Art of Balance

System: Wii U Release date: 25/09/2014

Important information

As of 27/03/2023, it will no longer be possible to make purchases in Nintendo eShop for Wii U and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems.

You’ll need a steady hand and nerves of steel to conquer the 200 challenges on offer in the tricky physics-based puzzler Art of Balance, available to download from Nintendo eShop on Wii U.

The aim of the game is simple: carefully balance the blocks to create a sturdy stack, with intuitive touch controls on the Wii U GamePad giving you total placement precision. Use your equilibrium expertise to pile up all manner of different shapes, including some with special properties that will really test the grey matter. You don’t have to go it alone though: up to four other players can each grab a Wii Remote controller and help you out in a unique five-player co-operative experience.

If head-to-head puzzling is more your bag, challenge a friend at home in split-screen competitive play, or go online to find an opponent. Pack your sofa with brainy buddies and take on another team in four-versus-four online multiplayer, where each team solves puzzles in parallel. Will your living room triumph?

Hone your skills in additional challenge modes as you build the tallest tower you can, solve demanding balance challenges, or go against the clock, unlocking awards along the way. See how you stack up against other players around the world in Endurance Mode’s online leaderboards: a true test for any aspiring block master.

  • Conquer 200 varied levels of block-balancing gameplay
  • Work together in five-player local co-operative play, or go online in four-on-four matches
  • Sharpen your grey matter in Challenge and Endurance modes

This description was provided by the publisher.


What you need to know

This content is sold by Nintendo of Europe AG. The payment will be made with Nintendo eShop funds usable through the Nintendo Account used to complete the purchase.

This content is sold by Nintendo of Europe AG, payable with Nintendo eShop funds usable through your Nintendo Account. The Nintendo Account Agreement applies to the purchase of this content.

This content may be purchased by users who have registered a Nintendo Account and accepted the respective legal terms. To be able to purchase content for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems, a Nintendo Network ID is also required and your funds usable through the Nintendo Account must be merged with the funds tied to your Nintendo Network ID. If the funds have not yet been merged, you will have the option to do so during the purchase process. To start the purchasing process, it is necessary to sign in with the Nintendo Account and the Nintendo Network ID. After signing in it will be possible to review the details and complete the purchase.

To be able to purchase content for Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems, your funds usable through the Nintendo Account must be merged with the funds tied to your Nintendo Network ID. If the funds have not yet been merged, you will have the option to do so during the purchase process. You will be able to review the details and complete the purchase on the next screen.

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After your payment has been processed, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to your Nintendo Account, or your Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, only the free launcher application can be downloaded.

Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

After your payment has been processed, the content will be downloaded to the applicable system linked to your Nintendo Account, or your Nintendo Network ID in the case of Wii U or Nintendo 3DS family systems. This system must be updated to the latest system software and connected to the internet with automatic downloads enabled, and it must have enough storage to complete the download. Depending on the system/console/hardware model you own and your use of it, an additional storage device may be required to download software from Nintendo eShop. Please visit our Support section for more information.

In the case of games that use cloud streaming technology, only the free launcher application can be downloaded.

Please make sure you have enough storage to complete the download.

The details of the offer are displayed based on the country settings of your Nintendo Account.

The Nintendo Account Agreement applies to the purchase of this content.

The use of an unauthorised device or software that enables technical modification of the Nintendo console or software may render this game unplayable.

This product contains technological protection measures.

Content not playable before the release date: {{releaseDate}} . For pre-orders, payments will be taken automatically starting from 7 days before the release date. If you pre-order less than 7 days before the release date, payment will be taken immediately upon purchase.

Interview

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In physics-based puzzler Art of Balance, available now on Nintendo eShop on Wii U, you'll need a steady hand to place all sorts of differently shaped blocks to create a perfectly balanced pile! Whether you take on the challenges alone, co-operate with friends or take part in competitive play, there's stacks of fun on offer.

We sat down with Martin Sauter from developer Shin'en Multimedia to discuss the game and learn all about its modes.

Nintendo of Europe: So first of all, please could you introduce yourself and describe your role on Art of Balance?

Martin Sauter: My name is Martin Sauter, and I’m the art director at Shin’en Multimedia. We are based in Munich, Germany, and we’re a long-time developer for Nintendo systems, starting with Game Boy Color and now with Wii U. Right now, we’ve just released Art of Balance for Wii U.

NoE: Please could you tell us a little about Art of Balance?

MS: Art of Balance is a new Wii U version in our Art of Balance series. There’s an Art of Balance game for Wii, and there’s Art of Balance TOUCH! for Nintendo 3DS and 2DS. But even though their names sound similar on all systems, every version is unique and not just a simple port. We always look at the system and try to make a fitting title that’s as strong as possible.

WiiUDS_ArtOfBalance_01.jpg

NoE: So what’s new for the Wii U version of Art of Balance?

MS: We think the Wii U version is really a great piece of software for everybody, because we added so many more things that even guys and girls – and even grandmas and grandpas! (laughs) – who bought the other versions still have lots of things to discover. We have the online game mode, so you can play online with friends from all over the world. We have different co-operative modes, which is something that Art of Balance TOUCH! doesn’t have, and more levels. But there’s so much more in it, so I’d just recommend people check it out!

NoE: As you say, this is the third game in the Art of Balance series. What convinced you to create a Wii U version?

MS: First of all, we really wanted to go into that online thing, because we didn’t have it in Art of Balance TOUCH! or the original Art of Balance on Wii. We needed a certain level of resolution for the graphics so that we could do our online modes. The graphics are HD, so it looks totally different to the previous games. We tried to use our technology to make it more polished and more relaxing, so you have a good feeling while you’re playing the game, a happy mood. So it’s the graphics and the modes, the online, which we just couldn’t do without Wii U.

NoE: The multiplayer clearly plays a big role, then. Please could you tell us about that?

MS: For the multiplayer, we have different parts. Of course we have the single-player, we call it Arcade mode, where you can play through 200 levels, but four players with Wii Remotes can jump in during the game and help you out, then leave the room and rejoin later. And of course you can play with the Wii U GamePad, so that’s five players in co-op. Or you can play alone – it’s all possible! It’s funny, because when two players play, they play differently to when they play individually, so that’s a fun experience.

Then we have competitive modes, split-screen. So if you have four people in your living room, two could play on one side, the other two play on the other side, and they play against each other on the same puzzle to see who can complete it faster. You can make it a best of five series!

We have another mode where you play one after each other, and the loser gets no points. So that’s a more calm experience, you don’t have that pressure of playing head-to-head. But it’s so funny to watch people play; if they can’t complete the puzzles, they look over to the other player’s side in split-screen: “How do they do it?!” (laughs) Then they find out the answer. This is very new stuff for the Wii U version which makes it very interesting. I’ve seen lots of people having fun!

Then we have the Endurance mode, which is another mode where we have online stats, and so we’ve added lots of things that make it a much bigger Art of Balance game.

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NoE: So when you’ve been watching people playing, have you witnessed them taking different approaches?

MS: It depends on the mode, but the nice thing about it is that the starting point of Art of Balance for us was that we wanted something calm and relaxing for when you come home from work, or after school. You want something calm and relaxing, but still challenging; something easy to pick up, but hard to master if you want to keep getting better and better.

We put so many modes in there, so we have something for everybody. And I found out that sometimes it depends on the person. They might play together and have fun, give each other tips; sometimes, in co-operative play, they really want the challenge to beat the other guys! It’s a mixture of everything.

NoE: Please could you tell us a little about the online modes?

MS: It’s the same thing as the other multiplayer modes, it’s just that four more players can jump in. You could have up to eight players playing at the same time! You can play the same puzzles online and get your friends involved. It just adds something more; it’s not the core experience, but it’s something extra if you don’t have anybody at home to play with.

NoE: How does Art of Balance make specific use of the Wii U console’s features?

MS: The GamePad is our main feature; you don’t need it, and you can play with the Wii Remote, because some people like to sit on the couch and have a pointing device. But the game is, of course, fully playable with the GamePad. One of the best features, I think, is off-TV play, so if your partner, or your mum and dad, says, “I wanna watch TV,” you can take the game and just play the same way you would on the TV. So the GamePad is essential I think, because sometimes you just want to play like this. But you don’t need to!

Miiverse is something that we support over the internet, but we don’t have any in-game function where you press something and Miiverse pops up. A Miiverse community, we support that of course – we like that, we read that. Of course we read it, so feel free to post stuff on our community!

NoE: Have you used Miiverse to gather feedback from fans?

MS: Yes – as we don’t do so much marketing, or attend so many conventions and shows, we are really happy that we have social media, comments on gaming news sites and Miiverse so that we can get basic feedback. Of course, one comment won’t make it, but a combination of many comments means to us, “Oh, there might be a point in that,” and then we see how we can get this input, direct from the gamers, into our games to make the next game or sequel better. Often a sequel develops from that. If the players say this and that, we say, “Makes sense! In the next sequel, that should be a feature.” That happens!

NoE: Is there anything else you’d like to mention about Art of Balance to sum it up?

MS: We’re 100% sure that it’s the best version of Art of Balance! Of course, if you want to play it on the go, go for Art of Balance TOUCH! on Nintendo 3DS, but there’s so much stuff in this version that you have to discover. I recommend you go to Nintendo eShop, check it out and play it with your family. I think everybody can get involved with Art of Balance!

We know there are people who aren’t sure if Art of Balance is the right type of game for them, so we are preparing a demo. It’ll be out soon, so please give it a try and also, if possible, invite some friends to check out the multiplayer experience!

NoE: Thank you for your time!

Categories

Puzzle

Multiplayer mode

Simultaneous

Players

1 - 8

Publisher

Shin'en Multimedia

Age rating

TBD

Wii U download software

System

Wii U (European version)

Release date

25/09/2014

Age rating

TBD

Compatible controllers

  • Wii U GamePad,
  • Wii Remote & Wii Remote Plus

Languages

English, Spanish, French, German

Download size

359,50 MB