Reviewed: March 18, 2009
Reviewed by: Jason Flick

Publisher
Ignition Entertainment

Developer
AQ Interactive

Released: March 10, 2009
Genre: Action
Players: 1

9
8
8
9
8.3

Supported Features:

  • Memory Save (3 Slots)
  • Touch Screen


  • To me as both a game reviewer and a gamer I have seen a lot of interesting titles over the years. The large number of those titles usually falls in Nintendo territory save a few titles on other systems. One such title is Boing! Docomodake DS for the Nintendo DS. Initially Boing! Docomodake DS looked a lot like another famous side-scroller. But what I soon found was an adventure that is one of the coolest titles to hit American soil. So without further ado, I give you a review of mushroom proportions.

    Boing! Docomodake is actually based on Docomodake, the mascot of the leading Japanese mobile phone company, NTT DOCOMO, INC., which is the most famous mushroom in Japan. Now unless you’ve read a press release or Googled the name you would have no idea what a Docomodake was. I agree with other reviewers that it seems odd that Ignition would release such a title in North America as it and the company that it is a part of is not really heard of around here.

    Never the less, Boing! Docomodake is the tale of an upcoming annual festival in Docomodake Forest. However Papa Docomodake realizes that the entire family has disappeared and it is up to him to find them all and bring them back home to the Docomodake house. This title features 56 or so levels if you complete the Boing! Docomodake to its fullest.

    The controls of Boing! Docomodake (man I love that title) are really straight forward and can be learned quickly by players of any age. You move and make Papa Docomodake jump with a couple of button options. Most of the action however is done on the touch screen. And oh what fun action it is.

    The main objective of Boing! Docomodake is to get Papa to the Goal Marker in each level section and finally the missing family member at the end of each Area. How you get there is up to your own powers of mental logic. The levels are fairly linear though so there is no real freedom so to speak though it is possible to cheat the system and do maneuvers a little differently sometimes.

    The main attraction of this title for me is that you must separate off multiple Minis to complete tasks. You will do everything from making makeshift ledges, ladders and stepping-stones with these Minis. The level designs are amazing and sometimes decently complex. The one thing that I will say is that it is possible to get trapped in areas if you don’t make sure you have an escape route. I actually had to restart a section or two a couple of times because I rushed in with out thinking.

    There are a few things that I have to mention for the good and the bad. The first is that upon getting nearly 13 sections (or Area 2) into the title is that I missed a Mini somewhere in Area 1 and was unable to continue any farther on a task. But this is where the good part comes in as you can go back to completed levels and redo them and find the things you miss. You can even drop out of the levels after finding what you need without worrying about losing them.

    Throughout the levels you will collect gold coins like a certain other game. These coins serve a better purpose that a high score though. When you visit the Docomodake House you can purchase goodies with the coins you collect.

    Graphically, Boing! Docomodake is colorful and vibrant. It isn’t the most gorgeous title to grace the DS but it’s still pretty impressive. Everything is beautifully detailed and little character animations are as smooth as could be. I particularly like that the Mini Docomodakes are just as detailed as the bigger version.

    The sound department complements the gameplay perfectly. The tune that plays at the end of each level complete is rather catchy. Each Area also has its own score and the world map score is soothing. The sound effects are also well done.

    Boing! Docomodake is 56 levels of pure simple fun. The puzzles are challenging yet simple. The level designs are well done and the little story that takes place is kind of cool. For $20 dollars this title is worth every penny. There are just aren’t many title out there like this one. In a market full of shovel-ware, Boing! Docomodake stands out as proof that simple fun games do exist.

    Boing! Docomodake is one of the most enjoyable titles that I’ve played for some time. There are DS titles that I have liked in the course of my time as a gamer to this point and while I have a lot of favorites Boing! Docomodake is perhaps one of the most unique that I ever played. I highly recommend this title to anyone looking for a simple yet challenging game. Boing! Docomodake is instant fun that multiplies at every split.