Bakushow

Bakushow is unique for a couple of reasons. The first of which is its distinct lack of a single-player mode. With no online functionality to speak of either, this equates to a game that is entirely reliant on the player having access to at least one other person with a DS for wireless multiplayer. Thankfully, Bakushow supports Download Play, so only one copy of the game need be present, but the multiple-DS requirement is probably enough to determine who will be interested in this game, and who will not.

Still with us? Excellent. With support for up to four players using only one cartridge, this is a game that can, literally, only be enjoyed with a group friends. Once that hurdle has been overcome, the player is left with what is arguably the simplest game of recent years. At its core, Bakushow could be described as a less strict version of Pictionary. One player acts as the host, creating questions and tasks using the touch screen, and any other players then respond to these challenges with suitable scribblings on their own system.

 

Once a pre-determined time limit (as set by the host) is reached, and/or everyone has successfully completed their answers, each player can vote on whose response was the best by issuing up to three gold stars. There's nothing to stop players from voting for their own creations, however, so stalemates are possible, if not unavoidable depending on the group of players. Once voting is complete, the winner becomes the host for the next round and the process repeats for as long as required.

And, that's is. Everything is left entirely up to the player's, and his or her companions', imaginations. In the words of Kenichi Nishi, “if you can't enjoy playing [Bakushow], it's not because of the game. It's simply because you are not funny or creative enough.” Of course, this is an extremely sharp double-edged sword. Without access to a willing and able group of DS owners, Bakushow becomes little more than 13.5cm x 12cm x 2cm paperweight. Even with access to such people, there's no guarantee that a play session will be enjoyable for more than a few minutes.

For a game that is supposed to be - but in reality is not - exclusive to GAME retail outlets and GAME.co.uk in the UK, Bakushow isn't actually worth purchasing from either. GAME.co.uk is currently listing the game at £24.99, the same price as Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood and Dragon Quest: The Chapters of the Chosen – two fully-fledged RPGs. For a game built on functionality that could be almost entirely replicated with some HB pencils and sheets of A4 paper, that just doesn't seem right. Ultimately, if you're still interested in Bakushow after reading the previous paragraphs, you'll definitely want to shop around for a better price.