While the momentum for great co-op games had been building through the efforts of indie developers over the past generation, the last year in particular has been full of wonderful surprises. It seems as though many developers have begun to get over the anxiety of making games that are exclusively co-op, not even allowing people to attempt to tackle left-right brain shenanigans and trying to do it all, simply embracing the unique opportunities two people working together can bring to the table. Now, with Popucom, we have probably the most challenging and varied title yet, and while it can be a lot, it also packs a punch with some great gameplay.

Trying to narrowly define a title like this is next to impossible. It starts out somewhat simply, combining platforming, shooting, and puzzles. You’ll need to work together to conquer quick switching between your colors, being sure to stay close in order to squeeze through some quick platforming sections. Then you’ll need to play target practice, defeating enemies and sometimes towering bosses who are made up of differently-colored balls, playing what works out to a very active version of the classic Bust-a-Move, trying to get matches of 3 of the same-colored balls in order to pop them. Once you’re done with that, you’ll also encounter stickers and other items that will be off to the side somewhere, or even hidden quite cleverly, and if you want to get everything you’ll have to show even more mental prowess and dexterous skill to grab them all. The thing is, that’s only the beginning since you’ll ultimately get even more devices, each of which giving you new abilities that you’ll need to master in order to be able to tackle the challenges to come!

Make no mistake, if you or your partner aren’t quite up to speed with more complex console titles and masterful use of a twin-stick controller, this may be a stiff challenge. Granted, it could prove to be an excellent proving ground for acquiring new skills quickly if you’re determined to get through everything, but my wife definitely got stressed out every few sections at new challenges that pushed her to keep getting better in order to keep up. The thing is, the game does an amazing job of allowing for tweaking the difficulty on a per-player basis, essentially allowing one or both of you to be immune to damage, or getting aim assistance, but even with those settings on in full effect you’ll still have to be able to pull off some difficult feats, and even seasoned gamers will find themselves tested at times. So weirdly, the game is actually extremely accommodating, but there’s only so much it can ultimately nerf in the name of making it more friendly to less skilled players. So depending on where you and the friend or loved one you’d like to play it with are in total skill levels, it could either be a challenging but fun blast or a string of very frustrating sections that will test both your mind and your controller dexterity. The thing is, if you’re able to hang with the challenges, there’s nothing else quite like it on the eShop, and it can be a lot of fun!