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"The Jet Gamer" Game Review: Domino Rally
9 years ago
More Cheap Wii games again.
Domino Rally
Well, here we go again with more of these inexpensive Wii games. We have had mixed opinions on this so far, as many of them are down there in price for a reason. This isn’t always the case, but you never know when you pick up these cheap games. Here, we have Domino Rally this time. I picked this up on a whim when it came into the store. I paid pretty much next to nothing for this, but was it worth it? Let us once again find out shall we.
Gameplay
Domino Rally is pretty much an oddity when it comes to the gameplay. I’m sure you have never played something like this before. That is both I guess a good and a bad thing. This game is pretty simple. You are controlling a guy in a yellow suit that is running along dominoes and other domino like objects all lined up in a row as you try and accomplish a very simple objective. The levels range from having to find a balloon that is a tree, helping a rocket launch, and just helping a guy knock a golf ball into a hole. The character auto walks through the levels, but not all the dominoes and tippable objects are lined up perfectly in a row. You need to create dominoes to be able to get from row of objects to the next. You do this by using stuff called minonaide. This stuff is what gives the main character the ability to create temporary dominoes to get around when there is nothing else for him to walk on. When you run out of minonaide, it is game over, so be sure and keep this in mind. You restock your minonaide by shaking the wiimote in rhythm when you are walking across solid blocks, not the created kind. This also has the downside though of speeding you up, so you do have to manage your speed in this game at the same time as you replenish your minonaide to create more blocks. This can be done easily in some areas and others it is a bit tricky to do so. Speed isn’t exactly your friend either. While it gets you around faster, you also have to create blocks faster or you will be constantly stopping at the end of your created blocks as you need to create more, which can throw off your rhythm pretty quickly. Speaking of end of the created blocks, when you reach the end of any blocks and there is nothing else to do, the main character will stop in place and a balance game will start where you have to maintain your balance with the wiimote until you can create more blocks to continue auto moving. If you ever do fall, that’s a severe minonaide punishment, so keep this in mind, and try to never fall. There are a few times where you will have to shake the wiimote to get around or click the buttons to get to certain areas, but they aren’t that abundant. I know you can play this against a friend, but obviously I can’t test this. Still, the screen is a bit limiting on how far you can see at times, and I’m guessing this game would turn split screen if it did this. I’m not sure that would be the best idea, but however it does this, how far back you can see on your screen is a little limiting on your gameplay. I do think they should have zoomed the screen out just a little more from where it is so you can see more at once. That would have made creating more dominoes a lot easier so you could plan ahead a lot easier. You can do it still in this game, but the game is going by so fast, that it times, you will end up wondering where you will be going next due to how closely the screen is zoomed in at times. Just wish you could have zoomed it out a bit more, and I do think this would have been slightly more enjoyable here. It isn’t unplayable by any means, but it is just something I observed that I think would have made the game better is all. The stuff I just described to you is the bulk of your gameplay throughout this game. I have to say it is a bit creative to do something like this, but at the same time, I do see it as a little boring after a while as well. For what it is though, I can see people getting into this for a short amount of time. It was a budget game when it was originally made anyway, so honestly, what they did get out of it, I have to say is okay at least.
Story
Ummm, right. The first thing you will think of when you start learning the story of this game is how it reminds you of the style of Katamari Damacy. The story is on the weird side and honestly at times really doesn’t seem to have any connection at all really. It is all over the place. While Katamari is on the odd side, it at least sort of connects in the story it has. This game is just everywhere and you wonder what in the world does this even have to do with anything when you are playing the game. The main character, Minon, is the guy in the yellow suit I mentioned that you are playing as throughout the game. He pretty much is roaming around helping people with random things they need help with. As I mentioned earlier, things such as helping a little girl get her balloon out of a tree are some of the things that this game involves. The levels that are in this game pretty much have next to no connection, and honestly, all this game does is pretty much show off how this guy helps random people with their problems. I guess you could say that is sort of the story in a way, but really, despite being helpful to these people and being interesting on their own, it is more the fact that this game doesn’t really do anything to connect much of this stuff that I think it suffers in this area. If this was just an arcade style game, I think it actually would have helped this game more than trying to add story like this that has very little connection to each thing that happens, other than Minon is there trying to solve odd problems that pop up for people and animals. Yeah, this is very odd.
Graphics
The graphics of this game actually remind you of Katamary Damacy as well. It goes for that very Japanesish look and also where all the characters have this blockish like figure to them all. That honestly isn’t a bad thing, as it honestly is just another style of graphics that make the game look like it should be a Japanese game and may be just an homage to those types of games really. Katamary makes it work, and honestly, I think it sort of works here as well. I do still have to hit the game for being a bit too simple in some areas and that there isn’t a ton of things that are shown off on what the game can do. The cut scenes in the game, the few there are, are mostly stills and only slightly animated at times. It would have been neat if they were fully animated instead of just partially. I can see what they were going for, but it just seems like they could have done a little more. It isn’t bad of course, and honestly, the game isn’t that bad to look at. It once again just feels like, you could have done a little more than what you did do with the game, but you didn’t skimp on it too much either. So really, I can’t say too much bad about the look of the game, as it does set out to do a certain style, and I think it hits pretty close to what it wants, which is a good thing.
Sound
Honestly, I think this is the highlight of this game. The music tracks in this game are actually quite good and on the catchy side. Several of the main level music tracks are pleasant to listen to, and several I can see being music tracks people may want to at least listen to once to check them out. They are varied from each level as well, so the music isn’t redundant and sounding similar to each track at all. This was actually a pleasant surprise after the story was so lacking and the game being a bit on the simple side. I can actually say that I would listen to a few of these tracks again if someone was to play them and want to listen to them. I can’t say I would want to go instantly download these, but they are definitely worth a listen at least once I would say. The sound effects are a bit lacking, but honestly, you barely notice them over the good music. The music tracks really do help this game quite a bit. Go give them a listen I would say.
Control
Control is okay really. The game is mostly an auto scrolling game for the most part, so controls are mostly about guiding Minon towards his goals. So really, you are barely pushing any buttons other than the B button on the back of the wiimote. Most of the controls of this game are just about shaking the wiimote quite a bit to replenish your minonaide. There are a few spots as I described that you need to shake your wiimote in order to make Minon travel to certain areas, but after that, that’s it really. The controls are simple and honestly do get the job done. They aren’t perfect as I think they could have added more to make them more involved so you weren’t just shaking your controller and hitting the B button was all. Simple, but I guess it works.
Replay Value
There are eight levels in this game, and honestly, give it two or three hours and you will have beaten every one of them, assuming you had to retry on one or two of the levels. That is it. I know some of these levels can last ten or twenty minutes, but they really went with this game being short and simple. This is a point where I feel the simplicity of this game does hurt it. There is just not a lot to the game and not a lot to keep you into the game for a long period of time. Yes, there is something to collect in the game, that being Manuals, which explain concepts in the game, and memories. Each level has a certain number of Memories that are scattered around them and it is up to you if you wish to find them or not. It honestly isn’t even that worth it to collect them all either though. All the memories are, is a little option to look at a still picture with an odd explanation about what is going on in the picture. Most of the pictures are about odd scenarios as well, so they really went with that, let’s be as odd as we can be with these things. If you really want to see them all, take the time to find them in the levels. Otherwise, once you beat all eight levels, you are pretty much done with the game. This is one of those games you definitely play once or twice, and then shelve it.
Overall, I would say Domino Rally is actually a very middle of the road sort of arcadey game that is reminiscent of Katamary while trying to be its own thing. The game is quite simple and honestly would be easy for anyone to pick up and play without any trouble at all. It has a good sound track, and a good look to it. Honestly what holds it back is the very odd story, and the fact that it is super short and not really worth replaying for a long while. This game sort of falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to Wii games. This is a game that sort of works for the Wii and really would be something that some people I can see having some enjoyment out of it. People that are looking for a very long game to play though, or something they can really get into, will not enjoy this game and will be done with it in now time. For those that want a quick and well “interesting” game to play on their Wii, I can see some people getting some good enjoyment here. So really, if this game sounds interesting to you, I would say go pick this up if you can get it for cheap, otherwise, I would say pass.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Domino Rally a six out of ten.
Gameplay: 6
Story: 4
Graphics: 7
Sound: 9
Control: 8
Replay Value: 3
Overall: 6
Domino Rally
Well, here we go again with more of these inexpensive Wii games. We have had mixed opinions on this so far, as many of them are down there in price for a reason. This isn’t always the case, but you never know when you pick up these cheap games. Here, we have Domino Rally this time. I picked this up on a whim when it came into the store. I paid pretty much next to nothing for this, but was it worth it? Let us once again find out shall we.
Gameplay
Domino Rally is pretty much an oddity when it comes to the gameplay. I’m sure you have never played something like this before. That is both I guess a good and a bad thing. This game is pretty simple. You are controlling a guy in a yellow suit that is running along dominoes and other domino like objects all lined up in a row as you try and accomplish a very simple objective. The levels range from having to find a balloon that is a tree, helping a rocket launch, and just helping a guy knock a golf ball into a hole. The character auto walks through the levels, but not all the dominoes and tippable objects are lined up perfectly in a row. You need to create dominoes to be able to get from row of objects to the next. You do this by using stuff called minonaide. This stuff is what gives the main character the ability to create temporary dominoes to get around when there is nothing else for him to walk on. When you run out of minonaide, it is game over, so be sure and keep this in mind. You restock your minonaide by shaking the wiimote in rhythm when you are walking across solid blocks, not the created kind. This also has the downside though of speeding you up, so you do have to manage your speed in this game at the same time as you replenish your minonaide to create more blocks. This can be done easily in some areas and others it is a bit tricky to do so. Speed isn’t exactly your friend either. While it gets you around faster, you also have to create blocks faster or you will be constantly stopping at the end of your created blocks as you need to create more, which can throw off your rhythm pretty quickly. Speaking of end of the created blocks, when you reach the end of any blocks and there is nothing else to do, the main character will stop in place and a balance game will start where you have to maintain your balance with the wiimote until you can create more blocks to continue auto moving. If you ever do fall, that’s a severe minonaide punishment, so keep this in mind, and try to never fall. There are a few times where you will have to shake the wiimote to get around or click the buttons to get to certain areas, but they aren’t that abundant. I know you can play this against a friend, but obviously I can’t test this. Still, the screen is a bit limiting on how far you can see at times, and I’m guessing this game would turn split screen if it did this. I’m not sure that would be the best idea, but however it does this, how far back you can see on your screen is a little limiting on your gameplay. I do think they should have zoomed the screen out just a little more from where it is so you can see more at once. That would have made creating more dominoes a lot easier so you could plan ahead a lot easier. You can do it still in this game, but the game is going by so fast, that it times, you will end up wondering where you will be going next due to how closely the screen is zoomed in at times. Just wish you could have zoomed it out a bit more, and I do think this would have been slightly more enjoyable here. It isn’t unplayable by any means, but it is just something I observed that I think would have made the game better is all. The stuff I just described to you is the bulk of your gameplay throughout this game. I have to say it is a bit creative to do something like this, but at the same time, I do see it as a little boring after a while as well. For what it is though, I can see people getting into this for a short amount of time. It was a budget game when it was originally made anyway, so honestly, what they did get out of it, I have to say is okay at least.
Story
Ummm, right. The first thing you will think of when you start learning the story of this game is how it reminds you of the style of Katamari Damacy. The story is on the weird side and honestly at times really doesn’t seem to have any connection at all really. It is all over the place. While Katamari is on the odd side, it at least sort of connects in the story it has. This game is just everywhere and you wonder what in the world does this even have to do with anything when you are playing the game. The main character, Minon, is the guy in the yellow suit I mentioned that you are playing as throughout the game. He pretty much is roaming around helping people with random things they need help with. As I mentioned earlier, things such as helping a little girl get her balloon out of a tree are some of the things that this game involves. The levels that are in this game pretty much have next to no connection, and honestly, all this game does is pretty much show off how this guy helps random people with their problems. I guess you could say that is sort of the story in a way, but really, despite being helpful to these people and being interesting on their own, it is more the fact that this game doesn’t really do anything to connect much of this stuff that I think it suffers in this area. If this was just an arcade style game, I think it actually would have helped this game more than trying to add story like this that has very little connection to each thing that happens, other than Minon is there trying to solve odd problems that pop up for people and animals. Yeah, this is very odd.
Graphics
The graphics of this game actually remind you of Katamary Damacy as well. It goes for that very Japanesish look and also where all the characters have this blockish like figure to them all. That honestly isn’t a bad thing, as it honestly is just another style of graphics that make the game look like it should be a Japanese game and may be just an homage to those types of games really. Katamary makes it work, and honestly, I think it sort of works here as well. I do still have to hit the game for being a bit too simple in some areas and that there isn’t a ton of things that are shown off on what the game can do. The cut scenes in the game, the few there are, are mostly stills and only slightly animated at times. It would have been neat if they were fully animated instead of just partially. I can see what they were going for, but it just seems like they could have done a little more. It isn’t bad of course, and honestly, the game isn’t that bad to look at. It once again just feels like, you could have done a little more than what you did do with the game, but you didn’t skimp on it too much either. So really, I can’t say too much bad about the look of the game, as it does set out to do a certain style, and I think it hits pretty close to what it wants, which is a good thing.
Sound
Honestly, I think this is the highlight of this game. The music tracks in this game are actually quite good and on the catchy side. Several of the main level music tracks are pleasant to listen to, and several I can see being music tracks people may want to at least listen to once to check them out. They are varied from each level as well, so the music isn’t redundant and sounding similar to each track at all. This was actually a pleasant surprise after the story was so lacking and the game being a bit on the simple side. I can actually say that I would listen to a few of these tracks again if someone was to play them and want to listen to them. I can’t say I would want to go instantly download these, but they are definitely worth a listen at least once I would say. The sound effects are a bit lacking, but honestly, you barely notice them over the good music. The music tracks really do help this game quite a bit. Go give them a listen I would say.
Control
Control is okay really. The game is mostly an auto scrolling game for the most part, so controls are mostly about guiding Minon towards his goals. So really, you are barely pushing any buttons other than the B button on the back of the wiimote. Most of the controls of this game are just about shaking the wiimote quite a bit to replenish your minonaide. There are a few spots as I described that you need to shake your wiimote in order to make Minon travel to certain areas, but after that, that’s it really. The controls are simple and honestly do get the job done. They aren’t perfect as I think they could have added more to make them more involved so you weren’t just shaking your controller and hitting the B button was all. Simple, but I guess it works.
Replay Value
There are eight levels in this game, and honestly, give it two or three hours and you will have beaten every one of them, assuming you had to retry on one or two of the levels. That is it. I know some of these levels can last ten or twenty minutes, but they really went with this game being short and simple. This is a point where I feel the simplicity of this game does hurt it. There is just not a lot to the game and not a lot to keep you into the game for a long period of time. Yes, there is something to collect in the game, that being Manuals, which explain concepts in the game, and memories. Each level has a certain number of Memories that are scattered around them and it is up to you if you wish to find them or not. It honestly isn’t even that worth it to collect them all either though. All the memories are, is a little option to look at a still picture with an odd explanation about what is going on in the picture. Most of the pictures are about odd scenarios as well, so they really went with that, let’s be as odd as we can be with these things. If you really want to see them all, take the time to find them in the levels. Otherwise, once you beat all eight levels, you are pretty much done with the game. This is one of those games you definitely play once or twice, and then shelve it.
Overall, I would say Domino Rally is actually a very middle of the road sort of arcadey game that is reminiscent of Katamary while trying to be its own thing. The game is quite simple and honestly would be easy for anyone to pick up and play without any trouble at all. It has a good sound track, and a good look to it. Honestly what holds it back is the very odd story, and the fact that it is super short and not really worth replaying for a long while. This game sort of falls somewhere in the middle when it comes to Wii games. This is a game that sort of works for the Wii and really would be something that some people I can see having some enjoyment out of it. People that are looking for a very long game to play though, or something they can really get into, will not enjoy this game and will be done with it in now time. For those that want a quick and well “interesting” game to play on their Wii, I can see some people getting some good enjoyment here. So really, if this game sounds interesting to you, I would say go pick this up if you can get it for cheap, otherwise, I would say pass.
Overall, in my opinion at least, I give Domino Rally a six out of ten.
Gameplay: 6
Story: 4
Graphics: 7
Sound: 9
Control: 8
Replay Value: 3
Overall: 6
ClayMongoose
~claymongoose
Many "discount store games" tend to be underwhelming.
