September Assassination #1

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NSLT was a really good surprise. While I expected Bubsy 3D, what I got was more akin to A Hat in Time than I imagined.

Now, the difference is that NSLT is a much more simple game. Movement is pretty limited, and so is difficulty. Without such an expressive moveset as the one you have in AHIT (or SM64 for that matter), the devs can't ramp up the difficulty so much. Based on that and on the writing and character design, it's very clear that NSLT is aimed at children, but it can still be a funny game if you give it a chance and tame your expectations.

Graphically, it's fine. Probably could run on a PS2 with optimizations, or on a PS3 without any issues. There are no crazy graphic effects, but the worlds are all pretty diverse and creative, which is good. Music was generally enjoyable while I was playing and fit the mood, but nothing to write home about. Writing is cringy, but for the audience it's aiming it fits like a glove.

Each world is divided into levels and puzzles, with levels being 3D gauntlets, 2D gauntlets, or 2D auto-runners. In each level you need to collect 4 pages - one for clearing the level, one for getting 300 coins (frequently you'll find 500-900 coins per level if you look hard enough), one for a hidden page, and one for collecting the L-U-C-K-Y letters spread around the level. A lot of the levels rely on gimmicks, whcih overall keeps the game fresh. In that sense, it's less objective-based (such as AHIT or SM64) and more akin to Bugs Bunny: Lost in Time, which is refreshing. Puzzles are divided into block-sliding puzzles, which feel unnecessary, and marble puzzles, which are Super Monkey Ball-ish and I didn't really mind. The bosses were generally top-notch, as were the worlds you visit.

The weaker areas are the story - where you see your guardian friends only two times, in the opening cutscene and in the ending cutscene (lol) - and the combat. Like, enemies ARE simple, but the number of times I needed the burrow dive to defeat an enemy, only for it to not connect properly, was too many. Burrowing is a cool movement mechanic, but not a good combat mechanic. Movement overall is also very limited to double-jump -> tail swipe -> burrow dive, but burrow dive makes you lose altitude too quickly and ends up handicapping traversal.

All in all, it's a simple and funny game that will appeal immensely to children, and scratch that itch if you're looking for a classic 3D collect-a-thon platformer. It feels a bit too thin to justify the $30 price tag, but I would happily buy it at half that price.