It's effectively one neat and interesting Christmas level with an unlock system that is a bit hair splitting to get to some actual goodies. Each time you beat the level you get to unlock one of nine presents from Toree. They can range from sound tests to different characters to whole new games. None of the presents themselves are particularly bad, but it is annoying that extra content is unlocked by constantly repeating the level over and over again.

Still, it's a pretty inoffensive game with a good level, extra games to unlock, and everything is free to boot. Toree really is the chick that keeps on giving us platforming goodness, as well as as some other neat ideas that are showcased here.

It's more Toree, it's fun. The idea of replaying a stage and getting a sort of "advent calendar" treat every time you finish it is nice in theory. The rewards are pretty cool, but the actual process of replaying the level is monotonous; the only thing you really have to aim for as a player is an S-rank time, but if you're like me, you'll hit that ceiling by your second or third run, and everything beyond that will be identical. I got a C rank, a bunch of S-ranks, and nothing in between. Playing as 4 characters simultaneously was a neat challenge but the rest of the available modifiers to the main mode seem to be purely visual.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!~

It's apparent that Toree has become Siactro's favorite golden goose, the poster child of their PSX/N64 inspired catalogue, at least visually. I do not say this with any ill intent; if the jump in quality of Toree 3D to Toree 2 is anything to go by, the team is clearly dedicated to polish and experiment with the basic premises of the ''low-polygon mascot platformer'' has. Still, it's clear that they see this yellow chicken as their mascot, and again, I'm not complaining in the slightest, I love Toree as much as any other sane human would, but even with all that said, too much of anything is at risk of becoming tiring.

I mean, both of the original Torees came out the same year, and even tho Toree Saturn seems to be taking more to be made, in the meantime Siactro has been sure there's no shortage of this speedy motherducker, releasing more bite-sized demos and levels. I decided to play Jolly Jam ‘cause hey, what the hell? Is a small experience made for SAGE completely free and that fits the holiday, and I knew it would be fun, but after so much of the character, and specially after the amazing surprise that was Toree 2, I went in expecting a fun little time and very little else… I should stop expecting only that when it comes to Toree because don’t I look fucking stupid now…

The level itself it’s just neat, it fits the aesthetic perfectly and follows what the extra levels in Toree 2 did visually, and it’s a joy to blsdt through and beat (the only level in all Toree games I’ve gotten a S simply because how simple and inviting it is to go fast), but that’s pretty much everything there is when it comes to level design; some cool designs and a fun lay-outs… and then there’s everything else. Toree is not only sporting an extremely cool hat and scarf, but also new tools to reach even higher speeds, like a slam mid jump that cancels all momentum but makes you go fast instantly, or a homing attack and boost-`pads reminiscent of a very familiar blue mammal. These alone are fantastic additions, I genuinely hope we can see these in the next full game because they are nothing short of amazing and complement the level super well, I wasn’t expecting to see changes like this at all, but I for one am super happy to see them.

But the demo doesn’t limit itself to these mechanical showings, and it also decides to go completely nuts with the extra ‘’gifts’’. Not only do we have some amazing cosmetics that feel like the perfect evolution of the unlockable characters and the level costumes from previous games, not only do we have a sound gallery with the incredible tunes INCLUDING previews for the next game, we have a small rpg-like sprite game with no combat, a 2.5D platformer, and even a sub-game that references that Christmas demo of Night in dreams, terrible depth perception and all! There’s so much to see and quite a few stuff to do for what’s essentially a small free celebration for the season, and it’s fun, it’s heartwarming, it’s Toree doing it yet again.

Once again, I’m left totally positively surprised by something I didn’t think much before playing, it’s an exceptional jolly time that, for what it is, I really don’t think I could have asked more of it. Thank god Toree isn’t a sniper, ‘cause this chicken never misses…