Neko Ghost, Jump!

When it comes to platform games, we kind of know what do expect from them. You’ll either get a pure platforming experience, a combat driven game with platforming elements, a collectothon where you’ll need to gather all the magical components to reach the final boss fight. Or, you might get a game that is a miss of all of these things but fails to really hit the mark in any department. It’s part of the reason why platform games are seldom seen in the gaming mainstream.

However, Neko Ghost Jump aims to change this narrative by offering a platformer that has it all, and does it all well. This game is comparable to a number of platform games thanks to its eclectic gameplay approach. The ones that spring to mind include the likes of Super Paper Mario, Super Mario Bros., Rayman Legends, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Astro’s Playroom. This game has a little Something for everyone but does this approach only serve to cater to no one? We find out in our preview of Neko Ghost Jump.

An Eclectic Platformer

Let’s begin with the presentational aspects. This game is a bright and colourful affair with a anthropomorphic cat playing the role of the protagonist. The game clearly takes inspiration from the Mario series with the 2D sections and the biomes the player will have access to looking very similar to the more modern Super Mario Bros titles. However, this is certainly not a bad thing, its been designed well, rendered beautifully, the textures are surprisingly detailed and overall, its hard to fault the presentation here.

What we can fault however, is the rather generic feel the game has. Thanks to these inspirations being on show for all to see. A lot of the gameplay and the level design fails to stand out. It feels like playing a slightly lesser version of every platformer out there today. Something that is bound to happen when you amalgamate all these ideals. We think this is best shown through the game championing a 2D to 3D perspective shift mechanism. Now, in the late 2000’s, this was groundbreaking stuff. In the early 2020’s, its absolutely not. The puzzles are patronisingly simple, the combat is wonky and awkward and overall, it feels like a chore to work through this game rather than a fun romp like it should be.

The Verdict

Overall, we don’t predict that Neko Ghost Jump will be a bad game. In fact, in terms of visuals and a variety of the gameplay mechanics, we would wager that the game will be designed very well. However, the issue is that the mechanics and levels on offer are uninspired copies of past platforming greats.

Pros:

• A visually appealing game
• Some mechanics are commendable
• Changing perspectives add different playstyles

Cons:

• Gameplay feels lacklustre and uninspired
• The paper thin narrative is an issue