Developer: ConsoleWay
Publisher: Ultimate Games
Platform: Switch, PC
Tested on: Switch
Ziggy the Chaser – Review
Back in the 90s, animal mascots were a video game staple. While not all of them were equally successful, this era saw several mascots cement their place in video game history. These days, it’s a rare occurrence for a video game developer to introduce a brand new 90s style mascot to the market, but that’s exactly what Ultimate Games and ConsoleWay are doing with Ziggy the Chaser. The elephant makes his debut in a title that at first glance has a lot in common with the mascot games of yesteryear. Does the game deliver a vintage 90s kid experience or are looks deceiving?
Story
While there is a backstory to Ziggy the Chaser, we actually had to go look it up after we finished playing the game. The story is delivered through a monologue by a toucan narrator, but the audio quality for his narration is subpar, and there are no subtitles to help players understand what is going on. Not that this really matters, as the story is actually insignificant and hardly has anything to do with the game. Ziggy’s setup involves an evil goblin that has cast a spell on the king of Divia, scattering his 1000 magical crystals around the world. The king has tasked Ziggy with collecting the crystals and preventing the world from falling into chaos. The setup is adequate for a fantasy game, but feels inappropriate here. We’re still not sure what a goblin has to do with jungle animals. The only element from the story setup that is actually relevant to the game is Ziggy’s need to collect crystals.
Graphics
Ziggy the Chaser’s cartoon animal designs and jungle environments harken back to the 3D platformers of the late ’90s, bringing to mind classics like Crash Bandicoot or Banjo Kazooie. Admittedly, these animal designs lack the charm of the aforementioned classics and Ziggy the Chaser feels like the off-brand version of these titles. That said, the game still looks appealing and will wax nostalgic to anyone that grew up in the era of the 3D platformer, even if the gameplay is vastly different. Sadly, the game suffers from an atrocious frame rate. This is especially apparent during the game’s choppy opening scenes. While we don’t expect a 60 fps experience from a budget title, Ziggy is one of the worst offenders we’ve seen recently when it comes to choppiness. We really hope the game gets an update to improve upon this, although we’re not really expecting that to happen given Ultimate Games’ track record.
Sound
The soundtrack for Ziggy features upbeat and cartoony music that is fitting for the game’s atmosphere. The tunes are catchy and enhance the experience. The sound effects are generic and unremarkable. There are some issues with the audio mixing here, with the sound effects often irritatingly loud compared to the music. Adding insult to injury, the audio quality leaves a lot to be desired. This is especially apparent with the aforementioned narration done by the toucan. While the voice actor does an admirable job, the audio just isn’t clear, and the music often subdues his monologue.
Gameplay
While Ziggy the Chaser’s character designs and environments resemble a 3D platformer, the gameplay is a different beast altogether. Taking control of the titular Ziggy, your task is to navigate maze-like areas, collecting crystals, while avoiding traps and enemies. Ziggy can’t even jump and there is virtually no exploration. In fact, the gameplay is surprisingly similar to Pac-Man, albeit with added features such as a variety of powerups and environmental obstacles. After collecting all the crystals in an area, the door to the next area opens up. It’s a simple concept that works well and should appeal to younger gamers, but anyone looking for a real challenge might end up disappointed.
There is no real in-game explanation of how everything works but it’s easy enough to figure things out by trial and error. Admittedly, the early stages of the game label the various elements, such as safe spaces and the names of powerups. Discovering what a powerup actually does and when the most effective moment to use it is left up to the player, however. Powerups include super speed, turning invisible and shields, among others. Each of these offers its own ability, which only lasts for a few seconds, and will help you in overcoming the dangers that Ziggy has to face. These dangers are as varied as the powerups and include noxious gases, fire-breathing flowers and of course, animal enemies including crocodiles and jaguars. The animal enemies further hammer home the Pac-Man comparison, as they will chase Ziggy. As soon as our elephant protagonist picks up the right powerup, the hunters become the hunted and Ziggy becomes able to chase them instead.
There is a little bit more to the gameplay in the form of puzzles that you’ll need to solve in order to reach certain sections of a level. These include hitting switches so that bridges are lowered or using teleporters. The game boasts 24 levels but they are on the small side and no level should take a seasoned gamer more than a few minutes to complete. This means that you’re looking at roughly two hours worth of content here, which feels a bit on the light side for the asking price. While Ziggy the Chaser won’t break your bank, there are other titles in the price bracket that offer more bang for your buck.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a game to keep your little ones occupied for an afternoon or so, you could do far worse than Ziggy the Chaser. The game isn’t very difficult and the cartoon animal designs should appeal to the six to eight-year-old bracket. We do advise to wait for a sale, however, as the game does feel overpriced for the amount of content you’re getting here. The game also holds very limited appeal beyond the aforementioned age bracket, so if you’re not within this group, we suggest you skip this one.
Ziggy the Chaser - Review,
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