MiniGame Paradise

The saying “Jack of all trades, master of none” exists for a reason, especially in video games, where lots of mini-games usually add up to two seconds of quality gameplay.

MiniGame Paradise isn’t the deepest pond, but it ends up being much more charming than you’d expect.

You play a rabbit who collects stars by outsmarting his enemies. The more stars he collects, the more levels he unlocks. The goal is to get to all the levels while grabbing all the bonus items.

The mini-games take about five seconds to learn and only one touch to play. On the slalom, for instance, you simply tap the screen to change the rabbit's direction as he slides down the slope. In another level, your rabbit shoots out a rope and swings from tree to tree. It’s all about timing.

The mini-games contain some surprising depth. One particularly impressive mini-game is a side-scroller replete with bosses, XP, and weapons – enough of a Castlevania-lite clone to stand on its own.

The pay-to-play system dampens some of the joy in MiniGame Paradise, though, and is a little too aggressive for our tastes.

Stars open up new levels and can be found throughout the mini-games. However, the number of stars available is so small that you’ll be playing through these mini-games one too many times to obtain them – unless you pull out the proverbial wallet.

Business model complaints aside, MiniGame Paradise stacks up pretty well compared to other microgame collections.

The ten games available are varied, the controls are easy to pick up, and the game is challenging without being frustrating. It's solid ADHD entertainment.