While even Nintendo’s finest have failed to grasp fully their peculiar hardware’s curious bag of tricks, Danish developer KnapNok Games has crafted a bespoke experience that integrates every hardware quirk available – gyroscope, dual-screen gameplay, elegant touch-screen controls, asymmetric multiplayer… heck, even Miiverse gets a moment of glory. Affordable Space Adventures isn’t a game that works on Wii U; it’s a game that could only work on Wii U.
Your affordable (read: dangerously low-budget) adventure sees you pilot a futuristic easyJet-like space craft to your own mysterious planet, travelling through 38 hostile environments. The touch screen is used to manage an increasingly complex wall of knobs and dials that resemble something from a 50s sci-fi B-movie. These must be manipulated to solve puzzles and avoid hostile locals while attempting an evacuation mission. The multitasking required can be demanding, though the three-player local co-op splits the workload beautifully.
Topped off with a dark humour, Affordable Space Adventures is a unique and charming package and the perfect advert for Nintendo’s machine.
