Not every game has to be revolutionary, you know. While it’s always nice when a developer tries to push a genre further and break new ground, there are times when all we want is something familiar, something solid, something safe: a warm, cosy jumper in a world full of attention-seeking t-shirt slogans. Jet Kave Adventure is that game; a competent, old-school platformer that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel. Though in fairness, that’s because it’s set in an era when the wheel hadn’t been invented in the first place.
Kave is an exiled caveman who used to be the chief of his tribe but has been banished, because reasons. Just as he’s being unceremoniously booted out of his village, an alien ship crashes into a nearby rock. An alien emerges and, realising it needs a new power cell to fuel its broken ship, uses a jetpack to fly off to the island’s volcano in the hope of removing its power source. Which will destroy the island, but hey, aliens have places to be. Stumbling on a spare jetpack, Kave decides to ‘borrow’ it and head off to find the invader, give him a swift kick in the alien bits and save the island.
Jet Kave Adventure is a platform game that immediately throws up Donkey Kong Country vibes, though this is mainly because of its jungle setting. Kave can run, jump and use his club to attack enemies, and at first, that’s about it until you discover the aforementioned jetpack early in the game. Once you get this you acquire two new moves that go on to form the bedrock (ahem) for most of the platforming shenanigans you encounter in the game.
The first of these new abilities is a straightforward hover mechanic. By pressing the jump button again in mid-air you can use the jetpack for a useful boost that keeps you in the air and carries you upwards a little until it runs out. Your jetpack fuel only lasts a couple of seconds, but it’s enough to help you reach platforms that are otherwise too high or far away and as soon as you hit the ground again it refills almost instantly. This will naturally bring up Donkey Kong Country Return comparisons again, what with Diddy’s jetpack in that, but it’s an altogether more powerful one here and doesn’t really feel the same.
Speaking of more powerful, it’s the jetpack’s second ability that really gives the game a unique feel. By holding down the R button you can slow the game down to a crawl while an arrow appears around you that you can aim with the left stick. When you let go of R, you’ll blast off in the direction you pointed with a super powerful boost from your jetpack. Not only does this let you get to platforms that are beyond the reach of your standard hover move, it also lets you smash through some walls, activate some switches and fly unharmed through some hazards later in the game, like lasers and bosses’ energy bursts.
The game’s 36 stages – split into four themed worlds with nine levels in each – are designed well enough to make the most of this small array of abilities at your disposal, though by the time you’re into the game’s second half you start to get the feeling it’s running out of ideas and is just going through the motions until you reach the credits. There’s only so much you can do with breakable walls and ever-so-slightly too far away platforms, and while it also chucks in platform staples like wall jumps, pressure-sensitive switches and cling-friendly vines to mix things up a bit, you do feel like you’ve seen the full gamut of possibilities by the time you reach the volcano.
Extra variety is added with a series of chase sections – where you’re being pursued by some sort of dinosaur, tiger or robot and have to keep moving to avoid becoming extinct – as well as the occasional hang gliding and vertical-scrolling flight sections (where your jetpack becomes turbocharged and you’re constantly blasting upwards, avoiding debris along the way). These do break things up a bit and are welcome to an extent, but they can also provide some of the more frustrating moments because it’s often too late to get out of the way of some obstacles.
Thankfully, the game is pretty generous with health. You’re initially given an energy bar with three hearts (meaning you can take two hits before dying), and every time you pass a checkpoint these are restored. If you can’t last until then, you can also hold food items in reserve and any time you can spare a free second you can hit the A button to stop and eat one, restoring a heart. What’s more, by collecting seeds in each stage you can access the in-game store to upgrade (among other things) the number of hearts and the number of food items you can store. By the time you’re fully upgraded you can plough through most of the game with ease, with only the last few stages offering the occasional death.
If you’re looking for more of a challenge, each stage also has three bonus objectives for you to complete, should you so desire: beat the stage in a certain time (the most enjoyable of the objectives to attempt), collect a certain number of seeds and beat the stage without taking damage. There’s no massive incentive for doing this, but it does provide extra replay value if you aren’t happy enough with the 2-3 hours it’ll take you to beat the game if you’re an experienced platformer fan.
There are plenty of things to complain about with Jet Kave Adventure. The story is completely throwaway and not even the introduction of a pterodactyl friend who follows you for a few stages (but doesn’t do anything) then says its goodbyes – only to inevitably turn up later in your hour of need – does much to get you involved in it. The boss battles are never too tricky but are a tad on the long side, and so they’re a bit annoying to play through again when you die right before delivering a final blow. And combat feels really light: when you kill an enemy with your club they may as well be holograms.
None of these ever feel like major enough issues to call Jet Kave Adventure a complete write-off, however. All they do is combine to ensure that the game never feels like a stone-cold classic, merely ‘good’. But you know, sometimes that’s all that’s needed.
Conclusion
Jet Kave Adventure will be on nobody's Game of the Year lists, but that really doesn't matter. What it does do is provide a reasonably solid 2.5D platformer that will keep you entertained for a few hours (and beyond, if you want to try to beat all the optional objectives). At a little under $20, it's a bit steep for what's on offer, but if you've been craving a no-nonsense platformer that offers a decent selection of levels and looks pretty while doing it, you could do far worse – of course, you could arguably do a lot better, too.
Comments 51
I will get it on sale, looking forward to Yooka Laylee and the Impossible Lair more than any other platformer.
A 6? Read more like a 6.9657
Sale material, then.
@pblive lol
Imagine if this was anime-esque. A quick hot take title and this would have 100 comments by now.
I jest, shame this just doesn't hit that DKC itch. Since we're likely not seeing a new one for a while.
Also, its style didn't help.
Ughhh man, that really stinks. For the asking price, It wouldve been nice if it was an 8 or 9 and at least 6-8 hours. I had this preodered since Friday and I knew i should've held off until it got down to $10. It got a lot of attention on this site which drew me in to the preorder. Ah...oh well... let this be a lesson with preordering indie games that haven't been out on other systems for review. I haven't played it yet but i will today. Im reallllllly hoping I love it and don't regret it. I fully regret my preorder of creature in the well so im hoping we don't have two duds in 1 month for me.
Plot has never been a concern for me in these types of games, but the fact he was banished from his tribe sets up a potentially good story. Nevertheless, this is a nintendo based website and the fact a nintendo inspired game is rated this poorly I'll probably pass especially for that same price you could pick up hollow night or the messenger.
Well that's disappointing. Was looking forward to it. Oh well, I'll still pick it up on a sale.
Should just stress that contrary to popular belief a 6 is still 'not bad', as the site states. There's still some fun to be had in this one, it just doesn't do anything massively novel or fantastic.
@NintendoByNature I'm looking forward to your opinion, make sure to post it here
@scully1888 I can understand that for sure. It Would just be nice if 'not bad' is more in that $10 or less range. Full price being $20 is kind of steep which i think you mentioned in the review for a game that's not bad. Especially when you consider what other games are on the eshop at $20 or less( the messenger, hollow knight, hyper light drifter). Like i said , I'm hoping I really enjoy it. The 2-3 hours is a bummer though.
@PlusFan you got it. Although, i wouldn't take my opinion with much weight lol. Sometimes i really love a game thats poorly reviewed or dislike a game that does well lol
If this was a 10-15 hour game then the price might have been justifiable. At 3-5 hours however I can't reasonably purchase it unless its $10 or less.
@scully1888 - Anything below a 9 is terrible shovelware. That's just Gamer Code #396.
It goes: 10, Excellent and likely paid for. 9, decent to an extent. Then everything else is just a disgrace to the world of gaming.
@NintendoByNature From what I read elsewhere, I can't believe in that 2-3 hours, actually. Some even mentioned 6-8. That's a big discrepancy.
yeah looks like a 6 or 7 game to me. meh too many good games to bother
Wait I thought this site said this game was going to be amazing!!!
@PlusFan that's very interesting. I guess I'll find out in the next couple days and get back to you.
There sure were a lot of articles about this game.
Who really had high hopes for this game? I figured it would be medicore when I saw the trailer.
@scully1888 To be fair, now a days games that are "fun to be had" are pushed to the wayside. Not because they are inherently bad, it's because there are just so many good games out. It's a daunting task just to keep up with the great games out there. Can't say it's a bad problem to have though. Cheers!
At first I thought this was the croods and I was so confused
The ratings on this site are a complete joke lately.
This game is a 9
The recent Blasphemous is a 4 - game was horrible and wasn't even hard like was written here. I'm not even sure these people are playing these games more then copying other reviewers.
@Fake-E-Lee Are your reviews on video or text?
Looks more like a 7 based on the charm of the visual style and the classic Donkey Kong Country gameplay. Still grabbing this when I can.
DKC plot is extensive. Recover stolen bananas.
Scully is old school and reviews things properly with a proper score. Six is decent. Nothing mind blowing but worth a look and above average in its genre. For a $20 game that’s a good score. Unfortunately so many others give 7 as average and ruins it!
Anyone know if this gets a physical?
@acachewowow - From a crocodile mafia, no less.
@harrystein Nice troll, almost got me
Will consider it in a sale but not too bothered either way.
In the Wii U days a "6" would be worth taking a look at if it was a genre I liked, but in the land of Switch a "6" is probably not a purchase. Even if it was my absolute favorite genre (or a beloved developer), there are just too many nines and tens out there to waste time with inferior products.
@Jokerwolf Me too. And I didn’t even like the last one.
@PlusFan I don't know what to tell you, I always make a point of noting how long I take to beat a game so I'm confident my estimate of 2-3 hours is accurate. Took me around three.
@Chunkboi79 I'm serious. This game is a ton of fun. I couldn't stop playing. I think most of the reviewers on this site are morons. They overrate so much garbage. After reading this review, I realized that they word things the same exact way as other reviewers. I'm not believing they play most of the games that they review. Who in their right mind enjoyed Blasphemous and that got a 9 out of 10 here. I guess these kids enjoy jumping on the bandwagon of hyped games. Lol
Doesn't this game run at 30fps. I haven't bought it or played, and definitely won't unless I find out for sure that it runs at 60fps in both docked and handheld. Who wants to play a sidescrolling platformer at 30fps? Jeez, give me anything on NES, SNES, or Megadrive that's a sidescrollers and it probably runs at 60. I like the idea of the slow motion direction choosing extra boost but not if the game is choppy and juddery looking.
Anyone got time for 'reasonably solid' games this September? Anyone?
@60frames-please It's 30. It doesn't matter. It's a slow-paced platformer, it doesn't need 60. Not every game needs 60. The NES, SNES and Mega Drive were a different era and games were made completely differently back then: and besides, they didn't all run at what we'd now call 60fps either.
@scully1888 Got it. Thank you for acknowledging it runs at 30fps. That would look terrible to me and feel unsatisfying to play.
Yeah, games were programmed totally differently decades ago. The thing I appreciate is that 60fps was such an established standard that a game was described as having slowdown if it couldn't keep up with 60. These days games are often not described as having anything wrong with the graphics even when they never hit 60fps. To me, since videogames are all about movement of images and one's control of those movements, the smoothest frame rates should always be sought after (along with the lowest input delay). Aside from the N64, Nintendo has very often aimed for that kind of quality, which is something I appreciate about their games.
@60frames-please It depends on the genre. Many genres aren't any better at 60 FPS than 30, since the human eye can barely tell the difference. Personally, I can't tell any difference unless it drops below 30. There are reasons why the film standard used to be a measly 24 FPS, after all.
Looks like something I would love as a kid.
Especially as Prehistorik or Ugh! was the thing back then.
@BulbasaurusRex That "human eye can't tell the difference" thing is total bollocks. The change from 60 to 30 is immediately visible. It was shocking to play the same game on PC in 60 and then on console in 30, it was like it's a weird version of slow mo. And it's not visuals that matter, in 60FPS the game is simply more responsive. Hard difficulty in Shadow of War was a tedious, frustrating experience on console due to Talion not reacting to button presses in time while on PC it was a challenging but not impossible mode (and preferable to Normal).
OK, so after playing all evening yesterday, I have much better impressions from the game than the reviewer.
First of all, it took me around 2,5 hours to get to World 3 so I doubt I will finish it before hour 3 is up.
Apart from that, what's to love?
What's meh?
Dunno, if I were to give a score, so far it's a solid 8 (after around half of the game). It's a fun, fast and colorful platformer. Indeed it doesn't reinvent the genre it's really well-made and fills the lack of a new DKC pretty nicely.
PS. The sidekick seems to find shells for you, apparently.
@harrystein I haven't played either but Blasphemous looks incredible. What was wrong with it? Also no need to call people morons. Reviews are just opinions at the end of the day, you're allowed to disagree.
@PlusFan Perfect mini review. Although I agree the bosses are easy, I find them fun. Just like the DKC bosses. My only complaints are a weak musical score and not much variety in worlds, I mean 9 beach levels, etc. I still say 9/10 for how brilliant this game is for only $20. I would pay $50 for something this good.
@Chunkboi79 Blasphemous was actually ugly to play, the character was sluggish, the world was boring. The map was done bad, every area was the same as it came around in a circle. No indicators for anything you missed, on the map. Too many item screens. The enemies had only 3 types, slide to avoid, jump over, or block and attack. Very easy if you pay attention. The bosses were pretty simple. Too many better Metroid like games out there!
@harrystein Thanks. With quite a few positive opinions from readers, I wonder what the user score will be for this game here.
@SmaggTheSmug I said "hardly" tell the difference, which is true. Then there are people like me who can't tell ANY difference between them.
Also, 60 FPS is NOT more responsive. Frames per second is purely a matter of animation. It has nothing to do with the response of the controls, which can be just as well (or poorly) programmed no matter how many frames are used.
The issues you have are merely due to bad ports cutting the original framerate that the game is designed around (like many retro PAL games). In that case, yes, it is rather noticeable in comparison and poorly responsive but only due to being a downgraded port. It has nothing to do specifically with the FPS. If the game was originally built around 30 FPS or was properly optimized to run at half the original framerate, then there wouldn't be much of a problem, again depending on the genre.
@BulbasaurusRex You are fooling yourself, but you can't fool a person who worked video game QA and tested framerates specifically on several projects.
The better responsiveness of a higher framerate game is a fact, not a visual effect. Just because you don't see the difference doesn't mean it's not there and most people have no trouble seeing a drop (perfectly visible in Dragon Age: Inquisition: the game runs in 60 but cut scenes are in 30).
Only a 6, that's a pity. And a very short game to boot. May only be worth it at a massive discount.
I won this from a YouTube contest yesterday and it's quite a solid game for free! 😎
@PlusFan finished the game last night and it was really fun. Maybe a little high in price but just as fun as any dkc game, minus tropical freeze as it's one of my favorite games. But its a good game. My suggestion is if you like dkc games get this. But maybe wait for a sale since its short. Took me about 4 hours.
@NintendoByNature Glad to hear you liked it. "Just as fun as any dkc" (except TF) is a great recommendation. I already bought on the owner discount -15%and am having fun as well.
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