BOXBOXBOY! (3DS)

BOXBOXBOY! is the sequel to BOXBOY! and the second of the three games in the series released on 3DS.  It is, for the most part, more of the same, but with a key mechanic addition that sets it apart from its predecessor.  It also has some bonuses if you played the first game and have a save file on your 3DS, and I personally love it when game series include save data bonuses for having played the previous games.

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The major addition to BOXBOXBOY! is the ability to have to sets of boxes active at once.  In the previous game, you could only have one set active, and if you tried to place more boxes, the previous set instantly vanished.  Instead of being able to assemble a series of three boxes, for example, your limit is two sets of three boxes.  This sounds really minor, but in practice, it drastically changes the puzzles with which you can be challenged and opens up new avenues for solving puzzles.  As with the first game, the first few worlds are extremely easy, and even the first couple levels of a world where a new mechanic is introduced are easy, but by the end of the game, the challenge gets pretty legit.  Having just played the original game, I had a feel for the game's physics and how HAL crafted the puzzles, so I didn't struggle with the last few worlds of this game the way I did with a few of the stages in the first game, but there were still numerous puzzles that I had to stop, look at for a minute, and work out in my head with some trial and error before progressing.

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My favorite aspect of the game isn't actually the addition of a second set of boxes but rather the bonuses from having played BOXBOY!  It's relatively minor stuff, but if you bought the costumes from the shop in the first game, they'll be available to you in this game.  What's cooler is that some of the costumes have some extra function to give you a boost in the game, the two best being the bunny costume that lets you jump two boxes high instead of one and the wizard which adds a box to your limit per set.  It might sound a little a broken, and most of the time, it is, but there were a few occasions where I had to quit a level and change costumes because I had been using the bunny costume and level required that I make a precision jump under a laser or spike or something, and I physically wasn't able to make a jump that low.  Nine times out of ten, whatever outfit you use won't be a hinderance, but I did like that those occasional elements discouraged using the OP costumes all the time.

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BOXBOXBOY! is definitely a step up from the first game.  The game is still mostly monochromatic, the puzzles are still pretty simple overall, and the game is still short, but having two sets of boxes at your disposal makes for some more interesting puzzles than I saw in the first game, and even if it were literally just more of the same from the first game, that's more a fun, relaxing thing.  The stages are the perfect length to play while killing time on a bus or subway or to unwind during a lunch break or bathroom break.  Definitely check this out before the 3DS eShop closes.

My Rating - 3 Neps