MangoMan

As rudimentary as they may look today, 2D platformers are anything but simple to design, especially if the goal is to release an original and enjoyable game. Granted, it’s a lot easier to start working on a platformer nowadays, given the fact that there are so many frameworks one can use and free resources available on the Internet. On top of that, there’s nothing easier than making your creation available to millions of people without the help of a publisher.

MangoMan is a retro 2D platformer which is obviously inspired by the classic Mega Man series, except that it features a lot more mangos and much more pink. In essence, the gameplay is action-oriented, which means that you have to survive a constant onslaught of enemies while trying to jump around from platform to platform. It’s certainly not easy, but there are tougher things out there.

There’s no story to worry about either, because you start in the middle of danger and you have to make your way out somehow. The only way to do that is by avoiding the traps and neutralizing the enemies, although it’s also possible to ignore the enemies completely if you do not have the patience to deal with them. Obviously, this requires much better coordination and a lot more patience.

As everyone knows, the mechanics need to function perfectly in order to avoid frustration, because it’s not pleasant to miss jumps or get hit by enemies because the game does not respond accurately to your input. Thankfully, MangoMan does this very well, so you do not have to worry about the controls not being on the same level as you.

The graphics are not bad either, although there’s an awful lot of pink decorating the levels for some reason. It can mess with your eyes after a while, not to mention the fact that there doesn’t seem to be any actual reason for the choice of colors. The music is decent as well, but you shouldn’t expect anything memorable in this regard, which is a bit of a shame.

In the end, MangoMan is certainly not a bad game, but it can be a tad too simple and repetitive for those who are accustomed to better games. On the other hand, it can also be a challenge if you are somewhat new to the genre.