Frenzy Pop

Normally, we're happy enough when a platformer doesn't concern itself with exposition. But it's tough to play Frenzy Pop when you're sat there wondering why the hell this orange bottle of fizz is prepared to risk his life for a can of soda. You know, when he's made of the stuff.

Basic motivation aside, Frenzy Pop's another Super Meat Boy-style test of finger dexterity, consisting of 46 sadistically designed platform levels.

If you've played League of Evil, Kung Fu Rabbit or any other game of this ilk, you'll know what you're in for - sprint, jump, wall slide, death, repeat. Shake it to wake it

Frenzy Pop does at least attempt its own thing - introducing boss battles, the ability to roll, and a sort of fizz gauge that lets you drift gracefully past danger.

It's hard to get too thrilled about Frenzy Pop - not because it's bad, but rather because we've seen all this done better before.

Levels, for instance, certainly kick up a challenge but that's down to an over-reliance on leaps of faith and a tendency to hide lethal obstacles just off screen. Frenzy Pop quickly becomes a tiresome test of memory rather than a game of skill.

There are other niggling issues, too, with collision detection seeming just a tad off and movement physics a little too unpredictable.

Also, the 'jump' and 'duck' buttons are counter-intuitively placed side-by-side rather than stacked, causing a few too many deaths for our liking. It all adds up to a game that, while charming in a lo-fi sort of way, tends to frustrate rather than draw you in for one last go.

Still, there's some enjoyment to be had here - not least because Mr Pop seems like a pretty cool guy. There's a reasonable amount of content, with the usual roster of medals to earn and a Hard mode for the masochists out there.

And there's an initial compulsive thrill to proceedings, as you'd expect from this kind of challenge-based game. Unfortunately, those rough edges cause too much irritation to make it last.