Game Info
GAME NAME: Shiny The Firefly
DEVELOPER(S): PadaOne Games/Stage Clear Studios
PUBLISHER(S): PadaOne Games
PLATFORM(S): Nintendo Wii U
GENRE(S): Puzzle Platformer
RELEASE DATE(S): November 27th, 2014
There have been an abundance of indie titles that have been hitting the Nintendo Wii U eShop lately that have been ported from mobile titles, for better or worse. Shiny the Firefly, from PadaOne Games and Stage Clear Studios, is one of the latest title to make this leap from the android and Apple markets.
In Shiny the Firefly you play as the title character Shiny and you have to bring your firefly babies to the end of each level safely. The baby fireflies have been thrown about the garden after an accident and now it is up to you to save them. That’s really all there is to this basic story, but similar as many of the older games in the genre, gameplay is where the heart is.
The first thing I noticed when playing for the first time was how well the game controlled for a mobile game port. You take control of Shiny with the left analog stick to move around the garden. When you are ready to have the baby fireflies follow you, you can flip your light on. If you turn the light off the babies will stop following you which is a good mechanic to help avoid deadly obstacles such as thorns or spiders. The game can be played completely off screen and you can use the touchscreen to control the firefly if you desire. A lot of the puzzle elements in Shiny come from pushing around a rock to either clear path ways or make new ones by blocking waterfalls. It all feels like your basic platforming 101 which isn’t a horrible thing, but also get monotonous and repetitive as the levels progress.
Just like 99% of other mobile games there is the three star scoring system in which completing a level while completing certain objectives will earn you these stars. The first is earned by delivering the baby fireflies safely while the others are earned by completing the levels in a certain time and collecting coins. I personally have come to the point where I just don’t care to complete the levels and earn the 3 stars or awards or what not. I would rather just play through well designed levels and experience the game. It just feels like a cheapened way to add replay value.
One of the brighter spots of Shiny the Firefly is it’s graphics and art style. The high definition graphics have translated from portable to home console quite well. The levels and character designs are all top notch and look something out of a Disney or Pixar animated film. I particularly loved the homage to the silhouette levels in the Donkey Kong Country Return games, as it gave it the Nintendo polish. The soundtrack unfortunately is quite the opposite and doesn’t do anything to add to the experience.
The Recommendation
If you enjoy mobile type titles or platforming games then this is a pretty good choice and has some replayability to it. The title character, Shiny, is well drawn and definitely has an appeal to it. With good controls and art design there are some great qualities to Shiny the Firefly but it can’t get too far away from it’s mobile roots, which in the end brings the title down a few notches in my book.
