Rising Board 3D

You should play Rising Board. How else are you going to witness a penguin on a surfboard flipping tricks like there's no tomorrow?

Rising Board 3D is a fantastic pick-up-and-play game that shows how the 3DS can make those quick mobile experiences normally found on iOS and Android into something similar yet different, and reminds me of games such as Balloon Fight (specifically Balloon Trip) and NiGHTS.

Make no mistake, Rising Board 3D can be fun, but unfortunately that fun is as randomised as its stages. Runs end far too easily, unavoidable obstacles or hazards clipping you from off-screen, and the lack of even local leaderboards means there's little incentive to better your score. Unlockable boards vary the gameplay a bit, but it's so easy to grind for sun points that earning them doesn't feel like much of an achievement. There are some great visuals and sound here, but Rising Board 3D features tropics best experienced by postcard.

While Rising Board 3D's gameplay certainly has potential, that little penguin that could is often the little penguin that can't, constantly crashing into mountains that you'll swear had no business being in the middle of the ocean, or failing just a simple spin because you didn't have enough practice moving your Circle Pad just so.

Rising 3D Board is cheap fun. It doesn't keep anyone attached to the 3DS for more than a few minutes.