Delightfully Delicious- The Munchables Reviewed

When Katamari Damacy was released in 2004, I expected its creative and engaging gameplay to be mimicked by a myriad of similar titles. Despite a handful of sequels and ports to a variety of systems, the Katamari clones never surfaced. Although the gaming press labeled a Nintendo DS title, Prey the Stars, imitative of the ball-rolling classic, the game contained little of its charm and amusement.

As the last five years haven’t brought a single Katamari competitor, I was skeptical if such a diversion could be successfully created. Perhaps the synergistic combination of Japanese-cuteness, wacky music, and addictive gameplay couldn’t be easily replicated. While recent Namco-Bandai release, The Munchables, doesn’t outshine Keita Takahasi’s brilliant creation, it is a worthy third party-title that evokes a bit of Katamari distinct mechanics.

Players control one of two creatures- Chomper, a blue and orange spiked creature, and Munchy, a softer pink counterpart.  Both characters resemble organisms from the Poké-universe, with their hybridized bodies and distinctive, cartoonish, eyes.  Gamers can conveniently select from Gamecube, Classic, or Wiimote and Nunchuck controllers to move the protagonist around the screen effortlessly. By pressing the ‘A’ button on any of the control methods, a nearby food item is easily digested.  Like Katamari Damacy, players are limited to eating enemy entrees that are smaller than the gamer’s selected avatar. Larger foes will conveniently indicate their status by a level number perched above their heads. As the gamer consumes adversarial foodstuff, their avatar grows in size, allowing the player to scoff down larger opponents. Rivals too large to chomp in a single bite must be attacked first, splitting the enemy into smaller, edible segments. Thanks to the trouble-free control method, gameplay is both enjoyable and involving; the game immerses the player with its open landscapes and multitude of antagonists to defeat. Although The Munchables isn’t an intensely challenging game, it is amazingly enjoyable. As with many immersive games, hour-long play sessions feel like mere minutes.  

Each of the game’s eight worlds are comprised of three sections- two expansive, open-world levels followed by a compact boss fight. These encounters are intensely satisfying, as the player typically devours hurled pieces of the chief antagonist, whittling away the foe’s life bar. Unlike most game’s where the culminating battle is wrought with frustration, The Munchables’ skirmishes are as tranquil as the rest of the game. Some gamers may be offput by the game’s lack of challenge and absence of new gameplay techniques. Others, especially younger gamers, may take delight in those attributes.

Completing the title’s main quest unlocks a mirror mode, where stages are presented in reverse order, as well as a time-attack option. Additionally, each stage has a number of hidden acorns- players who uncover all on a given stage are awarded an accessories for their character. Although the game supports only one on-screen protagonist, a second player can use the Wiimote to incapacitate foes, in a auxiliary manner, non unlike Super Mario Galaxy. 

Although titles such as de Blob and Super Mario Galaxy display vibrant, busy worlds at sixty frames per second, The Munchables presents its gameplay at a steady 30 frames. The title’s exoneration are its playfields saturated with enemies and vivid environmental architecture. The game’s soundtrack is filled with delightfully eccentric tunes that gently seep into the player’s head.