Home > Tile Swapping Fun... For a While - Tilelicious: Delicious Tiles Review
Originally published on Nintendo Castle.
Not without controversy, the eShop is growing home to more and more clones of mobile games. There are already four clones of Flappy Bird and a host of other cheap, simple games that are typically played on smartphones and tablets. Tilelicious isn't a direct clone of 2048, but it's very similar in nature and draws much inspiration from it.
Platforms: Wii U [Reviewed]
Developer: BattleLine Games
Release: April 16
MSRP: $5.99
Press Copy provided by BattleLine Games
The gameplay of Tilelicious is quite simple. Pressing the D-pad in one of four directions will cause all tiles to move in that direction. If any matching tiles touch each other they will combine to create one higher-tiered tile. Rather than using numbers like it's mobile counterparts, the tiles are decorated and distinguished by various food items that fit the theme of the level. In early stages numbers and letters are also present to help let players know which tiles are higher; the absence of this feature makes it difficult to distinguish between low and high-tiered tiles in later levels, although it gets easier after multiple attempts. A notable feature that is lacking here is touch-screen controls on the gamepad, only the d-pad can be used to shift the tiles.
Rather than play in an arcade style with a high-score system like 2048, Tilelicious uses an overworld map and a short series of increasingly difficult levels to progress the game. Although it's a nice variance that sets it apart, it doesn't feel natural for this type of gameplay and makes the replayability almost null. Later levels feel almost unfair, and are mostly luck based since new tiles will be generated at random as high or low-tier and a large number of high tier tiles are needed to fill up the progress bar and complete the level. There's only a small number of levels to play, but you might find yourself replaying later levels until you get lucky enough to complete them.
Presentation is the area that Tilelicious shines the most. The game is surprisingly well polished with cutesy but fitting graphics, interesting tile art, pleasant and upbeat music (although not well varied and quite repetitive), and voice acting that gives you an uplifting "good job" or "brilliant" when high-tiered tiles are combined. The game seems presented much more professionaly than other mobile clones on the eShop, and has an aesthetic feel that is very similar to games that are typically found on mobile.
The splendid presentation is not enough to make up for the lack of content and replayability that Tilelicious has to offer. At $5.99, the game is way overpriced (should be $0.99 ), especially with similar games being available as a free download on mobile. If you're a big fan 2048, Threes, or have younger children that would appreciate the graphical style of the game, it may be worth getting. If you're interested, wait for a sale to get a better value.
Pros
- Colorful and well presented
- Addictive and proven gameplay
Cons
- Very little content
- Unfitting progression
- Way overpriced
Verdict:
Mediocre
These games are generally unmemorable. For the average gamer, they probably aren't worth your time or money. Significant flaws in gameplay or serious lack of content makes these games inferior. These games usually have some redeeming qualities and may be enjoyed by a niche audience, but don't get a recommendation from us.
Want to know what this score means? Check out our Scoring Guidelines page.
