Kao the Kangaroo reminded me why I fell in love with 3D platform games in the N64 days. Although I missed the original Dreamcast exclusive in its day, I was amazed at how familiar this reboot of the 22-year-old series seemed to me, though the resurrected Kao doesn’t try to hide exactly what it looked like. create other modern platform games. a highly derived comfortable eating experience. It’s a lot of fun, colorful, and certainly rather nostalgic; just don’t expect a 4-level Crash Bandicoot challenge.
The stories of heroes rescuing loved ones against prognosis are nothing new in this genre, so suffice it to say that Kao doesn’t break with tradition here. The dialogue could also have been stronger; there’s good humor, but that is sometimes weakened by outdated pop culture references. Kao’s mother, referring to “carrying an arrow on her knee”, is not very up-to-date, and the younger audience she’s targeting a game like this probably won’t recognize. Still, there is a nice cast that joins our young hero as his wise teacher, Walt, whose most grounded nature keeps the scenes entertaining by acting as an effective heterosexual man for Kao.
Kao the Kangaroo (2022) Screenshots
Now, this would not be much of a pet platform game without a wide variety of environments, and Kao includes four visually appealing worlds. Between the uncomfortably warm lava caves hiding on the sunny Hopalloo Island, the tropical views of Hungry Jungle and the (hopefully) self-explanatory Frozen Mountains, they are fun to explore even if you fall into the usual troops. Each location serves as a center full of collectibles, though the rubble is the only lot you really need to worry about as they unlock new levels.
When you start exploring, Kao quickly finds his father’s old boxing gloves, which are absurdly home to a strange, cheeky entity that provides him with supernatural abilities. Along with your standard blows and combo, Kao can end up powerful by hitting various enemies. These gloves also store up to three elemental charges, starting with the fire before unlocking the ice and electricity. They provide a good visual touch to your finalists, but more importantly, they also help you remove obstacles from platforms such as cobwebs or freeze water to create a bridge. Otherwise, Kao’s dodge-roll also attacks enemies, making it a blessing for defensive strategy, with understandable compensation, as it doesn’t hit as hard as a direct punch.
Traditional ideas are displayed and mixed quite effectively.
“
Kao is preparing some strong moves and the new developer, Tate, has given us a lot to do with them by offering us a decent variety of enemies. We have the usual grunts that hit you up close, but things like goats shooting you with a pitcher make this interesting. Everyone ends up with a boss fight, each of which offers some new tricks; I won’t ruin them all, but the head of Hopalloo Island, Terror, leaves a trail of fire behind him after attacking, while Hungry Jungle’s Jayabaya throws projectiles from afar that Kao can punch back. Nothing innovative, safe, but enough to avoid predictability.
Between climbing vines using your ears, grabing floating hooks, and making temporary platforms appear once you’ve hit a purple crystal, the levels carefully and effectively prevent repetition. There’s also a bit of puzzle solving, including a challenge where Kao has to link the lines in a crystal to make it whole, clearing the way once it’s done. Another level made me run away from an enemy rolling towards Kao on a giant trunk, clearly inspired by Crash Bandicoot’s Boulder Dash. Again, nothing entirely original, but traditional ideas are displayed and mixed quite effectively.
You won’t find any hidden secrets, so I’d recommend a thorough exploration. Are there any secrets behind these waterfalls? You bet! The levels hide many collectibles: among extra lives, heart pieces, treasure chests full of coins and diamonds, there is plenty to grab and with cash you can buy new costumes in the Central World store . This includes a retro look for Kao, which will probably appeal to original fans. Each level also hides three letters that KAO wrote, which can be hard to find, and some enemies throw scrolls that unlock new traditions for the “Kaopedia.”
If you haven’t heard of it for another collection of platforms, don’t be afraid. As I said before, only ruins are essential for progression and nothing else is required. But it does raise the question; why are some of these even here? The lyrics can be hard to find, as was the case in Donkey Kong Country, so I understand there is a sense of success in finding them. But throughout my game, I found no practical use for these collectible diamonds. This includes during the post-game, which brings you back before the final creative struggle, and allows you to complete the things you missed.
Kao is pretty fast, but it seemed the right length.
“
Fortunately, objects are not the only secrets found during exploration. There are 14 mini bonus levels, known as Eternal Wells, hidden within these stages, and each requires you to complete a defined challenge. This can be a simple thing, like defeating several waves of enemies, although more commonly it involves completing more complicated platform challenges, earning more coins, or collecting more diamonds. Each central world contains a separate well, so if you find one but find it difficult to complete, you can still go back at any time, no need to dive into the main levels and find it again.
That said, even after overcoming these wells, Kao is a quick experience that only took nine hours to complete, taking an average of 20 minutes per level. If you’re not worried about exploration or Eternal Wells and you’re just here to complete this campaign, you’ll probably be able to manage it in about seven or eight hours. To be fair, however, not many platform games are longer than this; Renowned games like Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart and Super Mario Odyssey are one thing, but minor efforts like A Hat in Time or Ary and the Secret of Seasons are of similar duration. I’m glad Kao didn’t stay beyond his welcome – I thought it was the right length and Tate has balanced it well.
The main problem was that I didn’t find it particularly difficult, and there’s no difficulty setting to activate it to challenge me in a second game. It’s not a complete walk (this dodge roll is useful when facing enemy groups), but these extra lives scattered everywhere are quickly piling up. Death came infrequently, even more so when I began to find pieces of my heart to increase Kao’s health. I didn’t care so much, though. I won’t pretend this structure doesn’t look like a formula after four worlds, but Kao nails the basics.