Topic: Antonblast

Couldn't see a thread already on this game.

I've thoroughly enjoyed it over the Christmas period.

It seems the developers really get what feels good when playing an action game.

It strikes me as a combination of Wario Land and Earthworm Jim.
There's a touch of Sonic in there as well.

Whilst a Mario length game of these kind of levels would have probably gotten too repetitive,
I could have done with about 10 more stages.
Really hope for a sequel.

I haven't yet been able to decide what my favourite level is.
What do you guys reckon?

Yeah, I've really been enjoying Antonblast, doubly so after the recent patch. It's got so much charm and flair, and while the learning curve is certainly a bit steep, it feels so good to bash your way through those stages once everything clicks.

I'd say my favorite stage is The Mad Mall because it perfectly exemplifies everything great about the game. It's got a goofy and inventive premise, some very memorable gimmicks like the security cameras and shooting gallery, and while your first playthrough of it is probably going to be an absolute mess, it has such a great sense of flow to it once it all clicks, and it's now my favorite level to speedrun. The fact that it's not too long and gives you an absurd amount of cash also makes it the best stage for grinding hands down.

Fantastic title and pretty much my game of the year, the one I was looking forward to the most out of every release in 2024, and it absolutely delivered on every front - Great kinetic level design, impressive boss fights, a banger OST and a killer visual style all wrapped up in an offbeat but kick-awesome sense of energy. It's so great that I double dipped and beat it twice on Switch and PC because THAT is how great it is.

Anyways, in terms of favorite levels, I'd it's Pinball Mire I'm most inclined to revisit. It's pretty divisive due its pinball mechanics, and on your first playthrough it's going to be a nightmare. But on a second playthrough, with a better understanding of the controls, it clicked for me. I think the trick is having a good grasp of the boost mechanic when you're in ball form. Rapid taps of Y to boost in a different direction can make it a bit easier to adjust your position.

Game of the year, blimey.

I found the time limits in Mad Mall pretty tough.

I feel if they bring back the pinball sections in a sequel, they need to improve the mechanics a bit.
Why does it take so long for all the flippers to go back into place?

They really copied wario world and some other games

@Ninfan never heard THAT one before

Debating on either this or Pizza Tower...I bought Pizza Tower on Steam, but...I'm not a big pc gamer, and the Steam Deck is just, ugh, no thanks. I did play it for a bit on Steam with a Switch Pro Controller and the controls just...didn't seem right...and probably a bit too sensitive for some reason, maybe it's better on Switch?

As for AntonBlast, I dunno, I heard it was harder...? I dunno, all I know is that both games are based around some of the Wario Land games. (I miss Shake It. TwT)

@Joeynator3000 They both take from Wario's playbook(Anton especially), and both thrive on replayability/control mastery, but they're totally different games. Pizza Tower is a twitchy, stress-inducing, score-chaser with a focus on maintaining constant speed(think along the lines of Wario Land 4 meets Sonic), while Antonblast is a more kinetic, slower-paced affair, with a heavier emphasis on exploration. It has high-speed moments, but not all the levels are built around that. It's closer to the first couple Warios or Crash Bandicoot in terms of its level design.

For my money, Anton's a little more my tempo than Pizza, but they're both solid. If you like one, you might like the other.

Yeah, once you dig into the mechanics, Pizza Tower and Antonblast both have very different vibes. Pizza Tower doesn't actually let you die outside of the bosses so it's pretty easy to beat casually, but the skill ceiling is massive. Antonblast, despite the chaotic presentation, is a slower, more deliberate platformer where you're expected to die quite a bit at least at first. Personally, I found Pizza Tower to be the more polished package especially on Switch, but both were some of my favorite gaming experiences of the year.

@N00BiSH Maybe I'll go for Anton then, oh yeah how's the patch on Switch? I heard the game had some issues and the patch fixed most of it...?

@Joeynator3000 Yeah, it's not a perfect 60fps and there are some dips when things get too hectic but overall it definitely runs better than it did before thanks to the new patch. Much smoother and a lot less lag overall - at least from my experience. If you're not convinced, there's also the option to lock the frame rate to a solid 30 if you're inclined.

There's still an Antonblast demo I think if people want to try.
The vibe grabbed me right away.

I don't like pizza, so that's Tower out of the picture for me.

Watched reviews for both games again and, yeah, Anton seems like it's for me, if I want to give Pizza Tower another go again, I have it on Steam, I guess. But yeah the controls are a bit too wonky for me...and the gameplay seems a bit too Sonic-y...if that makes sense. lol

Seems like Anton is more like a normal Wario Land game, so...yeah. I'll probably get this game on Switch soon.
...
After I can stop myself from playing Slay the Spire anyways. >.>