Potpourrii
Encyclopedia
Potpourrii is a WiiWare
puzzle video game developed by Abstraction Games. It was released in North America on September 15, 2008, and in Europe on October 10, 2008.
and Puzzle Bobble
. The plot of the game revolves around a group of gnome
s repairing their magical forest after a chaotic rampage by an evil warlock
frees all the forest spirits. The object of the game is for the player to contain these spirits by matching three or more spirits of the same type in order to make them disappear.
Players shoot spirits from a cannon on a track that surrounds a swirling whirlpool (the "potpourii") where the spirits are suspended, with each quadrant of the play area corresponding to a different season
and the different types of spirits players can shoot. The twist is that instead of simply matching the required number of spirits, the player must add to the cluster a different type of spirit that reacts to them and allows the cluster to disappear.
gave the game 5/10, noting that the "sluggish, sloppy controls" and the lack of a tutorial hurt the game, ultimately claiming Potpourrii is "far too complicated for its own good". However, they did have praise for its "mellow and happy" audio and graphics, despite the latter's muddled and confusing interface. WiiWare World also gave it 5/10, praising its "crisp visuals, captivating art style and cutesy music" yet also disappointed by its "extremely sluggish" gameplay and frustrating control. They also echoed the sentiment about the lack of a tutorial, feeling the game is "a complex and confusing setup for newcomers and the initial difficulty is likely to alienate many gamers". Gaming Target
gave the puzzler a 6.7/10 for its original twist on the puzzle genre but also bemoaned about the lack of a tutorial.
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
puzzle video game developed by Abstraction Games. It was released in North America on September 15, 2008, and in Europe on October 10, 2008.
Gameplay
Potpourrii is played similar to the games Puzz LoopPuzz Loop
Puzz Loop is a 1998 arcade puzzle game developed by Mitchell Corporation. It was later ported to the Game Boy Color, Neo Geo Pocket Color, PlayStation and Samsung Nuon DVD players under the name Ballistic. The original Puzz Loop game was also known by this title...
and Puzzle Bobble
Puzzle Bobble
, also known as Bust-a-Move, is a 1994 arcade puzzle game created by Taito Corporation, based on Taito's popular 1986 arcade game Bubble Bobble, featuring characters and themes from the original...
. The plot of the game revolves around a group of gnome
Gnome
A gnome is a diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature...
s repairing their magical forest after a chaotic rampage by an evil warlock
Warlock
The term warlock in origin means "traitor, oathbreaker".In early modern Scots, the word came to be used as the male equivalent of witch ....
frees all the forest spirits. The object of the game is for the player to contain these spirits by matching three or more spirits of the same type in order to make them disappear.
Players shoot spirits from a cannon on a track that surrounds a swirling whirlpool (the "potpourii") where the spirits are suspended, with each quadrant of the play area corresponding to a different season
Season
A season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
and the different types of spirits players can shoot. The twist is that instead of simply matching the required number of spirits, the player must add to the cluster a different type of spirit that reacts to them and allows the cluster to disappear.
Reception
IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
gave the game 5/10, noting that the "sluggish, sloppy controls" and the lack of a tutorial hurt the game, ultimately claiming Potpourrii is "far too complicated for its own good". However, they did have praise for its "mellow and happy" audio and graphics, despite the latter's muddled and confusing interface. WiiWare World also gave it 5/10, praising its "crisp visuals, captivating art style and cutesy music" yet also disappointed by its "extremely sluggish" gameplay and frustrating control. They also echoed the sentiment about the lack of a tutorial, feeling the game is "a complex and confusing setup for newcomers and the initial difficulty is likely to alienate many gamers". Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
gave the puzzler a 6.7/10 for its original twist on the puzzle genre but also bemoaned about the lack of a tutorial.