Been playing this for a few runs at a time for like a year now, and I really enjoy how good all of this feels together - the music, the colors, the smoothness of animation and motion. I will say, I think a lot of people mentioning this being 'just like an old arcade game!' maybe have the wrong idea of arcade games - there is so much RNG that truly could only exist in a game made after 1993. The only obstacle that seems player-influenced are the Toilets, which you can juke and get to follow predictable ladder patterns. Everything else is either on a predictable schedule (back and forth mice, oil flames, Dodo Fire, candy drops) or entirely random (Dodo Fire on the ferris wheel, toilet spawns in the Dodo Lair, the ghost spawns even if they do give you a warning). Very much a 'let go and let god' type of feeling.
Even given that, there's absolutely a level of skill to improvement - understanding and timing the set obstacles is something I've learned and picked up on, as is routing for ideal combos. It's just one of those things where... is the core identity here gathering a high score? Because if so, there's not a clear advantage to either going for Time Bonus or going for Donut Combo - Donut Combo feels undeniably like the right option, but there's no control over which Donuts light up to become the next part of your combo, so... you aren't really in charge of your destiny here.
By far the most 'Donkey Kong Inspired Game' of the last several years, though now I want to just play Donkey Kong tbh
Even given that, there's absolutely a level of skill to improvement - understanding and timing the set obstacles is something I've learned and picked up on, as is routing for ideal combos. It's just one of those things where... is the core identity here gathering a high score? Because if so, there's not a clear advantage to either going for Time Bonus or going for Donut Combo - Donut Combo feels undeniably like the right option, but there's no control over which Donuts light up to become the next part of your combo, so... you aren't really in charge of your destiny here.
By far the most 'Donkey Kong Inspired Game' of the last several years, though now I want to just play Donkey Kong tbh
The vibe of this is impeccable. Visually it really nails the old school arcade look and feel.
But (sadly) the gameplay doesn't quite match up. Too much stuff is random, which didn't really happen in old arcade games. That's why people could reach kill screens in Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, or wraparound after the final stage in Flicky.
The flashing donuts are the best example: classic arcade game Bomb Jack has the same mechanic, you can collect flashing bombs in order, and you can start at any point in the chain, which is both fun and teaches you how to best approach to traversing the stage. But in Donut Dodo the flashing donuts appear in random order, so instead of learning the best way to approach the stage you're running about like a headless chicken which is both annoying and less fun than it could be.
I can recommend the game as a great example of how to make a modern game look retro, but I can't in good faith recommend it for the gameplay. It was so close to being great!
But (sadly) the gameplay doesn't quite match up. Too much stuff is random, which didn't really happen in old arcade games. That's why people could reach kill screens in Pac-Man and Donkey Kong, or wraparound after the final stage in Flicky.
The flashing donuts are the best example: classic arcade game Bomb Jack has the same mechanic, you can collect flashing bombs in order, and you can start at any point in the chain, which is both fun and teaches you how to best approach to traversing the stage. But in Donut Dodo the flashing donuts appear in random order, so instead of learning the best way to approach the stage you're running about like a headless chicken which is both annoying and less fun than it could be.
I can recommend the game as a great example of how to make a modern game look retro, but I can't in good faith recommend it for the gameplay. It was so close to being great!
Dearly loved this one, great start to the year. Super chaotic and that perfect "easy to learn, tricky to master" skill curve. I do think the ferris wheel level could be slightly better balanced (there's a lot of waiting around if you elect to go for the highest score) but each level is incredibly fun to learn the intricacies of. Will continue to be a bus-stop mainstay going forward, I reckon.
You should listen to our episode found right here or wherever you get your podcasts to hear Sam talk about playing this game, the Evercade, and more!
Donut Dodo is one of those indie games that doesn't come along very often as most people seem to only care about metroidvanias, sims, roguelites or weird frankenstein projects that mash genres together with (oftentimes) little success. It's a true throwback that, quite specifically, apes the style of the original Donkey Kong with hints of Donkey Kong Jr and a dash of Popeye.
Taking place across five boards (that loop once at an increased difficulty), your job as Billy Baker is to snatch up all of the donuts scattered throughout the stage before collecting a massive one to end the stage. All you can really do is run and jump, which is par for the course of an early 80's arcade game character. Fortunately, unlike Donkey Kong, you won't fall to your death if you drop more than a pube-hair's length. You also don't have that incredibly clunky comitted jump arc from games like the aforementioned or Castlevania, but in exchange, you're locked in when climbing ladders or horizontally aligned ropes.
The titular Donut Dodo will be assaulting you with his own feces, fiery projectiles and boulders depending on the board. In addition, there's mice and possesed toilets (yes, you heard right) as well as Not-Clyde-From-Pacman on higher difficulties. Interestingly, there's no power-ups to grab. You do, however, get a rather tricky bonus round in between loops that will reward you handsomely with points and 1-ups once you get the hang of it.
That bonus round isn't the only nuance to scoring (heheheh) in Donut Dodo though. Upon grabbing your first donut in each board, a chain will start. So long as you continue to grab the donuts that are flashing in order, the pickup bonus will be multiplied. It may be tempting to just pick them up all willy-nilly and cash in a higher time bonus, but you're rewarded more for collecting them in order at the end of the day. My only gripe with this mechanic is that the donut order is completely RNG based. The routing may be entirely different, even if you shoot for the same starting donut every time.
Aesthetically, Donut Dodo nails it and that's perhaps the biggest surprise given the five dollar price point. While the chiptune music is admittedly a bit too awesome to pass for something that would have came out in 1983, the spritework is convincing enough to make anyone believe this was some scrapped prototype that never made it off the cutting room floor in that era. Much like Galacticon, which was also recently ported to Switch, it sets out to capture a specific era with none of it looking or sounding cheap.
If there's one thing I think Donut Dodo is lacking in, it's an endless arcade mode that loops infinitely. Instead, you'll either play two loops on "Easy-Normal" or "Normal-Hard" and once you clear the fifth board the second time around on either setting, the game's over. Due to its incredibly high difficulty (even on normal) as well as the fact that the game factors in your remaining 1ups in the final score, there's still plenty of room for improvement and replayability though. Unfortuantely for the Switch port, there's no online leaderboards. A very strange omission considering the original Steam version has had them for a while alongside a weekly one-loop score chase mode.
Despite the lack of online leaderboards (Switch specific) and no true "arcade" mode, this game is fully worth its asking price and then some. I have gotten far more enjoyment out of $5 title than I ever did with the Metroidvania/Roguelike/Farming Sim-Of-The-Week on the Eshop, and I think that speaks volumes to its quality.
Taking place across five boards (that loop once at an increased difficulty), your job as Billy Baker is to snatch up all of the donuts scattered throughout the stage before collecting a massive one to end the stage. All you can really do is run and jump, which is par for the course of an early 80's arcade game character. Fortunately, unlike Donkey Kong, you won't fall to your death if you drop more than a pube-hair's length. You also don't have that incredibly clunky comitted jump arc from games like the aforementioned or Castlevania, but in exchange, you're locked in when climbing ladders or horizontally aligned ropes.
The titular Donut Dodo will be assaulting you with his own feces, fiery projectiles and boulders depending on the board. In addition, there's mice and possesed toilets (yes, you heard right) as well as Not-Clyde-From-Pacman on higher difficulties. Interestingly, there's no power-ups to grab. You do, however, get a rather tricky bonus round in between loops that will reward you handsomely with points and 1-ups once you get the hang of it.
That bonus round isn't the only nuance to scoring (heheheh) in Donut Dodo though. Upon grabbing your first donut in each board, a chain will start. So long as you continue to grab the donuts that are flashing in order, the pickup bonus will be multiplied. It may be tempting to just pick them up all willy-nilly and cash in a higher time bonus, but you're rewarded more for collecting them in order at the end of the day. My only gripe with this mechanic is that the donut order is completely RNG based. The routing may be entirely different, even if you shoot for the same starting donut every time.
Aesthetically, Donut Dodo nails it and that's perhaps the biggest surprise given the five dollar price point. While the chiptune music is admittedly a bit too awesome to pass for something that would have came out in 1983, the spritework is convincing enough to make anyone believe this was some scrapped prototype that never made it off the cutting room floor in that era. Much like Galacticon, which was also recently ported to Switch, it sets out to capture a specific era with none of it looking or sounding cheap.
If there's one thing I think Donut Dodo is lacking in, it's an endless arcade mode that loops infinitely. Instead, you'll either play two loops on "Easy-Normal" or "Normal-Hard" and once you clear the fifth board the second time around on either setting, the game's over. Due to its incredibly high difficulty (even on normal) as well as the fact that the game factors in your remaining 1ups in the final score, there's still plenty of room for improvement and replayability though. Unfortuantely for the Switch port, there's no online leaderboards. A very strange omission considering the original Steam version has had them for a while alongside a weekly one-loop score chase mode.
Despite the lack of online leaderboards (Switch specific) and no true "arcade" mode, this game is fully worth its asking price and then some. I have gotten far more enjoyment out of $5 title than I ever did with the Metroidvania/Roguelike/Farming Sim-Of-The-Week on the Eshop, and I think that speaks volumes to its quality.
Very fun for 15 minutes. I don't know why people gave it high ratings, maybe nostalgia! Nostalgic art style, level design and music is all this game has, whit no new innovation and nothing new to add.
100% in under 3 hours, pretty difficult but super fun! I always loved arcade games so this game really nailed everything, the controls feel great and the music is GREAT!
A fun little tribute to the past arcade days. If you see more and more people reviewing this game, TheRunawayGuys are probably the reason why.
Donut Dodo is a fantastic take on the classic Donkey Kong arcade game. Each level is different and unique, which keeps it fresh and challenging. The 2D sprite work is really well done. The controls are extremely responsive. The music is really well done as well.
Donut Dodo is perfect to take on the go and try and beat some of the highscores on the in-game leaderboard, because they are tough to beat. In order to progress in the game, you need to beat certain levels to unlock the next set of levels which become increasingly difficult.
Highly recommended, especially if you are fan of the arcade retro platformers.
Donut Dodo is perfect to take on the go and try and beat some of the highscores on the in-game leaderboard, because they are tough to beat. In order to progress in the game, you need to beat certain levels to unlock the next set of levels which become increasingly difficult.
Highly recommended, especially if you are fan of the arcade retro platformers.
THIS RULES! This is a game reminiscent of classic Donkey Kong and perhaps a bit of Mappy! Grab donuts as the baker while avoiding enemies so you can defeat the thieving dodo! Great controls, Groovy music, and delightful pixel art.
Anyone who enjoys games that capture the 80s arcade vibe should absolutely check out Donut Dodo. It's got a super-fun soundtrack, spiffy pixel art & gameplay that's easy to understand while offering a fun & fair challenge. And the best part? It's a one-time purchase on Steam! No need to put in 25 cents for each round!
genuinely one of the best arcade high score farming type games i've played. super fluid control, pretty charming nes/early arcade graphics, and some pretty solid music. the donut mechanic is really fun to farm high scores and get extra lives to help yourself out! i do wish there was an infinite mode though, and also these kind of games have a bit of a ceiling to them for me personally but very easily on the higher end of this kind of game for me!
Love this game and it's music to death. Kudos to CosmicGem!
The soundtrack alone makes it worth playing.
super fun time killer! wasn't expecting much when I bought it other than a quick play-and-refund, but the gameplay loop is surprisingly intriguing and difficult. Music is also great, solid 7.6/10 game
De controles sencillos y para nada ortopédicos, Donut dodo es el juego perfecto para llevar de portátil. Árcade clásico plataformero: atrapar donut y esquivar enemigos con el salto (No hay que saltarles encima o moriremos, únicamente esquiva, y más esquiva)
Es un juego de ritmo frenético y muy rejugable, para jugar a ratitos o picadas entre amigos y familiares. ¿Quién dominará la cima de la tabla de puntuación? ¿Conseguirá el valeroso cocinero evitar que el Dodo se coma el gran donut?
Si queréis ayudar a Baker Billy Burns, en su tarea de atrapar donut, no dudéis en pillar este jueguito, aunque corréis el riesgo de que os entre hambre con tanto donut, glaseado, de colorines…Mosquis, qué ricos
Reseña completa en mi blog: https://lamazmorritacasioscura.wordpress.com/2022/12/29/jugando-a-donut-dodo/
Es un juego de ritmo frenético y muy rejugable, para jugar a ratitos o picadas entre amigos y familiares. ¿Quién dominará la cima de la tabla de puntuación? ¿Conseguirá el valeroso cocinero evitar que el Dodo se coma el gran donut?
Si queréis ayudar a Baker Billy Burns, en su tarea de atrapar donut, no dudéis en pillar este jueguito, aunque corréis el riesgo de que os entre hambre con tanto donut, glaseado, de colorines…Mosquis, qué ricos
Reseña completa en mi blog: https://lamazmorritacasioscura.wordpress.com/2022/12/29/jugando-a-donut-dodo/
A great tribute to classic early 80's arcade platformers like Donkey Kong, and it could fit right in with them. It's very easy to pick up and play, and while there's only 5 distinct levels, they are each unique, fun, and get harder with each loop of the game.
There's a bit of leeway that this game gives that some retro games do not; losing a life merely just puts you in the starting position and doesn't reset your bonus combo, there's no penalty from falling from a great height, and it's rare to be put in a situation that cannot be gotten out of. This is not to say this game is easy, but it's not frustrating either. Highly recommended for any fan of 80's arcade games.
There's a bit of leeway that this game gives that some retro games do not; losing a life merely just puts you in the starting position and doesn't reset your bonus combo, there's no penalty from falling from a great height, and it's rare to be put in a situation that cannot be gotten out of. This is not to say this game is easy, but it's not frustrating either. Highly recommended for any fan of 80's arcade games.