🔪🌲 Review: Log Jammers "Windjammin’ on wood" 🔪🌲 #GameDev #IndieGame

Game Title: Log Jammers

Developer: Mega Cat Games

Platform Reviewed: PC (Steam)

Having recently reviewed the re-release of Windjammers on Switch, it was fresh in my mind when playing Log Jammers,which,whilst having a lot going for it has one particular feature which will make or break it in the eyes of players…the sheer breakneck speed of it.

Mega Cat Studios’ previous title, Coffee Crisis was a great, simplistic side-scrolling brawler which played as a love letter to the Sega Mega Drive whereas Log Jammers is a version of Data East’s classic 1994 arcade title Windjammers and will clearly be compared as such.

If you haven’t played a game in the genre of  Windjammers, the premise is that two players stand on a court (seen from a birds-eye view) and attempt throw a disc into the net behind the opposing player, obtaining either two or five points depending on the placement in the net. 

The control scheme is handled by two buttons (dash and throw) with a few special moves hidden behind them, this is the case with Log Jammers, which uses a similar scheme, although with a three-button setup.

The first thing that struck me about Log Jammers was the music, a sort of light acid-jazz reminiscent of Hotline Miami, it also has some screens with a sharp 80’s neon aesthetic although the in-game action is chunky pixel goodness. 

There’s a zombie theme in play when it comes to the character selection, from a zombie lumberjack to a zombie mayor and even a zombie bear for good measure, each with their own set of stats to suit your play style.

All of this is designed and presented really solidly, the ‘modern pong’ formula is quite simple and although there are a couple of modes, including versus and online play, the basic premise remains the same…throw the item (in this case, an axe) past your opponent.  

The addition of various power-ups such as magnets and oil slicks all add some spice but the main issue I had was the sheer speed of the game…

It’s quick, it’s really quick.  

Points are scored in a matter of a few seconds and you need razor-sharp reflexes to even hope to stop the axe hurtling past you, most of my catches were just pure luck from happening to be in the right spot and for me, the pace of the game made it feel slightly throwaway,  it felt like there was no room for tactics and everything boiled down to a random factor due to the nippiness of each round, I just couldn’t get hips deep into it and it ended up taking away the fun for me.

Summary

There’s a real sense of humour throughout Log Jammers, from the fact that you are zipping around lobbing an axe at each other from atop a rolling log to the squelchy animations and spewings of the zombie mayor, the visual and sonic appeal is here and it’s a pure blast of arcade action with a 16-bit heart but for me, the sheer speed of it was the thing that stopped me from getting hips deep into its anarchic game play. 

I’m pretty sure that the swiftness will appeal to a lot of players but it’s more built on reflexes than tactics, so please be aware of this before trying it out.

💧❄️ RATING: MELTING ❄️💧

Ratings Explained

ICE COOL (Great Game Recommended)

MELTING (Recommended with reservations, one to consider if you are a fan of the genre)

MELTED (Not A Recommended Purchase)