The draw of a game like Poinie's Poin lies in what surrounds the gameplay, playing Poinie's Poin mostly just facilitates you seeing what it has to offer. This is a really unique platformer for the PlayStation 2 that was never released outside of Japan but is fully voiced and written in English (Japanese language is available as a dub). You control Poinie, a small child looking to find his mother, and hijinks ensure.

The world of Poinie's Poin is alive, with bright and colorful scenery and characters that feel like they live in that environment while also having absurd traits, designs, animations, and writing that makes them memorable. I found myself reading every line of dialogue until I got repeats and experimenting with Poins to see every single animation they had to offer.

Additionally, the game has memorable bosses and puzzles, entirely due to the absurd scenarios that they occur in. A chef who cooks with dynamite that frequently explodes his restaurant is a notable encounter. That said, the fights themselves don't really hold up outside of the novelty of the premise, due to how easy and repetitive the gameplay actually is.

Gameplay is where Poinie's Poin suffers. Using objects to manipulate the emotions of enemies to defeat them or bypass obstacles is a good concept but it's overly simple in Poinie's Poin. There's not much depth and boss fights boil down to the same throwing of Poins at objects, enemies, and the bosses. The platforming is extremely simple, with the only real unique factor is being able to jump on grabbed Poins. Making your own platforms is a decent idea but it's not meaningfully used in this game.

Overall this game is a short and fun romp through a unique world, but it's definitely got missed potential and I don't feel it has any replay value due to some shallow design. I'd say it's worth checking out, it's a hidden gem if this appeals to you.