Venture Kid (Nintendo Switch) Review

Main protagonist Andy, for no real reason, takes it upon himself to stop the evil Dr. Teklov from unleashing his ultimate super-weapon on the world (sounds familiar?) by making his way through nine levels that, given 10 minutes and any person who has even thought about playing a game, could rattle off the names and general design of. Stages are bright, matching the theme perfectly, and firing off the synapses as soon as you see the stage title.

Ice Mine? Easy. Be prepared for Glaciers restricting progression, Floors of ice sliding Andy into oblivion and dodging Icicles dropping from the ceiling. Jungle? Wooded areas, navigating rocky caverns, and avoiding traps set by a long forgotten civilisation. Although each level offers multiple paths, there is little reason to take them due to the lack of reward given from exploring. Stages are also filled with forgettable, uninspired enemies that continue onto the final stage boss. Fought your way through street biker gangs? Expect the same once that boss theme kicks in. Monkeys dominating the Jungle stage? Look forward to the Gorilla on the last screen.

Each stage ends with a short scene imbuing Andy with a new weapon to wield. Initially, this feels rewarding and exciting - how this is going to be implemented, will traversal be impossible without clever use of the new abilities bestowed, and so on, and forth. It quickly becomes apparent that anything given serves no purpose, though, as any obstacle can be navigated or killed with the standard blaster from the outset. In a lot of cases using additional items can be a major hindrance, as rockets fire pointlessly into the air at obtuse angles, and double jumps more often than not result in bouncing off the ceiling or misjudging a gap entirely. With all these frustrations the desire to swap out the default pellet gun for any item earned quickly wanes.

That is not to say Venture Kid is without its plus points. Controls are tight and responsive, although jumping can often feel a bit floaty and unfair in the later stages. In-game actions are often rewarded with trophies that scratch the itch of any would-be completionists looking to squeeze any extra juice out of the hour or two worth of gameplay here. Replay modes are also welcome with the option of stage selection in Adventure mode and Boss rush unlocked after completion. Collecting all coins (yellow spots?) will also allow upgrading Andy in the item shop. Again this isn't necessary considering the challenge presented, but a nice touch to allow for an easier, more relaxed play-through.

The chiptune soundtrack stands out as the biggest draw, with compositions by Matt Creamer of Retro City Rampage fame. These elevate the basic level, and boss battles and would seamlessly stand tall alongside classic themes from the likes of DuckTales and a personal favourite Blue Shadow.