Marsupilami: Hoobadventure (Multi) Review

I'm not really covering this in a timely fashion with this review, but it's for a game that I enjoyed a fair bit so I wanted to write about it. It comes from a place of passion, which always makes for the most enjoyable-to-write reviews for me. Here are my thoughts on Marsupilami: Hoobadventure for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and PC.

Hooba did you expect--Donkey Kong?

Sometimes a game comes out of virtually nowhere to surprise and delight. Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is one such game. Originally released in 2021, the title has seen multiple discounts digitally--most recently for the absurdly low $2.99. No doubt as a platforming fan, I HAD to bite, even without knowing what the heck a Marsumpilami even was.

Turns out it's a Belgian comic book that originates back in the mid 20th century and has since gone on to become a multimedia empire of sorts, appearing in comics, television, and of course, video games--with one even dating back to the Sega Genesis. Now, publisher Microids and developer Ocellus Studio deliver a captivating and charming 2D platformer for all current platforms that had me enthralled from beginning to end.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is very much a Donkey Kong Country-inspired game. Everything down to the three playable characters' (who play alike and have no differences in play style) roll which grants midair jumping capabilities and birds that serve as barrels to blast the player out of, to bonus rooms hidden within the game where entering them has you completing a specific challenge, you can certainly tell the developer did their homework and perhaps cribbed a bit from Rare's Super Nintendo trilogy. That's not to say there aren't original ideas or that Marsupilami is an also-ran compared to Donkey Kong Country. Regardless, the comparisons are incredibly easy to make.

Palombia is under attack, so our Marsupilami heroes move out to save the day.

That said, our Marsupilamis' aforementioned roll feels like it has much less heft and weightiness than Donkey Kong and Diddy. Makes sense considered how tiny our friends are compared to the big brawling apes where weightiness would be expected. Charging through a series of enemies like a bowling ball through helpless pins feels fantastic and is fun to pull off. Alternately, it's also enjoyable to roll off a platform and then leap in midair to maintain momentum or make lots of horizontal progress in levels. Ground pounds abound in bashing boxes housing fruit--100 of which gains an extra life for the player--as well as smashing through breakable floors to discover hidden areas. Needless to say, our heroes are nimble and quick, and this lends well to the natural flow of platforming, whether that be rolling, bouncing off enemies to gain height, or leaping from wall to wall in a way that would make Mario jealous.

Bounce and bop off enemies to gain more height than usual.

Then, there's our main characters' most noticeable aspect, a helpful appendage in the form of a lasso-like tail that can lay into enemies like a fist, as well as latch onto objects like hooks to hang on, and grab onto birds (again serving as this game's barrel cannons of Donkey Kong Country fame). The game pretty much autotargets these hooks and birds, and sometimes you'll find yourself aiming for the wrong hook. Worse yet is when you just want to roll, but grab a hook instead. Both latching onto hooks and rolling are set to the same button, so this can become a common occurrence--or at least more common than I would have liked while playing.

Blue rings can hold a Marsupilami's weight perpetually, while red ones will break upon grabbing them almost instantly.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure's campaign features around 30 levels across three main islands. These 30 levels also include the dojos, where your marsupial of choice is placed in a room with the goal of moving through every gold ring before time runs out. The levels themselves are wonderfully designed and constantly introduce new mechanics, enemies, and obstacles to look out for and to overcome. They're also packed with secrets of all types inside them. There is one bonus room (dojo) to discover in each level, and multiple rainbow feathers to collect which open up alternate levels in the game. Both are hidden in some truly clever locations, and if you're not observing your surroundings well, it's quite easy to miss them. 

From beaches to jungles, next to everything looks wow-worthy in Marsupilami: Hoobadventure.

Each island concludes with a chase level, with your marsupial of choice pursuing a bony boss who holds one of the three gemstone pieces required to complete the game. These levels demand rapid movements, quick reflexes, and a little patience as well so you don't get caught off screen. At the end of the chase, you get a satisfying opportunity to lay into the skeleton villain by mashing on a button a la Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze. 

What are you laughing at, bone brain?

The base game levels aren't overly taxing to take on, and even if they were or are for some players, ample checkpoints, health pickups located in breakable boxes, and the utterly copious amount of extra lives players can easily earn throughout the adventure make for a potentially less frustrating experience. Though, for someone more well versed in platformers like myself (and I don't say that as a brag, whether obnoxious or not), the myriad extra lives that the game showers upon its players diminishes the sense of challenge.

While 30 levels was a paltry amount at release which definitely was a reason for the game getting raked through the coals by some, the developer opted to add free DLC featuring 10 all-new levels set on an entirely new island. This Jurassic-themed island known as The Hidden World is home to some more devious platforming challenges, and dare I say the best content within Hoobadventure itself. When the final level of the ten is beaten, you unlock much more difficult, lava-filled Cataclysm versions of all of levels on this island. Cataclysm levels will put your platforming skills to the ultimate test, necessitating chaining jumps, launching from bird to bird or hook to hook, and managing Marsupilami's health with the utmost of care and ability. These were exceptionally enjoyable to play through, much like the rest of the game itself.

The entrance into The Hidden World is quite amazing, as is the entire island itself.

Outside of beating the near 50 levels of platforming goodness (Cataclysm alterations included in this total, as they're different amalgamations of the originals), collecting all of the goodies to be found in each, and completing all of the dojos, there are also time trials to take on. These exemplify just how well the sense of flow in each level truly is, and perhaps in a way that you wouldn't notice when playing levels in a non-speed run form. Mastering chains of jumping, rolling, bouncing off enemies, latching on to hooks, and sometimes even damage boosting to speed past certain obstacles are all recommended to beat each target time. While there is usually lots of leeway in each level to get a gold medal, some are surprisingly dastardly in order to beat its target time. 

Unique foes and challenges await within The Hidden World.

Marsupilami: Hoobadventure delights outside of its gameplay with some vibrant and colorful visuals, offering gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful enemies, and nothing so busy that it distracts from said gameplay. Everything from the way characters animate to the attention to detail in the backgrounds makes for a wonderful visual treat for the eyes. It's also not a game that skimps on being a treat for the ears either, delivering lovely and nice vibes in the base game while packing a punch when needed. The Hidden World continued to make me marvel at it, with its one-two combo of awesome visuals and even more impressive music, such as the main theme heard in both its opening Jurassic Savannah and in a much more hectic yet triumphant Volcanic Panic finale. 

Even if I were to have picked up Marsupilami: Hoobadventure for full price, it would have definitely been worth it. With so many well designed levels, smooth as butter controls, and plenty of side content to sink one's teeth into like one of our heroes sampling a taste from one of their prized fruit, Marsupilami: Hoobadventure stands as a marvelous 2D platformer that more fans of the genre should check out indeed. Hooba!!!

[SPC Says: B+]