I totally agree with the donut dodo concept. I don’t need to tell you about the myriad of retro-inspired games available for the Nintendo Switch, most of which are patterned after his NES-era games. Donut Dodo aims squarely at providing a new coin operated arcade game experience, and it almost succeeds.
In many cases.
Six titles come to mind when looking at screen captures, including Donkey Kong, Popeye, Kangaroo, and Burger Time. Anyone who played 30 minutes of him in an arcade in the 80’s will find a lot of familiar items in their first playthrough.
As you can see, the difficulty is No It reminds me of 80’s arcade games. At the time, the first level or his second level was designed to give him a certain amount of confidence, so after burning life quickly at level 3, he still wants to drop a quarter. I was. Donut Dodo does not offer false hope.
The point, of course, is to clean the screen. The donuts are scattered, and Baker Billy Burns must navigate the platforms and ladders to grab them all and unlock access to the pudding… nope, access to the bigger donuts. So it’s a good thing it no longer presents women as objects in need of salvation. Hmm!
The levels are trickier than I first expected, complete with traps and walls that prevent you from reaching the required ladder. Plus, the speed of the game is much faster than his 80’s stuff. Finally, there are no weapons that slow down enemies. Some of them cannot be avoided by jumping over enemies. As a result, Donut Dodo is more about strategy than skill. Levels are completed by analyzing and memorizing enemy movement patterns. It took about 6 attempts to pass level 1 and another 6 attempts to pass level 2. Level 3 was actually pretty easy, but then… you get the idea.
There are 5 levels in all, plus a bonus stage. This may not seem like much, but that’s how arcade games work (think Donkey Kong). As with the game that inspired it, progress cannot be saved. Unlike the game that inspired it, you can’t add another quarter to continue. So when you reach the final screen, it becomes a giant donut of itself.
There is something to chase beyond that. A worldwide leaderboard (with only 3 initials – who will be the funniest person to write ASS?) gives you bragging rights. You need strategy to get the points you want. For example, grabbing donuts in blinking order gives you score multipliers. This offers a more fun challenge than just going out of your way to get a bonus fruit. However, bonus fruits are also available.
All the action is perfectly enhanced by CosmicGem’s original chiptune soundtrack, presented in basic bright 16-bit color against a black background. It’s perfect in that respect. It looks and sounds like a game that falls naturally between Mouse Trap and Joust. Right up to the welcome screen.
It’s slightly less speed and difficulty, but it does add to the longevity of the game and, honestly, the hilarity when you’re watching someone play for the first time.
At just $5.00, Donut Dodo is well worth the purchase. Playing in 2022, it felt like he was warped to Ashland Arcade in 1982 just after the new machines came out (but replaced Red Baron and Tail Gunner!). I’m not sure how long Donut Dodo will hold my interest, but it has earned its place among all the Arcade Archive games I play when I’m feeling nostalgic. More importantly, I am looking forward to the new machines that are to come.
