This may be one of the silliest video game reviews you'll ever read. Certainly it's one of the silliest I've ever written. Perhaps a tad pointless as well. But this game may end up being something of a minor landmark, and I wanted to talk about it before the moment passes.
Air Hockey-e is a gratis release for the GBA e-Reader. It was available at Toys R Us locations when the e-Reader was released, completely free for the taking. The -e games are an interesting experiment from Nintendo, the same people who brought you the Game Boy Camera, N64 Microphone, ROB the Robot, and the Game Boy Printer.The good news about Air Hockey-e is that it's only one card, two scans... unlike most of the e-Reader games.
So that's two points for Air Hockey-e. It's free. And it's fully contained on one single trading card.
The third bonus may be less obvious: This is a brand new game. This isn't a re-release of a classic NES game, like Balloon Fight or Pinball or the rest of the initial -e games. Somebody somewhere deep in Nintendo actually wrote an entirely new game, specifically for the dot code technology. Sure, you're not getting much at first glance... one screen of an air hockey playing field, some typical sound effects, a "first to 10" scoring system, 1P only... but you didn't pay much for it either, did you.
At second glance, you'll realize that the computer player is tough. Really tough. He's not just randomly moving or blocking through luck... he follows the puck and he attacks it when he needs to. He's smart. He's fast. Sure, he'll score on himself at least three times a game... but I'll wager you'll own-goal more. After getting your keister kicked a couple times, you'll be staring at the dot code wondering how such an aggressive AI can issue forth from such an inoffensive series of dots.
But is it fun? Sure, it's fun. Simple fun. The puck physics are believably smooth (IE, there's no weird hang-ups, stuck pucks, or unrealistic bounces). The A button gives you a dangerously quick puck attack, which is nice for a surprise score or just to get some speed behind the puck. Just don't walk in expecting NHL 2003 and you'll be fine.
Here's why I think this is a landmark. The potential for free or nearly-free games like this is amazing. Games in cereal boxes. Games in magazines. Games in the mail. Games that all cost less than $5 each. It's a brand new distribution channel, and it could be a marketing bonanza. If Nintendo Power guaranteed me a brand new -e game every month, my subscription check would be in the mail the day before yesterday.
What's especially promising about the -e games is the incredible show of good faith that Nintendo is proffering. The launch of the e-Reader is a much more robust and savory than, say, the Game Boy Camera. The Game Boy Camera worked with almost exactly nothing. Rumors abounded for N64 interactivity. Third parties created software to download pics to your PC. But, as a video game peripheral, it was less game and more gimmick. On the other hand, the e-Reader is being supported by a full assortment of classic Nintendo games, the GameCube mega-title Animal Crossing, and the Expedition series of Pokemon TCG cards.
And Air Hockey-e. A tiny little game that could herald a new style of marketing.
