Grizzzly (Grizzly Adventure) – Review

 

Not to be confused with Grizzly, the similarly titled, Grizzzly, is an an old-skool 2d platformer in the mould of Super Mario’s classic outings.

The game’s wafer-thin plot – for some reason an evil sorceror has turned the normally peaceful forest folk into raving lunatics – is merely an excuse for a fun-filled romp down memory lane, as Jadeware cross every classic platforming staple off their checklist, and the titular Grizzly embarks on an enjoyably retro adventure in order to save his beloved woodland.

Gameplay boils down to the tried and tested formula of collecting items (mostly apples), bopping baddies on the head, and jumping from platform to platform while trying not to plunge to your death.

However, rather than simplistic left to right progression through the levels (a la Mario), the game encourages exploration, having you search for exits and hidden items in order to clear stages. And resultantly feels more like a sort of free-roaming side-scroller than a traditional platformer at times.

Thankfully Grizzzly’s controls are intuitive because there is no introduction or tutorial. Two options are available, touch and tilt, the default Soosiz-style directional arrows and jump button combination, in my opinion, the superior set-up.

Unfortunately due to this lack of a tutorial the player is too often left in the dark as to how Grizzly’s world works and how he interacts with items. For example, what’s the difference, if any, between red and green apples? Or why can Grizzly sometimes run along treetops but other times will fall through them?

The confusion caused by having to feel your way blindly through levels, adopting a trial and error style of play, mars an otherwise great game. This general lack of polish giving the whole affair a decidedly low-budget feel.

However, if you’re willing to overlook these shortcomings and spend some time with the game, there’s a lot to love about Grizzzly. And overall, it’s a decent effort at emulating the classic platformers of yesteryear; the cartoony graphics look great, it controls well, and the adventure is of a more than satisfactory length (30 levels). Well worth picking up at its current 50% off sale price!

iFanzine Verdict: A fun but flawed platformer, Grizzzly ultimately won us over with its old-skool charm. If you’ve been waiting for a Mario style adventure, then party like it’s 1999, because you’ll love every minute!

6.5 out of 10