The Munchables Wii

The game, designed exclusively for the Wii, the Munchables is a cute, colorful platformer that combines themes from both Pac-Man and Katamari Damacy to create a charming little number. The Munchables is capable of using both GameCube controllers and Wii Remotes. If a physical controller is set to emulate both a GameCube Controller and a Wii Remote concurrently, it will operate both devices at the same time. To fix, migrate controls to use separate physical controllers. There are no reported problems with this title.

The Munchables, known in Japan as Tabemon (たべモン), is an action-platform game developed by Namco Bandai for the Wiivideo game console. The player controls creatures of insatiable appetite, using their gurgitating prowess to consume an army of invading Tabemon Space Pirates, each of whom bears an uncanny resemblance to various foods.

Plot[edit]

Star Ving, a planet that has many islands which are all connected together by rainbows, is the home of the Munchables, spherical, food-loving creatures with unsustainable appetites, who are all led by the mysterious “Great Elder”. Each island of Star Ving contains a “Legendary Orb”, magical objects that provide plenty of food for the Munchables. But one day, a fleet of UFOs invade Star Ving and steal the Legendary Orbs. The UFOs then unleash masses of 'Tabemon Monsters', space pirates who are trying to rule the universe, all over the islands to destroy everything in their wake. Oddly, these monsters all appear to look like various foods, much to the Munchables' liking. The Great Elder takes note of this and goes with two distinct Munchables, Chomper and Munchy, to explore the islands of Star Ving, devour the Tabemon Monsters and retrieve the Legendary Orbs.

Over time, the main villain of the game starts to show himself, and becomes wary of his minions being defeated. The Great Elder realizes who the villain is over time as well, and starts to fill in the player on his suspicion. Despite this, the heroes and villains do not actually meet until the final island, Mount Brim. There, the villain turns out to be Don Onion, a Tabemon monster who leads the entire race. It is stated that he was a former colleague of the Great Elder, who began corrupting their previous experiments to take over the world. It is also revealed that the Great Elder is a Tabemon Monster himself, which explains the running gag in which the playable characters constantly try to eat him. After defeating Rice Baller, (the last boss that Don Onion sends to kill them) and reclaiming all the Orbs, the Munchables are invited to Fort Entrée, where the defeated Don Onion claims he has decided to stop with his evil plans and has gone through a change in heart. However, this proves to be a trap, as the villain leaves to steal the Legendary Orbs again while the player must find a way out of the space fleet. After finally escaping and getting back to Star Ving, they are too late as Don Onion has used all the Legendary Orbs to form his most powerful Tabemon Monster, King Pumpkin. Using the combined forces of the islands of Star Ving themselves, the Munchables are able to destroy King Pumpkin. But Don Onion flees into space with the Great Elder's rocket.

Much to Don Onion's surprise, however, Chomper and Munchy sneak on board and eat away the interior of the rocket, causing it to crash land back on Star Ving. Don Onion winds up trapped in the wreckage of the rocket, (presumably dead) and Chomper, Munchy and the Great Elder stare into the night sky and cry as the credits roll.

Gameplay[edit]

The Munchables is a free-roaming 3D platforming game where players control one of two available characters (or Munchables, as the name implies). The player must traverse the seven islands of the planet Star Ving in an attempt to free them from control of the Tabemons. Each world is broken into three levels: the first level revolves around the player exploring the environment and eating monsters, usually with a certain goal such as eating all of a certain type of monster, or traveling to a specific location on the map. The second mission always involves traveling to a certain point in the level to defeat a particularly large and powerful monster referred to as the 'Leader Pirate'. Finally, the third mission involves the player fighting a Boss Pirate, powered up by the island's Legendary Orb, which must be defeated in order to successfully reclaim that island.

During these levels, the player controls their Munchable with the Wii Remote and Nunchuck. They can choose between Chomper or Munchy to play as (as well as Robo once the game is beaten), each possessing different strengths and weaknesses. The characters can move, jump, and eat enemies based around foods such as fruits, vegetables, desserts, and even robots in order to grow and become stronger. Each character also possesses a rolling attack (initiated with the B button) that allows them to knock back smaller foes and take down enemies that are too large to eat, splitting them into multiple smaller versions of the enemy which can then be eaten individually. The player can also hold the A button (the button used to ingest foes) until the character glows; releasing the A button causes their Munchable to charge forwards and eat multiple enemies at once. Enemies, the Munchables, and other edible objects are marked with tags that display their power level. If an enemy or object is at a level higher than the current level of the player's Munchable, then it cannot be eaten until their character reaches that level or higher. By eating more and more enemies, the player's character will grow bigger and stronger, advancing in level and enabling them to eat larger foes and destroy barriers in order to access new areas. When the Munchable has eaten enough, they will evolve into a larger, stronger, and more visually detailed form; this can occur up to three times during a level. If the character eats enough after the third evolution, they will eventually reach the maximum level and be unable to grow any stronger. Additional mechanics include special power-ups that all last for a limited time; the Vacuum enables the player to automatically suck up small enemies and obstacles nearby, the Rocket allows them to move faster and cross gaps while scooping up enemies in the Munchable's mouth, the Quake lets the player stun any enemies in the vicinity by making them fall to the ground, and the Spin-Star allows them to instantly break apart larger enemies by running into them.

However, the Munchables are not invincible. Getting hit by enemy attacks or stage hazards, falling into a pit, touching lava, or accidentally eating a bomb creature will cause the player to become stunned briefly, as well as lowering their score. By shaking the Wii Remote while stunned, their Munchable can recover and continue the level. However, if the character is hit again while stunned, then the player will automatically get a Game Over and have to restart the mission. At the end of each mission, the player is scored by how many orbs their Munchable expels from their body (all depending on how much they ate) and are granted a lettered rank from 'C' to 'S' based on the number. By collecting glowing acorns within the levels, the Munchables gain even more points, and collecting all acorns in a single level will win them a new accessory to decorate their character with. The game also supports 2-player co-op, with the second player controlling a targeting-reticle on the screen with a Wii Remote and using it to shoot enemies in order to help the player with combat and exploration. Upon beating the game, Mirror Mode becomes available, in which the player must clear the stage in reverse while under a time limit.

Reception[edit]

The game received 'average' reviews according to video game review aggregatorMetacritic.^[1] In Japan, Famitsu gave it a score of one eight, one seven, and two eights for a total of 31 out of 40.^[3]

References[edit]

1. ^ ^ab'The Munchables for Wii Reviews'. Metacritic. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
2. ^Holmes, Jonathan (June 26, 2009). 'Review: The Munchables'. Destructoid. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
3. ^ ^abBrian (August 25, 2009). 'Famitsu review scores'. Nintendo Everything. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
4. ^Bartron, Heather (June 9, 2009). 'The Munchables [Incomplete]'. GamePro. Archived from the original on June 17, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
5. ^Monsoon (July 16, 2009). 'The Munchables Review'. Game Revolution. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
6. ^Stella, Shiva (June 15, 2009). 'The Munchables Review'. GameSpot. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
7. ^Platt, Dylan (June 10, 2009). 'The Munchables - WII - Review'. GameZone. Archived from the original on June 14, 2009. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
8. ^Dillard, Corbie (June 8, 2009). 'Review: The Munchables'. Nintendo Life. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
9. ^'The Munchables'. Nintendo Power. 243: 87. July 2009.
10. ^Balicki, Lukasz (June 17, 2009). 'The Munchables'. Nintendo World Report. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
11. ^Scullion, Chris (June 21, 2009). 'The Munchables Review'. Official Nintendo Magazine. Archived from the original on October 7, 2014. Retrieved March 31, 2016.
12. ^Simpson, Scott J. (July 1, 2009). 'The Munchables (Wii) Review'. 411Mania. Retrieved March 31, 2016.

External links[edit]

• The Munchables at MobyGames

As I said earlier, it is a simple concept but there is also some hidden depth present as well. If you come upon several enemies with lower levels than you (conveniently displayed above their heads), instead of just pressing the A button several times to consume each of them separately, you can hold the button down and then let go to perform an open mouth slide. Not only does this make quicker work of your foes, it will also speed up the stomach meter filling and leveling process.Running into higher level enemies can also work to your advantage since you can use the B trigger to attack them, which breaks them into smaller and easier to consume versions. Of course, you’ll still have to be quick about gobbling up these smaller pieces, since they will eventually Voltron back together into their higher level form.

Players will also find power-ups throughout the game’s levels, which can help things out such as one that turns your blob into a buzz-saw to quickly break up higher level enemies or a vacuum that allows you to swiftly devour any nearby lower level foes.Besides the basic concept of consuming adversaries to gain size and increase your level there are a few other things to do in The Munchables as well. Most levels contain some fairly basic puzzles to be solved. These usually involve basic ideas such as buttons that require a certain level to use, which should help younger players make their way through game. There is also a mild amount of platforming involved, despite being somewhat difficult to control due to being forced to shake the Wii-mote in order to achieve lift, which rarely gets frustrating or causes death/backtracking. Each level in the game also contains a good number of hidden items to be found, which once collected will unlock character customization items.Players will also be treated to some entertaining encounters with imposing bosses at the end of each island. In order to reclaim a coveted legendary orb, you’ll need to dispatch with the likes of Brocco-Lee (a massive head of broccoli) and Rice Baller (a gigantic sumo wrestler made of rice).

These boss’s patterns and weaknesses are fairly easy to identify and exploit, making them easier for younger players, yet they still manage to remain satisfying to those with more experience as well. While thematically The Munchables is definitely aimed at a younger audience, its simplistic but satisfying gameplay and oddball nature should appease players of all ages. The controls mostly work well, its look is vibrant and colorful even if not graphically impressive, and the gameplay is easy enough for beginners but still maintains some hidden depth tucked away for more experienced players.

This game can also be a pretty lengthy experience if you’re looking for full completion, since you’ll unlock a mirror time attack mode after your first time through. Sure, you’ll just be making your way through mirrored versions of the same levels you’ve already played but it is still fun, and the option of trying to get the best rank with the clock ticking away provides a serious challenge. If you’re a younger gamer or are just looking for something fun and a little different, you can’t go wrong with The Munchables.ByAdam BrownCCC Staff Contributor.

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