Sometimes you just want some straight-up platforming action, and that’s what Adventurer Pets HD by Arrogancy Games aims to do. The official description is “Adventurer Pets is best described as a ‘competitive arcade style platformer.’ The game is modeled as a mix of classic arcade style single screen platformers and competitive multiplayer party games. There are two single player modes available and one local mutiplayer, which supports from 1-4 players.” Unfortunately this really doesn’t seem to describe the game. I guess there’s no story, so I guess you’re just supposed to run around and jump on stuff. Maybe there’s some collection stuff as I believe is shown in the trailer. Hopefully, this proves to be more fun than it looks from the outset. So let’s as the Brits say “Have a go”.
First let’s figure out how to play. You can use the left thumb stick or directional pad to move the animals. ‘A’ button is for jumping, and ‘X’ activates an item they may be holding at the time. To pick up items or activate switches you simply walk over them. Touching enemies or traps kills your character and sends you back to the bottom of the level. If you want to climb a vine or pole, simply press up. There are a few items here, a switch player icon, which changes every player’s position (probably fun on multiplayer), volt bomb which explodes a multi-directional burst of flame for a few seconds after it’s dropped, then we have a bolt shield which bounces other player’s off and absorbs a hit from traps, then we have a land mine that once dropped will blow up whoever touches it. (see now we’re getting violent, heh), and finally speed up, which speeds up the person that activates it. Get score by getting treasure. Every time you die, you lose points. Player with the highest score in multi-player wins. Okay so that’s basically how to play, so let’s actually see how it plays.
There are three modes, versus which is the local multiplayer mode, time attack which means you have to get the best time getting treasure as fas as you can, and finally adventure mode, which is basically going through each level, which is basically a regular platform game mode, I don’t know if there’s a real story here but we’ll see. I’m only playing the single player adventure mode of course, since I don’t really have anyone to play this with me. Multiplayer is probably more fun, at least to those who enjoy multiplayer games. There’s a small story, supposedly a lost treasure and a map that was split into six parts, and you’re supposed to unite them to get the treasure. Not the most original, but it will do. Well I started playing as Cortez the Lizard and I have to say this game is SLOW. I mean it feels like your character moves through water. This does not a fun platformer make. I will play it a little bit more but if it doesn’t seem to get better here I think this will pretty much finish up the review right there. I’m sorry the game play is just too slow. I’d hate to think about what time attack will do.
I’m going to try Time Attack to see if it gets any better. Nope sorry, just as slow, I mean what’s the point. Sorry if I’m sounding a bit abrasive, but I just can’t find any fun in it, when it feels like you’re moving through mud or something. The interface is ok. You have lives, and whatever you’re carrying in the upper left next to the character portrait. In time attack the time is being displayed in the lower right. No score I guess at least none being displayed. I haven’t actually gotten to treasure. The controls as above are pretty easy. In fact I just got a speed up item, and speed up is the way it should play NORMALLY. Speed up should then be really really fast, although I don’t if that would help you or not. Maybe if the speed was that fast, instead of a speed up item you could get a slow down item which slows down everything else in the level while you still remain your spritely self. Then the game would be worth playing.
Okay as for the graphics, they’re not really top notch. The characters themselves aren’t too bad. The actual background graphics and what not are not that nice looking. Maybe they’re better than I could do, but still could use some work. The music is just ok, it’s nothing that really motivates you to complete the game. Sound is adequate.
Final Analysis: Sorry guys, I just can’t really recommend this. If you fixed the speed issue then it might actually be fun to play. If you fixed that and made the graphics better I might even love this game. Hopefully you won’t hold this review against me.
Name: Adventurer Pets HD
Developer: Arrogancy Games
Price: 200 MSP / $2.50 USD
Where you can get it: Xbox Live Community Games. on the Xbox 360
Tags: Arrogancy Games, game, games, independent, Indie, jump'n'run, Platformer, review, reviews, scroller, scrolling, xbla, xblig, xbox, xbox live, xbox live community games