A purposely outlandish physics-based platformer, Why Pizza? will scratch your head and test your patience. It isn’t a bad platformer, just one that is super weird. It is so strange it might be off-putting to some.
Playing as a pizza delivery thing (humanoid but not human) and it is your job to reach the end goal with pizza in-hand. Along the way are moving platforms, traps, pits, lava blocks, saw blades and all sorts of danger that wants to kill you and prevent you from collecting that tip. Coins are scattered throughout each stage and the player has the ability to spend that hard earned cash on upgrades as each new stage begins.
Just like the visual theme, soundtrack and overall premise, the control scheme is just as bizarre. Playing on Xbox, the “B” button jumps (not “A”) and “X” picks up tools, like the pick ax that is needed to break through walls, and “Y” drops whatever you might be holding. The problem is, the player needs to use both analog sticks almost constantly and most players only have two thumbs available. The left stick controls movement like in any game but the right stick actually controls the direction of your head. Like a wobbly bobblehead, the player can fling the creature’s head in a certain direction to gain/lose momentum or can even be used as a grapple hook… well sort of. Some platforms allow the head of the creature to anchor to the ground, letting the player swing or glide down inclines. It is a cool idea but one that is never really implemented well as your head mostly just gets in the way, needing to flick it with the analog stick in conjunction with your movement.
If you watch my embedded stream here in this article, you’ll see I struggle with a platforming segment as the player needs to use the face buttons and swing the wobble head almost at the same time. These finger gymnastics are difficult, especially with the loose rag-doll physics, so there is little to no accuracy with platforming. There is also no direct control over the character’s arms so busting through certain walls with the pick ax is random at best. Not having accurate control is what this game is trying to achieve, and it is undoubtedly a different experience, but it can be frustrating but still comical. You can take a few hits before game over but restarting puts the player back at the beginning of the stage which can also be heartbreaking.
Why Pizza? is a strange game, one that never achieves any sort of greatness but is still sort of playable despite the lacking controls. It is an experience that you won’t hate but one that will leave you with a confused laugh. Like other Sometimes You published titles, this experimental experience could be worth a curious look for players looking for something different. The low $5 price tag and large pointed Achievements make this pill slightly easier to swallow.
Also Try: Freakyforms Deluxe: Your Creations, Alive! (3DS)
Don’t Forget About: any Little Big Planet game that still has its servers active
Wait For It: Need A Packet 2
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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Rating
Our Rating - 5
5
Total Score
An odd platformer with an odd control scheme and an odd premise. Weird!