Goodbye! BOXBOY! will be out soon in Japan and and that means plenty of puzzley goodness for players to check out. The first two titles were fantastic little games from HAL Laboratory, and seeing the series get a third installment is fantastic news, especially with all the new features it looks to be bringing. The official site updated recently with a look at some of the challenges and tricks Qbby will be dealing with this time around while also giving us a better idea of the game’s amiibo features.
The story
The story will pick up right where the last game ended, having Qbby and friends venturing out on their Boxship for parts unknown. I was surprised at how enjoyable the first game’s minimal narrative was and to have it develop into a three-game series is exciting, even when the real standouts of the game are the puzzles themselves. Keep in mind, however, that a good portion of the terms being used in this writeup are preliminary, with not even an official localized title existing for the game yet. Expect changes there, but I think they get the ideas across pretty well.
What’s new
From the look of it, at least four new skills will be at players’ disposal and they seem like they can seriously add to the nature of the game’s challenges. Rocket Box gives your created boxes some sweet jets, letting you fly upward and even forward. Bomb Box brings some more destruction-minded ideas to light, letting you send an explosive out and away to remove otherwise impassible spikes. Warp Box will act as a wormhole, keeping the laid boxes down while sending Qbby to the opposite end. And lastly, Remote Control Box can be set in a specific location, allowing Qbby to reposition and then move the box again. The video clips shown of the abilities already display some interesting applications, and I’m sure there’ll be even more variety of uses in the final game.
As far as new challenges goes, Qbby will have times where he’ll need to escort tiny Box Bits to the end of the stage, moving them and protecting them with his box powers. There will also be windy areas that can move boxes once they’ve been placed apart from Qbby, water areas where the boxes will sink or float depending how much weight is on them, block scales that need to be manipulated properly to bring platforms down to get across, and inverse areas where gravity will switch and put Qbby on the ceiling ’til he steps out and away.
All of these will be stretched across three planets, 22 worlds, and 150 stages– as well as 40 separate challenge stages. These extra difficult areas add specialized restrictions to the mix, such as not being able to jump or not allowing you to separate your boxes. Add in new costumes to collect and the ability to access costumes from the first two games, and this is going to be the most fully featured BOXBOY! game by a long shot, and it appears to hold the most value when measured agains the price. All of the games have been $5 in the West, making them an easy recommendations– and in my eyes, must-owns on the 3DS.
Amiibo functionality
That’s not all that makes the third game special, though. Thanks to the announced Qbby amiibo included in the BOXBOY! Boxed Box, the game will allow players with access to the figure to unlock a few special somethings. First off, you’ll be able to give the game a Game Boy style visual filter, bringing that classic green color back in style. You’ll also unlock a costume for Qucy, Qbby’s adorable bow-wearing friend. This’ll give the player access to hints when in use, as well as up your eyelash game considerably.
Last but not least is the announcement of some functionality for the existing Kirby series amiibo! Due to their shared heritage with HAL Laboratory, owners of these amiibo can access a quartet of Dream Land inspired costumes. Whether you want to be Kirby, Meta Knight, King Dedede, or Waddle Dee the game has you covered to the point of doing away with its monochrome style to match the characters more fully. Best of all, it looks like they’ll even change the boxes up to the Kirby series’ own style of star-branded blocks, making for a great shoutout that’s got me more excited for the game than ever.
Look forward to more on Goodbye! BOXBOY! as it’s made known, as well as any potential info on the localization of the Qbby amiibo. This eShop hero definitely deserves some love, and picking up his games and figure is the best way to keep the boxes coming. Until then, make sure to head over to the Goodbye! BOXBOY! website to get a closer look at all the cubed things in store for the newest title!
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Written by Ricky Berg
When he isn’t writing for Nintendo Wire, Ricky’s anticipating the next Kirby, Fire Emblem, or if the stars ever align, Mother 3 to be released. Till then he’ll have the warm comfort of Super Smash Bros. to keep him going.
