Game Reviews

Roboto

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Roboto
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When developing a handheld 2D platformer, what do you get if you add a pinch of Mario magic, a dash of early Sonic speed, and a sprinkle of Cordy’s Android charm – all held together with a Unity-powered base?

Well, to be honest, a bit of a mess, but an endearing one, at least.

Roboto may take the smorgasbord approach of throwing everything into the mix and hoping something sticks, yet its cranked up colour scheme, clanking robot enemies, and Back to the Future Part II-style hoverboard action just about hold it all together.

The ladybot is in the other space port

According to debut developer Fenix Fire’s blog, the studio was indeed heavily inspired by 8-bit platformers like Nintendo’s mushroom-gobbling mascot, as well as Sonic’s early adventures on the Mega Drive: it shows from the outset.

With the simple premise of the titular hero’s robot love being kidnapped, Roboto heads out on a one-(metal)-man mission to rescue his ladybot by traversing three stages of leaping, hovering, and laser-blasting action.

Controls are mapped to just three, generously sized, buttons (virtual left stick for movement, hoverboard boost and firing icons on the right), so manoeuvring the little chap is a breeze to pick up for anyone who’s ever bounced on an enemy’s bonce before.

Mobile platforms

At first, the platforms are also generously located, giving you ample opportunity to get to grips with the vagaries of hoverboard movement.

The board itself proves something of a blessing and a curse, requiring energy that's topped up by sparks dotted throughout the level.

In theory, applying a little extra boost will carry you safely to the next horizontal surface, or help you nip up vertical walls.

Yet, in practice, the board's an unreliable piece of kit with a tendency to slip off platforms (a real issue when firing lasers kicks you backwards) or fail to give you a double jump just when you need it most - such as when giant bulldozers are shovelling you towards a precipice.

The controls have a definite floaty feel, and prove teeth grindingly imprecise in the less forgiving later stages, where hazards like electrified platforms need impeccably accurate timing.

Sketchy finish

If you’re prepared to wrestle with the hoverboard mechanics or spend enough in-game currency on kit and weapon upgrades, Roboto does offer a pretty full fat experience.

The three stages, set across Mars City, a Space Port, and neon-flecked Space Wreckage, present plenty of mid-level surprises (albeit ones lifted from the ‘Big Book of Platforming Clichés’, like giant bosses with set attack patterns and one weakness).

There are even some throwaway mini-games, including a Space Invaders homage, to waste a few minutes on.

The art is suitably chaotic and brimming with metal metropolis backgrounds, all of which runs relatively smoothly on the Unity engine, while the enemies and Roboto himself possess a certain scrapyard charm.

What the game lacks, however, is originality and polish: coincidentally, the two ingredients that made the first Mario titles so successful.

There are lots of minor gremlins in the machine, including a respawning bug that needed a repeated level restart, that take some of the shine off Fenix Fire’s first effort. Let’s not forget the wince-inducing, “Gnarly dude” skater slang, either.

Crucially, though, Roboto is still a fun, lively platformer, and a strong showcase for what Unity is capable of beyond eye candy shooters. Oh, and it has hoverboards.

Roboto

A little more polish would have made it a must-buy, but Roboto’s platforming antics are still worth a leap
Score
Paul Devlin
Paul Devlin
A newspaper reporter turned games journo, Paul's first ever console was an original white Game Boy (still in working order, albeit with a yellowing tinge and 30 second battery life). Now he writes about Android with a style positively dripping in Honeycomb, stuffed with Gingerbread and coated with Froyo