Mutant Mudds for the Nintendo 3DS is a side-scrolling platforming game that's dressed up with retro pixel graphics and sweet chiptunes. Its pedigree goes a little deeper than that, however: thanks to its solid gameplay, Mutant Mudds joins VVVVVV and Pushmo as indisputable proof that the 3DS eShop is shaping its own identity.
Developer/Publisher: Renegade Kid
Genre: Platforming
ESRB Rating: E
Compatible With: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $8.99 USD
Developer/Publisher: Renegade Kid
Genre: Platforming
ESRB Rating: E
Compatible With: Nintendo 3DS
Price: $8.99 USD
THE BASICS: Muddy Future
Mutant Mudds stars a young boy named Max. Max is chilling out and playing games, when all of a sudden there comes a very loud, very volatile invasion from a pack of mushy aliens named the "Mudds." Max arms himself with his bubble gun, his bubble pack (which allows him to go airborne for a couple of precious seconds), and sets out to find the star-shaped Water Sprites that will help him repel the Mudds' invasion for good.
Traditional platforming is the heart and soul of Mutant Mudds. Max typically advances from the left side of the screen to the right, and defeats the Mudds by firing his bubble gun at them. Each level has at least a couple of Water Sprites hidden in them, which Max needs to collect if he wants to advance to later levels. Max can also collect "Golden Diamonds" to upgrade his equipment and make his journey a little easier.
Though Mutant Mudds sounds familiar, it boasts a few tricks that identify it as a modern game. The sprites are clean and large without a trace of flicker, the game moves at a brisk pace, and Max can jump in and out of each level's layered backgrounds--a feature that puts the Nintendo 3DS's 3D capabilities to good use.
Traditional platforming is the heart and soul of Mutant Mudds. Max typically advances from the left side of the screen to the right, and defeats the Mudds by firing his bubble gun at them. Each level has at least a couple of Water Sprites hidden in them, which Max needs to collect if he wants to advance to later levels. Max can also collect "Golden Diamonds" to upgrade his equipment and make his journey a little easier.
Though Mutant Mudds sounds familiar, it boasts a few tricks that identify it as a modern game. The sprites are clean and large without a trace of flicker, the game moves at a brisk pace, and Max can jump in and out of each level's layered backgrounds--a feature that puts the Nintendo 3DS's 3D capabilities to good use.
THE GOOD
The retro sprites are well-drawn -- It seems as if hand-drawn game sprites exist only as a novelty in downloadable games nowadays, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Most developers/artists who opt to use game sprites in modern games draw them with a lot of care and love, which is the case with Mutant Mudds. Max's sprite purposefully lacks a lot of features, which is a throwback to older, simpler 8-bit heroes like Mega Man and Samus from Metroid. His enemies, however, come in all shapes and sizes and slither to and fro. The contrast is deliberate, and adds visual appeal to the game.
The music and sound effects are great -- Mutant Mudds features a very hummable chiptune soundtrack, but its purposefully tinny sound effects shouldn't go without mention, either. Max's bigger enemies jump around with earth-shaking thuds that are fun to listen to (but not fun to get caught under).
It's an oldschool challenge -- If you want a mellow, forgiving game that's strung with safety nets at every pitfall, Mutant Mudds isn't for you. Max can withstand three enemy hits (not counting the instant death spike traps), and then it's over. There's no way to recover your hearts, nor are there any checkpoints. If you die, it's tough cookies and back to Start. Mutant Mudds takes you back to a time when getting through a game meant a lot of trial and error.
It makes great use of the 3DS's 3D ability -- One of Mutant Mudd's most interesting traits is Max's ability to jump between the game's foreground and backgrounds, not unlike Shantae: Risky's Revenge. It's easy to get the planes mixed up, at least until you turn on the 3DS's 3D feature. Once you do, your way becomes a lot clearer, and the game becomes a little deeper.
The music and sound effects are great -- Mutant Mudds features a very hummable chiptune soundtrack, but its purposefully tinny sound effects shouldn't go without mention, either. Max's bigger enemies jump around with earth-shaking thuds that are fun to listen to (but not fun to get caught under).
It's an oldschool challenge -- If you want a mellow, forgiving game that's strung with safety nets at every pitfall, Mutant Mudds isn't for you. Max can withstand three enemy hits (not counting the instant death spike traps), and then it's over. There's no way to recover your hearts, nor are there any checkpoints. If you die, it's tough cookies and back to Start. Mutant Mudds takes you back to a time when getting through a game meant a lot of trial and error.
It makes great use of the 3DS's 3D ability -- One of Mutant Mudd's most interesting traits is Max's ability to jump between the game's foreground and backgrounds, not unlike Shantae: Risky's Revenge. It's easy to get the planes mixed up, at least until you turn on the 3DS's 3D feature. Once you do, your way becomes a lot clearer, and the game becomes a little deeper.
THE BAD
It can be frustrating -- Mutant Mudds' unforgiving nature is in place to help you recall the "good old days" of retro gaming, but it goes a little overboard at times. Even older, crueler games showed mercy at times by giving you checkpoints and opportunities to refill your health.
Upgrading weapons can be a hassle -- Almost every level in Mutant Mudds has 100 Golden Diamonds to collect, and you pretty much need to grab each one if you want to get your hands on the upgrades that will give you a slight edge. Problem is, if you mess up before you can finish the level, all your previously-collected Diamonds get reset. This is particularly infuriating if you're tripped up on the final death trap that seems to lurk in every level.
It's short -- Granted, there's probably a reason why Renegade Kid didn't want to tone down the difficulty in Mutant Mudds: it's not a very long game. Even with all the repetition involved, you're looking at about five hours of action.
Upgrading weapons can be a hassle -- Almost every level in Mutant Mudds has 100 Golden Diamonds to collect, and you pretty much need to grab each one if you want to get your hands on the upgrades that will give you a slight edge. Problem is, if you mess up before you can finish the level, all your previously-collected Diamonds get reset. This is particularly infuriating if you're tripped up on the final death trap that seems to lurk in every level.
It's short -- Granted, there's probably a reason why Renegade Kid didn't want to tone down the difficulty in Mutant Mudds: it's not a very long game. Even with all the repetition involved, you're looking at about five hours of action.
CONCLUSION: Play in the Mudd
Mutant Mudds is a short game, but it's lovable. It's also a very potent shot of retro gaming for oldschool enthusiasts. If you want a title that will make you smile in spite of the punishment it dishes out, Mutant Mudds is tailored specifically for you. If you want something a little more easy-going, though, you may get fed up once the game's difficulty curve ramps up.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
