Available On: Nintendo Wii Format Reviewed: Nintendo Wii Publisher: SouthPeak Games Developer: Red Fly Studios Players: 1-2 Online: 0

The platform genre has been pretty much non-existent over the last few years, partly because of the transition from 2D to 3D didn’t work so well. The only platformer to constantly get it right, whatever dimension it used, was the Mario series and even then not since the N64 days has it been so good. So when a game lands on my desk for review stating that it is a platform-action-adventure I get slightly skeptical. Which means that I certainly wasn’t expecting much from Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars, published by SouthPeak Games and developed by Red Fly Studios, on the Wii. But, being the open minded gamer that I am I wasn’t going to pass judgement till I had given the game a chance to impress me, and impress me it certainly did. Read on to find out why…

The game places you in the role of Pax, the last survivor of a mushroom tribe. But the real question is, just how did these Mushrooms take on a life of their own let alone form tribes? Well allow me to explain…A meteorite crashes on earth and releases a green gaseous cloud. Scientists are called in to see if there is any danger but it is quickly dismissed and we are told that it doesn’t present any problems for us humans. But the scientists were wrong, with plant life becoming sentient beings and animals like rabbits and moles became terrifying beasts. The mushrooms split into four tribes and before long war broke out between them. Now genocide threatens the mushroom civilisation and it is up to you as Pax to put things right and end the conflict once and for all.

The real charm in Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars doesn’t come from the story, even though it is pretty good I have to say, but instead comes from the environments that you explore and the characters you meet on the way. Obviously being a tiny Mushroom the world from that view looks a very different place indeed. Think along the lines of Honey I Shrunk the Kids and you pretty much have the idea. This kind of perspective on the environments hasn’t been used in games much before and after playing Mushroom Men it is a wonder why. It offers so many unique game play twists and yet still keeps things routed to our own perception of everyday objects.

Pax can use a telekinesis like power to lift, move, and throw various objects, kind of like a mini-mushroom version of Darth Vadar. The great thing about Pax’s powers, rather than just having them for the sake of it, is in the way they can be used. Many of the problems and puzzles that will face you during the game can be solved by a bit of clever thinking and creative use of Pax’s powers. These powers are also a pleasure to use and never become frustrating, this is mostly down to an intuitive and responsive control scheme. Red Fly Studios have done a fantastic job in terms of the game’s controls meaning that the end product feels more like a Nintendo produced game than a third party one.

During your travels around the twisted world of Mushroom Men you will come across various familiar items. For example these can include toothpicks, matches, scalpel blades, bottle tops, those plastic balls from those toy vending machines and even a DS Stylus along with a ton of other bits and bobs. Various items, once collected, can be combined to form weapons or items that will help you in your quest for peace. Some of these items will certainly bring a smile to your face and will have you looking at many smaller household items in a totally different way after playing the game.

At other moments in the game you will be presented with a mini-game style challenge, these are a true stroke of genius. Older gamers will instantly recognise many familiar nods to the classic games of years gone by. Like Egg Jumper, a fitting tribute to the original Donkey Kong classic from Nintendo, or a Duck Hunt inspired shooting gallery type affair from the days of the NES. These mini-games are spaced at nice intervals and add a nice break to the proceedings. This is either down to a designer who knows his/her stuff, or many hours of play-testing to get the pacing and balance just right. Whatever the case may be it certainly keeps you playing and interest levels high.

I have already mentioned that many platformers these days just don’t work in 3D, but this is often partly to the way the game is designed. Many go for that open world sandbox style of affair or even having a central hub with each level branching off of that. When you look back at the 2D platformers that started the genre off none of this was the case. The game followed a linear path giving you maybe a couple of routes to choose, either a lower or higher platform to navigate across, and that was about as far as the freedom went. Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars has taken this more linear route, and although that may sound restrictive in this day and age, it certainly works very well.

Each level gives a fair amount of freedom in the way you go about solving puzzles and completing objectives, but each level follows the next. The downside of this is that once completed there is little to keep you coming back, unless you want to collect every item and unlock all the secrets. One feature that is worth coming back again for is the ability to play through in 2 player co-op with a friend. The great thing about playing through with another player is the way you go about the puzzles, having another player helping out totally changes the way in which you can solve certain problems.

One other thing about Mushroom Men that needs mentioning is the fact that it isn’t that long. But then I also feel guilty for saying that because although it is fairly short it does feel that it ends at the right moment. It would of been easy for the game to carry on for another few hours but then it would of felt way too long and lost a lot of its charm. The ending of the game will also leave you feeling satisfied and with a big smile on your face. Think if it this way, Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare was short but no one complains about that do they? Well the feeling you get from Mushroom Men is exactly the same.

Another thing many older gamers will realise is just how retro, yet also strangely modern, the soundtrack feels. The epic tunes of the boss battles to the bleeps of the NES inspired mini-games give Mushroom Men a strange 80’s feel. If you can imagine taking your favourite NES or C64 platformer and using the added power of today’s machines, Mushroom Men is what you would end up with. It is obvious that Red Fly Studios are into all things 80’s nerd culture. Anyone who grew up during the 80’s and early 90’s will instantly fall in love with Mushroom Men. However, I don’t want you younger gamers thinking that you won’t get anything from it, because you will!

Visually Mushroom Men holds up well with everything looking colourful and stylish. Being small and exploring the environment around you often delivers a somewhat strange perspective on how things are perceived. Each of the areas of the game has been designed very well with a great attention to detail. Each of the characters that you meet on your journey, both friendly and enemy, are all very memorable, especially the rather evil looking bunnies which are on the disturbing side I have to say. Animations are all done to a good standard and the art style suits the Wii’s graphical power.

Mushroom Men: The Spore Wars honestly surprised me much more than I ever expected it too. It is certainly one of those games that many Wii owners will pass on the shelves in favour of a more recognisable brand. I would highly recommend the game no matter what age, although as I have already said, if you’re a child of the 80’s will get that fuzzy feeling from playing it. Simply put, this is certainly one of the best third-party produced games out there for the Wii. In all honesty, I would of passed this game up had it not been for the review copy. I don’t want you guys to make the same mistake, this is well worth purchasing, in fact if you own a Wii then I would insist that you do!