A fun puzzle/platformer for the DS, but a little on the short and easy side of things.

Docomodake BOING! is a quirky puzzle adventure game that puts you in the role of a small mushroom that's tasked with navigating various levels filled with switches, enemies, coins, and other platforming staples. However, instead of simply hopping around and climbing ladders, you'll use the DS stylus to split your strange little mushroom guy into multiple pieces, and then use the smaller versions to stack up your own makeshift platforms or ladders, and even use them as weapons against the enemies you'll encounter.

The closest thing I can think of to compare Docomodake to on the DS would probably be the sequel to Mario vs. Donkey Kong, but even that's not an entirely accurate comparison. It definitely has ties to classic platforming titles, but the platforming itself isn't particularly challenging. Instead, the challenge primarily comes from getting yourself from point A to point B, and trying to collect as much of the coins and other treasures as possible along the way. Each stage grades your progress, based on the amount of items collected and how long it takes you to complete the level, applying a rank to each stage that you'll most likely want to improve on over time.

There are quite a few levels, and each is broken down into various sections dealing with different family members in the Docomodake house. There's really not a whole lot to the story in each chapter though, and it's hardly the reason to play the game. To be honest, I'm glad they didn't try to shoehorn some type of goofy plot into it, and the game relies entirely on the strength of how it plays and the level design, which is really well thought out for the most part.

Early levels introduce you to the basic mechanics, where you'll start off with one larger mushroom that you can then divide into a series of smaller mushrooms that will follow you around the stage. You can then move the smaller pieces around with the stylus, and either stack them together to created a makeshift ladder for your main character to climb, or plug them into holes on certain levels that will create platforms for you to get across larger gaps. You can also double tap your little pieces and turn them into circular weapons that you can toss at enemies, or use to hit switches or other objects in each level to help you progress. Often you'll see switches that are typically out of reach, but you can manipulate one of the little guys with the stylus and move them on top of the switch, and even if you move off screen you can call all your missing pieces back with the press of a button.

The strange enemy and hero design meshes together well with the various levels, along with the equally quirky soundtrack. The soundtrack in particular was pretty good, and definitely one of the highlights of the game.

The real appeal of Docomodake comes more from trying to complete the levels with the best score than actually finishing the levels. There are a few puzzles in the later stages that might make you scratch your head for a second or two, but they're not exactly brain busters. However, achieving the best time along with the most efficient way of gathering all the treasure and coins, along with a few additional Docomodake to add to your mass, will definitely take a bit of time for most players.

Still, there's not a whole lot to the game, and without some challenging puzzles, it's only something I can see appealing to gamers that feel like they need to hit that 100% completion mark. Otherwise, you'll blow thru the main game in a few hours of time, and you'll be left with not much to do after that. There's nothing in the way of boss fights or any remarkable encounters, and while some of the level designs are pretty well thought out, and definitely make good use of the mechanics, there's nothing here that stands out as exceptional. It's a decent way to waste time for a few hours, but nothing I can see myself going back to again and again. Still, it is only $20 or so, which is about the right price for the content. If you enjoy a bit of puzzle mixed into your platformers, then this is probably going to be right up your alley, otherwise, you might not see the appeal in it.