Art of Balance (demo)

Family lore has it that my mother's heirloom, crystal pepper shaker was broken when her father-in-law and some of my uncles were stacking whatever happened to be on the table the first time they visited my parents. Art of Balance, if it had existed then, might have saved the day. It's a simple game of stacking one geometric object (no breakable table settings here) on another and seeing if the whole thing stays up.

Prior interest: none

I thought Art of Balance looked like a newly released game from the makers of Jett Rocket reusing the same engine for water and lighting effects. But it turns out the game was released on WiiWare almost a year ago and several months before Jett Rocket. Clearly, it's a low profile game that could use a little publicity.

Odds of purchase: low

As a cash-strapped consumer, a game like Art of Balance which delivers tons of gameplay for a low pricetag, ought to represent a real temptation. Sadly, its niche has already been filled by Boom Blox Bash Party in my library. (Which, come to think of it, is the biggest problem I have with Jett Rocket: it's too similar to another retail game that I already own.) What it comes down to is when I want to play a physics-based puzzle game I can't imagine picking up Art of Balance because Boom Blox just offers me so much more.

Jett Rocket (demo)

Jett Rocket is a 3D platformer that seems inspired by Super Mario Galaxy. The hero, imaginatively named Jett Rocket, must protect the planet (Yoroppa) from an environmental terrorist organization (the Power Plant Posse) or something. He's equipped with a jet pack and rides jet skis, parachutes, and snow boards. But let's be honest, the real hook is that Shin’en has managed to cram what looks like a full retail game into a mere 40Mb, a fraction of a DVD's capacity. That and the low WiiWare price pulled the title from certain obscurity of discount bins in terms of publicity.

Prior interest: low

Everything I saw about the game before I tried the demo was taken from the first world which is a tropical atoll that looks very much like the Beach Bowl Planet from Super Mario Galaxy. It's hard to shake the idea that Jett Rocket is a poor-man's Mario and the game was designed to fit into the space between major releases from Nintendo. If so, the release schedule coming a month after Super Mario Galaxy 2 could hardly have been worse. Every time I saw a trailer or screen shot of the game, I could not help but think it was an attempt to ride the coattails of Mario.

Odds of purchase: low

On the surface, this demo seems like a great idea: a hidden gem given a chance to shine even in the shadow of a massively well-reviewed series. But I feel like the demo fails along the same lines as the publicity campaign—it does nothing to distinguish itself from Mario. Only one level from World 1 is playable in the demo and it's a very basic climb-to-the-top-of-a-mountain style level. While there are objects (solar cells) to collect and achievements to pursue, it's not a very challenging experience.

It's a shame too since the developers clearly put a lot of work into making the game look, sound and play just right. Flying with a jet pack feels intuitive and satisfying as does the motion-controlled attacks. Technically, the game literally gleams with a vast array of graphic effects: heat shimmer off the jet pack, highly reflective metal surfaces, leaves softly blowing in the sea breeze, water spray, and so on. Music and sound add to the bouncy and lighthearted mood of the game. All in all, there's no reason this shouldn't be high on my wish list. If only another level or two had been added to show off varied locations and gameplay, maybe the demo would have sold me.