Review: Bye-Bye Box Boy (3DS)

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It is time to review Bye-Bye Box Boy for the Nintendo 3DS, the third game in the Box Boy series of games. Be sure to check out my Review of Box Boy (3DS) and Review: Box Box Boy (3DS) to get a general sense of the game series, as most of the game play is the same between all three games. The Box Boy games are 2D puzzle platformers centered around a character that can generate boxes in order to find his way to the end of the level.

When I first played Bye-Bye Box Boy, I was a little burned out from the previous two games, so I didn’t quite enjoy the game at the same level as the first two games at the time. When replaying this game for the purposes of this review, I enjoyed the game a fair amount more. I noticed that the puzzles were just as clever, and there were a fair amount of new obstacles in this game in comparison to the other games.

If you compare Bye-Bye Box Boy to Box Box Boy (the second game) you’ll notice that you are back to generating one set of boxes, as opposed to the two sets of boxes you could create in the previous game. This might sound like a downgrade, but there are some changes in Bye-Bye Box Boy that would complicate this addition from Box Box Boy.

One of the new twists in this game is the inclusion of new types of boxes that can be generated by Qbby in certain levels. You can make rocket boxes that fly temporarily, bomb boxes that explode and destroy the scenery, warp boxes that teleport you to the last box made, and remote boxes that can be moved with your mind. These box types aren’t found in every level, and I found some of the toughest puzzles required using the rocket and remote boxes, but these boxes add more variety to this game in comparison to the other Box Boy games.

Additionally, there are new escort missions in Bye-Bye Box Boy, which, unlike most games that have these, aren’t as frustrating as one might expect. The Qbabies you guide through these levels won’t ever throw themselves in danger, and will follow you across the bridges made from boxes that you create (or other paths you forge). For the most part, these missions are simply an additional riddle to solve as you attempt to get to the end of the level. Thankfully, these missions aren’t in every level, so you don’t have to worry about them all the time.

There are also several new obstacles to get around to finish this game. This includes things like falling platforms, switches that activate if you block a laser from hitting it, as well as wind, and water, both of which force you to move in a certain direction. Later in this game I found there were interesting combinations of all obstacles previously shown and I appreciated that these hurdles weren’t exclusive to certain worlds within the game.

The game still features the collectible crowns that vanish if you use too many boxes before grabbing them, and yes, gathering all of them still results in getting all the in-game currency you need to buy every shop item. The shop does, thankfully, offer challenge levels to buy in addition to costumes, music, and comics. The challenge levels are quick, but limit a certain action you can normally do (such as jumping, tossing boxes, and so forth).

Bye-Bye Box Boy is still a puzzle fan’s treat, and a relatively quick diversion from higher profile games. There is a lot of variety in this game, without too many frustration inducing puzzles. There may be some trial and error for one to get through this game, but the experience is fairly smooth, and may even be worth playing again on a lazy Sunday.

Here are some game play recommendations:

• Complete each level and gather each crown.
• If not satisfied with the game after completing the story, there are 4 bonus worlds to check out.
• Be sure to buy the 5 challenge worlds, as they are quick and fun diversions.
• You need all the crowns from every level to buy every item in the game’s shop. Other than the challenge levels, the costumes, comics, and music don’t add to the game play.
• For the most persistent players, you can try to get the maximum rank in every level. I would not recommend this for most players.

Now for the Pros and Cons:

Pros:

• Well designed puzzles with only a few difficulty spikes.
• Music is simple and doesn’t interfere with the game.
• New obstacles and box types add freshness to the game.
• Challenge levels add some value to the in-game shop.

Cons: 

• Some puzzles are frustrating the first time around or if you forgot the solution. (possible con, based on frustration tolerance)
• The new box types are limited to certain stages, and are rarely seen throughout the game. (possible con)

Now for the verdict:

8.05/10 Great!

It was hard to decide which Box Boy game was the best here. Bye-Bye Box Boy was just barely the best one, but I didn’t get to that decision easily. All of the Box Boy games are roughly the same quality, so any of them could be anywhere from 7.8-8.1 based on personal preferences. They are worth your time if you like puzzles of any type.

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And those were my thoughts on Bye-Bye Box Boy. What about you, my readers? What did you think of this game? Which Box Boy game was your favorite, and why? Which new box type did you like the most in this game? What did you think of the escort missions? Let me know in the comments below! If you liked this content be sure to give this review a like. You can also follow That’s All Games on Facebook and Twitter, or sign up for email notifications on the bottom of this page.