PixlBit

If you’ve played Pushmo on the 3DS, you should have a pretty clear idea of what you’re in for with Pushmo World on the Wii U. Excellent and intricate block puzzles are the core of the experience, along with improved online features. Furthermore, a new section of Pushmo have been added which vary up the core rules to make for new and interesting challenges that augment the core experience. Just like Pushmo on the 3DS, Pushmo World is a must-have Wii U title that stands out as one of the best offerings on the eShop.

Once again Mallo is tasked with rescuing various children who have been locked away in the Pushmo by traversing the puzzle. Methodically pushing and pulling the right blocks in the right order will create a path to the locked away child; typically located at a specific point (usually at the top) of the Pushmo. Like most puzzle games, things are easy at the beginning. while progression unveils newer and more challenging puzzles as well as new components - like manholes and switches - that make the puzzles more complex.

Of course all of this is exactly the same as in the original release, which might have veterans a little worried that there’s nothing new to see here. Fortunately, there’s much more available this time around in the new Mysterious Pushmo section, which puts a new spin on solving Pushmo puzzles.

In one subset of the Mysterious Pushmo pushing or pulling a certain color block will push and pull all of the blocks of that color in the level. This one small change completely alters the puzzle solving mechanics, forcing you to consider the cascading impacts of moving a particular block. Yin and Yang blocks are another concept that makes things interesting. Pushing or pulling the white blocks will cause the black blocks to have an equal, but opposite action and vice versa. These two variations and a slew of others make the Mysterious Pushmo the most compelling reason to check out the latest release.

The Pushmo Builder is back this time around, but rather than being forced to share your creations via QR codes on other forms of social media, the brand new Pushmo World Fair provides a hub to upload your creations to. Here, players from around the world can present and download Pushmo of all sort, many of which rival the Pushmo available in the main game. Because the Pushmo are shared via Miiverse, other players can leave comments and “Yeah!” your creations to give you recognition for your work. This feedback makes creating Pushmo all the more rewarding, while also infinitely expanding the scope of the experience.

For the meager asking price of $9.99, it’s impossible to go wrong with Pushmo World, particularly if you’re a fan of puzzle games. It makes great use of the Wii U’s features, while expanding the depth of the experience with smart new challenges.