If you were playing platforming games back in the 90s or 2000s, you may have come across a hero by the name of Kao the Kangaroo. His self-titled adventure debuted on Dreamcast back in 2000, followed by Round 2 on Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube.
Since then, the kangaroo hasn’t been hopping around that much, but Tate Multimedia felt like he was worthwhile enough for a comeback. So here we are with Kao the Kangaroo, a spirited revival that brings the unlikely hero back for another round of beat-em-up fun.
It may not be as high-gloss as other platformers (like Crash 4 before it), but it has enough going for it to recommend to fans of the genre, as well as younger players looking to throw punches with a lovable hero.
Hop To It
Kao is a character tasked with rescuing members of his family, who have suddenly disappeared. To assist him, he’s got a master that’s willing to train him with his moves, as well as a pair of, ahem, spirited boxing gloves that help him deliver hits.
From there, it follows traditional platforming rules. You’ll explore levels, collecting currency, runes (to unlock new levels), and letters to unlock bonus items. There’s a lot to find here, so you’ll be busy for a bit.
There’s also some neat aspects to the gameplay, including the ability to use environmental items with your gloves (so they become fire and ice, for example) and using a tail swing for an extra push after a double jump. This is really helpful when you need to hit a switch to activate otherwise invisible platforms.
The formula is dated, but, then again, this game was made popular back in the early 2000s, so we won’t fault it. It doesn’t reinvent the genre, but Kao the Kangaroo fits swimmingly right into it.
Don’t Beat Yourself Up Over the Presentation
For an older platformer, Kao the Kangaroo does serviceably, but doesn’t quite go above and beyond.
The animations are charming and the level design has its moments (like, for instance, when you crash your way into a bar filled with frogs). But it can be slightly annoying having to find another piece of a puzzle when the answer isn’t so obvious sometimes. There are also occasional glitches, though nothing that throws off the experience overall.
As for the sound, the music is okay, but the dialogue can be off in some places. The hero, for example, sounds confident one minute, then bratty the next. It’s almost like his designers didn’t quite have his attitude nailed down 100 percent before putting pen to paper. The secondary characters don’t do much either, outside of Kao’s trainer, who’s definitely a Mr. Miyagi type.
So, yeah, some stuff could’ve been spruced up here. But it all tends to the classic vibe that Kao is going for. Again, that’ll suit some fans just fine.
Have Some Punch
Overall, Kao the Kangaroo could have used a little more inspiration, not to mention some slight cleaning up. But the team at Tate still did a great job capturing most of the aspects of the original games, while making it look moderately well at the same time. It won’t blow you away, but this boxing hero won’t leave you down for the count, either.
GAMERHUB RATING: 3.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
(Thanks to Tate Multimedia for the game code!)
