Wunderling Review (NSW)

Written by Anthony L. Cuaycong

Title: Wunderling
Developer: Retroid Interactive
Publisher: Retroid Interactive
Genre: Platformer, Puzzle, Adventure, Action
Price: $14.99
Also Available On: Steam

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Wunderling makes no pretensions and openly admits its sources of inspiration, Super Mario Bros. in particular. Nonetheless, it earns significant style points for turning the platforming genre inside out. Instead of crafting a story that has the principal character don hero colors, it shifts the spotlight to a low-level minion in the Vegetable Kingdom entrusted by the sorceress Kohirabi, the main enemy boss, to guard prisoner Princess Pea against the rescue efforts of the Carrot Man. For the purpose, the underling (or, rather, wunderling) is given the special ability to jump, albeit with one problem: there can be no stopping or changing direction, thus requiring advance planning for progression.

As modest as the goals may be, Wunderling works, and how. If anything, it thrives precisely because of its desire to keep controls are a minimum. Players start with the use of only one button, and its level designs are structured accordingly. Soon enough, the unlocking of more moves will require more buttons on rotation. Still, at no time will it necessitate the use of more than one hand. In this regard, the 16-bit pixel art style and accompanying music by Oscar Sidoff Rydelius (also known as Ratvader) of Anthill fame complement its simplicity.

Stages are linear in nature, although completionists will want to explore seemingly unimportant side paths for hidden treasures. Be forewarned, though: Wunderling needs to keep grabbing golden flowers along the way in order to stay alive. Over a hundred levels are on offer all told, but there is no danger of ennui setting in given the game's escalating difficulty. Death is unavoidable, but the presence of checkpoints and the relatively small size of the levels prevents frustration from setting in.

On the whole, Wunderling is tailor-made for the Nintendo Switch. It's a great title on the go, a well-thought-out production boasting of an original story (by Alex Faciane, co-creator of the Let's Play show Super Beard Bros.) long on humor and gameplay with the capacity to be appreciated in bits and pieces. At $14.99, it's a decided steal, a gem of an indie guaranteed to engross.

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THE GOOD

• Original story
• Progressively challenging but fair
• No learning curve
• 16-bit audio-visual feast

THE BAD

• May be an acquired taste
• Keys required to unlock gates can be missed, thus requiring restarts
• Backgrounds can be basic

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RATING: 8/10

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