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Showing posts with label 2.5D Platformer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2.5D Platformer. Show all posts

Microids Proudly Announces Marsupilami 2 - Salsa Palombia for September!

Paris, June 6, 2026 | Beware of the cursed dance! Microids is proud to announce today Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia, the brand-new bouncing and ultra-rhythmic adventure featuring three well-known Marsupilamis: Twister, Punch and Hope.


Developed by the studio Ocellus Services, this new 2D platformer will take players through several vibrant, colorful worlds to save Palombia from a terrible musical threat. Solo or as a duo in local co-op, get ready to swing, punch, and jump to break the spell of the Mummy Queen!

Microids is also giving players a chance to play the game ahead of release with a demo available now on Steam, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series.

Will you be able to follow the rhythm… or fall victim to the cursed dance?

A strange melody has swept across Palombia… and all the animals have suddenly started dancing, leaving chaos in their wake! The creature behind this crazy beat is none other than the Mummy Queen, back from the Land of the Dead with her minions to play a cursed concert with a calamitous crescendo.

Help Twister, Punch and Hope save Palombia from the Mummy Queen and her minions!

About Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia:

  • A turbo-charged 2.5D platformer : Journey through four vibrant worlds in this high-energy platformer! From the colourful jungle to the bustling city, find the clues to the Mummy Queen's hideout. Take on increasingly more intense challenges leading to the ultimate showdown against the Mummy Queen.
  • 3 Marsupilamis, 3 play styles: A strange melody has swept across Palombia… and all the animals have suddenly started dancing, leaving chaos in their wake! The creature behind this crazy beat is none other than the Mummy Queen, back from the Land of the Dead with her minions to play a cursed concert with a calamitous crescendo.
  • Experience the adventure together in local co-op: Play the adventure with a friend or on your own and take on the Battle Dojos' challenges and the competitive minigames designed for friendly rivalries.
  • Dive into a vibrant, colorful universe: Explore unforgettable environments, face memorable bosses, and uncover hidden levels, all set within a fast-paced, fun atmosphere for the whole family.

Marsupilami 2 – Salsa Palombia will be available on September 3, 2026, on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Find Microids on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram

Or on the website: http://www.microids.com/



About Microids

Microids is a French video game publisher founded in 1985 that has established itself as a key player in the international industry. By collaborating with renowned studios and creators, Microids delivers immersive experiences based on popular licenses, allowing players to embark on new adventures alongside iconic characters.

About – Presentation of the Marsupilamis

Whether deep in the jungles of Palombia or in the middle of the city, you may one day come across a Marsupilami, a legendary creature endowed with extraordinary powers. Recognized by their mottled fur, very long tails and unique language, Marsupilamis are rare and coveted. Funny, lovable and instantly endearing, they're always ready to come to the aid of their loved ones, in adventures that are often full of twists and turns!

Created by André Franquin in 1952, the Marsupilamis have had countless adventures in comics, movies, TV, video games and more. Adored by young and old alike, they have become icons of the entertainment world.

Marsupilamis link the human and animal worlds. Instinctive and curious, they embody a vision of letting go and thirsting for freedom, always with a smile. With them, life is way funnier, and every day brings its own surprises!

©2026 MICROIDS SA. Developed by Ocellus Services. Published by Microids SA. All rights reserved.

© Dargaud-Lombard, 2026

Article by: Susan N.
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Montezuma's Revenge: The 40th Anniversary - PC (Steam) Review

Montezuma's Revenge: The 40th Anniversary Edition by developer Missions Critical Studios and Handcrafted Mystical Games and publisher Eastasiasoft LimitedPC (Steam) review written by Susan N. with a copy provided by the publisher.
 
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes


Montezuma’s Revenge: The 40th Anniversary almost snuck by me, without even realizing it. This game is a classic platformer that drove me insane as a kid. It’s graphics were intriguing as it felt akin to Indiana Jones and it’s gameplay was frustrating. Yet, for some reason, this classic title dragged me kicking and screaming trying to make it through the temple unscathed. Alas, it was not meant to be because if you died, there was no continue button.

Upon learning that an updated version of the game would be releasing, I had to have it. And once I was allowed to talk to my friends about this game and my love/hate relationship with it, I found that many of them had all played Montezuma’s Revenge years ago! Prior to that conversation, everyone I had spoken to had never even heard of it. Imagine my shock. So, I set out to try my hand at this nostalgia filled title because I was not going to let it best me. And yet, it might have still won the battle between me versus the game. So let’s talk about it.

Graphics

Normally, the first aspect of a game I would cover is the overall gameplay. However, I wanted to first talk about the graphics and the audio for a very specific reason.

The updated graphics are fantastic and beautiful in comparison to the original version (which one should be expecting for an anniversary title). The overall aesthetic is detailed and more clearly defined than it used to be, which ultimately helped in terms of gameplay. Any of the creatures that serve as obstacles to get past are clean with a level of detail that makes me appreciate the artists’ work. And I absolutely love the Aztec backdrop which creates the feeling of being inside of a forbidden tomb.


It should be said that there are aspects of the graphics that are not useful nor appealing. For starters, while it is easier to see many of the collectibles and doorways, there are still specific levels where it is harder to tell if there is an opening. Some of the torches are hard to distinguish which ones are hazardous and which are not.

Secondly, one creature in particular is my least favorite for a couple of reasons, like I’m not a fan of spiders. But more importantly, the image used for the spiders look much more like long fingers that are walking around the levels. When you see them walking from left to right, the creatures bother me on a base level. When they climb up and down ladders, they are less bothersome. Because of that one creature, my impression of the graphics drops down a bit.

With respect to the UI, I really appreciate the clarity of the score and the items that you’ve collected. Though, it should be noted that in the settings, there are no accessibility options. This is part of what makes it a little challenging to navigate. Another element of the UI that I appreciate is that it is quite clear what objects you’ve found. Plus, it has a compass to direct you to the next area - though getting to your destination can be a pain.

All of that said, there are certain objects that are not clear as to their function. I found this to be true in the original version as well. The number above the compass indicates the floor level you're on. The hats are how many lives you have. The keys are also self explanatory. What was never clear is what the daggers are for.
 

Audio

I don't have a ton to say in this section, but while I found the music to be well done, I also felt it to be too repetitive. However, what was more irritating than the music was the gentleman that taunts you throughout your gameplay. At first it's cute and cheeky, but it gets to be more aggravating than the levels themselves. That said, I do appreciate that the comments made to you as you progress are subtitled in English.

Aside from that, the sounds used in the game are quite fitting and are sometimes fearsome because bats will fly towards you if you take too long on a level.

 

Gameplay/Controls

Now that we've got that stuff out of the way, let's talk about gameplay. The version I played has both the updated graphics and the director's cut which is really the original game - complete with old school graphics. The objective of Montezuma's Revenge is to get to the 9th floor. But even if you play it on the easiest difficulty level, it is no easy feat as there are 100+ areas to explore. Each time you enter another section, the level becomes more challenging with more obstacles and traps to amp up the difficulty.

What you will notice is that each floor has similar looking levels with a few things changed about them. This reminds me a lot like Gauntlet in that way. Something that is also the same is the gameplay mechanics in that the only difference between the Director's Cut and the updated game is the graphics. For me, that is a shame because my biggest issue with Montezuma's Revenge is ultimately that the game still has terrible controls and response times. For example, the game lives by the old school philosophy of characters cannot jump. Even if you fall a very short distance, your character dies. If that aspect isn't something that bothers you, then perhaps knowing that the precise jumping needed in certain areas feels much more difficult than it should be because it doesn't register that you timed a jump at the right time. I may not be the most skilled platformer in the world, but I'm also not THAT bad. And honestly, the poor response time for the controls were enough to push me away from playing it more. I wish that this was something improved upon, instead of feeling like a carbon copy of the original - which is why I didn't really invest any time in playing the Director's Cut as well.


Montezuma's Revenge does have some neat level design and some features. In some of the level areas, you find a white diamond with a ghost inside of it. If you hit it, you will gain access to hidden gems in the ghost world. That feature alone is quite neat and reminds me a lot like turning platform blocks in to coins in the Mario games. What I don't love about the ghost diamonds is the lag experienced when you hit one. I'm uncertain if this was an issue only I had when playing, but when I picked up one of the diamonds, the game stopped all momentum and landed me directly on top of a snake. Not only did I lose a life, I also lost the ability to get some of those hidden gems.

A neat feature in the game is when you reach the bottom of a floor, you fight a boss by collecting a bunch of objects. As you collect more of them, the boss physically shrinks - an outcome that I wasn't expecting and one that made me chuckle. These bosses obviously get harder as you progress through the floors. Regardless, facing the boss was quite amusing to fight.
 

Pros and Cons

I think there are a few things that need to be mentioned about Montezuma's Revenge before buying the game. Some of the elements that I love about the game are fairly simplistic, like it has a ton of nostalgia factor for me. I used to spend HOURS failing at this game, because there was no continue button (that I can recall). If you died, you died. On that note, I'm glad that you can continue your gameplay in the 40th Anniversary version because all you sacrifice are some points to continue where you left off. This is a nice added feature to the game, in my opinion.

Another positive point about the game is that the graphics are much cleaner and easier to distinguish hazards from background pieces. Although, there are points where it still isn't clear on where you can go.

I do enjoy the boss fights a lot more than some of the tedium of the levels leading up to them, particularly since some of those levels are fundamentally the same. You have to jump around collecting objects and then the boss will shrink a bit. Then you collect more objects and he shrinks again. To add to the challenge, you will also have to watch the ceiling for falling debris that can kill you.

Negatives:

Sadly, there are a couple of negatives with the game. The fact that going deeper down the floors only adds challenge with more creatures and other hazards, but the layout of the levels seem to be the same. And that is unfortunate. Secondly, as I mentioned before, hitting a ghost jewel caused my character to freeze and die to the enemy below the crystal. What's worse about this is there was no real way to avoid it either. Basically, it felt like this ghost crystal was meant to cause my death, which is a thought I'm not particularly impressed with.

In terms of level design, there are rollers that you walk across. Some will travel against you, some will travel with you. Of the ones that travel against you, it is easy to navigate and jump where you need to. The ones that push you in the direction you want to go make you move much faster to a point where the jump button fails to respond. A very simple jump was more frustrating because of this lack of control. At times if you tapped your analog stick, the game would almost treat it like you had pushed it all the way over which caused many needless deaths.

Other minor frustrations like the repetition of the taunting and the music loops can be added here as well, but mostly my gripes with the game have to do with the controller responsiveness.

 

Final Thoughts

Montezuma's Revenge is a fantastic game that is nostalgia filled for many. Its graphics are cleaner and I love the addition of the subtitles and the ability to continue your game when you would otherwise have to restart entirely. That said, it does have some flaws mostly related to repetition and controls being less responsive than I'd like for a modern update to a classic. In the original version, I expect the flaws, in an updated version, I expect a little bit more. Sadly, the game misses the mark for me. However, don't get me wrong. I don't dislike the game at all. In fact, I loved this game so much as a kid that I will continue to try to beat it in this version. But for today's gamers, I don't think it does quite enough to keep people interested unless they played it 30+ years ago.

Score: 8 out of 10




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Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue DX Review

Firegirl: Hack ‘n Splash Rescue by developer Dejima and publisher Thunderful PublishingSony PlayStation 5 review written by Pierre-Yves with a copy provided by the publisher.

Estimated Reading Time: 7 minutes. 



Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue DX by Dejima and Thunderful Publishing is the latest version to be released of this 2.5D platformer roguelike. Set in a world where fire demons are being led by a Fire Lord and causing chaos by burninating everything in sight that would make even Trogdor proud, you're here to stop them with the titular protagonist Firegirl.

Firegirl is the kind of title that makes me think that it would have had a perfect home on the PlayStation Vita a few years back and caught my interest when Jim reviewed it for the PC. Never too heavy on the mechanics, there's still a fair amount under the hood as you'll be running, jumping, blasting water and using water to blast off all while exploring various areas to save survivors caught in the destructive fiery path of the demons currently setting the city ablaze.

What I appreciated from the beginning is that Firegirl doesn't overcomplicate itself which is great especially for a roguelike, or perhaps in this case, roguelite which in either case are designed to make you fail. Your controls themselves are fairly simple. By using the right trigger, you can shoot water forward. The harder you press, the further the water will shoot and this can be easily upgraded as time moves on. Going more vertically, Firegirl can jump, but, Firegirl can also use the water pressure of her hose in order to fly upwards and then across to make it across larger gaps in the terrain, or, to tackle enemies from above. Finally, Firegirl has an axe to break down doors and debris that are in the way of rescuing survivors and pets that are trapped in the burning buildings.

Once you've gotten your feet sufficiently wet by putting out the fires in your typical run of the mill apartment complexes though, you'll then find yourself running across a train, through a forest and through an extensive luxurious plaza which each have their own quirks. Just make sure to learn from your mistakes and check out your surroundings though as Firegirl's adventure is still a rogue-like / lite and it's not afraid to take you out if you're too overconfident.

While the initial mentioned goal of saving survivors is a simple one, it's never quite that easy. For starters, everything is on fire and running into the flames or the demon's flames will hurt you. Starting off with four hearts, you'll eventually be able to acquire more but in the meantime you'll have to be careful as there's a fair amount on the line. If you fall while on duty, you'll get a meager pay from the city but have to pay hospital bills. If you only rescue a percentage of the people, you only get money from the city but don't pay hospital bills. If you succeed? It's payday!

Like in real life, payday is the best day of the week. It comes into your bank account and did you hear that whooshing noise? Yes? That's the sound of it leaving. Much in the same way, most of the money that you'll get from the city and "fans" of your work will help to pay for upgrades. For Firegirl herself, you'll be able to get a few armor pieces before worrying about your hearts. Also up for sale is a new lighter axe which allows you to really move instead of having to stop every time you need to break open a door.


Aside from these direct upgrades which can be found in a shop across the street from the Firehouse that acts as your hub, there are a few others which will eventually become available within the Firehouse itself. Direct upgrades which can affect your performance are upgrades to Firegirl’s water tank for better spray and jump range as well as being able to hold more water in general. While useful, you'll need a bit of help to pay for these upgrades, by buying other upgrades. These other upgrades come in the form of bringing down the cost of all upgrades, increase the amount of money that you can get from the city, and finally, getting money from the above mentioned “fans”.

Fans are perhaps the most interesting element to your income which directly affects your cash flow. Starting off with none, you’ll soon be getting hundreds to thousands of them as you rescue survivors, cats and cuddly looking bears in the burning forest. These fans are where your real money will come in and will only give you money if as mentioned above, you rescue everyone that’s required AND make it out safely. If you don’t, you get nothing from them and by mid to late story, that’ll be the difference in receiving 2-6k from the city, or 36-40k on top of the 2-6k from the city to pay for some fairly expensive upgrades.

While there is a fair amount of rinse and repeat, which is to be expected in a rogue which constantly adds more every time you dive into it, it all comes to a climax once you manage to collect 12 of the 13 Fire Tomes. While mentioned a few times over the course of the story, finding them is the tricky part as it’s random whether one will even show up in the stage that you are doing which can add a bit of artificial padding. While I did enjoy the increasing challenges, having that progression locked by luck I found to be a bit annoying especially as I neared a point of having unlocked every single upgrade.

Once that’s done though, Firegirl gives it one more stellar go against the only boss fight of the adventure, the Fire Lord himself. And you know what? It was totally worth it! Once that’s done though and the credits roll, there’s still plenty that can be done for ingame unlockables that may not have been acquired and plenty of PSN trophies that will probably still be waiting for you to unlock them.

Sadly not everything on this journey was perfect while I played off of the PS5. I found myself quite a few times having Firegirl, both the character and the game, freeze on me making me have to close it, re-launch it and then re-do the stage that I was already close to finishing, or a new one, all over again. There was also another glitch where I found myself completely upside down making me have to do the same thing as trying to finish the forest stage while also zoomed out was just impossible. So while I would have liked to score this higher, the issues that I would run into, especially when grabbing a Fire Tome and having the game crash, keeps it lower than it should be.

Summary

Overall though, Firegirl: Hack 'n Splash Rescue DX is a fun little rogue-like / lite that can easily net you half a dozen hours to complete the main story before sticking around for more. With easy to pick up controls, especially with the PS5’s locking shoulders which makes shooting water that much more precise, if you’ve been looking for a bit of a challenge but not one that will cause you to rage quit, this could be the one for you.

Score: 7 / 10


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