Super Blue Boy Planet

Platformers can be the perfect solution for boring afternoons, especially challenging ones that put your reflexes to the test. However, the recipe is very sensitive when it comes to gameplay mechanics and controls, because the experience is no fun if the controls are not accurate enough. On the other hand, you can learn to accept a few flaws if the overall atmosphere is worthwhile.

Super Blue Boy Planet is a 2D platformer in which your goal is to reach the end of each level and avoid the traps along the way. There are no groundbreaking gameplay mechanics at work and no grand story to keep you busy.  However, it does feature the classic platformer formula, which means that most of your time is spent jumping and avoiding spikes.

The problem lies with the fact that the action gets repetitive in a rush, given the fact that you are never tackling interesting levels or learning new tricks. Instead, the simple jumping on top of enemies is not the kind of activity that can keep you entertained for hours. Even the boss fights are fairly simple and repetitive, even if the enemy attack patterns differ.

Your character’s special ability is to glide for a few seconds after a jump, which allows you to reach otherwise inaccessible places. It’s not a very captivating feature, on the other hand, so this also gets boring rather quickly. Thankfully, at least the difficulty level keeps you on edge most of the time, mainly because the level design is tough and unforgiving in some cases.

Lastly, don’t expect too much when it comes to graphics either, because they are kept as simple as possible as well. Each level looks almost the same in regards to colors and environments, but that can fade into the background if you concentrate on staying alive. Thankfully, the controls are responsive and accurate, so at least you won’t miss any jump due to input delay.

All things considered, Super Blue Boy Planet is not the kind of game that changes your view on the world or sticks with you for years to come, but it has its value. Thus, if you are in the mood for classic platforming challenges and retro graphics, this can certainly do the trick.