Pallurikio begins with a group of kids breaking into a spooky old house, then getting sucked into a board game Jumanji-style. The kids and the board game are never referenced again during or in between any of the levels, and just feels forced onto the game considering that it (thankfully) bears no relation to the rest of the game whatsoever. Instead of kids and board games, Pallurikio is about rolling a Pallurikio ball through levels in some good old-fashioned platforming.

Well, maybe not old-fashioned, since you don't have direct control over your Pallurikio ball. Your control is limited to aiming at the screen with the Wii remote and holding down the A button to charge Pallurikio's jump. When you release the A button Pallurikio flings off in whichever direction you were aiming, bouncing and rolling along the level until it is either stopped by an obstacle or you aim and jump again. Once in the air, you also have the ability to perform a slightly weaker midair jump, which can be repeated so long as Pallurikio bounces against a wall or ceiling after each one. It's a simple one-button control scheme that makes the gameplay feel like a faster paced LocoRoco.

Pallurikio is split into five worlds of ten levels each spanning such familiar level themes as ice, a city, a castle, and outer space. Though the levels are incredibly easy early on, a fact made more apparent by the game's strict policy to provide you with infinite lives, about halfway through the second world things start to pick up with level designs that require some creative use of double jumping and precise aiming to reach the level's goal. The space levels are a personal favorite, incorporating zero gravity and magnetic panels to latch onto. Each level has an absolute ton of bonus points scattered around to collect, but you are also being timed so achieving a high score requires a balance of collecting and speed. Unfortunately there are no online leaderboards for Pallurikio, so the potential for high score bragging rights are somewhat limited.

Also scattered across every level are cards. By collecting every card in the game you unlock Pallurikio's sixth world consisting of five levels that will really test your control over the Pallurikio ball. Collecting all of the cards is no easy task itself, and where I found most of the challenge in Pallurikio. While most of the cards are in plain sight, actually reaching them is a different matter. Timing and advanced acrobatics will quickly become your best friends for some of the trickier ones, while never reaching hair-pulling levels of frustration. If you're a collection whore in videogames like I am, then rest assured that Pallurikio will help to feed your addiction.

In presentation, Pallurikio may not turn many heads. It's not bad by any means, with the 2.5D sidescrolling levels set atop whimsical 3D backdrops. Pallurikio himself, though only a ball with a face, has a lot of personality as his expression changes with each hit or bounce against a wall. But since the levels tread such familiar themes, the visual style isn't particularly memorable. The music is a different story and is infectiously cheerful. In the last week I've caught myself more than once humming a tune and not knowing why, only to realize that it was a song from Pallurikio.

Was Pallurikio the best WiiWare game of last year? No, I don't think so. But was it a fun and creative platformer that made excellent use of the Wii's unique controls? Most definitely, yes! And clocking in at around 5+ hours to collect everything, Pallurikio provides more gameplay per dollar than many of the year's other top downloadable titles. If you've already polished off Lost Winds and are looking for a quality puzzle platformer to fill the void, then Pallurikio is well worth a second look.

8/10