It doesn't happen often in this area, but from time to time we can say that it is nice to find a product that has little of originality and that finds all its meaning precisely in its belonging to a genre, with all the details. That this entails. In short, sometimes a video game can be derivative without necessarily implying a negative impact on its evaluation, and this is in a way the main point of the game. Review of Timberman: The Great Adventure.
The game was launched in August 2022 on Nintendo Switch and the truth is that it did not cause a great sensation, as usually happens in that impressive chaos of indie games that invades the eShop, but we take it into account now that it has arrived. on mobile platforms, also because in these places a good platform game is an increasingly scarce commodity, taking into account the 90 pieces that circulate on the Nintendo platform.
It all starts with a small, basic arcade game, called Timberman, which has become something of a mass phenomenon, with more than 30 million players following it. In the progenitor we find ourselves playing a lumberjack determined to cut trunks, moving from one part of the tree to another to try to avoid the branches, in a very simple game of reflections and glances. In Timberman: The Big Adventure, the framework is expanded dramatically, to the point that the original game is found within as a minigame hidden in cabinets around the levels.
In this new incarnation, the structure is that of the classic platform, with the protagonist committed to saving animals and helping his bear friend reunite with his family, kidnapped by the evil "Evil Corp" with the intention of destroying the forest and taking industries everywhere. Into this vaguely environmentalist plot is inserted the adventure of Timberman, who if necessary can also be accompanied by his friend the bear, who must go through numerous levels characterized by various scenarios, on a map that closely resembles the classic tradition of the genre.
Platform and action
Il game It's closely tied to platform lore, but that's a good thing. In a landscape dominated by simplifications to the minimum terms or by complications designed to accommodate microtransactions, finding yourself faced with the classic formula consisting of jumping on platforms, collecting coins and facing enemies is not bad at all. To tell the truth, there are also some more particular ambitions, such as the introduction of a kind of combat system that would almost remind us of scrolling fighting games, but the standard mechanics are very close to old-school platforming and the answer to the commands - a fundamental element for a game of this type - is surprisingly good. The whole thing feels like a game straight out of the '90s, albeit with an aesthetic taste derived from modern pixel art.
Each level contains a certain amount of coins and treasures to discover, as well as the letters of the word "Timber" to collect to obtain bonuses, all according to the manual. There are also secret passages that lead to chests or cabinets containing the original Timberman, but the feeling of being in a title from bygone times also comes from the environments, which offer some typical elements such as the forest, caves, factories and others. scenarios. each with their own environmental obstacles and enemies to face.
we are far from level design of the best exponents of the genre, but there is still good complexity and variety in the different worlds of the game, although sometimes the puzzles are not very clear and well constructed. The possibility of double jumping and sliding while holding down the jump button are essential to allow a certain margin of correction in the movements, which makes the use of the touch controls on smartphone or tablet.
Timberman: The Big Adventure is distributed as free-to-play with commercials, but it is recommended to make the purchase within the application that removes the ads and also activates the cooperative multiplayer option with the bear friend. In this sense, there is also some discrepancy in the treatment between the mobile version and the Nintendo Switch version, considering that the latter costs almost half and offers an even better experience, in several aspects.
Conclusions
Tested version iPad digital delivery app store, Google Play Price Free Holygamerz.com 7.0 Readers (2) 5.6 your voteFidelity to the classic platform canon is perhaps the greatest strength of Timberman: The Big Adventure, which leads us to think that its derivative nature is actually an advantage, taking into account that this type of game is usually diluted in the versions mobiles. Beyond a rudimentary combat system, almost in the style of a fighting game, you will not find particularly new ideas in this game, but rather a series of well-known and consolidated features that are always pleasant to find again and that provoke pleasant sensations. A good control setup can then partially smooth out the usual drawbacks of touchscreen controls, greatly helping the overall gameplay, which is instead affected by some inconsistencies in level design.
PRO
- A classic platform, direct and without many frills
- Good adaptation to smartphones and touch screens
- Nice characterization, with clean and clear graphics.
AGAINST
- The combat system seems to have been inserted with a bit of force.
- Structure of levels and puzzles that sometimes do not convince
