Frustratingly addictive is the best way to describe Baboon!, a puzzle platformer with a Japanese-inspired aesthetic and hidden depth beyond the cute smiles of furry protagonist Tumbili. Playing as the little monkey, you are sent on a quest to save your island Bananaville from the dastardly Pirate Baboon, gathering all the bananas he has suspended in the air in the process. On paper the game sounds simple, even childish, but don’t be fooled, as Baboon! is a challenging yet rewarding experience.
Traversing through the game’s seven worlds via a Mario-inspired timeline, in order to complete Baboon!’s 60 levels, you must reach each one’s goal line, avoiding enemies and obstacles as you go. A feat that must be achieved unconventionally, projecting Tumbili anywhere but his immediate level is done by placing and detonating a bomb at his feet, the angle at which you place it determining where he ends up. On its own, this need for directional foresight is hard enough, but when put in a timed and ultimately dangerous environment which you continually are, as well as an often moving one this skill becomes much more difficult to master.
Leading to mistakes and many deaths, you find yourself back where you started more than once, quitting often looking like an inviting prospect. A game filled with both annoyance and great level design, in order to really appreciate it, Baboon! needs a player willing to persevere; someone willing to keep playing despite the setbacks. For those who keep going, the rewards are great. From the satisfaction of your bombs, to the joy of reigning in the Sonic The Hedgehog-style boss battles, Baboon! can be very gratifying.
Featuring side-quests, unlockables, secrets and quirky characters, Baboon! has more dimensions to it then meets the eye, and even though some side quests are tedious and the story is well presented but not greatly compelling, the creativity of this game’s other aspects is impossible to ignore, as is its ability to constantly surprise you. An animalistic trip with a vibrant, nostalgia-laden style, Baboon! ticks a whole lot of our boxes.
7/10
Traversing through the game’s seven worlds via a Mario-inspired timeline, in order to complete Baboon!’s 60 levels, you must reach each one’s goal line, avoiding enemies and obstacles as you go. A feat that must be achieved unconventionally, projecting Tumbili anywhere but his immediate level is done by placing and detonating a bomb at his feet, the angle at which you place it determining where he ends up. On its own, this need for directional foresight is hard enough, but when put in a timed and ultimately dangerous environment which you continually are, as well as an often moving one this skill becomes much more difficult to master.
Leading to mistakes and many deaths, you find yourself back where you started more than once, quitting often looking like an inviting prospect. A game filled with both annoyance and great level design, in order to really appreciate it, Baboon! needs a player willing to persevere; someone willing to keep playing despite the setbacks. For those who keep going, the rewards are great. From the satisfaction of your bombs, to the joy of reigning in the Sonic The Hedgehog-style boss battles, Baboon! can be very gratifying.
Featuring side-quests, unlockables, secrets and quirky characters, Baboon! has more dimensions to it then meets the eye, and even though some side quests are tedious and the story is well presented but not greatly compelling, the creativity of this game’s other aspects is impossible to ignore, as is its ability to constantly surprise you. An animalistic trip with a vibrant, nostalgia-laden style, Baboon! ticks a whole lot of our boxes.
7/10