you'll enjoy it if you come with an open mind and no expectations. a very charming and original game.
this is essentially a game about trimming, clipping and styling 'humanoid vegetables' like you would a bonzai tree. the wii remote is great at this task, because of its accute sensitivity and the fact that it feels like some kind of practical instrument. reminiscent of the trauma center games, the player (assuming the role of a fledgling barber) holds the remote, pointing it at the screen and using the 'B' button like a trigger, as if he were cutting and snipping. the physics on this are perfect as you can snip in quite a detailed manner and it really feels very 'scissor-like'.
as your clients line up to have their hair done, you can pick from a book of shapes (although the customers usually have one in mind). the game proper takes place on a single screen as the shape is fitted over the character as a guidline to cut around. you can get up to a 5-star rating from your client, or zero stars if you go too crazy and chop all their hair off! usually to get a 5-star you have to either be very precise, or do something special or unexpected like paint their hair a certain colour or take a photo of your work. these other options such as the camera and the paint brush come in a drop down menu/tool box by pressing 'up' on the d-pad. the interface is all very nice and works well. the only niggle is when the client talks too much, trying to give hints, but this never becomes intrusive, and they speak in weird mumbles.
the characters themselves are a joy, and one of the best parts of the game. you'll most probably develop a favourite client and you can always book them in for another appointment. if you're a fan of british humour, you're in luck, because this game is full of it! although really, it's just poking fun at london...and bowler hats, and...posh accents. ;-) there are a nice variety of characters though; you get different ages and races. for example, mazy is a corn on the cob and she's, er, 'black'. then you have the cherry twins who are 'school girls', and then a high flying business man, er, broccoli.
and this is pretty much it. the biggest thing i should mention is that you only get a certain number of clients per day as the game tracks real life time. it's like animal crossing in that respect (the shops closing at night). i like this structure as i look forward each day to cutting the hair of my vegetable clients; it makes it feel more realistic. but it also gives a clue to the sort of game this is. it's not 'harcore', and it's not packed with features. however, there are definately nuances. even when you get 5-star, the game does not read this as perfect. you can keep cutting even after being awarded a 5-star (you call the shots by ending the appointment when you're finished), so there is scope for perfection, if that's you're thing. also, in some stages you get weather conditions that get in the way of cutting, or a bird called 'beaky' that fly past as you're snipping; these little additions add a nice 'soft' obstacle to the process.
i personally think as a whole package the game is worth the 1000 wii points (£7). it's cheaper than a movie ticket and it lasts as long as it lasts. it really depends on the person. people said noby noby boy (a game that was just £3.49 people) was fun for only a week, but i played it for months. so it depends on the person, but NNB does have more scope. bonsai barber has less content, but enough charm to want to be the barber and come back to cut your client's hair.
this is not 'hardcore bonzai gardening'. it's a fun, odd and charming little game. you'll enjoy it if you come with an open mind and no expectations.