Wario-inspired Antonblast Receives Fantastic Reviews
While Nintendo seem content on keeping Wario locked to his own WarioWare sub-series, indie developers have been extracting the DNA from his previous adventures and crafting their own characters and levels for a modern audience. Most recent of these is Antonblast- which released earlier this week for PC and Nintendo Switch. This 2D action platformer sees you sprinting through levels as you cause maximum carnage to the environment and whatever poor enemies stand in your way.
The game is currently sitting at an impressive 86 on Opencritic with 91% of critics recommending that you give it a try. GamesRadar+ had the following praise to say in their 8/10 review:
“Antonblast explosively reinvents the destructive energy of Wario Land, delivering high-energy action that has you demolishing levels at speed while also rewarding precise play with a serious sense of momentum. Boss fights slow the pace a bit, but this is a front-to-back thrillride that you'll keep coming back to master.”
Another game clearly inspired by the legacy of the Wario Land games (which criminally haven’t seen a new entry since the Wii) was Pizza Tower from 2023. This also takes you through wonderfully bizarre levels as you grab as much loot as you can with the help of some… unique power-ups. This release also received heaps of praise when it released- so much so that it got a nomination for Indie Game of the Year at the 2023 Game Awards. Unfortunately, Antonblast falls outside of the window to be nominated but its still worth checking out if you’re a Pizza Tower addict.
Image by Summitsphere
Antonblast isn’t just a hit with critics either- a very positive rating on Steam cements this as a must buy for fans of the classic Wario Land games and 2D platformers in general. You can try out a free demo too if you’re not sure whether to pick this up. The previous game from the developers, AntonBall Deluxe, is also available on Steam for 90% off so, if you want to see what Summitsphere have to offer, you can dip your toes in with their initial release.
