101-in-1 Explosive Megamix Review

There are a lot of games that promise the world and do not deliver. Atlus’ latest game doesn’t promise the world, but it does have one hundred and one games in a single package for only $20. Does it deliver?

101-in-1 is basically a compilation of 101 mini-games. Okay, there is nothing new with that. We’ve seen this a hundred and one times before. Wario Ware is the one that really got these types of games popular on handhelds. Now they seem to be everywhere. Before you click the Back button on your browser, hear me out.

For a handheld title the concept makes sense. You can pick up and play quick and simple games while you are on the train, in the car or waiting for someone at a coffee shop. In many ways this type of game is the ideal handheld title.

Unlike games like Wario Ware, 101-in-1 is a little longer than the three second “micro-games” in that title. Most of these have a time limit of a minute, while others end when you fail to complete an objective. It isn’t terribly complex, but that’s the point.

Basically you have a wide variety of touch-screen focused mini-games to choose from. A lot of them are similar (i.e. touching something, gliding an object, moving left and right). There are some stand-out games though. Basketball is quite enjoyable although difficult and they have a nice Snakes ripoff. There is even a Sudoku if that is your thing. Most of these games will randomly generate.

If you are bored and are looking for a cheap, quick and fun alternative to those longer Nintendo DS games, 101-in-1 is a good solution. This isn’t exactly the type of game that Atlus is known for. They mostly focus on the Japanese RPG market with games like Shin Megami. Maybe this is a trend towards diversification. Either way, there is a diverse collection of mini-games to be played here.