Review - Mutant Mudds Collection (Switch)
NOTE Originally posted Dec. 2017 on Warp Whistle Gaming
Mutant Mudds Collection by Jools Watsham’s Atooi Games is an absolutely amazing collection of games for Nintendo Switch. The collection includes Mutant Mudds, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge and the brand new Mudds Blocks. Even though two out of three of the games have been released before on every platform from iOS to the 3DS and most consoles, there’s still plenty to love about this collection for new and old fans alike. Until now the 3DS was my preferred place to play thanks to some of the best use of the handheld’s 3D effect, but I can safely say there has never been a better way to play these games than on Nintendo Switch!
To start, Mutant Mudds is an incredibly tight, fun and challenging action platformer where our hero, Max, has to face the invasion of the evil Mutant Mudds with nothing more than a water gun, a jet pack, and a can-do attitude. This game adheres to Atooi’s motto of “Retro roots. Modern mojo.” by harkening back to the best of the NES and SNES days, while injecting very modern uses of foreground and background jumping. With pixel perfect precision platforming, varied levels and bad guys to face off against, and tons of replay value for collectors and completionists, Mutant Mudds justifies the price of this collection by itself. It’s pretty telling that while capturing footage for this game’s video review, I aimed to capture about 20 minutes from each title, and after an hour and a half I had to force myself to stop playing Mutant Mudds for a bit so I could focus on the other two. It’s just that good.
If Mutant Mudds is Atooi’s answer to Super Mario Bros, Mutant Mudds Super Challenge is their Lost Levels. Everything from the original is turned up to 11 in this sequel. There is no hand holding, no training wheels, and no mercy. Even as someone who has played and replayed the original Mutant Mudds, Super Challenge is more than happy to hand your ass to you at every turn. It even has a kill counter, something the original doesn’t, that slaps you in the face as you tally up death after death after increasingly frustrating death. But the sick thing is that you’ll keep going back to it. If you get frustrated with one stage, you can easily move on to the next, because all the main stages are unlocked from the get-go. Each win is a badge of honour, and with the built in leaderboards for all three games in the collection, this isn’t just a challenge against the game itself, but also a race against your friends and the rest of the world. This is stockholmm syndrome, the game, and I love it. I’m not sure why, but I do. I may curse Jools and crew repeatedly, but something keeps bringing me back. Post your best times in the Warp Whistle Gaming Facebook group and add the Warp Whistle crew to your friends list and let the bragging rights battles begin!
When you inevitably need to cool down from the blinding rage and broken controllers that Super Challenge will bring, take a break with Mudd Blocks, the brand new puzzle game where you line up blocks of the same colour and blow them to smithereens with special bomb that randomly appears. As usual with puzzle games, the blocks steadily rise to the top, so block placement and strategic bomb dropping are key here! With several modes to choose from, each playing on variations of the same core concept, but with different flavours, and a great multiplayer mode, Mudds Blocks is the cherry on top of an already incredible ice cream sundae, and is a delightful addition to the Mudds universe.
Mutant Mudds Collection is a must-have for Nintendo Switch owners looking for a great throwback to retro action and platforming games. For $15, this collection is an absolute no-brainer. You’re getting three fantastic games, online leaderboards, video capture on day one, and some of the best use of HD rumble to date. Mutant Mudds is up there with my favourite games on Switch; not just Nindies, games. Period. Add it to your collection today.