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If you like when puzzle games give you the freedom to solve them however you want, this
is a 3DS game for you. Actually, probably helps if you like Monsters, Inc., too. It's
Mike Wazowski's limbless cousin Phil Wazowski—not really, but kind of—it's Ohno Odyssey for
the Nintendo 3DS. Now, set Phil on fire.
So Ohno Odyssey is a puzzle game that takes control out of your hands. Instead, you're
in control of the levels. Your objective is to get each alien to the end of the puzzle...each
of which is like a set of Tinker Toys. There are platforms in place, but you have plenty
of objects at your disposal to manipulate the alien's path. Arrange a contraption that
you think is gonna work, release the alien...and hope for the best.
Actually, failure's part of the process. In fact, that's one of the defining characteristics
of Ohno Odyssey. It's what makes it feel less like a video game than a physics model. There's
not really a penalty for dying, or anything. In fact, I don't think you can die. If it
doesn't work, you just try again. Move a ramp here, tweak a bumper there...it's a game that
encourages players.
As opposed to discouraging them.
And fortunately, it's easy to work with. All your changes take place on the touch screen.
You move the camera with the circle pad, you choose items on the touch screen, you place
them with a press of a button. If it doesn't work, you can recycle them and use them somewhere
else...all you do is hover over them and tap a button.
So the interface is nice and simple, too. If I have one complaint, it's that...I'd like
to see the puzzle on the touch screen, too. And just drag things around that way.
What I like the most about this game is that...again, there's no wrong way to approach the puzzles.
Early on, I discovered that I was completing some of the levels with items left over. It's
like I figured out a solution other than the intended one...if there's even an intended
one at all. That freedom is what makes Ohno Odyssey so much fun. You're not trying to
figure out the developer's answers. You're actually doing your own problem solving.
And that's a lot more fun.
It also helps that there are so many objects. And they start simple enough. The spring lets
you jump, the pepper gives you a quick speed boost...but it's not long before you're using
objects in combination with others, or to counter another's effects. You can use an
oil slick, which makes the alien catch fire...but you can also place a water drop soon after,
to stop the fireball from crashing through the wooden crates.
Or maybe you want to crash through the crates. Maybe you have an idea.
And you know what? That idea might even work.
So what doesn't work in Ohno Odyssey? Well, there are definitely some flaws. Specifically,
the game doesn't have much in the way of content. You're getting 35 levels, but a lot of those
levels are like tutorial stages. And you know, because trial and error plays such a big role,
you end up watching the levels play out over and over. That can be annoying when...you
know the level's first half works. It's just the very end you're working on. But still,
you have to wait...there's no option for fast-forwarding, or anything. And there really should be.
I'm also not crazy about the way it looks, either. The art is kind of drab, which is
a bummer. For me, an awesome sense of style really could've elevated Ohno Odyssey to must-play
status.
Of course, that's not to say you shouldn't play it as is. In fact, if you like really
smart puzzle games, this is an easy recommendation. It'd be nice if there were more of it, but
for six bucks, it's tough to complain about a game this clever and this enjoyable.
It's Ohno Odyssey for the Nintendo 3DS.