Alex Gordon

Platformers do not usually concern themselves with realism, which is why they have the liberty to go as crazy as possible. There are many famous franchises out there, and most of them do not make any kind of sense if you try to analyze the stories and the characters out of context. However, no one really cares as long as they provide us with a fun time and a variety of levels to explore.

Alex Gordon is a casual platformer featuring a cat with a hat in the main role, who goes on a journey to save his sister from the bad guys. In essence, there are many elements taken directly from the Super Mario franchise, including the kidnapped girl, collecting coins throughout the levels, stomping turtles and taking shelter in a castle at the end of each level.

The game is quite simple to play and enjoy, given the fact that all you have to do is run around and jump from platform to platform. You do not necessarily need to collect the coins and the gems scattered around the stages, but you might need them later on. Additional lives and a few other bonuses are available as well, although you usually have to deal with more enemies in order to reach them.

One of the more interesting features bundled with the game is the fact that you can spend the collected coins in between the levels, by decorating your very own island with huts, boats and all sorts of fun stuff. Unfortunately, these buildings have no purpose and they do not provide you with any kind of bonus, so it might feel like you are just throwing the coins away for nothing.

The controls are smooth and tight, which is exactly how you want them in a platformer of this type. Naturally, the game is quite forgiving with the players, which means that the character moves rather slowly, and he allows you plenty of time to calculate your actions. The graphics are decent, although you might feel like some of the stages repeat themselves after a while.

Alex Gordon can certainly keep you entertained for a while, as long as you do not mind the tacky storyline and the lack of originality in most aspects. Hence, there’s fun to be had with the game, but you need to make some concessions beforehand.