Sabre Wulf

Wolves have always had something of a bad reputation, instilled in us from an early age. Think of the cross-dressing razor-toothed wolf in Little Red Riding Hood, or the furious determination of the pork-obsessed Canis Lupus from the Three Little Pigs story.

This never-say-die attitude of the wolf is something that Victorian explorer Sabreman, the hero of In-Fusio's latest platformer, Sabre Wulf, should really have considered before deciding to reclaim stolen treasure from the jaws of death.

For seasoned gamers it's difficult not to be excited by the potential of this game, a conversion of a much-loved classic from the 8-bit days. And so it's painful to report that although Sabre Wulf on mobile is in many ways a solid title, it's also caught napping due to flaws in its controls. But more on that later.

First, a little background for younger readers. Sabre Wulf is a side-scrolling platform game where you negotiate levels consisting of numerous cliffs and small platforms – the idea being to make your way to the treasure, guarded by Sabre Wulf, and then escape back to the start of the level where you've pitched up your tent. A straightforward task, were it not for the fact that the first half of the journey is filled with dangers, while the return leg sees the eponymous wolf ferociously chasing you.

Complicating matters further is the fact Sabreman doesn't have any actual weapons as such. He is proficient at jumping, though, and can use a number of different animals found in his inventory to help negotiate gaps, build bridges, and avoid or destroy the various baddies and obstacles that populate the environment.

Across the game's 15 levels, a certain allocation is given for each of the four types of animals at your disposal. These are obviously crucial to completing stages; they include the Serpent (it becomes a floating platform that can be placed anywhere), the Boomer (which has a three-second fuse and blows up objects that are blocking your path) and, perhaps most entertaining, the Blubba, a rubber-skinned creature that can be jumped on so that our Khaki-clad hero can bounce to higher areas of the level.

Once you've survived your way to the Sabre Wulf and grabbed the treasure lying in front of him, it's time to sprint back to where you came from. Thankfully, the obstacles are removed for the return journey, so it's just you against Sabre Wulf.

You can try out alternative routes as well as jumping over the wolf to attempt to outwit him, but no matter what you do he'll soon be snapping at your heels again.

Tense stuff, requiring tight manoeuvres. But unfortunately the problem with the game arises with the precise control required, which often finds the thumb stick (using the keypad can be even more wayward) lacking the responsiveness Sabreman so desperately needs.

For instance, you can pat yourself on the back for having timed a jump over a chasm to perfection while the slobbering wolf takes chase, yet you suddenly stop dead as you land and must let the thumb stick re-centre before quickly pressing the direction required, thus losing the momentum and any advantage you had. Which, needless to say, is particularly frustrating when you're being chased by a big blue wolf and the slightest millisecond delay become the difference between life and death.

On a happier note, graphically the game impresses, boasting a detailed and well-animated main character and smooth scrolling, although the audio side of things is pretty limited.

Sabre Wulf is certainly worth a look due to its graphical sheen, retro classic status and the interesting animal-based tool management concept, which gives it an above-average degree of addictiveness and decent longevity. However, significant control flaws mean it hasn't got the teeth necessary to fight all the way to the top. It's a jungle out there, after all.