Poor Squeeballs. All these animated soft toys want is to be loved and given a good home. But they’re in for a world of pain before they can be placed on the shelf at the local toy store. It’s your job to make sure they’re fit for children by playing a set of minigames that ensures their wicked thoughts are whacked out of them. Don’t let their cute, wide-eyed exteriors fool you – these little beasts are as evil as they come.

Okay, Squeeballs are adorable. They quake with emotion when danger looms, their screams and whimpers enough to make Mike Tyson’s heart melt. Whether you’ve launched a bowling ball at them, turned them into pancakes or even walloped them with a tennis racquet towards a minefield, they’ll do their best to tug at your heart strings.

The selection of party games isn’t the largest, and offers little thrill after trying them all once. We’d like to say they were all fun to play, but let’s face it, an inaccurate paint-by-numbers section and some overly simplistic cooking games are hardly going to challenge the likes of Cooking Mama and even grandaddy Wii Sports.

And that’s where Squeeballs fails. There isn’t enough variety, as you’re forced to repeat similar challenges until another predictable minigame is unlocked. It’s a shame, as the game boasts charming graphics that are reinforced with a soundtrack that’ll whirl around your brain for hours. But even playing with friends becomes a chore. It seems the Squeeballs aren’t going to make an impact until a dose of originality is sprinkled over their cutesy-pie posteriors. 

Oct 22, 2009