I consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to comic book characters, even those from other countries. Yet I hadn’t heard of the Franco-Belgian character Marsupilami (which is his name, and also the name of his fictional species), despite the fact that he’s been around since the early 1950s (even longer than the iconic Universal Monster, the Creature from the Black Lagoon!).

I just thought it was a weird game with an even weirder, and frankly quite baffling, title (the ‘hooba’ in the name referring to the noise the Marsupilami makes). It’s not even the first Marsupilami game, however; one appeared on Sega’s Mega Drive/Genesis back in the mid-90s.

So, what’s the deal with the newest game, which can be played on all current console platforms, and Steam as well? In Marsupilami: Hoobaventure, one of the cuddly fritters investigates a shiny sarcophagus on the beach he lives on, unwittingly releasing a mischievous spirit who curses all of the wildlife. And so the adventure begins!

The game itself is a loving tribute to classic, 16-bit 2D platformers, with a very Donkey Kong Country-esque feel. The Marsupilami himself controls responsively, has a pretty versatile (yet easy to learn) moveset and is animated beautifully too.

In fact, the whole game is absolutely gorgeous, visually, and it has a jaunty soundtrack which also feels like a knowing throwback to the kind of music you’d hear in classic platformers too.

The map screen, on which you choose which level to tackle next, also has the feel of the aforementioned Donkey Kong Country, as does the fruit collecting, bouncing on or rolling through enemies, and even the secrets dotted about each stage as well.

It’s all very well put together, and despite the odd difficulty spike here and there, it’s a game that you can breeze through at quite a steady pace.

Though that might sound like a criticism, it’s not; as I get older, I’ve learned to appreciate steady progress in games that don’t cause me any frustration. My gaming time is limited, so it’s great to make progress every time I pick up the controller, no matter how short my play session may be.

The lower difficulty (again, the odd spike aside) also means that Marsupilami: Hoobaventure is a game that’s suitable for all ages too, so even younger players should be bowled over by its vibrant colours, cute animation and satisfying gameplay.

You don’t even have to have heard of Marsupilami itself to enjoy it; I certainly hadn’t, and yet I was still bowled over by the charm and excellent gameplay of Hoobaventure.

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