Although I’ve never played either of the previous games in the BOXBOY! trilogy, I found the final game in this puzzle platformer series to be very enjoyable.

Your goal in the plot is to make your way through levels within worlds in order to clear Black Smoke away from various planets. There are at least four planets to rid of smoke, with at least four worlds per planet and each world containing seven levels. Also, throughout at least one world per planet, you will have to safely guide a Qbaby along the levels and after completing the world, the Qbaby you had guided will activate a beam that will eliminate all smoke on the planet.

The basic controls are as follows: the D-pad, which moves Qbby around, holding the Y button creates blocks, and pressing the B button will allow you to jump. The blocks can be used to create pathways, a shield from lasers and to ‘snake’ up ledges. There are also the optional features, like resetting the part of the level you are on, by holding both the ‘L’ and ‘R’ button. Another option is the hint button, which will show you how and where to put blocks at the cost of one Play Coin.

Additional features include unique block types to help get you through the world they are introduced in. There are bomb, warp and rocket blocks to name a few. I appreciated being taken through a very brief tutorial within the level whenever a new block type was introduced. A shop is also available, where you can purchase comics, challenge levels and costumes with coins you earn at the end of each level. Another feature includes the compatibility with amiibo figures in the Kirby series.

Personally, I really enjoyed this game on its own, despite being unfamiliar with the series as a whole. I liked the electronic retro music and the simplistic design of the characters. But what I most enjoyed is its tremendous replay value, because not only do you have the option to work toward collecting every crown in each level, as well as the aforementioned challenge levels, but even more levels are unlocked after completing the main story! I also found the comics charming in their own right and the Qbabie’s to be adorable.

Overall, I really enjoyed the charm of BYE-BYE BOXBOY and its satisfying ending. Despite only having one save file, I think I will find myself replaying the game in the future. It’s only $4.99 and I would highly recommend checking it out.