pikarceus (2012-02-06 23:25:40)

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Fun, but a bit muddy.

Introduction
Mutant Mudds was a much anticipated retro style platformer that has finally been released on the Nintendo eshop. Is it a well crafted game? Yes. Was it worth the wait and hype? Not quite. I can tell Renegade Kid put a lot of effort into Mutant Mudds, but when it comes down to it, this game isn't much more than a glorified 3D Classic with a neat gimmick.


Outside of Gram's house.

Story
Oh no! Earth is being invaded by alien Mudds! Who can stop them!? A nerdy boy armed with a water gun, by the name of Max it seems. And thus begins the jumping and shooting.

Graphics
The visual presentation of the game is certainly solid, with its 16bit sprites. For 16bit sprites there is good amount of detail, the vibrant colors and nicely done animations will definitely take you in. There are some 8bit elements, but for the most part Mutant Mudds looks like it would be most at home on an SNES. The 3D is truly amazing, the depth is extraordinary, and puts to shame many retail 3DS games in that respect.


Warp fool, warp!

Sound
But what are great visuals without a sound track to go along with them? Not good, but Renegade was up to the task. Like the graphics, the music is mostly 16bit, but good listeners will detect some 8bit sounds. The 8bit and 16bit sounds mesh together quite efficiently, not dissimilar from the piano keys in the Mario Kart 7 track music park.
The music itself, is great. It fills the player with warmth and energy. It wouldn't be out of the question to buy Mutant Mudds just for the excellent sound track.


Uh oh....

Gameplay
The game plays like most platformers with a lot of, well....jumping. And shooting.
The game's gimmick I was talking about is the ability to warp between different layers of the background, which works wonderfully with the 3D. However, you can't decide where you can warp, the path is already set before you. Enemies are no fun to fight, some just sit there, others just move back in forth, posing no challenge. This game would have benefited greatly from boss battles, but sadly....no. The gameplay has some nice twists such as Max being able to hover, and getting upgrades from Granny, but after awhile the game starts to get stale. Don't get me wrong, the game is fun, but lacking the energy of other platformers, such as Mario and Metroid.


Tricky platforming

Content
My biggest issue with the game is its length. 20 levels, each that must be beaten in less than four minutes, and 20 hidden Virtualboy and Gamboy themed levels. The hidden levels are very hard, and a nice touch to the game, but even with them the content is sub-par. When you compare this game to other platformers such as Super Mario World, and other 3DSware games like Pushmo and Sakura Samurai, the lack of compelling content really shows. Sure, completists will love grinding for all the gold diamonds in ALL levels, but I really don't consider that to be much extra content, especially when you're replaying levels you've already beat.


Even more tricky platforming

Conclusion
Mutant Mudds is quite the well done platformer, Renegade Kid put in good effort, and if you want to reward them for it by buying this game, go right ahead.
But if you're strapped for cash and want a game that will last you, Pushmo and Sakura Samurai look like vastly better options.

Overall: 7.5/10

This post has been edited one or more times, the last time was:
2012-05-18 22:47:35

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pikarceus (2012-02-06 23:56:17)

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I was trying out a new format...
About the pictures, I took them from the 3D photo gallery, more efficient than tinypic, but smaller.
A 7.5 is pretty good btw.

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pikarceus (2012-02-06 23:58:53)

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You want me to divide it up? Fine.

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pikarceus (2012-02-07 00:02:00)

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I spend an hour plus on this and get hassled for it.....

Oh well, you can't win them all.

Edit: Thanks for the input anyway, I'll use tinypic for my next review. *grumble grumble*

This post has been edited one or more times, the last time was:
2012-02-07 00:07:07

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pikarceus (2012-02-07 01:52:03)

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Ha, sorry about that.

Yeah, Sakura Sword is my next planned review.

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pikarceus (2012-02-07 02:20:18)

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I did that, but everything was screwed up@Man

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Dragnet (2012-02-08 02:23:29)

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Hmm. Pretty good review, although, I have to agree, it seems to be a step down.

And before you start grumbling again, remember, this is constructive criticism. Just like what is used in reviews.

By the way, I'm planning on making a Mighty Switch Force review.

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pikarceus (2012-02-11 01:24:28)

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I can link/post images easy as pie on 3DS, but I don't think I have the right url to enlarge the screenshots...

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pikarceus (2012-04-06 15:40:26)

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Ugh, the screenshots are pretty small.

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pikarceus (2012-07-04 22:13:02)

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The review is supposed to answer that question...

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