Plok is an overlooked yet very interesting platform game for the Super Nintendo. Developed by the now-defunct Software Creations (later known as Acclaim Manchester) - who are best known for the INFAMOUSLY difficult Silver Surfer game on NES, this game is also pretty difficult as, while a platformer, incorporates bullet hell elements, but unlike Silver Surfer it’s not difficult in an unfair way.

The main character, Plok, is a little hooded character with a red hood, gloves, and boots, and a yellow body, and big round eyes (although in the opening animation Plok’s hood is smaller in proportion to his body so he looks more like a little red squiggly alien in a yellow shirt - lol)

So the plot is that Plok is the ruler of the island of Akryllic (fitting, as the game has some nice vibrant colors) and his island’s flags have been stolen by a gang of evil fleas. Plok sets out to defeat the fleas and reclaim his flags.

It’s a typical platformer on the outside but it’s got some cool concepts. Plok attacks by throwing his own limbs at enemies. It’s like something you’d expect from a “screwball” cartoon character like early Bugs Bunny, early Daffy Duck, and the most insane one of all, Tex Avery's Screwy Squirrel. He can throw them at targets to alter the level’s environment but he will lose access to those limbs until he reclaims them from a clothes hanger where they’ll be waiting. If Plok has no limbs he can’t attack, and if he doesn’t have at least one leg, he can’t jump.

He has a regular jump and a super jump. The super jump gets you further but the regular jump comes in handy if you’re trying to avoid stuff.

The bullet hell elements make the game difficult, but I wouldn’t say it makes the game unfairly difficult.

Plok can also obtain temporary powerups in Present boxes, (including but not limited to) a flamethrower, a pair of boxing gloves for unlimited rapid punches, a blunderbuss, and the worst one in the game, a prop gun that shoots out a short-range banner with "bang!" written on it), and in the last world he gets to pilot all sorts of vehicles, one in each level and each one having a projectile attack, including a unicycle, a helicopter, a rocket booster, a sportscar, a tank, a motorcycle, a UFO, and finally spring shoes used in the final boss fight against the Flea Queen. Some of the vehicles’ controls aren’t very great, which is why this game only gets 4 stars from me.

One of the highlights in this game is the music. Brothers Tim and Geoff Follin are incredibly talented. If you thought what they could do on the NES with games like Silver Surfer was awesome, wait till you see what they can do on the SNES.
The Follin Brothers are on a level equal to the likes of some of the greatest game composers like Koji Kondo, Nobuo Uematsu, David Wise, Grant Kirkhope, Robin Beanland, Josh Mancell, Stewart Copeland, Lorne Balfe, Junichi Masuda, Justin Scharvona, Hirokozu Ando, Jun Ishikawa, Soichi Terada, Koji Hayama, and Laura Shigihara (a lot, ain’t it?) - and they DAMN WELL oughta be treated as such!

All in all, if you take a two second look, this game seems like a forgotten, unremarkable game on the outside, but honestly, you gotta give it a try. It’s really something special.