''Bonsai Barber'' is a

barber A barber is a person whose occupation is mainly to cut, dress, groom, style and shave men's and boys' hair or beards. A barber's place of work is known as a "barbershop" or a "barber's". Barbershops are also places of social interaction and publi ...

simulation A simulation is the imitation of the operation of a real-world process or system over time. Simulations require the use of models; the model represents the key characteristics or behaviors of the selected system or process, whereas the s ...

video game Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...

developed by

Zoonami Zoonami was a video game development company, founded in 1998 by Martin Hollis, the director and producer of '' GoldenEye 007''. He left Rare shortly before ''Perfect Dark'' was released while other members of the ''GoldenEye 007'' team formed ...

and released for the Wii console in 2009 in North America, Japan, and the PAL Regions. This video game was a featured

WiiWare WiiWare was a service that allowed Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications could only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii ...

title for 1,000

Wii Points The Wii Shop Channel is a former digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii (called Channels), including exclusive games (branded WiiWare), and game ...

on the Wii Shop Channel.

Gameplay

''Bonsai Barber'' places players in the role of a

who must groom and style the foliage of their plant, fruit and vegetable customers in similar manner to the art of bonsai pruning. Using the

Wii Remote The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact wi ...

, the player uses tools such as scissors for cutting, hair clippers for precision cutting, combs to bend twigs, hairspray to re-grow foliage, and pots of paint to change hair color. Players work on the requests of up to five customers per day and try to achieve a professional five star rated cut for each, unlocking new haircuts each day. Players will unlock medals and gifts for performing well, with the insensitive to return the next day to continue obtaining those rewards. If you miss appointments with the in-game patrons, you will get notified in your Wii Message Board; an additional incentive to return to the game the next day and continue cutting hair. Players will be able to send photos of their completed stylings to friends via WiiConnect24.

Development and release

''Bonsai Barber'' was developed by

. Three prototypes of the game were developed on and off by a team of two people before the game moved into full development. In total, development for ''Bonsai Barber'' stretched over a period of two and a quarter years. The game was released in North America on the

service on March 30, 2009.

Reception

''Bonsai Barber'' received generally positive reviews from critics. ''

IGN ''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...

'' commended the tight, responsive controls and the quirky nature of the game, but also called it a pricey one trick pony. ''

Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally published by EMAP as '' ...

'' loved the concept and the humor and called it "an enjoyable, idiosyncratic experience".

References

{{reflist 2009 video games Action video games Business simulation games Nintendo games Video games developed in the United Kingdom Wii-only games WiiWare games Wii games Multiplayer and single-player video games Video games about plants