[Mechanical R]

We all find one of those games, there’s usually one for each of us, about once a year, which you’ll first go in with low expectations and hopes whether it be the full game or demo/trial, sometimes it’ll just slip under the radar. Yet it will shock you. It slaps you right in the face right from the beginning and shows you how wrong you were to think badly about it. This year, I’ve found such Underdog.

One of the most gorgeous opening settings you'll seen in an arcade...

So who remembers the old Super Mario SNES games? Pretty much everyone, before Party, Kart and 3D game into the scene the old school Mario was where it was at. This is basically your starting point for imagining how the gameplay feels like, the platforms, enemies, even the castle at the end, featuring a rather washed out Barney the Dinosaur to greet you telling you your princess is in another castle. Now, although Tim IS in fact looking for a Princess, the similarities to Mario here on, stop.

Now, this game does have a story, a huge story, but, like through out the game, were only given pieces of it and must find out the truth behind why Tim, our protagonist has lost his Princess, but as we discover the story soon changes to more varied outcome.

The game has one of the easiest interfaces ever. The game begins in the game, there’s no real need for a menu, but if you need to pause, Start is where its at, as you do and the only other buttons you’ll need is A to jump and X to rewind. The game seamlessly mixes the intro screen with the level select then to take you straight to the level you needed by venturing through Tim’s house.

'Im here for the Princess I'd like t-' 'Two plus two is foouur'

Each level consists of sections where you must make it through to the door at the end, within this area lies a puzzle or two, they vary from simple tasks to complex and time related tasks in order to collect the pieces of jigsaw at the end of each of these puzzles. Then you can put them together to unveil more of the story.

The game blends 2D fore front visuals with 3D backgrounds which really make the game a unique experience, the backgrounds are usually painted, or slowly moving.

The scores of music which accompany this game in each level are all beautiful melodies varying from minimalist pieces to small sized orchestral scores which are amazingly written create an even bigger feel for the story, which is an impressive feat for an Arcade game. Each track is taken from an already created album by individual composers.

One of the more, easier of puzzles...honest...

Now something I left out was the difficulty for this game. The puzzles vary, but go from easy, medium to extremely unrepentantly difficult in the range of how time affects the game. Time is an important piece in the game and in each level time is affected differently for example World 2 time will run normal, but World 4 as you move forward time will move normal, but when you move backwards everything will go in reverse. Also the use of being able to reverse time or to ‘correct your mistakes’ will also become a key feature in reaching those troublesome jigsaws.

Once you have all 5 worlds Jigsaws complete you will have access to the final world and discover the truth…

As before mentioned in the beginning, for a game which was only originally created by one man, Jonathon Blow, this game really is one of those which screams amazing at you from beginning to end and when it does end, even the story is that of open to interpretation, which could change your whole outlook on the whole game. Whilst not for those who aren’t a fan of puzzles or too confusing stories this game will offer an amazing experience, and perhaps you may ever learn something on the way, something you’ll never forget.

Rating - 10