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Grapple Dog is a blend of many platforming icons. Does it do enough to stand out from the crowd? That’s the big question and the easy answer is yes. Certainly, any fan of the genre should enjoy the game on multiple levels. Some things do hold it back and nostalgia may be one of them. Here is everything Grapple Dog does right and wrong.
8 Best: GBA Inspired Graphics
Many indie games try to emulate the early days of the 8-Bit and 16-Bit graphical systems. Grapple Dog is one of the rare ones that is going for a Game Boy Advance aesthetic. It’s similar to the 16-Bit console designs but there is more detail and more color here. It looks impressive on the Switch.
The game genuinely feels like a port of a Game Boy Advance title and that’s a good thing. That is one system that still doesn’t get enough love today.
7 Worst: The Music
The soundtrack has a funky beat to it. From the graphics to the soundtrack, Grapple Dog feels like it is trying to pay homage to Wario Land, among other classic titles. The bad side to the music is that it is overused.
The music from the first stage of each world is primarily the theme of every stage in that world after that. There are bonus stages and bosses that change things up too. However, for the most part, this game is lacking a variety in its music.
6 Best: Varied Worlds
There is another small issue with the game’s worlds. Each one is nicely varied from a volcanic island to a beach retreat. Most levels in each world do tend to blend together aesthetically. However, there is at least a nice variety in each level to keep things interesting.
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This makes the blending of aesthetics seem unimportant when platforming around. There are underwater sections, barrels to explode out of, hidden boxes, balloons, and so much more. Grapple Dog keeps things interesting from start to finish.
5 Worst: Boss Stages
Bosses should be a highlight of any game. While there are some moments of fun with the lot in Grapple Dog, boss stages have a glaring issue. Players must run through a normal level before they make it to the boss.
This can make stages feel overly long and clustered. Related to stages, it is also odd that there is a preview players must watch before starting. These level previews can’t be skipped either. From normal loads to previews, it can take up to fifteen seconds to get a level going. It isn’t outrageous but it does add up.
4 Best: Tight Controls
One of the most important things platformers need to get right is its controls. Thankfully Grapple Dog nails them. Using the grappling hook is as intuitive as possible with little to no learning curve. There is one small issue regarding walls as the hero, Pablo, can stick to them like a certain webslinger.
There is a way to avoid these issues by sliding down them instead. With the level variety and tight controls, Grapple Dog is a modern platforming dream.
3 Worst: Boils Down To A Collect-A-Thon
As a platformer, Grapple Dog does have one big downfall with its mechanics. It is a collect-a-thon. This term came into popularity around the Nintendo 64 era with games like Banjo-Kazooie. Games with a collect-a-thon mentality tend to favor level design around getting things. In this game, players have to find gems that unlock boss stages. If these gems were extras, that would be one thing.
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However, collect-a-thons like this seemingly force players to hunt around like they are on a treasure hunt instead of giving them a platformer where the gameplay comes first. The levels are fun, but they come with a cost. For fans of this genre, this won’t be a problem at all but it is still worth mentioning.
2 Best: Assist Options
Assist options in games are becoming more and more commonplace. Grapple Dog has one set of difficulty, but it does have these aforementioned assist options in the menu. Players can turn on invincibility or infinite jumps whenever they feel like it.
This even works for bonus stages and boss battles. Even without them, the difficulty balance in Grapple Dog is pretty good. One of the best things about it is that spike traps aren’t instant kills.
1 Worst: No Upgrades
The core concept behind Grapple Dog is that Pablo and his companions are searching for top-secret inventions hidden by an old inventor. There are four main ones players have to collect before an evil robot army gets at them first. Unfortunately, these inventions are just window-dressings.
They will not be upgrades for Pablo’s gear. Grapple Dog has no upgrades to his personal gear of any kind. For a platformer collect-a-thon like this, it would have been nice to see some bonuses of some kind other than secret stages.
Grapple Dog will release on February 10, 2022, and will be available on Switch.
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