Furu Furu Park

Being a sucker for retro classics as well as micro mini-games (thanks to a twisted Nintendo character named Wario), Taito and Majeseco’s Furu Furu Park sounded right up my alley. In fact, it was enticing to hear the fact that the game would also include a list of Taito classics much like a compilation disc only the games are presented in a micro mini-game format. Little did I know that this approach wasn’t the best idea and, in the end, Furu Furu Park ends up a Nintendo Wii title that’s low on fun and high on frustration.

There’s no denying that Furu Furu Park is a game big on cute. Its anime-styled characters and theme reek of Japanese quirkiness down to its Afro Love character. The game even borrows elements from another Majesco title like Cooking Mama. The collection of 30 mini-games is diverse and a few of them will be recognizable. The interesting part is that the game uses the Wii Remote and you can always play the game using the Wii retro gaming controller. You can even compete against a friend in three different multiplayer modes. 

As I mentioned above, the collection of games comes in new mini-games created for this title as well as retro classics. The classics are made up of games like Bubble Bobble (fans will most likely remember this game and its bubble-blowing dinosaurs), Arkanoid (yet another version of the Atari classic Breakout) and Pocky & Rocky (where you shoot enemies as a priestess). The new mini-games invented for the Furu Furu Park range from the interesting (like Puzzle), the familiar (Sushi and Sushi Fever) to the pleasantly offbeat (Snow Cone). There are some bite-sized sports mini-games as well such as Sudden Death (where you attempt to shoot for a goal on a soccer field), Pinch Hitter (bottom of the ninth with two outs and you’re up at bat) and Hammer Throw (like the Olympic event only you throw a human).

Some of the games are a bit on the tiring side such as Bird Man … a game where you have to manipulate the Wii Remote back and forth like a bike pedal in order to stay afloat. Even Skateboard and Skateboard Extreme feel a bit too awkward to be much fun. Thankfully, because of the way these games are presented, these weak games move along pretty quickly in Solo Play so you can quickly move on to the next mini-game. While it’s a blessing to rush through the worst games of the bunch, this is also the game’s curse since you’ll be rushing through the few fun ones as well. Worst yet, the Wii controls are not handled as well as they should and will, no doubt, turn off many players.

There’s a competitive multiplayer mode as well that allows only an extra player to compete for points and, in the case of Love Challenge, Afro Love will test your compatibility if you’re playing against a friend of the opposite sex. This is actually a cute idea that works out well for the game’s multiplayer mode but for those looking to beat a friend points-wise will find Free Battle and Panel Attack adequate. Played in a split-screen format or a turn-based style, the multiplayer mode is done nicely enough but thanks to the weak mini-games, I don’t see friends sticking long enough to get to the good stuff.

Visually speaking, Furu Furu Park pushes the anime style and the result is a game that’s filled with colorful big-headed characters and colorful backgrounds. Some of the games have a retro-look that would feels right at home on the Sega Saturn or the NES and that’s not bad but this is a next-generation platform and it should at least look the part for the newly designed originals. Yes, it’s good to see Bubble Bobble looking just like it did back in the day but why does Super Karate and Hammer Throw characters have to look so hideous? 

The game’s sound is a loving nod to retro gaming since the classic games come with their old theme music and the new games each have their own tune. In fact, in the case of the awful Rev the Engine: More Groove, there are a number of different charming tunes that change with the gameplay. There are also some decent sound effects for each game so there’s no shortage throughout the game.

In the scheme of things, Furu Furu Park would have been a delightful collection of mini-games that rival the fast-pace adrenalin rush that is WarioWare. Yes, the budget price is quite enticing and there are Taito classics such as Arkanoid and Bubble Bobble but these tasty games are presented in a rather hasty and unsatisfying manner that even a classic can leave a bitter taste in your mouth. I love micro mini-games as much as the next gamer but this one just doesn’t cut it.

Gameplay: 4.5
Using Taito classics as micro mini-games sounds good on paper but it doesn’t really give you enough time to savor the better ones such as Arkanoid or Bubble Bobble. With the exception of the cooking mini-game like Takoyaki, many of the more original ones aren’t as inventive or as fun. The Wii controls don’t even feel very comfortable.

Graphics: 6.0
Many of the games look horribly dated and while there are cute characters aplenty, this is still a game that could have looked better. The rest of the games are colorful and have an interesting retro look and the anime-like characters look pretty good.

Sound: 6.5
The game’s music is actually charming and so are the sound effects. Some of the familiar games use the classic’s theme music.

Difficulty: Medium
The real challenge comes from playing against another player in the game’s multiplayer mode but there are some challenging mini-games such as Puzzle and Safe Cracker that will keep you more than busy. Challenge Mode will have you racing through select mini-games to score big points.

Concept: 4.5
We don’t mind games that copy WarioWare … if it’s done right. Unfortunately, Furu Furu Park doesn’t do the micro mini-games justice even with games like Bubble Bobble. Sadly, the mini-games that are actually fun is few and fleeting.

Multiplayer: 5.0
You can share the game with a friend in 2 Duel Play mode and you can get a ranking from Afro Love. Some of the mini-games are actually better with a friend.

Overall: 4.5
Furu Furu Park is a major disappointment and a badly designed collection of mini-games that feel too rushed to be much fun on the Nintendo Wii. This is really too bad since there are Taito classics that would have made this a worthwhile compilation but WarioWare this game is not so do yourself a favor and stay away.