Adorable platforming? Space travel? Mustache twirling nemesis? A Hat in Time has the kind of description that oozes of a simpler time in gaming. Inspired by Gamecube-era platformers, A Hat in Time brings all that nostalgia into a new title, one that was successfully funded via Kickstarter.
Developed by Gears for Breakfast and published by Humble Bundle, A Hat in Time comes first to PC and Mac as a love letter to those retro platformers. With a colorful art direction and phenomenal soundtrack, its easy to see by the trailer the amount of love for this genre the developers have. Players will don the cap of Hat Kid and travel through five open world areas, each unique. New abilities will be unlocked through new hats, which will likely keep things fresh in gameplay and style.
“People love the charm and simplicity of classic 3D platformers and we wanted to bring this genre back with A Hat in Time. We’re thrilled that everyone will get a chance to experience this cute-as-heck 3D platformer today.” – John Polson, Humble Bundle publishing lead.
The game hearkens to classics such as Banjo Kazooie, Mario 64, and Psychonauts. Even the amazing composer, Grant Kirkope, was involved in the score for A Hat in Time. I thought that some of those tunes sounded familiar!
- Seven Worlds to Discover: Play through massive worlds Mafia Town, Subcon Forest, Battle of the Birds, Alpine Skyline and two free DLC worlds post-launch.
- Exploration is Key: Every nook and cranny contains some type of goody to help you overcome new obstacles.
- Pick on Someone Not Your Own Size: Hat Girl may be small, but she packs a punch! Defeat an eclectic cast of baddies to unlock goodies and fight giant bosses.
- Yay Upgrades: Improve your weapon with new platforming moves and combat ability unlocks.
- Badges: Don’t tell the scouts, but badges actually give you special powers!
- F is for Friends Who Do Stuff Together: A post-release multiplayer update will let you grab a buddy and enjoy the game together in co-op multiplayer — Split-screen and online.
- Put Some Pep in Your Step: Featuring music co-composed by Grant Kirkhope, the composer for Banjo-Kazooie.
I’ve been following A Hat in Time since its Kickstarter campaign, watching it steadily grow from updates on Twitter. It definitely captures that original charm and seems to add enough newness to make it a worthwhile adventure. I’ll be putting on my hat to check out the full game soon.
Truly, we are in an age of resurgence when it comes to 3D platforming. Between this, Yooka Laylee, and Mario Odyssey there are plenty of titles to scratch that nostalgic itch. I do feel like the gaming market has shifted away a bit from wanting pure graphics displays, explosions, and gravel-throated characters delivering basic plot beats. There has always been creativity in the industry, but the past few years have seen some interesting projects.
Console players need not worry, the console versions of A Hat in Time are set to release later this year. A Hat in Time is available now on Steam or at the Humble Store for $29.99 USD.
