I can't decide if Antonblast is a destructive genius or simply too chaotic for his own good. Following Wario's preferred 2D platforming mode, aka punching Anton's thick shoulders, clenching his chin, and spinning, Taz the Tasmanian Devil with hurricane-style paws tackles each obstacle, instead of a polite swipe at Head to Mario, Antonblast is big on screen movement. , exploding paraphernalia and racing through levels like a furious battering ram. It's wonderfully frenetic, as the two levels of its Steam Next Fest demo make clear.
But it's also like trying to control a wild horse most of the time, and I always feel on the verge of losing control. I love it and hate it at the same time, so I guess it's a good thing there's a demo right now, as you too can see if it's the right kind of platformer for you before it's released. December.
The first level of the demo looks like it could be a lost Wario Land level, albeit with the speed and energy of Sonic the Hedgehog's wrecking ball. With all his alcohol stolen by the devil, who is enraged that Anton has redder skin than him for some reason, Anton sets out through his ramshackle town to make his way to hell, passing through enemies and obstacles that explode in showers of chips. of poker. on Impact: A points currency that you can't really do anything with in the demo, sadly, but I wouldn't be surprised if it ends up being used as some kind of trading cash in the final game.
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Anton has a number of moves at his disposal: a charging swipe, a rope hammer, and holding down a slope will turn him into an angry little bowling ball, allowing him to smash his way through small spaces that are blocked. appropriately, by rows of bowling pins. You can also slide through other small, emptier crevices without turning into a furious Morph Ball, although the best little animation flourish has to go to Anton's ground slam, which allows him to crash into teleporting trash cans or crunch. his cartoon teeth directly against the pavement. . All of which feels pretty good under your thumbs: there's a frenetic, fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants energy to the way Anton moves through each level, and it's a feeling that only intensifies when he lands on platforms. Special jump shots send you to the bottom of a level, where you're even smaller and tiny to maneuver across the city rooftops.
Most enemies are there to be smashed in these early stages, so you can breeze through them with mostly careless abandon. But there are also times where you'll have to pause, jump, and press It brought Anton momentum to a complete stop. Most of the time, this isn't a huge deal breaker, as you're free to take your time and tackle the challenges at your own pace, which in the demo extended to finding a series of large buttons to detonate. Color coded obstacles blocking my path.
However, at the end of a level, when Anton is forced to activate a large “Happy Hour” bell and race to the exit in just a couple of minutes, the need for a more precise type of platforming exposes some cracks in The Antonblast total chaos. I understand that the extra pressure is probably meant to make everything feel even more rushed than it already is, but I'd say you also need a general adjustment of your controls to go with it, so you don't take the risk of rushing. Straight into a solid wall of frustration.
The second level, however, was a bit more lighthearted, mostly because it took place in the sewers to give us an idea of how Anton handles himself underwater (pretty awesome, I thought), but also because they give you a Rambi flair. companion swordfish at certain times, which led me back to playing Donkey Kong Country on my SNES. Developer Summitsphere has that Rambi-style move down pat (according to my somewhat poor memory, at least), and if that wasn't enough to give you warm nostalgic flashbacks, then Anton was also blasted with multiple rapid-fire cannons at regular points during that level too, further strengthening that connection with DK.
Based on this brief glimpse, I think I'm more or less on board with watching the rest of Anton's journey to hell. I have my reservations, sure, but there's a Ren and Stimpy cartoon in everything here that's also too good to ignore. If you enjoyed the equally bustling Pizza Tower last year, you're sure to find plenty to like here, too.