RATING AND CONTENT
Recommended for ages 8 and older
Quality: 5 out of 5
Learning: 3 out of 5
Positive messages: 3 out of 5
Positive role models: 2 out of 5
Ease of play: 4 out of 5
Violence and scariness: 1 out of 5
Language: 0 out of 5
Consumerism: 1 out of 5 (Are products/advertisements embedded? Is the title part of a broader marketing initiative/empire? Is the intent to sell things to kids?)
GAME DETAILS
Platforms: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $4.99
Developer: Nintendo of America
Release date: June 30, 2016
Genre: Puzzle
ESRB rating: E for mild fantasy violence
Parents need to know that “BoxBoxBoy!” is a downloadable single-player puzzle game for the Nintendo 3DS. The game is a sequel to the 2015 surprise 3DS hit, “BoxBoy!” Players control an animated box through a variety of hazard-filled stages, trying to get safely from Point A to Point B. The game is designed as an all-ages game, and has no issues with language, sexual content, or other offensive content. The game is easy to pick up and play, with difficulty coming from thinking up solutions to progress through the increasingly complex stages.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
Qbby is back! The star of “BoxBoy!,” Nintendo’s surprise puzzle hit for the 3DS, has returned for more box dropping fun in “BoxBoxBoy!.” More obstacles block his path, more hazards stand in his way, and more costumes … well, what else is a fashionable box to wear? It’s a whole lot more of what fans loved before, but this time Qbby has a new trick up his non-existent sleeve. Qbby can now spawn two sets of boxes to help him overcome the perils in front of him. That’s twice the options, twice the combinations, and twice the difficulty for players, as they have to think outside, inside, and all around the box to keep Qbby safe.
IS IT ANY GOOD?
“BoxBoxBoy!” is a fantastically addictive puzzle game. It’s easy to pick up and difficult to put down. The game doesn’t rely on splashy, hi-def graphics or some deep plot to grab players’ attentions. Instead, it uses the most basic of visuals and tosses players into the mix, saying “Here’s Point A. There’s Point B. Figure it out.” The game’s gradual increase in difficulty keeps things challenging without ever reaching that hair-pulling level of frustration. If there’s one complaint to be had about “BoxBoxBoy!,” it’s that there’s just not enough of it. While the game features more than 120 individual stages and a lot of unlockable content, including comics, costumes, music, and more, you can finish off everything it has to offer within a day or so. That being said, “BoxBoxBoy!” is still a blast to play and a must-have for any 3DS owner.
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Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit organization offering unbiased ratings and trusted advice to help families make smart media and technology choices. Check out our ratings and recommendations at www.commonsense.org.
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