Click. Clack. Clunk.
I love quirky presentation and interface design, and Nintendo and NDcube have nailed it with 51 Worldwide Games. Flipping through the games is like rifling through a box of board games in your attic, and presents the same pleasing click, clack and clunk. Cute, animated icons represent each game, and I often sit and scroll through them just because it feels so good.
My procrastination would be a problem if the games weren’t fantastic, but the quality is clear. Hanafuda cards fly onto the table with satisfying slaps; Yacht Dice rattle around with neat HD Rumble and Four-in-a-Row counters land with a delightful bounce that makes beating my buddies even more gratifying.
Shiny little plastic figures introduce every game in a cheesy skit. While you may find them grating (pun intended), and light on rules, I found them charming and was comfortable to learn how to play via the following static screen.
Of the myriad board, card and miscellaneous games available, my favourites are those that I’d never played.
Mancala, an ancient board game based on sowing seeds, is simple, addictive, and polished. The bright, glassy pieces drop into their compartments with rhythmic thunks.
Card game President is a capitalists dream. The winner of each hand pilfers the best cards from the plebs, perpetuating their stay at the top. Outside skilful play (or a sloppy leader) the sole method to topple the administration is to reverse play by laying four of the same card. I’ve developed a mild obsession with it.
Slot Cars is the Scalextric kit I always wanted. But highlights my main issue with 51 Worldwide Games: the lack of replayability in the miscellaneous games. Slot Cars comes with a measly three uninspiring tracks, and while you can create your own, you can only do so in Mosaic Mode.
Mosaic Mode allows you to line up multiple Switches in any configuration and swipe across them to create a unique track. It’s a clever, but expensive way to offer variety in a single Switch household. Further, while well made, I lost interest in Toy Boxing, Tennis, Football and Baseball, even in multiplayer, after one round each.
The quality of NDcube’s offerings has always been mixed (see Mario Party 10 and Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival). But I’m impressed with 51 Worldwide Games and 2018’s Super Mario Party. While there’s no doubt they’re making Super Mario Party 2 after the original sold 12m, I’m excited to see what NDcube pulls from the attic next.
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