Kangaroo Kao is the tried and true of a truly believable old-fashioned platform game

3D platforming is a genre that has had an incredible glamor from the second half of the 90s to the start of the new millennium, but to be put aside. This was an era, often inspired by the animal world, with quirky characters roaming colorful worlds of platforms and traps, jumping around in search of objects and adventures. Many of these heroes have been forgotten by now, meaning they didn’t produce permanent series or were skipped over by other franchises, but they’re still a part of media culture. So despite being pushed to the limits of the industry, some of these heroes seem to be returning for a final flare-up, hoping to find some success.

For this we have Tried the Kangaroo Kao with a bit of melancholy, happy to see a friend from times past come back to lend us a hand… sorry, glove.

classical approach

Kao Kangaroo a platform 3D the clarity of the updated graphics is very classic in its sense, for the mechanics and build style of the levels it is strongly reminiscent of some titles from the mid 90’s and some 2000’s, that’s not necessarily a bad thing since we’re talking period gold like that. Frankly, we did not expect anything from the game. The operation itself is beautiful: reclaiming a little-known franchise thanks to the passion shown by its hard core of fans, but other than that it was hard to have high expectations for the Tate Multimedia title. Maybe that’s why we liked the trial version more than we expected.

From the very first moments of the game, it is clear that the developers knew very well what they were doing and made a great deal. mastery of the genre. Of course, the production is not very high and there are some limits, especially in the accessories elements, but we are faced with a work that is not only interesting in terms of gameplay, but that all 3D platformers should at least keep an eye on. front. , also several versions have been given in recent years.

gameplay

There Date The backstory of the action is pretty classic: Kao has to search for his sister Kaia and father Koby on a mission with seemingly very relaxed tones, but which will take unexpected turns in the later stages and take on much darker tones. . At the structural level, Kangaroo Kao is divided into large central areas placed in well-defined biomes where you can access various levels, but only after finding the right amount of runes necessary to open the respective magical doors. The starting biome is the island of Hoopaloo, practically the home of Kao, where you can encounter a training level called the dojo of the young kangaroo master Walt, and then start the real quest, which will take us to different islands. different from each other, but all to be explored from top to bottom. Each biome requires at least three levels, as well as a fair degree of skill with the controller, fighting with a boss, an enemy that usually has the most complex attack patterns, as well as defeating a certain spirit of observation.

We were able to test three of our four biomes, each with unique characteristics. So we visited lava caves, a lush forest, a frozen canyon, and many other typical sites of the genre, all with their own unique enemies and challenges.

This gameplay In itself it is a very successful blend of exploration and warfare. Not only can Kao jump, but with his boxing gloves he can punch enemies using a variety of moves such as straight kicks, jumping butt kicks, spinning kicks, and special attacks that he charges by hitting opponents and eliminating enemies instantly, astounding those around him. The first biome’s fights against giant frogs aren’t terribly difficult, but the other two’s fights have proven even more formidable, although they never reached an enormous level of complexity. In addition, more diverse enemies appeared, which made the combat more interesting by dealing with it in different ways.

a classic style

This levels No matter how linear Kao is, it’s full of secrets, and it’s fun to explore to hunt for hidden objects, whether it’s coins used to buy upgrades in in-game stores, or the three letters that make up the name Kao, or even the heart pieces that allow it. to expand the energy reserve. The degree of interaction is not very high, but it is functional depending on the type of game: Kao can chat with characters in the hub areas, break barrels and furniture in search of coins, and buy items in stores.

Its levels are built to take advantage of all of Kao’s moves, including suspended platforms to cling to, buttons to press, bouncing buttons to reach distant areas, and many other essentials reminiscent of classics of the genre. . Continuation of the game also unlocks upgrades for the kangaroo gloves, which are the core object of the entire adventure, even at the narrative level used to solve some puzzles.

For example, it is possible by collecting fireballs or catching them to light some obstacles. fists, or by throwing a boomerang at him. Nothing too complicated as you can imagine. However, the further you progress through the levels, the greater the variety of moves available, the more complex the levels become, following a precise pattern in difficulty progression, but this works really well… sorry I couldn’t finish the game. Of course we ran into some issues and we will see if they will be fixed in the final version. For example, while some cutscenes were really rough, we found some issues with the camera in some stages. The same control system Suffers from a certain weight, which can be annoying in some cases. However, overall there seemed to be minor issues that could definitely be fixed and apart from everything else it didn’t spoil the experience.