There have been a number of games on the Wii U with a focus on local and asymmetrical multiplayer over the last few years. From launch title Nintendo Land, to Game and Wario, Chariot… and so on. Among this variety of experiences, we have Paparazzi, a budget title with relatively little publicity around it. Does this make it stand as a fun time with friends, or is its simplicity its bane?

The premise of the game is very simple. One player controls a celebrity and runs trying to avoid the other player’s attempts at photographing them. The photos are taken by either pointing and pressing b with the Wiimote or tapping the on the gamepad’s screen. This simple set up makes for easy pick up and play. So even your grandmother can have some fun here.


As the celebrity runs around the bird’s eye view areas, they can hide behind buildings or collect power-ups to assist their escape. Some of them grant super speed, others turn you invisible and another one creates clones of your character (this can be both amusing and confusing). In addition to this, there’s a dash button always available, but hiding generally proves to be more effective.

A dual health meter on the top screen functions as a sort of tug-o-war. Each shot taken by the photographer will add to the money bar, while decreasing the celebrity’s appropriately named dignity meter and vice versa. Just like in real life, it’s quite easy for the paparazzi to get the better of the escaping victim, with shots being fast in comparison to the controllable character’s legs. Each round will end once the celebrity reaches his or her limo, with the state of the health meter determining the outcome.

The visuals use very minimalist pixel art. This does work to its advantage however, as it allows for the celebrities to hide easily, whilst still making each sprite fairly visible. The music, however, gets far more attention. It’s very upbeat, catchy and jazzy, making the frantic game of cat and mouse even more hectic.


The game features several areas and playable characters to mix things up a little, with some being charming references to real life counterparts, but they don’t do much to add variety. As entertaining and laugh inducing as the game was during the initial rounds, it lacked any sort of depth to keep players hooked for longer periods of time. After each round, there’s the option to play again or change areas and characters, nothing else. This does not mean that we didn't have fun with it though, just that it’s a very short-lived kind of fun. There’s a single player option included. But, frankly, it doesn't do much for the whole package, with the CPU being a very underwhelming replacement to an actual human player. As such, this is best played in short sessions, particularly with a group of friends and some drinks handy.

Paparazzi is fun, accessible, charming and hilarious to play. However, it's lack of options and scarce variety ultimately cut it short of being anything more than a quick laugh with friends. If a lack of depth means a deal breaker to you, then you might want to get a restraining order against it, but if a short flash of chaotic fun is what you’re looking for, it’s worth a shot.        


Review Copy provided by: Pringo Dingo Games