HoPiKo (PS4) Review.

Super Meat Boy, Super Mario Brothers: The Lost Levels, I Wanna Be the Guy, Bubsy 3D.  What do all of these games have in common?  Well, other than being platformers, these games are super hard to beat.  Today's game is in the same league as those titles, but this time it isn't a platformer.  This is HoPiKo, the ultra hard puzzle jumper game for the PS4. (it also came out on other systems.)  How is it?  Find out in my review.  (Click on "Read More" to read the full article.)

Story

Deep inside your consoles there are these little nanobots called the HoPiKo keeping all systems in check.  They work hard at keeping your consoles running and now they've got to work harder.  Massive virus' has infected all of the consoles around the world! So, it's up to the little guys to stop the virus' and save the world so all the little gamers can enjoy their games.  It's a very cute and charming story that gets you feeling extra motivated into wanting to beat this game.

Gameplay

How does one defeat a virus in HoPiKo? By crashing into them of course.  You gotta guide the HoPiKo though fast paced courses until you have crashed into the big ol' virus at the end.  Each level is made up of five stages and this is where the games brutal and harsh difficulty kicks in.  Each stage is unique and are full of obstacles such as lasers and mini-virus'. If you mess up just one time, you'll be sent to stage one of that level and will have to do it all again. There are also little Playstations that can be collected.  There's one on each world, but be careful, they can get quite tough to get.

I did enjoy how this game threw in new elements and obstacles as the game progresses.  This helps to seal in the freshness of the gameplay and keeps it fun.  (Even if this game has levels that are so hard that it'll make you throw your controller at the screen.)  Controls are simple, press the right analogue stick into the direction that you want to go and the nanobot will go in that direction.  Be warned though, you'll need to be very precise about the direction you choose because the directional programing is very sensitive.  If you are just slightly off with your aim, you'll be launched into a potential deadly zone.  You can also use the R1 to jump in a straight-line, which is very good for certain stages.

Graphics

The graphics try to emulate the classic blocky art from the Atari 2600 and the just as classic 2D pixel art era of gaming.  While it doesn't do a good job at looking like a neo-retro game, it does have a lot of charm and style.  I love the different uses of shades and colors that are used in each world.  Just like the gameplay, it helps to keep the game feeling fresh.

Sound

The soundtrack has awesome sounding chiptune songs that'll make you feel good on the inside.  Heck, it'll make you want to buy the soundtrack and blast it out on your car speakers.

Overall, HoPiKo is a very simple game, but the fun gameplay and challenging levels will keep you playing. I give this game a 7.5 out of 10.