Pleased as punch to say that this game's more enjoyable here than on Wii U, thanks in part to the 'easy mode' that gives you 3 hearts and lets you keep the things you've collected during the current stage after you die. It actually balances the game in a way that makes it fun to get through, rather than tedious and annoying! I noticed that they fixed a certain thing with the final boss, making it much, MUCH less of a downer to end the game on.

Outside of that? Just another solid 2D sidescroller from Retro Studios. It isn't the Best Platformer of All Time as a lot of people seem to claim it is (not with how dragged out the boss battles tend to be), but still worth playing if you're hankering for something in the genre.

Graphically, it holds up super well, looking just as good now as it did in 2014. I was never particularly into the Dreamworks' Madagascar look Retro went with for the characters, I still adore how rich and deep the locales are. I just want to reach in and explore these massive, crumbling ruins for myself, screw whatever's happening on stage!

Alas, I'm a bit torn on the music, as what's good is really good, but I'm afraid that Dave Wise kinda found a 'style' and stuck to it, leaving a lot of the tunes to bleed together. It's all very pleasant, mind, but I can't see myself going out and meditating to it like the Rareware stuff, you know?

It feels weird to come around to this game after disliking it for so long, but idk, it's better this way. It's nice to be wrong sometimes...

Reviewed on Aug 24, 2021


Comments