The Tremendous Penguboy is a sport that’s ruined by only one factor. That’s fairly uncommon: most unhealthy video games are ruined by a mixture of unhealthy selections. However in The Tremendous Penguboy, one resolution looms over all of them, making it suck on a singular, spectacular degree.
It sounds so innocuous as we write it. The Tremendous Penguboy has a jetpack. Good for him. Clearly that’s why he’s Tremendous. By holding B, he can thrust himself onto larger platforms, which is crucial for finishing the thirty ranges on supply right here. However that jetpack has an vitality bar, which is the place the horrible resolution comes into play.
Use two-thirds, say, of the jetpack’s ‘vitality’ and it received’t recharge. You’re caught at one-third. That’s not sufficient to get you wherever, because the angry-inch of vitality will quickly get used up. To pressure it to replenish, it’s essential exhaust the bar. Solely then will it begin recharging. Whereas it’s recharging, you may’t use it. The jetpack is out of motion. Solely when it’s full can you employ it once more.
So, what’s the issue? First, we should always make it clear that the jetpack is the dominant skill within the sport. You get a parachute, however the jetpack can float downwards higher than a parachute can. Why would you ever use it? And whereas Tremendous Penguboy has a laser-blaster, it’s a lot simpler, faster and safer to jetpack over enemies than use it. When you’ve netted the sport’s laser-blaster achievements, you in all probability received’t hassle utilizing it a lot.
Which leaves the jetpack. Oh, the jetpack. The issue is that by solely recharging when it’s totally charged, you may get royally shafted while you most want it. Overlook to exhaust the bar earlier than you soar over a chasm? Your jetpack’s going to putt-putt-putt till you fall into the abyss. It results in the behaviour the place, earlier than each soar, you empty your jetpack and wait 5 seconds for it to refill. Each soar. EVERY one.
You quickly develop a routine. Everytime you use the jetpack, you make sure that to empty it fully. Hovering over to a close-by platform? Effectively, you’re going to be idly floating above it for a number of seconds, simply to be sure that it totally recharges. What’s widespread between all of those options is that none of them, not one, is enjoyable. It’s all wasted time and fiddly nonsense when you possibly can be concentrating on the platforming.
We will’t understate it sufficient: this one resolution ruins The Tremendous Penguboy. It’s superb that it didn’t get caught. However whereas we level the finger at it and scream “for disgrace!”, we’re not satisfied that The Tremendous Penguboy would have been a worthwhile expertise anyway. Not until 2000G for little or no effort counts as a ‘worthwhile expertise’ (really, now that you just say it…).
As a result of The Tremendous Penguboy is a low-budget, low-effort little platformer. Take away the jetpack (please, take it away), and also you don’t have a lot else. There are thirty ranges right here, they usually rattle previous on the tempo of roughly one per minute. We’ll allow you to do the maths there. There’s additionally little or no motive to replay. Whereas there are cash and stars to gather (trying remarkably like one another so as to add to the confusion issue), they don’t unlock or buy something. They only contribute to some achievements.
When it comes to obstacles, there’s not a lot to get enthusiastic about both. Whereas there are three enemies, they every behave identically. So, while you transfer from the blue ranges to the brown and pink ranges, you might be merely swapping the sprite. It walks in direction of you and is killed with a single bullet. That’s it.
There are spikes, swinging hammers, turrets and platforms that transfer up and down, however that’s all. Problem is measured by how vast the gaps are between platforms. It’s solely on the ultimate few ranges that the design of those ranges will get attention-grabbing: abruptly The Tremendous Penguboy needs you to make use of jetpacks and parachutes together, and – momentarily – we paid consideration. However then The Tremendous Penguboy was over. It was an epiphany 5 seconds earlier than the sport ended.
There are a number of different quirks that drop The Tremendous Penguboy an additional notch down. Firing along with your gun causes you to cease stock-still. Whenever you’re leaping, that’s an issue – you possibly can properly fall to your doom. Firing simply isn’t built-in properly into the floating, jetpacking and leaping. And we don’t know why the participant can’t shoot turrets, nor stroll on prime of them. They’re ghost-turrets that may’t be interacted with, however they most undoubtedly can work together with you.
It could have a penguin on the quilt, however The Tremendous Penguboy is a lame duck. He comes with a jetpack that hardly works and a gun that’s more practical at sending him to his doom. You might purchase this shoddy little morsel for 2000G and a budget £4.99 value, however you’d need to marvel if you happen to have been giving up slightly fragment of your soul.
