Approach again within the historical days when the Recreation Boy Advance was Nintendo’s major handheld, Recreation Freak (sure, the Pokémon folks) launched a inventive little platformer known as Drill Dozer. Putting you within the function of a barely crazed woman who tears by way of levels and foes alike with a robust drill, it rapidly established itself as an all-time traditional with its distinctive tackle platforming, although it by no means turned widespread sufficient to justify a sequel. Now, almost 20 years later, an indie developer named Ahr Ech determined to make Pepper Grinder, a form of non secular sequel. Carrying on the spirit of platformers of yesteryear whereas bringing in a ton of nice new concepts of its personal, Pepper Grinder stands as a superb new entry within the style and one which we’d very a lot recommend you contemplate selecting up.
The story takes place in a world of islands the place piracy runs rampant. You play as a quiet adventurer named Pepper who amasses her pile of booty not by taking it from others, however by discovering it in varied historical caches. Throughout a storm, Pepper’s ship is wrecked on the seashore overrun by these goofy narwhal-like creatures known as Narlings, who raid her ship whereas she’s handed out and steal all her treasure. When Pepper involves, she quickly discovers a mysterious drill system known as Grinder, and units out on a vengeful quest to destroy the Narlings and reclaim her riches.
Pepper Grinder is a traditional 2D platformer by way of and thru, taking you on a linear journey by way of ranges stretched throughout varied themed worlds. Although not like most platformers, leaping isn’t emphasised almost as a lot right here—a lot of the focus is positioned on the chaotic would possibly of Grinder and its capacity to bore by way of nearly something. There’s a frantic glee to Pepper Grinder’s gameplay that we’ve hardly ever skilled in different platformers, and far of which has to do with its reliance on razor-sharp reflexes.
A bit just like the traditional Sonic video games, degree designs are sometimes outlined by sections of blazing-fast pace interspersed amongst slower-paced sections the place you’re meant to catch your breath. But when it’s time to go, Pepper Grinder isn’t the type of recreation that provides you very a lot time to calculate correct timing. As quickly as you go underground, the fuel pedal is floored and also you’re blitzing ahead whether or not you need to or not, solely leaving simply sufficient time to react to obstacles you’re hurtling in the direction of.
It’s a testomony to Pepper Grinder’s wonderful controls that the general expertise is so pleasurable, as a lot of your time is spent hanging on for pricey life. For one factor, the controls are quite simple to return to grips with—you merely maintain down the suitable set off to spin the drill up, and you may juice the engine a bit by tapping ‘B’ for a giant sudden pace burst that’s nice for nailing these jumps between pits. In the meantime, the physics are as responsive and tight as you’d anticipate in a high-intensity platformer, and whilst you by no means really feel such as you’re completely in command of the wild drill, there’s a way that you’ve got simply sufficient to at all times level it the place you need it to go.
High-notch degree design is a spotlight of Pepper Grinder, and this goes a great distance towards making it such a singular and pleasurable expertise. Each degree introduces some new stage gimmick, comparable to an early stage primarily based round Donkey Kong Nation-style barrel blasts or one other the place you may flip your drill right into a minigun with infinite ammo, and this wealth of concepts offers Pepper Grinder great selection. But it doesn’t matter what the brand new taste is, there’s at all times a cautious steadiness between exploration and motion, lending every stage an incredible tempo that doesn’t really feel too quick or gradual.
So as to add extra replay worth, there are many collectibles and extra challenges to beat when you suppose your abilities are sharp sufficient. Each stage has 5 hidden cranium cash that you should utilize to purchase supplies in a store like beauty outfit adjustments for Pepper or keys that unlock hidden ranges, whilst you can spend all of the treasure you seize from levels on a gacha that’ll offer you stickers to be used in a photograph mode or non permanent well being boosts that’ll up your max HP. Moreover, beating every stage as soon as will unlock a time assault mode for it that has some robust necessities for getting a gold medal, demanding mastery of each the stage format and Grinder’s motion mechanics.
Visually, Pepper Grinder takes rather a lot after the high-bit artwork model seen in video games comparable to The Mageseeker, One Step From Eden, or Grapple Canine, and it appears in all one of the best methods like a misplaced GBA recreation. Brilliant colours simply pop in every stage, particularly when there’s an explosion of treasure from one other Narling you wasted with Grinder, however it’s the little particulars and animations that actually take this visible model from good to nice. Issues like a dynamic digital camera zoom while you ship the ultimate blow to a boss, or the best way during which the menu UI twitches and vibrates, add that further little bit of character and manic vitality which helps Pepper Grinder stand out from its friends.
Pepper Grinder additionally includes a standout soundtrack that completely matches the bristling vitality and inventiveness of the gameplay with an eclectic music lineup that throws loads of cool concepts your approach. It options components of drum and bass, home, pop, jazz, and funk amongst others, all of which mix into one thing that feels surprisingly cohesive contemplating the vary. You merely by no means know what sort of music would possibly play within the subsequent stage, but it at all times appears like an incredible match for the motion onscreen.
The one actual (reasonably minor) criticism we’ve got about Pepper Grinder is that there merely isn’t sufficient of it. It ought to solely take about 4 to 6 hours to beat, and perhaps a number of extra when you gather the whole lot and nail the gold instances within the time assault. In fact, it’s at all times higher for a recreation to exit on a excessive word than overstay its welcome, however with the wealth of concepts and wonderful gameplay right here, we couldn’t assist however want that there was one other world or two to flesh it out.
We encountered some minor technical points within the evaluate construct, too, together with a glitch throughout the ultimate boss combat that made the boss invincible. Nevertheless, they did not quantity to far more than minor annoyances, and we have been assured {that a} patch to easy out these points is already within the works for launch shortly after launch.
Conclusion
Pepper Grinder is a splendidly creative and enjoyable platformer that no fan of the style will need to miss out on. It could have a runtime that feels a bit too brief, however that is in the end a deeply pleasurable, difficult, and extremely replayable recreation with a number of persona. For those who suppose you’d have an interest, we’d recommend you decide up Pepper Grinder on the subsequent alternative (and there is a even downloadable demo when you’re on the fence).