Take two cups of Earthworm Jim, three slices of Metal Slug, an eighth-ounce of Space Harrier, throw them in a blender with coconut milk and frozen strawberries, and you've got Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley.
Much akin to platforming classics of yore, Comic Jumper is very much a game about memorization. Certain enemies are most effectively killed in certain ways, and the patterns they use to attack you can be thoroughly countered by specific tactics of your own. I was often reminded of Ikaruga and other shmups while playing Comic Jumper; the mechanics commend you for being controlled and precise, and beating a particularly rough group of enemies grants a very rewarding sense of accomplishment. It's clear that each encounter has been carefully orchestrated, and that every enemy has a purpose in the level's overall flow.
As one would expect from Twisted Pixel, the level-design is nigh-flawless. Each gameplay "type" flows well from one into the other, and every stage presents its own unique challenges without becoming (unintentionally) gimmicky or convoluted. As someone who loves challenging games, I was surprised by how skillfully Comic Jumper manages to deliver a steep difficulty curve without inducing frustration, due to the game's incredibly forgiving checkpoint system. As Captain Smiley traverses each level he triggers invisible checkpoints along his way; it works very similarly to the checkpoint system in 'SplosionMan. When the Captain dies (and he will die) he immediately spawns at the most recent checkpoint with full-health. This simple yet effective method of metering out a player's life force helps the game remain challenging without becoming inaccessible.
Each level is broken down into four distinct styles: Platforming, Brawling, Vehicles, and, for lack of a better term, Shooting. The platforming sections dominate most of the game and are by far the most polished. Captain Smiley moves how you would expect him to, and both jumping and sliding felt like second nature after a few minutes. Aiming Smiley's dual-pistols is accessible enough that it takes little practice to hit targets, however being truly accurate with them requires effort and concentration. The brawling sections felt limiting at first, due to the fact that the player is unable to jump during them. The more time I spent with the game, however, the more I began to appreciate these sections as breathers from the intensity of the rest of the game.
The vehicle sections feel reminiscent of "vehicle" fights from classic brawlers like Battletoads or TMNT: Turtles in Time; they control almost identically to the platforming sections, however the level moves around the player, as opposed to the player moving through the level. The shooting sections change the gameplay from "2D sidescroller" to "3D-over-the-shoulder-on-rails shooter", and are by far the least enjoyable sections of the game. Similar to a hobbled Afterburner, the shooting sections were tedious and often dragged on too long. Cross-hair sensitivity felt low and less responsive than Captain Smiley's usually quick aiming skills, and while I got better at these sections as the game progressed, they never became as fun or engaging as the rest of the gameplay mechanics employed by the title. Still, the shooting sections are mercifully few and far between, and are not even close to being considered deal-breakers.
Clever and well written, Comic Jumper retains all the lighthearted charm of classic 16-bit shooters. The game is filled with exceptionally well acted dialogue and surprises that will be hilarious for die-hard comic fans and the uninitiated alike. Each comic book "era" that Captain Smiley visits is represented both truthfully and satirically, and the game does a wonderful job of highlighting what makes those styles ridiculous while still paying homage to what makes them great.
Overall, Comic Jumper is a fantastic game. Its challenging gameplay and self-referential humor kept me engaged from beginning to end. For 15 sawbucks, you'd be doing yourself a disservice by not picking it up.
I give Comic Jumper: The Adventures of Captain Smiley 16 out of 20 Arbitrary Points™.
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