This farming strategy sim translates well enough from 3DS to game system, but it's lacking long-term replay value.
What's left after that? Not much, I'm afraid. Like I said, extra challenge barns open up and demand you take care of these animals again, and it does prolong events a little bit, but that's really about it. There are no real online features to speak of, or any leaderboards where you can tell people, "I'm the best farmer!" But, in all honesty, would you really want to?
It almost seems like there's too little here for Funky Barn to be considered a full retail release. The presentation is rather basic, if cute, and the controls, while sufficient, don't really last long enough to make this a $50 purchase. I keep thinking this would've been better off as a Wii U eShop release, priced at around $10-$15. 505 Games probably would've made more sales that way, and more people would feel like they're getting their money's worth. At $50, though, it almost seems like the company's, ahem, milking it. (Man, where am I getting all these puns today…?)
For those of you who insist on having some kind of farming simulation in their Wii U game line-up, you could do worse than Funky Barn. There is a small amount of fun to be had here, and seeing a cow with eyes that bug out might be hilarious for some. But this game is too easily beaten, like its 3DS brethren, and soon you'll be seeking out new pasture. It's an ideal rental, but that's about it.
Score: 5.5 / 10
