This game requires TWO X-input controllers; it won’t register direct-input controllers (e.g. the kind with numbered face buttons). I had to download a controller emulator (specifically, reWASD), but that program has its own issues. Not only did it require a restart of my computer, but its UI is kinda obtuse and it only let me map controls to the left side of my keyboard (until today; I don’t know what changed). Worse, it’s a 14-day trial program; do they really expect people to pay $7 for this? Might as well spend a bit extra to get an actual X-input controller.

Point is, this game was destined for obscurity (at least on PC).

This is an RTS/escort game (not a puzzle-platformer like the store page claims). You don’t control anyone directly; you just push different buttons to toggle the positions of different blocks (pink for P1, blue for P2) so the melbits get from the yellow pipe to the other yellow pipe safely. As long as two of them reach the end in time, you win (levels usually spawn 4 or 5 of them). You might have noticed that this gameplay could easily be replicated by pushing a key on the keyboard instead, so what does the game do that absolutely requires two X-input controllers? Turns out, one type of platform is moved by rotating the control stick, and there’s exactly one level (2-1) where there are four of these platforms, each mapped to a different stick. That’s it. Every other time they show up, two sticks are used at most. Yeah, this game didn’t need to be controller-only, let alone two-controllers-only.

As you progress, levels get longer with more branching paths and more objects to toggle (as well as fewer safe zones where you can leave the melbits alone without them killing themselves), but half of the challenge is always remembering which button does what. The game only shows which buttons toggle which objects at the start of the level; after that, nothing. The logs are distinct (you always know they’re rotated with the shoulder buttons) and the trampolines are distinct (you know they’re always activated with L3/R3, though if you don’t hit the button right before a melbit lands on it, it’s likely to fail), but the regular blocks? The conveyor belts? The draw bridges? The springboards? The fans? They could be either the A button or the X button. Heck, many levels have identical blocks that each get toggled by different buttons. The game could’ve at least had the button as a texture on the block (not like they’d need to change it for keyboard).

To make things more confusing, each time you die or restart a level, there’s a chance the objects’ colors get swapped, meaning player 1 now toggles the blocks that player 2 did before and vice versa.

Another issue is depth perception. There are times (notably 4-7) where it’ll look like the conveyor will drop you on a path, but it actually sends you into a pit. Worse are the LEGO heads; each level has three to collect, but many of them are suspended in midair, none with drop shadows. You’ll think you’re on track to get one, then suddenly pass it by, leaving you to reexamine the level to try to find out where it actually is and how to reach it (though that isn’t too hard once you know what to rule out). The level-select shows you how many heads you got in each level, so I’d always try to go back and get them…until 3-7. One of the heads is placed below the rightmost drawbridge and above the path below it, so you’d think you just have to leave the drawbridge open so that the melbit falls on the head and collects it, right? Nope; for this one spot in this one level only, the melbits suddenly gain self-preservation and turn to the side before jumping off, even if you open the drawbridge while they’re walking on it.

The only other time I had an issue with the heads was 4-9. One is in midair directly in front of the fan tile (melbits center themselves above the fan when you activate it). Another is on the same path an enemy patrols, placed right after the springboard–the only way to get past said enemy–meaning you’d need to have to time the rest of the level so that two melbits are close to each other AND moving to that platform at the right time so you can time the springboard so the first one lands on the enemy and stuns it, allowing the second to get the head safely. Mess any of that up and you’d have to choose between getting all the melbits to the goal or sacrificing one to get the head.

Something the level select doesn’t show is how many melbits reached goal each level; it doesn’t even show score per level, just the highest single-level score in the selected world. I had initially planned on going back to see if I could do it, but abandoned that notion pretty quick once I realized that. Either way, I would’ve probably given up later due to the sheer amount of multitasking it’d require on later levels (by world 4, I could only get two or three per level).

Oh, and the title screen never displays “continue”; it always displays “new game,” which gave me a scare at first (it did keep my progress, though).

Overall, I don’t know if I can recommend this game. Even if you have the necessary equipment, the challenge is all multitasking and timing, not platforming or puzzle-solving like the store page claims. I can say I’m not a fan of this genre, but even if you are, you’ll still have the depth perception issue and the ambiguous controls issue to deal with.

EDIT: So, turns out there’s an Android/iOS port of the game with twice as many levels and no mention of controller support being required, so if you’re interested, just get that version.