The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character

You can complete the main single-player component of The 2D Adventures Of Rotating Octopus Character with just two buttons.

To finish the Challenge mode, add one more – you need to press 'down' on the D-pad to reach it on the menu.

The instructions you're given are inevitably simplistic: press Square to change the direction in which your googly eyed Rotating Octopus Character is spinning, and tap Cross to launch him into the air.

You must Save! baby Octopi, Collect! fifty blue bubbles for an extra life, and Avoid! a variety of enemies, including barking dogs, demonic fireballs, and police helmets.

Sticky

From these unassuming beginnings comes a surprisingly tough action-puzzler, albeit one with a giant grin on its cheeky cephalopod face.

Developer Dakko Dakko keeps things challenging by placing your character in a constant state of momentum - leave the game running and you'll perpetually move about the perimeter of whatever object you happen to be attached to.

This makes life difficult, as at times you'll want to stay in one position to avoid enemies, or line up an accurate shot to fling your 2D octopus at a distant surface. This perpetual motion can induce panic when things don't go as planned and you fumble to rectify your mistake.

Knowing exactly which direction you'll be moving in once you land is also crucial, as you may find yourself headed towards one of the dangers listed previously.

The developer tries to make things easier on you with a useful series of arrows and warnings for collectible baby Octopi and hazards respectively. But even so, the Standard mode isn't a walk in the park, with more than seventy levels to work through against the clock.

The game gives you a handful of lives to beat ten areas in a row, or it's right back to the start to try again. A breather after five would have been a very welcome addition for less skilled/masochistic players.

Sucker to it and see

Challenge mode is a race against the clock to collect every Octopi on a level, and times are tiered by Bronze, Silver, and Gold stars. A stingy time limit pushes you towards the optimal route through the level. Progress from level to level in Challenge mode only comes by gaining a Gold.

In terms of presentation, The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character is charming and offbeat, with a solid framerate and nice touches, such as eyes that follow you as you fly past. For a Minis title, it looks surprisingly good.

All in all, Dakko Dakko's first outing is a delight - a wonderfully formed title filled to the brim with colour and character. The difficulty curve might grate initially, and there's definitely room for improvement in the sound department, but enjoyed over several short, sharp bursts it's absolutely joyous.

The 2D Adventures of Rotating Octopus Character

Charm and challenge in a neat 22MB file that will sit on your PSP for a lifetime. While it's an unforgiving game in places, it largely overcomes this with a vibrant and intelligent design ethos
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Peter Willington
Peter Willington
Die hard Suda 51 fan and professed Cherry Coke addict, freelancer Peter Willington was initially set for a career in showbiz, training for half a decade to walk the boards. Realising that there's no money in acting, he decided instead to make his fortune in writing about video games. Peter never learns from his mistakes.