The late 90s to the early 2000s were defined by platformers. Games such as Spyro, Crash Brandicoot, Ratchet and Clank, Jak and Daxter, Psychonauts, Sly Cooper, Banjo-Kazooie, Super Mario 64, and Donkey Kong 64 dominated the era. With open levels to explore and collectibles to gather, players had a variety of challenges to complete in order to perfect the game. Most PS2, N64, and Xbox players can remember at least one of the platformers we mentioned earlier; however, there is one platformer title I did not hear about until PAX East 2022. This platformer is called Kao the Kangaroo and had five titles released between 2000 and 2005.
At PAX East 2022, Anthony and I met with Tate Multimedia to preview Kao the Kangaroo. For those unaware, Tate Multimedia is rebooting the franchise after the #BringKaoBack campaign on social media. This campaign brought the second game, Kao the Kangaroo: Round 2, to steam. With the success of the port, the team decided to do a reboot of the series. At PAX East, the team showed off a demo of the game. Kao the Kangaroo (2022) is scheduled to be released on May 27th, 2022. So what was so special about Kao the Kangaroo?
PAX East Demo
The PAX East demo gave players the chance to explore a small portion of the overall game. Similar to other platformers, Kao the Kangaroo excels using its platforming mechanics. In fact, the demo at PAX East focused proximately on platforming and the use of environmental elements. Though there were enemies to punch through, most were meant to give the feeling of fullness. The platforming showcased how players needed to empower their fists in order to open up levels. Similar to older platformers, the player must collect coins, letters, tombs, and other gems. The demos showcased a variety of platforming elements beyond the standard jumps.
Takeaways
Kao the Kangaroo reminds millennials of their love for platformers; it also warps players back in time to remember some of their favorite moments of the 90s and 2000s. Although the graphics have drastically improved, the core gameplay that gamers grew to love returns. During our playthrough, we didn’t notice any bugs. We thought we found one when trying to fall down to the water and getting stuck on a ledge. The variety of puzzles to do just in this single level piqued our curiosity at what the full game will have when it releases. Yes, the demo level was easy to play but it was still fun.
The game’s art style feels well polished and rivaling if not surpassing Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time. Every aspect of the game flowed smoothly and even shading for landing after jumps were clear. Below, you can see the PAX East 2022 Kao the Kangaroo demo thanks to the Iron Lord group.
Walking away from the demo, it is easy to see why Kao the Kangaroo received a Writers Choice Award and Best Indie Game Nomination from us. We look forward to what Kao the Kangaroo has to show off when the game releases later this month.
Kao the Kangaroo is set to release on May 27th, 2022, on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and PC.
