🔴🔫 Review: Pang Adventures "We all make mistakes…mine was not playing this from the second it was released" 🔴🔫

Game Title – Pang Adventures

Developer – Dot Emu

Platform reviewed – Nintendo Switch

Rating – Ice Cool

I sat down to play Pang Adventures with my girlfriend, as it has always shone (as does everything) in local co-op.

After the first training round which probably lasted less than ten seconds, I turned to her and said, “I’m addicted to this”.

What followed were a couple of hours of us ploughing through the first 40 or so (out of 100) levels and I fully intend to carry on tonight, I love it.

Pang has always been a game I’ve enjoyed; its cartoonish graphics and simple yet addictive bubble-popping gameplay just really appeals to me. I’m assuming that most people reading this are familiar with the original title released in the early ’90s, but for those who haven’t played it, it’s a game for up to two players whereby each level is comprised of a single screen containing the player characters (two brothers) at the bottom and a load of bouncing bubbles which need to be popped with your spear gun. Upon being popped, the bubbles double in number whilst halving in size until they eventually disappear, it’s a mechanic I’ve always found addictive and fun.

This updated version by Dot Emu contains yet more examples of their crisp and concise art style as seen in their other updates of retro games, whilst the basic gameplay remains the same, (travel the world popping bubbles… LIKE REAL MEN!) the developers have added some neat little tweaks to vary the admittedly direct gameplay. These additions come in the form of various weapons, boss battles and bubbles (I refuse to call them ‘attack orbs’, you shoot them and they pop…that’s a bubble, that is) which mix up the gameplay and your approach to each level. Another twist is that, if your partner gets knocked down, you have ten seconds to revive them which you do by merely standing next to them, not as simple as it sounds with dozens of bubbles bouncing around! There are also enemies which may not be able to hurt you directly but can knock the bubbles out of their orbit, confusing matters and adding a random element to the gameplay.

The levels themselves have a pretty cool learning gradient; early levels get you used to the mechanics and weapons whilst introducing more difficult fare later on…it gets frantic and challenging (coincidentally the names of my knees).

Summary

I have nothing bad to say about Pang Adventures, as with Dot Emu’s other releases, it’s a visually upgraded version of a classic with little flourishes here and there that add to the whole package.

The three modes (Tour, Arcade and Endless) add differing challenges (best of luck finishing the game with three lives!) and the point system adds a fun level of competition between the players.

I can imagine that the current lack of online play would put some people off but as I’m local co-op through and through, I had absolutely no issues with it.

God, I love Pang.

Right, I’ll ‘pop off’ then.

💧❄️ RATING: ICE COOL ❄️💧

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)