Thank you Skunk Software for sending us a review code!

Mini-Games Madness Volume: #1 – Hello World! Is a collection of four mini-games made exclusively available for the Wii U.  The price for this bundle is $4.99 and most of the games included are bound to entertain for you for a short while.

Here’s a breakdown of each game:

Cave Run – The Lost Gem Edition – In this 3D endless runner style game you must run through a cavern to collect gems.    Along the way you’ll also be dodging various obstacles like fire, ice, shrubs, and pitfalls.  Pressing the trigger will make your character jump.  You will be scored by how many gems have been collected and by how long you survived.

Copter – This is a simplistic 2D game where you have to keep your helicopter airborne while avoiding obstacles in your way.  After each obstacle is cleared the helicopter will speed up making the game more challenging.  The final score is based on how long you managed to keep the gravity pulled helicopter airborne.

Eels and Ladders – This 2D board game supports up to two players and is based off Chutes and Ladders.  Instead of chutes, there’s, you guessed it, eels!  If you land on an eel’s mouth, you’ll be dropped down to the previous row.  Landing on a star will set you back a few spaces as well.  The first player to reach the end, wins.

Mini-Farmer – This is my least favorite mini-game out of the bunch.  In this game you start off with some cash and pumpkin seeds.   Each time you buy seeds, money will be withdrawn from your piggy bank. Your first task is to plant the seed and then wait for the ground to turn green to water it.  Then you must wait for the ground to turn green again to harvest it.  With all the waiting and little action this game is as fun as waiting for water to boil. 

While all of the games have decent background music, the title screen consisted of popping noises.  The preceding menu music was decent but the interface itself is horrid with its intentional blurring and jarring controls.  Selecting the games takes some patience, but exiting the games and going back to the menu is easy enough.

Other than imminent helicopter crashes, this game is clean and suitable for gamers of all ages.  All of the games are easy to learn and maneuver once you get past the main menu.

In the end I have difficulty recommending this game at its current price.  For starters a dollar per mini-game would have been reasonable, but then there’s the problem of one of the games being a complete dud.  Until Mini-Games Madness Volume: #1 – Hello World! goes on sale, I’d hold off on getting it.  Most of the games in the bundle are cute, but they won’t hold your attention for long.