Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?! (Review)

If you aren't familiar with Adventure Time, go check out the cartoon first before even thinking of playing this game. There are so many little references that the game will be far more enjoyable with that knowledge behind you.

"Adventure Time: Hey Ice King! Why'd You Steal Our Garbage?!" was released for the Nintendo DS back into 2012, and has since been re-released on the 3DS. Once again, the Ice King is up to no good: this time, he's taken your garbage! As Jake points out, this isn't a huge problem, but for Finn it all boils down to the principle of things. Off you set on a platforming action adventure with the shared fists of Finn the human and Jake the dog.

The starting minutes come across as a little mundane unless you're a die-hard Adventure Time fan. There is nothing to appreciate but the show's references, characters, and locations, and what first appears to be lackluster gameplay. By the time you're facing the first dungeon, however, you'll realise that there is more than first meets the eye.

Considering that most other mediums don't translate well into interactive experiences, "Adventure Time: HIK!WYSOG?!" has surprisingly solid mechanics. There is a good responsiveness when you are dealing or taking hits, and slicing, ducking, rolling, and jumping are all smooth and fluid to initiate. You'll always have a pretty clear idea of what to do or where to go next, so gameplay doesn't take a backseat despite that it is story-driven.

You start off in the boy's tree fort before finding yourself in a top-down over-world, limited at first with other areas clearly visible but currently unreachable, separated by water, cliff, or stone walls. Progression to these blocked off areas is handled through the learning of new skills based on Jake's Stretchy Powers. The in-game motivation to forge on ahead or revisit old places comes across as completely natural and unforced, and you won't mind your time in the over-world with a clear quest ahead.

Dungeons, caves, and stairways between areas are all side-scrolling, platforming levels. Most of the enemies are easily bypassed, however there is always the incentive to fight for new items (I finished this game and then-some, and never once got a banana, which is a supposed rare drop). Food mean health, with the interesting feature of mixing condiments with main meals, which can have some very interesting benefits, from max-health benefits to powered attacks. Other items include an assortment of power-ups, many of them game-changing, such as the Crystal Eye, which grants temporary invincibility, or the legendary Enchiridion, which I won't spoil.

Also scattered throughout the world are special chests that handle the leveling up mechanic. You earn one star at a time, which gives you the choice of gaining more hearts, attack power, or speed at a time, and each is maxed out after five stars.

Dungeons are the perfect balance of grind, exploration, and reward, with minimal back-tracking. While the platforming all comes across as very similar, they do throw in some nice, if still simple, challenges, such as the wind that will hurtle you off a platform. There is also a nice variety to most of the boss battles. While one is extremely repetitive, and another is a more than a bit of a joke, it is nice to find a game that makes you implement strategy in order to win. Victory will depend on you hanging back and studying what the boss does before you charge in slicing and dicing (or, to be honest, you could probably just spam health items, but that is no fun).

The art style is extremely pleasing, from the conversion of known characters to pixel-art, as well as the variety of enemy sprites, the environments, and backdrops. There is a clear visual segregation between objects and the background, so you won't be attempting to jump on non-existent platforms, which is usually a common flaw.

Compliments can also be given to the soundtrack, which was always appropriate and pleasant to listen to (you can listen to it here on Soundcloud - a special mention to the Grassland Overworld theme, which was particularly charming).

This is a common trade-in, so a pre-purchased copy can be picked up for around $20-$30, which is worth the hours of gameplay you'll invest (especially if you want to beat it the second time on a harder mode, which I will be comitting myself to!) Mathematical!