I know you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but I always do, and have had a good selection of decent novels over the years. Does the same logic apply to games? On the surface, I thought it was Go! go! PogoGirl is a cute and colorful platformer. I’m happy to say I was right.
The premise is very simple. You play the role of a girl riding a pogo stick. The minimal story follows the four seasons of the heroine’s year as she chases another girl on a pogo stick. There are no lines or cutscenes, but they aren’t needed. go! go! PogoGirl has been in motion since the beginning.
The gameplay is similar to traditional platformers where you jump over pits and spikes, avoid enemies and navigate moving platforms. The difference is the pogo stick. you’re always bouncing This adds an interesting dynamic that will attract genre veterans like myself.
Bouncing is automatic, but there are some extra tricks in place. These are the first levels that act as a kind of tutorial and are introduced by subtle signposts. Press A in the air to slam the pogo stick hard. B swings the stick to knock out enemies within range. Hold down the directional pad to charge higher bounce to climb hard-to-reach places. Fun dynamics that were easy to learn and hooked me from the start.
Unlike most other platformers, the background of the level does not vary from place to place. You’re not going through different worlds here. Instead, it’s all one setting defined by the changing seasons. These provide enough scenery changes to visually distinguish each environment. It’s a cross between Mario and Sonic’s original outings, and it’s also a pixelated treat if you’re into 16-bit graphics.
Each world (or season) consists of 5 levels, with the final level acting as a boss battle. With only 20 levels to go, it’s safe to assume the adventure will be over in a few hours. That said, the achievements and collectibles provide reasons worth revisiting, ticking off each item on your virtual list. Thing.
There are other great things that made me smile throughout my adventure.The underwater section is not only refreshing, but the muffled music while you are underwater is a simple yet effective touch. Enemies are cute little balls, each with different moves to keep things fresh. Some make cute sounds. All of this adds to the experience of a well-thought-out title that strives to offer players something interesting. and succeed.
Overall, Go! PogoGirl is a straight-up platformer with a bouncy twist. It’s short, sweet, and hits the right beat when it comes to balancing difficulty and fun. Give in to this adventure… Hey, I think looks can be deceiving after all.
