Created by solo developer Ohsat Games and published by developer Ratalaika Games, Go! Go! PogoGirl is a platformer that is heavily inspired by similar titles released back in the 90s. Go! Go! PogoGirl was previously released on PC only however the developer has now expanded the platforms and we now have this amazing platformer on consoles as well. The early 90s were filled with vibrant and colorful platformers that we all grew up playing so today it is very refreshing to see the developers going that extra mile to deliver such an experience to modern gamers on modern platforms as well. This is our review of the PS4 release of Go Go PogoGirl in which we jump around on a pogo stick and collect some hidden gems.
Similar to the 90s platformers, Go! Go! PogoGirl introduces its own unique character to players which is a cute, little girl who is jumping on her pogo stick. The only difference here is that this girl cannot stop jumping no matter what and you will have to navigate entire levels while she is jumping on her pogo stick. The game does not really have any story that you need to worry about and neither is there a villain who you have to reach and defeat. Go! Go! PogoGirl offers a wholesome platforming experience where your sole goal is to keep jumping and reaching the end of the level while collecting gems and making sure that you avoid enemies.
Each level in Go! Go! PogoGirl is designed to accommodate the unique bouncing mechanic of the game and you have to clear the levels while bouncing. This means that you will need to reach platforms, clear jumps, avoid spikes, kill enemies, and defeat different bosses while jumping. The gameplay mechanics are pretty straightforward where you move left or right with the left joystick and then you can twirl by pressing the X button which allows you to clear enemies near you while also giving you a small boost for reaching areas that are not otherwise accessible with the standard jump. Apart from this, you can also press the circle key to come crashing down on the ground for a much higher jump. This can be used on command and after you have successfully landed on the ground once after pressing the key.
Using these three basic moves, you will clear different levels with plenty of hidden collectibles and enemies. The enemies in the game are pretty basic as well and they will just perform basic moves as well. Some of them will move left and right in a particular spot while some enemies will jump up and down. You will need to jump on their heads in order to defeat them and since they are moving here and there and you are also jumping so you will need to keep your jumps and their movement in sync to land on their head and defeat them. The boss battles are similar as well where you will need to land on top of the bosses in order to deal damage to them. The boss battles are not too difficult and the normal levels are not too challenging as well.
Each level is unique and the game offers you 20 different levels where five levels belong to each of the four seasons. You basically play through a run of all four seasons and defeat their respective bosses in order to complete the game. Each level is different and offers its own set of challenges and as you progress in the game, they become tougher as well. The difficulty level of the game is not too high but if you are not careful with your landings, you will end up on spikes a lot more than you need to. There are no lives and if you die, you will simply respawn at the previous checkpoint that you passed. While there is not much story in the levels, there is actually progression in terms of different challenges.
While you can complete each level without any requirements, each level has 100 green gems and 3 red gems which are hidden around in secret spaces. The green gems are randomly found all over the levels while the red gems are hidden in different spaces which are hard to find and you might miss them if you do not explore each level easily. Apart from collecting gems, each level also comes with a challenge where you must complete the level without dying. Collecting all gems and ensuring that you complete each level without dying will give you medals at the end of the level. If you want an additional challenge, you can turn on the timer from the options menu and then try to complete each level as fast as possible as well to set your own records. There is no online leaderboard so you will be competing against your own records.
The timers are not automatic and if you do not want to rush your game, you can turn it off from the settings. Unlike most platformers, the timer does not come in a Time Trial mode and you can simply turn it on and off from the options menu. Apart from this, the game also comes with a really cool CRT filter which gives you the impression that you are playing the game on a curved CRT screen with darkened edges. Go! Go! PogoGirl also features decent retro-inspired visuals and the soundtrack is pretty fun to listen to as you are jumping around. Go! Go! PogoGirl has all the right ingredients to be an excellent platformer and if you are into such types of games, I am sure that you will love this cute and wholesome platformer.
Final Verdict:
Go! Go! PogoGirl is a simple and fun platformer with a unique movement mechanic. The always-jumping bit surely presents you with an added challenge as you must navigate the different platforming sections while keeping the timing in check and sometimes it really tests your platforming skills. The level design is decent and the soundtrack keeps you in the mood as you are playing the game. Different collectible items and in-level challenges give you a small bit of replayability and time trials also allow you to re-visit the levels that you have already completed. Go! Go! PogoGirl is a cute and fun little platformer that is surely going to keep you busy for some time and if you love retro-inspired platformers, this title will be right up your alley. Highly recommended for players who are into platformers with a retro touch.
Final Score: 8.0/10
