UFO Claw games are a common sight in arcades, and are a big deal in Japan. One might think that making a game based around these type of machines would be a bad idea, but HAL Laboratory would prove you wrong. The studio already known for their excellent Kirby games has also branched out with other new ideas such as the charming BoxBoy series ( both series of which, see cameos here), and once again try something new with Part Time UFO.
The game sees an alien in a flying saucer come to Earth and accidentally cause a truck carrying produce to drop its cargo. The game then eases you into its gameplay by having you pick up the produce and crates and put them back in the truck. This starts off our alien friend on a journey of using the flying saucer to get part time work and help others. Along the way, the alien will help build temples, catch fish and more. Its a simple premise but works surprisingly well.
The game is not just about putting pieces in their designated spots tough, that is only one challenge. Another challenge is putting them in a certain order for instance, and there are many other hidden objectives the game will have for you. You have a limited time to complete each mission, but the move you move objects to the right spots, you will also earn more time along with money. The money can be used for buying items in the shop such as costumes. These costumes will come in a nice variety, and many have benefits such as dressing like a ninja giving you a neat speed boost. These are nice to mess around with and finding the right one will be key to you completing missions the right way.
Another mode is the Tower of Infinity mode where you must stack objects that are flown in on helicopters in order to build ta massive tower. This is a great endless mode and one for you to keep challenging yourself with. There are other modes as well, likes the various challenges in the Feats of Glory that give the game a nice amount of variety as well. The game also has a two player mode, where two joy cons will be used manage the UFO on missions. These will have variations like more objects to move or more obstacles in the way. This is to give the game more of a different challenge so the experience will be unique in both one player and two player mode and that is appreciated.
Lastly there is the treasure hunt mode, which acts as more of an adventure mode for the game. You will solve puzzles and collect treasure, and its nice to be able to explore the ruins more and do things not done in the other mode. This feels like a separate game at times and I truly enjoyed my time with this mode. It felt like something different in the overall experience and it goes so well with what else Part Time UFO has to offer.
In conclusion, Part Time UFO is a great game and one you should definitely make time to play on the Nintendo Switch when you can.