Whether you choose a Wii U GamePad, Wii U Pro Controller, Wii Remote, Nunchuk or Wii Classic Controller, Chompy Chomp Chomp Party is keen to make sure that everyone can get in on the fun.
With up to nine players allowed to incessantly chomp at each other locally, this frantic party game from the delightfully named Utopian World of Sandwiches is in good company on the Nintendo eShop – rubbing shoulders with Runbow and Spin the Bottle: Bumpie’s Party in presenting a similarly manic experience.
Basking in primary colour appeal, it promises to divide your attention between three modes: Chase & Chomp, Keep The Thing, and Zone Dash. Each is as crazily hilarious with a crowd as one another, with different rule sets determining which Chompy players will spend the match’s duration hunting down.
Chase & Chomp evens out the playing field, in that participating players are given a specific rival Chompy to chase – designated by a coloured target placed under their feet. A successful chomp will earn you points while being munched will see points deducted from your score.
Whereas Keep The Thing sees every player tasked with collecting ‘The Thing,’ and carrying it for the longest time during the match. With everyone chasing a single item, this can prove to be particularly nail-biting as you do your best to evade your rivals who will look to cut off any potential escape route.
Lastly, Zone Dash is a mode in which players must firstly chomp each other to become the Dasher. After which, empowered by their insatiable devouring, your speed increases and you must run between highlighted zones to score points. As with all modes, the highest score wins.
Those without nine players to join the chomping fray can add as many Compy Chompies to make matches more challenging, while the winner can be decided either after a set time limit or once a point score has been reached.
Power-Ups look to shake things up, with players able to activate temporary invincibility, speed boosts, bubble shields and more. These make the party antics more frantic, even at the increased risk of being able to keep up with everything that’s happening on-screen.
The modes are enjoyable, but, given that there are only three, results in Chompy Chomp Chomp Party being a rather short-lived experience. That it is more suited for short burst play needn’t necessarily be a criticism, but at £8.99 (€10.99) those browsing the Nintendo eShop may expect that more content awaits them.
There are five arena categories to play across – Disco, Art, Beach, Winter and Warehouse – that each has four layouts to choose between. This is plentiful and players will soon discover their favourites, even if certain arenas lack as much character as others.
That’s all rounded off with a dubstep soundtrack that is in keeping with the Chompy’s personality, mischievous creatures that will raise a smile but otherwise can’t be distinguished from one another aside from their colouration.
As an idea that has evolved since Chompy Chomp Chomp first appeared on Xbox 360, its personality has continued to grow in tandem with its flair for hectic gameplay. It is a lack of modes that holds back the game’s potential, which otherwise shows ample promise from the Cambridge-based indie developer.
Version Tested: Wii U
Review copy provided by Utopian World of Sandwiches
