PixlBit

Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! is one of the latest prizes featured in Club Nintendo. The WiiWare game is a digital representation of a classic Nintendo-themed trinket. Ultra Hand is the inspiration for the game, a toy that Nintendo created in the late ‘60s before the company was involved in the video game industry. Even though Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! is currently the cheapest prize available on Club Nintendo, it's one of the better prizes offered to the Nintendo loyal.

In the game you control an Ultra Hand and attempt to grab cooked meat from a grill at a distance, and then drop the meat onto a plate near the screen. At first, the game starts off slow with different types of meat falling from the sky onto the grills. As the game progresses, the meat begins to fall and cook more rapidly. In addition to simply removing the meat from the grill, player can stoke the flames by pressing the Z or B button to cook the meat faster.

The game has two modes, single player and versus. In single player you simply try to retrieve as much meat as possible without burning or dropping a piece on the ground. The game rewards you with combo multipliers if you successfully retrieve many well-done pieces of meat in a row. If you drop meat on the ground or burn a piece of meat, the game will abruptly end.

The multiplayer mode is virtually the same thing with the exception that you try to get as many points as possible while trying to beat your opponent's score in 90 seconds. The only rule that differs is if you drop or burn a piece of meat you lose a couple of points from your score rather than the game ending.

My favorite part of the game is the unique control scheme. Players use both the Nunchuk and Wii Remote pointed upwards and move them closer and further apart to contract and expand the Ultra Hand. The motion controls do a great job of simulating how you would control a real Ultra Hand toy, making the game more engaging and natural feeling.

I also found the game very addictive as it offers a simple arcade-like experience with a goofy concept that gets more frantic overtime. Coupled with enjoyable gameplay and engaging controls, I was very surprised that the game was of such high quality for a cheap promotional offer.

Being a low budget title, there were some minor polish issues throughout the game. The biggest offender is the rather long initial load time when you first launch the game.

The abrupt end of the game when accidentally dropping a piece of meat, or burning it on the grill, was jarring especially as I was getting used to the controls. Another minor complaint is the general lack of game modes, however this issue doesn't bother me much considering the type of game it is.

Overall, Grill-Off with Ultra Hand! is a solid title considering what it is. If you have a Wii and a Club Nintendo account, this is a good promotional video game and one of the better prize choices.