Game Review: Moe Waifu H Push-Box

By Al

Players: 1
Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5

Over the years I've reviewed several (maybe all?) of the games in the Moe Waifu H series, and I'm always down to check out "those" types of games. Each title in the Moe Waifu H series is an ecchi themed puzzle game of some sort, with Moe Waifu H Push-Box being a game in the Sokoban-like genre. It's out now on the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5 by way of publisher EastAsiaSoft, and we're going to be taking a look at the Switch version here. This is going to be a quick one, so let's dive in!

There is something I feel I should point out now before moving on, and it has to do with the Nintendo Switch version of the game. Though Moe Waifu H Push-Box is available for easy purchase on Sony consoles, the Switch release is only available on the Hong Kong and Japan eShops. This is most likely due to Nintendo's recent change in stance regarding ecchi games, but it unfortunately means that US Switch owners will have to jump through a few extra hoops if they want to play it. This is also the case across the entire series, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to those who've played any of the previous Moe Waifu H game. Thankfully the Switch is region free, so there it is fully playable once you get past that initial hurdle. With that out of the way, let's get back to the actual review.

Though there isn't any story to Moe Waifu H Push-Box, the developers did give us characters with actual bios this time around. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear they read my previous review, as this is something I've criticized in all the games leading up to this one. Though there are a couple girls that look suspiciously like they came from previous Moe Waifu H games, I don't really mind it as much since they have names, ages, occupations, and descriptions this time around. The latter are a bit strange, as the quirky traits each character has never play into the actual game in any way. I do want to point out a few oddities I noticed before moving on. Celeste, the character who looks the youngest, of course is actually 802 years old, and I don't think I have to say any more on that. I also had to do a double take on Valentina and Sophia, the first and last characters you'll see in the game respectively, as I thought they were the same character right up until I began this review. The other two girls in the game are a young magician in a giant sweater, and a scientist who wears vials on her belt like they're bullets. I can't say that anything here particularly impressed, but I have to give the game credit for stepping up at all, even if it is only the bare minimum.

For those that saw "Sokoban-like" at the top of the review and scratched their heads, let me back up and explain things a bit. Sokoban is a box-pushing game that first released in 1982, and has inspired an entire genre of games. Explaining Sokoban's gameplay loop also explains Moe Waifu H Push-Box's, so let's go for it. You single goal is to push a set number of boxes onto marked spaces without getting yourself stuck. It sounds simple enough, but an important factor is that you can only push boxes, and not pull them. This means that you can accidentally push a block against a wall, and find that you can no longer get it out of that position. You'll also have to maneuver boxes around the others in a way that allows you to place them all without leaving one hopelessly out in the cold. It's honestly a neat system that I've grown to appreciate, and the entire Sokoban-like genre has strangely seen a resurgence of sorts in recent years.

Moe Waifu H Push-Box's take on the gameplay is as simple as they come. You have five sets of three stages, and each give you three to seven boxes to place in each of the levels. You can redo a level if you get yourself stuck, but you can only do that three times per life. You also only have three lives in which to complete each stage, though losing them all only means that the score resets. The only other thing that this game adds to the standard Sokoban formula is a timer, and I will say that it can be a bit strict at times. I never died from running out of time, but I came quite close to it a couple times. Speaking of time, this is an extremely short game overall. I'm not exaggerating in the least when I say that I beat the entire game in about 15-20 minutes, and only used the reset system twice on accident. Not only did I not need it, but I also never lost a single life. I'm no stranger to short games, but this one really shocked me. I was convinced that there had to be more, but outside of a gallery and a jukebox, there isn't. Some players might take more time than I did if they find things difficult, but I can't see anyone going past the hour mark.

This is an ecchi title, so I'm sure some of you are wondering how... intense said content gets. I mentioned earlier that the game has fifteen stages, but I didn't mention that each of those stages represent a costume for one of the five girls. Each girl has a total of three outfits, with the middle one usually being a bit more risqué than the first, and the final one usually being a bikini. They thankfully went with looks that were far less lewd for the younger-looking characters, so you don't have to worry about things getting too weird here. The girls don't have the best designs out there, but I do think that the art has improved over course of the series. I also liked that each of the five sets of stages had their own look to them, as the developers could've very easily just given each stage the same graphical treatment. It is a bit strange that you don't actually play as one of the girls, but instead are represented by a random male character that I can only assume is meant to be your avatar. The girl whose stages you currently on is visible off to the side, but it made me constantly wonder who you're actually playing as.

I honestly don't know what else to say about the game. The music wasn't bad, but I'm willing to bet that it came from a stock music library. I also don't think I'll ever pick it up again, and part of me is upset that the writing, editing, and publishing of this review will take up far more of my time than the actual game did. Despite my many issues, I can't bring myself to say that Moe Waifu H Push-Box is bad, it just feels uninspired, and is greatly lacking in content. I guess fans of the series, or those who absolutely must have ecchi content in their Sokoban-likes, will find something to enjoy here, but I don't think I can recommend it at all to anyone else. It does carry a very low $4.99 price tag, but that's still a hard sell when there are so many better games in the genre that are also available at that price point. You're honestly better off grabbing just about anything else other than this one. I still look forward to the next game in the series, but part of me wonders what it is that I'm waiting for. Hopefully I find it, but until then, I'll see you in the next one.

For More Information on Moe Waifu H Push-Box:
https://www.eastasiasoft.com/games/Moe-Waifu-H-PushBox

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Story: N/A
Gameplay: C
Graphics: C-
Music/Sound: C-
Value: C-

Overall: C-

Pros:
+ A competent Sokoban-like that features some decently challenging levels towards the end.
+ The five girls in the game actually have full bios this time around. It's almost like they read my previous reviews!
+ Is priced rather affordably for what it is.

Cons:
- There's very little actual content here. There's literally only 15 levels in the game. I was able to fully beat it in about 15 minutes or so, if even that long.
- Not only is the game short, but there really isn't any reason to go back to it after you're done.
- There are plenty of better Sokoban-like games out there, with a lot of them even being in the same price point.

A copy of this game was provided to us free-of-charge by the publisher for the purpose of this review. This did not affect our review in any way.

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