Color Pals Review - Cute Cubes, Cunning Challenge

Color Pals is a very simple game. A fact which is evident even from the main menu. There are two choices: play and options. The options menu gives you the choice to turn on/off the music and sound effects. That’s it. That’s all there is other than playing through the game itself. There are 50 levels to complete, each unlocked after the one before. It’s a straight forward presentation that offers no complications. Unlike the gameplay.

The game follows the pattern of many eastasiasoft published 2D platform games. The likes of Pocket Witch and Hatup provide similar scenarios. However, the challenge is always different. Pocket Witch was a deceptively aggressive platform game. Hatup required you to think before you leap. Color Pals lays somewhere between the two.

The player takes on the form of a colour-changing cube. You can only stand on other cubes of the same colour. Touching any cubes of a different colour will result in an immediate restart of the level. It doesn’t sound too complicated, nor look it from the screenshots in this Color Pals review. However, while it may start simply, by the time you reach level 11 you’ll start to realise what challenges lie ahead.

Perfect timing when falling from a high cube, requiring you to collect a colour changer before landing on a propulsion cube of a different colour, which will then send you soaring towards an insta-death enemy. It takes only one try to figure out the solution, but many more to execute it.

From here on you’ll find levels that demand speed, dexterity, or both. There’s levels which need to be required in a specific order to ensure you unlock the paths in the correct order. Levels that throw dozens of enemies at you. Despite it’s cutesy appearance, Color Pals isn’t cute about it’s difficulty curve.

Challenging platform games seem to be having somewhat of a renaissance of late. While it’s no Super Meat Boy, this Color Pals review should’ve hinted enough that it’s a taxing game. It’s another wallet-friendly release from eastasiasoft that delivers exactly what it promises. No more, no less. There’s an enjoyable evening of platforming action to be had here. Maybe even two. But once finished, it’ll be quickly forgotten.