There haven't been a whole lot of gamers talking about a desire for games that let you play the role of a fungus on a mission. With it's stunning visuals and entertaining play, this new Wii title begs the question: Shouldn't there be?
People who own a Wii are privy to a solid array of unique games and gaming experience, with not all of those being due to its one-of-a-kind control system. Mushroom Men certainly belongs in the latter category, placing the player in the mind of a newly sentient mushroom warrior named Pax. This combat adventure story not only stands its own within the genre, but employs elements from complex RPG gaming to make things more interesting along the way. Suddenly, the lower forms of life on this planet are just as - and sometimes more - compelling than we humans could ever be.
Our main character Pax wasn't always walking around. Taking a play from classic sci-fi films, he and other pieces of vegetation were awoken when a mysterious meteor spread its space dust across the farmlands on which they grew. Vying for control of the planet, various forms of similar life are locked in continuous battle amongst each other and against their natural worldly predators.
As a story, it isn't entirely dissimilar from other sci-fi ideas, but it's far enough out of the norm to make it quite intriguing. You not only get the battle, but Pax encounters friendly, helpful races of 'shroom-kind along his way. It's hard not to get pulled in to this tale, and one quickly begins to ignore the fact that the characters are burger and salad toppings.
Not a single bit of expense and effort was withheld from this creation. The visual presentation is plain stunning, even though the Wii has more limited graphic capabilities than other next-gen systems. Along with the old-time sci-fi story is an appropriate game reality that draws on that idea, with consideration given to character size. Within that, few details are omitted, like Pax's exposed brain that appears when he takes damage. The end product is a surrealistic, larger than life environment.
Auditory accompaniment is equally high-class. For starters, the game's music is done by none other than Les Claypool, of Primus fame. His eerie soundscapes echo the recurring themes while managing not to get too boring and repetitive.
This is where Mushroom Men loses the most points. Despite being artful, the level architecture leaves a bit to be desired. Far worse than that is their interaction with the story. With all the other available tools, the player is left with many situations in which they're pushing buttons and switching levers to advance.
The fighting balances itself out between good weapons and bad controls. Pax is able to pick up tons of items laying about - like toothpicks, broken glass and old gum - and turn them into weapons for himself. In addition to the normal game weapons, you can gather quite an arsenal. Unfortunately, once you find your way into a fight, you mostly just end up shaking the controller like crazy, hoping to take down your foe.
This is by far one of the best looking games for the Wii, and its got plenty of story to back it up. True, it's not the most efficient use of motion controls. Sometimes it's downright frustrating that you can't do more and do it accurately. Also, even though it's not particularly easy, there are far more complex games out there to keep you occupied.
Eye candy and a good tale don't completely overshadow the problems of the game, but they make it worth getting past them. This is one adventure that's definitely worth your time.
Kyle has been devoted to technology and gaming since getting the NES as a child. After college, he became a tech and music writer, doing both local and correspondence work. His learning led him directly... read more
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