If it's been a lifelong dream of yours to give a haircut to an ear of corn, dream no longer.
-Cute, fun to play
-A unique concept, good for those looking for something fresh
-Good use of Wii controls
Cons:
-Seems a bit light on content, even for a $10 game
-Graphics and sound aren't bad but also aren't anything to write home about
-Not much challenge
-Older players might feel too much like it's a game for younger kids
Summary:
From the makers of the undisputed classic GoldenEye 007 comes Bonsai Barber, a game about giving haircuts to plants, of all things.
This quirky under-the-radar WiiWare release has one of the more bizarre concepts you'll ever see in a video game and will probably rank at the top of the list of weirdest games to be released in 2009. But underneath all that, Bonsai Barber is an undeniably fun game to play and is worth checking out if you have a few extra dollars.
There's not a whole lot to Bonsai Barber. You are the newest barber in a town full of talking fruit, vegetables, and animals, and they're looking for a good haircut. You have typical barber tools at your disposal such as a scissors, clippers and comb, along with a paintbrush if you decide to give your customers a little extra flavor with their new hairdo, and there's also a secret trick or two you can discover if you use your tools the right way.
Using your Wiimote, you move your tools along an outline that will guide you to giving your customer the haircut he/she/it wants. The controls are simple but fun and do a good job of making the player feel somewhat like a barber.
Each haircut begins with a one-star rating, and that rating rises as you come close to creating the haircut the customer asked for. When the rating hits five stars, your customer is fully satisfied. You can also take a picture if you like the haircut you created.
Players are only allowed to give five haircuts a day, which splits gaming sessions into about 30-45 minutes a piece. Even though that may seem like a short amount of time, chances are you'll have your fill by the time it's done. Players can also unlock prizes and awards over time depending on haircut performance and photography.
Bonsai Barber is a relatively easy game; there isn't much penalty for mistakes as you can easily correct any wrong cuts, and haircuts don't need to be completely perfect to get a five-star rating. The game feels to be targeted more towards a younger audience, which may turn off some older players, but anyone who plays the game will likely have fun.
The biggest issue with Bonsai Barber and the one that determines how high you will personally score the game is its lifespan, the length of which could depend on the player. There isn't a huge amount of variety here, so players looking for a bigger game with a lot of different things to do might become bored fairly quickly. But if you find the game fun, there's enough here to get your $10 worth if you play by the schedule and pursue the unlockables, plus the game throws in a minor twist here or there to give new days at the barber shop a different flavor than the ones before.
Bonsai Barber is definitely a happy, off-the-beaten-path type of game that any younger player or fan of the weird (like myself) can enjoy. The gameplay is enjoyable and the overall product is one worth supporting. Slight shortcomings aside, Bonsai Barber is definitely worth a look and is the type of game that makes download services like WiiWare great -- a unique idea that may not have found the light of day otherwise.
(Note: I'd probably give this game more like an 8.3, but I rounded it up to 8.5 for GameSpot's scale.)