Grapple Dog is a fighting game that harkens back to the days of classic Nintendo Entertainment System games. Every round, players use their Joy-Con controllers as grappling hooks and attempt to knock each other off their platforms in order to win. The following review explores Grapple Dog’s gameplay, graphics, and overall quality for those interested in playing it themselves.
Grapple Dog follows Pablo, who, with the help of his trusty grapple, must navigate 33 levels throughout six distinct planets in order to finish his objective of rescuing the world by foiling the robotic tyrant Nul’s attempts to destroy it. Will our bald hero be able to defeat the forces of evil?
Grapple Dog is a 2D platformer in which our furry hero sprints, swims, climbs, leaps, wall-jumps, and, of course, grapples his way through levels loaded with opponents and dangerous obstacles. Our furry hero can protect himself by leaping on the heads of his foes or by utilizing the grapple in a very precise way. Attempting a regular jump on foes is difficult since the protagonist hops forward (or backward) in an arc; the easiest method to kill enemies is to use the jump/stomp attack, which Mario does in subsequent Super Mario games.
The grapple is the game’s key element, since it is essential to traverse the game’s dangerous stages and may also be used to attack adversaries. You can’t use the grapple against adversaries who are facing you since it can only shoot upwards. Players must gather a certain number of purple gems in order to access the area’s final level and monster, so if you don’t want to keep repeating the same levels, you’ll have to scour every inch of every level. Gems may be obtained in levels or by gathering a certain number of golden fruits. The levels may be replayed as Time Trials after you’ve completed them.
Our tiny furry hero, thankfully, has a health bar that permits him to take some damage before dying. You may also replenish your health by purchasing health supplies in the form of, you guessed it, dog treats. Reaching one of the several checkpoints scattered across each level will also restore your health. If you fall into spikes, you will merely take damage before being hurled back to the last solid platform or catapult you were on/in, rather than dying instantly.
The loading time seems excessively lengthy while loading a level or respawning after a death, which is the game’s biggest problem. Another minor annoyance is the rapid increase in level difficulty. While the first few levels seem to be a nice balance in terms of allowing players to get familiar with the gaming principles, the difficulty quickly increases, as if the game expects you to be a grappling master only a few levels in. While the grapple is enjoyable to use, it necessitates pixel-perfect collision; if you overthrow the grapple and it misses the hook but contacts it when it returns to Pablo, it will not connect, causing Pablo to fall into spikes, resulting in damage or death (if health bar is almost empty).
Grapple Dog is a 2D pixelated game with a lot of color and brightness. Aside from the early stage difficulties, each planet is individually crafted and well-thought-out. In all their pixelated beauty, character models look fantastic. There’s a big problem with the underwater levels, where dangerous spikes are buried behind what should be background design; the spikes are barely visible and may cause unintended harm. One of the most intriguing soundtracks I’ve heard in recent memory. It’s a groovy, cheerful music that harkens back to great soundtracks like Jet Grind Radio and Jet Set Radio Future.
Grapple Dog is unquestionably the year’s first treasure. It’s an enjoyable and addicting platformer with a unique grappling system that adds a unique twist to the game. While the task seems to take an abrupt flip early on, completing a particularly difficult segment is also quite satisfying. Combat is straightforward, yet bosses provide a distinct challenge that necessitates the use of platforming and grappling. Don’t miss Grapple Dog, my first must-play adventure of 2022.
