'Splosion Man

Splosion Man review...

 
Daily Mail readers will be familiar with the notion that videogames are responsible for the breakdown in society that we see all around. Murders, riots, burglaries, fraud...yes it seems that videogames are a major contributor to this. We are told that games do not teach people anything and that excessive rates of obesity can be attributed in small parts to videogames.

Splosion Man dispels this argument in a number of ways. For Example, upon wrapping Mr.Splosion around a rather large scientist, the music chants “everybody loves doughnuts...”

  
     Now, I for one did not realise this, but who am I to argue with the developer Twisted Pixel who not only believe in underground experiment labs, but also in men that can be engineered to explode up to three time in a matter of seconds.

You see this is basically Splosion Man’s purpose in life. To escape from a series of levels which grow and grow in difficulty until it requires finger dexterity of which only a tiddly-wink champion could dream of.

You want exercise? The Splosion Man delivers, ok so you may only be pushing a series of buttons (well actually only 1 of the face buttons at any time as all you can do is splode...of course) but watching Mr.Splode bound around the screen in 2D side scrolling action is enough to tire anyone out. 

      
     Pace is a theme that runs throughout the game and proves that time really is of the essence. While there is never a time limit you have to stick to, there are overall level times that can be uploaded to a leader board (which can only mean aggressive competition with friends). However never mind that. Level times will be the least of your worries as you try to make it over acid pools, escape robots that look like Droid Destroyers, and escape walls of spikes that would have Indiana Jones and Short Round squirming.

 
     For an underground experiment lab there really is a level of variety that will have you exploding around the screen in absolute joy. At first...

 
     For the appeal will soon dwindle and your frantic attempts to get from left to right will be slowed down as you will succumb to the inevitable trial and error approach that foils so many games of this type. Level mechanics will be repeated and extended to such an extent where you half expect Mr (Gears of War) Bleszinski to pop up and scream “Bigger, Better and More Badass.” Except what we have here is Bigger, Not always better and definitely more bloated.

 
     Twisted Pixel is no doubt a talented developer. The Maw was a surprisingly good game dripping with zany humour and a sense of style not seen for a very long time. Splosion Man is without question, a very funny game from the way Mr.Splode moves through to the way he attempts to speak, it regularly had me chuckling to myself.

 
     The music is also a very strong positive with its 50’s super hero vibe along with loading screen drum loops that urged me to pick up my own drum sticks and play along.

     Ultimately what we have is a game that so nearly gets everything right. It has a tremendous sense of style which coupled with madcap humour and very catchy music creates a very enjoyable title. However you cannot excuse the lack of variety which begins to creep in. Spinal Tap have a lot to answer for as Twisted Pixel seem to be a fan of “turning it up to 11” until some parts feel genuinely impossible to beat.

      
     Splosion Man remains a fine game which for 800 points should definitely be tried if not only for the aspects other than game play.

 
Now where is that Way of the Coward option...