels in the game. That doesn’t even count the challenge levels, which become available to buy as you play with the medals earned from completing the story levels. There are even additional costumes, some of which provide different attributes like the ability to use an additional block in each level or jump higher than normal.
Boxboy! is a definite win for Nintendo. This is a fantastic game. It’s clearly designed to be played in spurts, but odds are you’ll finish it in a weekend, just as I did. And while it will get more and more challenging, know that you can do this. Even if you can’t, just walk a little with your 3DS on standby, earn some Play Coins, and buy a hint. No one will ever know, and you’ll still get the satisfaction of beating the game.