Kao the Kangaroo

Like the world's slowest boomerang, Kao the Kangaroo has returned to PlayStation after nearly 20 years. The series made its arrival during the early noughties, back when everyone wanted a slice of the mascot platformer pie. This kangaroo with boxing gloves and a stretchy neck didn't quite reach the same heights as his genre stablemates, but the games have a cult following all the same, and this modern sequel is clearly for the fans.

Ultimately, if you’re looking for a hit of nostalgic 3D platforming action, you could do worse than this game. But if you’re looking for a highly refined game with tight level design and a unique take on the 3D platformer, I’d look elsewhere and see if the devs do better on a possible sequel.

A surprisingly well-made platformer with above-average visuals and engaging characters. A perfect entry-level collectathon for a younger audience.

However, I ran into a much worse problem than that. Kao the Kangaroo exclusively uses auto-saves, yet the auto-save system has a bug where it stops working. When I was halfway through the game, I took a break, only to find that when I reloaded, my progress had reverted back to the first stage. I didn’t dare quit the game during my second attempt, but after the end credits sent me back to the title screen, I reloaded out of curiosity and saw that I was once again in an early area. This bug soured what was otherwise a good experience, so I hope this issue will be patched soon. (These issues have...

Kao the Kangaroo makes a valiant effort in this reboot, but it still feels like half the game it should be. Many mechanics feel unexplored, the final world is a single level with a boss fight, and it’s very glitchy. Still, it’s a fun enough romp for what it is and I hope we see more of this marsupial in the future.

Way back in my younger years, when I was but an innocent child, unaware of the horrors of this world; wrapped up in my safety blanket and sneaking looks at naughty pictures, I was also a fan of a number of the mascot platformers: Spyro the Dragon; Crash the Bandicoot; Gex the Gecko; Croc the Lizard; and, of course, Rayman the dismembered man-thing. That's omitting greats like Ratchet & Clank, which is still one of my favourite series ever. I'd never played Kao the pocket-marsupial; this new release is my first introduction. Does Kao the Kangaroo join the pantheon of the greats?

Tate Multimedia is giving a forgotten-turned-beloved platforming mascot a second chance with the rebooted Kao the Kangaroo. This new game, which shares a name with the franchise itself, shows why now is truly the perfect time to bring Kao back. Nowadays, there are a plethora of independent 3D platformers that don’t have to worry about being drowned out by the big AAA platformers, like Kao was back when it first emerged.

Alongside references to the original Kao game, bashing barrels to find ducats, and unleashing fists of fury on a variety of troublesome foes, Kao the Kangaroo deftly finds a way to combine stereotypical platformer tropes to create a knock-out game. As a newcomer to the franchise, I am left wanting more from the brave marsupial, and can only hope that Tate Multimedia will continue its dedication to Kao.