Pass the Pigs is the DS version of the well known rubber pig based dice game. The use of the touch screen to imitate the throwing of the pigs combined with a sensible no-thrills implementation make this a great electronic version of the game.
What Sort of Game is This?
Minigames come in a variety of shapes and sizes. What unites the genre is the speed with which players can pickup the games and the relatively short time required to complete a level or two.
What Does This Game Add to the Genre?
The novelty of this minigame is its Pass the Pigs licence. This household name brings a touch of class to what would otherwise be a rather simple dice game. It also gives the game a more family-fun focus than the gambling feel of similar casino.
Thankfully it has been used with some restraint as well, respecting the simple joys of throwing a couple of plastic pigs until your luck runs out. All the pig combinations of the original game are provided as is the game structure. Each player has five turns and keep rolling until they hit one pig spot up and the other spot down and 'Pig Out'. At any point the player can stop rolling, bank their points, and move onto the next round. At the end of the game the player with the most banked points wins.
The throwing can be controlled with a couple of button presses, but much more fun are the stylus controls. Simply swipe the touch screen back and forth to shake the pigs and charge your throw bar. When it gets to the optimum point you simple flick the stylus up to throw.
The DS game adds a couple of novel features. Firstly, in addition to the single and multiplayer modes there is a story game where you travel the world as a Pass the Pigs professional, challenging various themed characters from pirates to businessmen. Secondly, you can buy power-ups for your pigs. This essentially weights them towards a certain roll. Adding a nose-ring for example makes 'Jowlers' more common.
There is no online multiplayer mode and locally you have to play on one DS, although this isn't a big problem as it is a turn based experience anyway. What is more of a challenge for the game is offering enough value to justify its price over the physical Pass the Pigs set.
What do People Play this Game To Experience?
The simplicity of the game is the biggest attraction here. By replacing dice with the more complex rubber pigs seem to strike a chord with the gaming public and made the original Pass the Pigs a hugely popular success. The DS game manages to capture that same sense of piggy fun, and although not exactly a game of great skill is great fun to play. In two player mode the game manages to setup some nail biting finishes as each player pushes their luck more and more. The sense of disappointment to breaking the bank with a loosing roll is as heart felt as any video game defeat.
How Much Free Time is Required to Play It?
Although this is a minigame, experienced players can take a good five to ten minutes to complete a game. As the scores increase and the pigs get upgraded the rounds last longer as it become less likely to roll a 'Pig Out'.
What Factors Impact on Suitability for Novice/Expert Young/Old Players?
The simplicity of the game is well suited to infant players. As we saw with super young favorite Pac 'n Roll DS the stylus interface here really lowers the barrier to entry. Our three year old played this for a good half an hour without needing any assistance. This game looks like it could join the hallowed few Infant recommended games for 2009.
Gamers who are slightly older or more experience, particularly those that have played the original game may find the experience gets tired more quickly. Factoring in the cheaper price of the real world game and the DS version will struggle to justify its price.
