GREAT game... Great controls... great price!
The Adventure Pals... is a game that feels super familiar, and also looks just as familiar even if it's not. This platformer reminds me of... a side-scrolling Zelda... to a degree. At the same time... it feels like Adventure Time. I think it also has enough oomph to have its own crazy cartoon series (even if its a limited series) on Cartoon Network or something.
The Adventure Pals consist of a sword-wielding kid, a giraffe, and a rock. Sounds like the right combination to me, and it's the right kind of weird to keep me entertained. The secondary characters aren't just tagging along either... they're kicking hotdog buns right along with you (literally), and I appreciate that. Just to give you an idea: If you're fighting an enemy and you jump back to avoid an attack, the giraffe can extend its neck to grab the enemy and pull you in to continue bringing the pain without breaking your combo (it also uses its tongue as a propeller... in more ways than one, etc.). The rock has your back attacking enemies with ranged hits... among other things. I totally appreciate these dudes in battle... because my pixelated butt has been saved more than a few times. Did I forget to mention that The Adventure Pals have the ability to level up? Well... now you know.
This trio packs a wallop... if you use them right, and even if the game isn't insanely difficult in some areas... you will find yourself running back to the drawing board if you aren't careful. I lost 4 times in one area, I even saw the ghost version of my character floating up when I respawned at the starting point (on a higher platform). You're facing all sorts of weird enemies in this game. By weird... I'm talking hotdogs that crap landmines (yes... they're taking explosive dumps... that can prove to be deadly if you aren't careful), zombie pirate cats, and... so many others (many many others that include boss characters).
When it comes to the story itself... you have a primary target, which is a villain by the name of... Mr. B. You also have all sorts of other quests and enemies to face across five worlds that Mr. B influences. You aren't just going after Mr. B because he's a bad guy with bad plans... he also kidnapped your father, or should I say... dadnapped your father?! Hmmm (cough) anyway.
Replay value comes in via the stages of each world. Each stage has five levels, and although you're progressing through the game by beating these stages... you're also graded based on how much of that stage you complete. So you can go back and improve your grade if you didn't achieve an "A" rating. Some stages are openly accessible, while others are hidden until you progress far enough. Outside of achievements, you also have replay value via the sticker book (w/ stickers you have to find in levels), unlockable hats, costumes for Rock, arena challenges... and I can't forget about co-op. I can play this game over from start to finish with a second player on deck because it adds to the level of fun.
The controls in this game are... fantastically smooth and responsive (gotta point this out). I enjoy games that much more when the controls don't get in the way, these are games I absolutely love going back to because the controls are just that sweet (and the extreme opposite of frustrating).
If I could request something for this game... it would be a combo achievement. I wish there were one because you have the combo system in place... so why not give us the option to grab an extra achievement or two for reaching a nice combo count? That can always be done in an update though (hint hint... developers).
Price wise... this game is $14.99, which is a super sweet spot... would've been sweet at $19.99 but I'll take it! At that price point, I'd grab this game along with a title at full retail so that I have some variety.
Overall,
The Adventure Pals is an enjoyable well-rounded combination of crazy that's priced really well, serves up replay value, and has controls that I appreciate. Visually it has a very cool art style that can appeal to kids and adults... along with inviting gameplay that kids and adults alike can jump into for co-op action. I believe the humor will keep the adults coming back for more just as much as the gameplay, but you be the judge and see what you think.
Fun factor: 5
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 5
"5 / 5 Cool Points"
