Game Info
GAME NAME: Midnight
DEVELOPER(S): Vilmos Gyokeres
PUBLISHER(S): Petite Games
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Puzzle
RELEASE DATE(S): January 22nd, 2015
It’s always nice to see the progress that indie developers make from one game to another. In the case of Vilmos Gyokeres and Petite Games the progression from Toon Tanks to Midnight is something the developer can be proud of as they really have a nice indie on hand.
In Midnight your objective is to launch a square shaped fairy towards the glowing exit of the level. The fairy’s name is Midnight and the game takes place exclusively at night, but honestly the story takes the backseat to the fun puzzle based gameplay.
Controlling Midnight is as easy as lining up your shot with the perfect trajectory and power. Sounds easy right? Well, with the intricate level design and the deadly buzz saws you will find yourself repeating certain levels over and over again until you can find that perfect shot. I found using my finger was a little better then the stylus on the touchscreen but that may be just my preference. The game spices it up in some of the later levels with switches and also self shooting cannons, bounce pads and breakable walls. All of the levels seem to increase in difficulty as you are getting better which keeps the pacing of the title honest.
While the trial and error of the shots take away a little of the challenge, Petite Games has made sure to add in a 3 star scoring system to give you a little more incentive to come back and revisit each of the 28 levels. My only complaint with the scoring system is you don’t really know how many shots it takes to get the next star. Most of the levels tries for the hole in one approach but if not, again, there is nothing there to tell you.
The visuals of Midnight are something to admire. The levels all have a simple black look to them and a gorgeous HD landscape to enhance the scenery. It all feels simple, but sometimes simple is better. The music has the nice relaxing feel of the piano, which helps sooth your anger after having to repeat some of the more difficult levels over and over again.
The Recommendation
Like I said earlier, it’s always nice to see an indie developers’ progression from one title to the next. Midnight, while a different genre then Toon Tanks, is a better title in almost every regard. The graphics are sharp, it has a nice soundtrack and the scope of the game is one of purpose. Any fan of puzzle games will easily get their moneys worth out of this budget priced eShop title. At $1.99 this would be a hard title to pass up and should really be in the virtual library of any Wii U owner.
