While 3D Land started the concept, it played the levels mostly safe. This game tries a whole bunch of new innovations and level themes. It just has so many ideas, not just for level design but even in types of stages, like having challenge boxes that have you go through a gauntlet of quickfire mini challenges - the last of which being 35 of them in a row and is one of my favourite parts of the game.

Instead of the main themed power-up being an old one that has been reworked, this time it's a brand new idea that adds a new dimension to the platforming, both expanding your options and acting as a power up should - making the game easier. Except unlike the tanooki leaf it doesn't break the game.

There's also some pseudo-power ups that the game uses to great effects in specific levels - the cannon head, the light head and the double cherries.

5 different characters all with varying strengths and weaknesses.

I just found it to be an overall great time. It can be pretty easy and fast if you only want to complete the game, but collecting all the green stars and the stamps feels like actual meat on the game and not just filler for the sake of making the player spend extra time. What DOES feel like that though is that getting the last 5 stamps and star on your profile involves beating the level with EVERY character. It's clearly intended for co-op play, but it's such an insane pain in the ass that a single player has to essentially play through the game 5 times to 100% it. That's my only downside with the game and it's an optional task.

Reviewed on Feb 23, 2021


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3 years ago

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