This is
beginning to look like the year for excellent platform games for the Game Boy
Advance. Not only has Nintendo brought out its classic platform games of
yesteryear, but also its new games have been pleasantly surprising and extremely
hard to put down. Adding to their ranks is Sabre Wulf, a platform game
with RPG elements and an interesting premise to boot. Brought to us by Rare and
THQ, certainly no strangers to the GBA, this is a game that asks us to overlook
the game’s oddly title and see it for what it really is . . . a platform game
with a lot to like.
Sabre Wulf
puts you in the well-worn boots of a
renowned explorer known only as Sabreman. This particular fellow, it seems, has
at one point imprisoned a ferocious blue wolf known as Sabrewulf by using a
mystical amulet. Yes this game points to Sabreman’s early adventures (the
original game having been released a long ago on computer) when the explorer was
young and this one picks up years later with an older Sabreman. It seems like a
dastardly fiend by the name of Dr. Doolittle-Goode has released Sabrewulf from
his prison (the amulet had turned him into a statue) and its up to Sabreman to
once again stop the wolf and find out what plans the evil Doctor has in store.
The game
interestingly blends action-platformer fun with a slight dash of some RPG
elements. I say some because the game does let you interact with other
characters and also allows you to go into shops to buy items with a slight
emphasis on 3D exploration, but that’s as far as it goes. The heart and soul of
this game is clearly its 2D-platform action that has you collecting the usual
collectable items like gold coins and treasure he can use to buy items. The
game also inventively includes creatures that Sabreman actually uses during the
game’s levels. A creature called Blubba, for example, is placed near a
hard-to-reach platform and you can use it as a trampoline. Need debris cleared
out? No problem – use a creature called Boomer and it will blow the debris out
of the way. There are six good creatures you can use in the game and the
majority of them you find on your own while some of them can be purchased in
stores.
The levels
are plentiful thanks to the fact that worlds are pretty huge and filled with
eight key locations that come in the form of a jungle, a mine and a swamp just
to name a few. Each level is filled with its own dangers and, for the most
part; they’re challenging . . . although the difficulty level isn’t as
consistent as it should be. Instead of going from easy to hard levels, Sabre
Wulf mixes hard levels with easy ones. There are times when your creatures
aren’t really needed and times when you can’t complete it without them. But
this is a fun world to explore and there are some really unique mini-games along
the way (like the Tea Drinking game). Sabrewulf also makes a many appearances
throughout the game and its usual after you collected the treasure. When this
happens, Sabreman makes a mad dash for the exit with the blue wolf in pursuit.
Sabreman is
easy to control seeing as he performs the usual old-school platforming actions
such as running and jumping. The majority of the time he’s jumping over the
usual hazards such as explosives or crumbling surfaces and there are many
enemies he must deal with in each level. Thankfully the game runs at a steady
framerate and the action is as smooth as ice. Overall, the controls certainly
do the game’s action justice and it also makes it really hard to put this game
down.
Not only is
this a colorful game with plenty of eye-catching detail, but Sabre Wulf
makes some use of the GBA’s graphical capabilities. Sure it would have been
nice to have seen more effects throughout the game, but watching flames dance or
plants sway with the breeze won’t fail to impress. The characters you encounter
are also wonderfully rendered and there’s just something charming about watching
Sabreman move around the highly detailed environments. Trust me, there are some
really impressive environments to explore in this game.
With graphics
that are nothing to sneeze at and which bring the game’s world to life, it’s the
game’s sound that will pleasantly surprise you with its astonishing detail. The
jungle is alive with sound and you’re surrounded by it where ever go. You’ll
hear exotic birds take flight, monkeys going wild and the distant howl of your
nemesis Sabrewulf as if to remind you that he’s close enough. Hilarity ensues
when characters, specifically Sabreman, speak. It’s the same comical gibberish
you hear in Rare’s other great GBA game, Banjo-Kazooie: Grunty’s Revenge.
There’s also some pretty good tunes found in each level.
Sabre Wulf
is a rare gem that shines with
originality and highly addictive platform fun for your Game Boy Advance. It’s
not quite an RPG but it has enough RPG elements to break from the game’s many
action-packed levels and its fun mini-games scattered throughout. The
difficulty level isn’t very stable, but this is a minor blip considering the
fact that the rest of the game is tremendously enjoyable. If you’re looking for
a unique platform experience, give this one a try. You won’t regret it.
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#Reviewer’s |
Gameplay:
8.2
While the character action is
simplistic, Sabre Wulf is an old-school platform game overflowing with
originality. Sure, he just runs and jumps much like Mario, but what sets this
game apart is Sabreman’s interaction with his environment and the use of many
interesting items to help him along on his quest. It also doesn’t hurt to have a
nemesis that is used often in the game to keep the levels interesting.
Graphics:
8.0
Visually, the game’s graphics are
everything you’d want in a platform game. This is a colorful game but the
vibrant colors just serve to compliment the beautifully rendered environments
and characters. The game isn’t big on visual effects but there’s plenty to see
here.
Sound: 8.5
Sabre Wulf
also makes full use of everything the Game Boy
Advance’s sound system is capable of and the result is a game with spectacular
sound. The game’s score is good but it’s the sound effects that will blow you
away. The sounds coming from the environment are high in detail and you’ll be
astonished how many things you’ll hear at once. I highly suggest you play this
one with earphones. As for the dialogue, it’s pure Banjo-Kazooie
gibberish and it never fails to put a smile on my face.
Difficulty: Medium
The game’s biggest weakness come
from the fact that the difficulty level isn’t exactly stable enough to offer
levels that have a progressive difficulty. Instead of going from easy to
harder, the game moves from easy to hard to easy and hard again. There are many
levels that have you zipping through the environment while others will put up a
big enough challenge that you’ll be using every creature in your collection for
help.
Concept:
8.0
You have to love a game with plenty
to do, things to see, people to talk to and things to buy. The levels are
jam-packed with the basic platform elements but it’s the use of your creatures
that stop this from being merely a run-and-jump platform game. There are also
some challenges and items to collect. And the game’s world is pretty huge, thus
making this a pretty lengthy game.
Overall:
8.5
As a fan of the
platform genre, it’s easy to appreciate an old-school platform game but finding
one that’s inventive, beautifully done and highly addictive is an enjoyable
rarity. Sabre Wulf isn’t quite perfect, but thanks to its originality,
great characters and platforming action, you’ll find that it just doesn’t get
any better than this.
