Owners of Nintendo handhelds have never had to pine forlornly for top-quality platforming action. From Super Mario Land on the Gameboy, through Yoshi’s Island and Mega Man on the DS to Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS, this staple genre has always been well represented.
The latest example is this shamelessly traditional scrolling 2D adventure, pitching a young boy named Max against an invading alien force, with only a jet pack and a water cannon to aid in his quest.
Each of the compact, cleverly designed levels is a maze of patrolling enemies, moving platforms and falling hammers, requiring deft timing, pixel-perfect leaps and tight planning from players.
Hit the jump button twice and you get a limited jet pack boost which is necessary for longer jumps but needs to be carefully employed, especially when hovering above spike pits to grab that last crucial diamond. These gems can be used in a shop to buy power-ups and weapon upgrades.
The visual design is pure, harking back to the great scrolling platformers of the Master System and NES age. But there’s a clever addition – the action takes place on three planes which Max can leap between using special launch pads.
It means that there can be three different routes displayed on screen at once, and yet the design never allows you to become confused or disorientated.
Instead, skilled players are able to plan routes and anticipate puzzles and traps – or just enjoy the detailed structures as they stack up beyond each other.
It’s not an easy or forgiving game. Disappearing platforms require excellent timing, and not thinking ahead can often mean leaping on to a platform already occupied by one of the many alien invaders, sapping one heart from your meter.
There’s also a timer counting down, leading to a more frenzied approach as the final seconds tick away.
The eight-bit music, the blocky sprites and the uncompromising difficulty curve will all appeal to genre veterans, but at £8 via Nintendo’s online eShop it’s also a recommended purchase for any newcomers who want to find out what platform games were like 20 years ago.
Not that this is an entirely retro title – the multi-plane visuals, hidden levels and subtle but proficient use of the stereoscopic functionality all remind us that this is 2012 after all.
• Game reviewed on Nintendo 3DS
