Game Reviews

Mikey Jumps review - A platformer that doesn't quite live up to its predecesors

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iOS
| Mikey Jumps
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Mikey Jumps review - A platformer that doesn't quite live up to its predecesors
|
iOS
| Mikey Jumps

The Mikey games have been a mainstay of the App Store for quite a while now. They’re simple, pleasant platformers with a decent edge that have kept many entertained for a good long while.

And so when a new one lands it’s always greeted with some degree of anticipation. And despite being a pared back entry to the series, Mikey Jumps mostly warrants that anticipation.

It’s not perfect, it’s probably not as good as the other games in the series, but it does what it sets out to do and it does it with a level of aplomb that other titles can only dream of.

Spikey pumps

Once again the game sees you controlling Mikey. This time round rather than moving through a series of levels, you’re running through short bursts of single screen platforming fun.

Get to the star, and you’ll jump up to the next screen. Rinse and repeat. Each run gives you three tries to begin with. Lose them all and you’re dropped back to the start of the section you’ve made it to.

And you’re going to die a lot. There are spikes, drops, lava pits, pools of water, and plenty of enemies, all of which have an overwhelming desire to kill you and ruin your day.

Unlike other games in this bite-sized genre, the levels aren’t randomly generated. That gives you a chance to learn the pitfalls you’re facing, but it also means that things do sometimes get a bit repetitive if you’re stuck.

There are plenty of customisation options to unlock, but they don’t change the basic tap-to-jump experience. There are different power-ups though, so you need to learn to use them to succeed.

And the whole thing gels together pretty nicely. The controls are sharp, and while there is a level of challenge here, there’s also a leniency to the game that means you’re never super frustrated by it.

But at the same time you’re never quite catapulted into the experience like you were with the other Mikey games. It’s good, but it’s not great.

Boot down

Mikey Jumps is a decent game, don’t get me wrong, and if it didn’t have the pedigree of the rest of the series I don’t think I’d be quite so down on it.

But it does, so I am. It’s fun in short bursts, but when you really want to sink your teeth into it you’ll find that a lot of what it has to offer just isn’t very filling at all.

Mikey Jumps review - A platformer that doesn't quite live up to its predecesors

An entertaining platformer, but one that isn't as engaging as its predecessors
Score
Harry Slater
Harry Slater
Harry used to be really good at Snake on the Nokia 5110. Apparently though, digital snake wrangling isn't a proper job, so now he writes words about games instead.