 Hirokazu <unk> of Famitsu commended Mischief Makers 's gameplay , which balanced its poor character design . Other Famitsu reviewers admired Treasure 's signature robot designs and were puzzled by the company 's choice to use buttons instead of the 3D analog stick . Nintendo Life 's Jamie O 'Neill praised the game 's characters and disliked the controls . He compared the Calina character to the role of Shadow Mario in Super Mario Sunshine . O 'Neill wrote that the intricate controls were " the antithesis of a friendly , approachable , and intuitive platformer " because the game used every button on the controller ( including the directional pad ) , though he felt that players who persevered through the difficult controls would find them " inventive and unique " . He added that the complex controls allowed for experimentation that led to new and fun gameplay , and though the throwing enemies mechanic seemed to follow from Gunstar Heroes , the <unk> platforming was unintuitive . John Harris of Gamasutra wrote that the game borrowed other elements from Gunstar Heroes , as the games were similar in protagonists , collectible gems , and bosses . As the game took time to learn and understand , O 'Neill left the reader to decide whether the game was " ultimately convoluted or bordering on sophistication and genius " . 
