This game is undeniably inspired by Sega’s classic Dreamcast game Chu Chu Rocket (Chu^2 to its friends). But since I don’t review clones, what does “Place The Arrows On The Floor” add to the formula that I haven’t seen before? Well, 8 player offline multiplayer of course.
2-8 player offline multiplayer is available via putting two people on one controller (with streamlined controls that allow each player to use only one analogue stick). If you have four or fewer players, though, each player can use their own controller without any sharing. Gameplay is pretty fantastic, befitting its predecessor, as you try to guide people into your castle, and guide monsters into enemy castles (where they’ll eat people who’re already there) with the winner having the most people in their castle at the end of the match. You direct both people and monsters by strategic placement of arrows on the floor to redirect them where you want them to go. Presentation appears deliberately retro, and it works for me.
Unlike Chu^2, “Place The Arrows On The Floor” does not have online play, nor does it have solo play, but I remember paying large sums of money for multiplayer-only games on the Mattel Intellivision so paying 80 Microsoft Points for a multiplayer-only game here doesn’t seem so bad. That makes it fantastic value for those who have the opportunity to play local multiplayer with others, and possibly something you should (sadly) skip if you don’t see that option in your future.
Here’s what the developer (Stockton) has to say about the game:
“An incredibly fast paced fun family strategy game, Place The Arrows allows up to 8 players to play simultaneously in the same room, and multiple players on only one pad! Guide people to your castle and monsters to your opponents, but beware- your opponents will be doing the same. Use your cunning and bonus powers to rescue the most people, and win the game.”
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