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Rocking vibes from multiple arcade classics, Donut Dodo is an excellent and challenging remix
Having grown up in the arcades I always approach retro-style arcade games with some trepidation. You’d think after a few decades it would be easier to create new games that are much like their golden era inspirations, but you’d obviously be wrong based on the typically lukewarm results. Thankfully you can throw those concerns aside in the case of Donut Dodo, which obviously has DNA from Donkey Kong, Donkey Kong Jr, and a few other classics but somehow navigates the challenge of honoring their style of play without simply aping (Hah!) them completely. There’s no doubt you may get off to a rocky start as you come to understand the patterns and some of the rules, but within a round or two you’ll be ready to take on the challenge of not just completing stages but picking up all the points you can as well. Having tried the bonus donut route I will say that if you’re committed and don’t pick up any that aren’t flashing along the way you will pick up a pretty considerable number of points, but if you make any mistakes you’d probably be better off simply going as quickly as possible and taking the time bonus instead. About the only quibble I have is that ladders and ropes are automatic, meaning you can’t control yourself on them, and once or twice that got me, but since the movement is really quick and you can learn that I wouldn’t consider it crippling. In parallel managing to honor multiple titles while creating some new characters and stages with unique challenges, this is absolutely one of the best new “classic arcade” games I’ve played.
Justin Nation, Score:Nindie Choice! [8.8]