Super Multitasking

Let me ask you a couple question: Do you like 2D platformers? What about old school shoot 'em ups? And where do you come down on racing games and tennis simulators? Now what if I told you that you could play all of these games at the exact same time using only one controller? That's the gimmick behind Super Multitasking, a clever new game that is guaranteed to scramble your brain and send your head spinning. It's like trying to play four WarioWare games at once, and it's every bit as fun and frustrating as it sounds.

Super Multitasking is a surprisingly easy game to describe and wrap your head around. The goal is to play and complete a series of bite-sized mini-games that pop up in four different parts of the screen. It's not as simple as completing a game and moving on, because they'll start to throw other games on top of the one you're trying to complete, creating this hectic scenario where you're doing your best to juggle the different screens.

The good news is that the gameplay is easy to pick up. We learn right at the start that the horizontal top section is controlled entirely using the controller's shoulder buttons. The screen on the left uses the left analog stick or D-pad, the middle section is the face buttons and the right screen uses the right analog stick. It may take a game or two to get used to, but it all becomes second nature soon enough.

Super Multitasking eases you into what becomes a punishing exercise in reflexes and concentration. The first minute won't be so bad, but the difficulty quickly ramps up as you're forced to deal with three and four mini-games all at once. Sure, these are easy mini-games that would be no problem on their own, but good luck hitting that tennis ball or dodging that anvil when three other screens are demanding your attention.

If you're looking for a game that will keep you playing for hours on end, then skip right on by Super Multitasking. This game will push you away by design, and I worry for the people who spend all night trying to keep track of four separate screens. There's no way that's healthy. But as this novelty you pick up and play in short bursts, I found this juggling act to be a lot of fun.

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That said, Super Multitasking is not without problems. My biggest complaint is that there are only a handful of different mini-games. It may seem like there's a healthy variety at first, but they run out quickly when you're seeing several at once. It doesn't help that some of the mini-games are too simplistic for their own good, even by this game's standards. There is a sense of repetition that will set in with an extended play, and I found myself wishing for two or three times the amount of mini-games.

Beyond the traditional timed game, we also get a few other modes that add some replay. We get a practice mode and extra difficult challenge mode, as well as a bonus section that lets you focus on a single event, such as endless tennis, spike ball or Flappy Birds clone. There are also a few different difficulty options, one of which nearly broke me. This game will melt your brain.

While it may not be the game you spend hours playing, Super Multitasking is a mind-bending experiment that sees you trying to juggle multiple games at the same time. It's fun in much the same way as WarioWare, all while offering a completely different spin on the micro mini-game formula. With a little more content, Super Multitasking would be a near perfect time-waster. Just don't blame me if this leads to some sort of short attention span problems.