Mutant Mudds Game by Renegade Kid Reviewed by Philip Wesley Size: 137 Blocks (Size may differ due to patching) Save: battery/3 Slots Released: 2012 Works with: 3DS (XL) ESRB Rated: E Rating Descriptions: N/A Quick Opinion: Own..... **************************************************************************** Opening Snide Remarks: The world is being invaded by Mutant Mudds! (That probably came from Mars? We don't know and they don't say.) It is up to Max to use his Jetpack and Water Cannon to search through a bunch of levels to find and collect the mysterious Water Sprites in a bid to annihilate the Brown Menace of the Mutant Mudds forever! Renegade Kid describes the game as a "12-Bit" action platformer for fans of the 8-Bit and 16-Bit era. I am here to give my 2-Bit opinion to let you know if this is worth ANY of your bits. (Editor's Note: Recently, this game was expanded with 20 extra levels. We do not factor DLC into our review scores.) **************************************************************************** Gameplay Description: Mutant Mudds is a bit like Mega Man with the plane jumping gimmick of Wario Land for the Virtual Boy. To give you an idea of how the game progresses, let me walk you through the first level. When you start out, you can do a few things. You can jump, shoot, duck, and hover a little bit. The gameplay is simple: Find the large Water Sprite "Medal" in a level to beat it. Along the way, you have to shoot all Mudds that get in your way, avoid spikes, and collect 100 Diamond Shaped Sprites. There are also hidden doors to "bonus" areas in each stage. The bonus areas are either Game Boy or Virtual Boy themed. (The DLC adds CGA inspired levels to the mix that are hidden in all of the original levels. To get to them, you need to beat the original levels with all of the diamonds, all of the hidden Water Sprites and all of the normal Water Sprites and unlock the extra character.) The game starts through a brief tutorial level which explains many of the basic mechanics, hovering, ducking and shooting, dropping through floors, and other essentials for keeping Max alive in this Muddy World he lives in. You go through the level jumping in between the various layers of each stage, while collecting Diamond Shape Sprites, avoiding traps, and fighting off sadistically placed enemies. The enemy placement and level layouts are part of the challenge of the game. There is no Game Over, you just keep learning the level as you die. You will die in many later levels. You can also open up an area where you can get upgrades to your Jet Pack, Water Gun, and/or your abilities. The "die until you get it right" gameplay is a bit unforgiving but you will quickly get used to it. Once you beat the game completely the first time, you will be able to go through the game with an upgraded character and access the additional twenty levels hidden away in each area. This game feels like a cross between Mega Man and Wario Land for the Virtual Boy with the shooting, challenge, and layer jumping. Liked: This is a tough, but fair platformer that combines elements from two games I greatly enjoy. It is okay to die, just learn from your mistakes as you make them! Hated: People who get very easily frustrated might be turned away from the game by the challenge of it. When you die in this game, you start from the beginning of a level. It has no check points or bosses. **************************************************************************** Graphics Description: The game uses a visual style that is a step above the 8-Bit sprites of the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) and the 16-Bit backgrounds of the SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System). In a way, the game looks like a particularly good Game Boy Color game. The 3D effect works really well with the 2D sprites and the art style is clear, simple, and effective. The enemy designs are simple -they are MUD after all- and the game feels a bit sterile in terms of character design. The levels look distinct from each other and the Virtual Boy, Game Boy, and CGA Four Color Bonus areas are pretty awesome. The sprites scale appropriately and the 3D adds more depth perception between the different layers. Liked: The graphics feel nostalgic and compliment the old school feel to the game a lot! Hated: It really needs more enemy types and the inclusion of bosses would be a welcome addition. **************************************************************************** Sound/Music Description: There are a few places where Mutant Mudds is really amazing and the music is one of those places. The songs are pretty happy with a crisp feel and excellent composition. This is one "indie" game where I ended up buying the soundtrack because it is very, very good. The sound effects work for the situations where they are used, but there is nothing that stands out as being either good or bad in the sound effects. The sound effects help a bit when you are trying to take out enemies that are off screen. Liked: The music is excellent, vibrant, and works very well. Hated: For the most part, the sound effects are fairly unremarkable. **************************************************************************** Play Control/Game Design: Mutant Mudds originally started out as a 3D platformer game similar to games like Ratchet & Clank or Spyro. The switch to 2D turned it into a game similar to Mega Man and Wario Land VB. I feel that the switch was the best choice and the game we have here has some very clever level designs, challenging game play, and slightly unforgiving enemy placement. The level additions like Ice, Winds, and other items are very well done. The level ups are great and going through the game again after you get 100% of the items in it the first time is really fun. This is a very rewarding game but it does have a steep difficulty for novice, casual players. At no point does the inclusion of a single collectible feel contrived or forced. The game is very lean, very mean, and quite fun. The play control does not contain any "weird" options. In fact, it plays much like an NES game with a minimum of required buttons. In fact, the game is too lean really. I feel it could use a check point in some levels, so that the area could be longer. The inclusion of bosses would be interesting as well. Also, the game narrative makes sense to a degree. You can tell the progression of the levels through the backgrounds. The game "story" starts at Max's home and then ends up on the Mutant Mudds ship in Space. I suppose that a sequel could take the fight to the Mutant Mudds' Home Planet, which would be awesome. Liked: Lean, challenging design with "gimmicks" that make sense. Control that works just fine and level design that tells a "story" without overtly telling a story. Hated: Short levels and a bit too lean in the variety of enemies. **************************************************************************** Improve: More levels, new abilities, new enemies, BOSSES, longer levels, and just generally more. RIYL: Mega Man and Wario Land for the Virtual Boy. **************************************************************************** Final Words: Mutant Mudds is an excellent game with an interesting leap in difficulty. The game is fun, challenging, and polished. It does feel like it needs even more stuff in it though, like bosses. If you enjoy the Mega Man games and want new challenges, Mutant Mudds is here to answer your prayers. **************************************************************************** Score Gameplay: ***** Graphics: **** Sound/Music: ***** Play Control/Game Design: **** Value: **** Star Total: 66% Personal Opinion Merit: 24% Final Score: 90% Letter Grade: A ****************************************************************************