Thank you Microids for sending us a review code!

In the past few years, I’ve been surprised by how enjoyable licensed games have been. From Cars 3: Driven to Win to last year’s The Smurfs – Mission Vileaf, there’s been an uptick of fun family games from licensed properties. Microids has recently published a game based on the old Marsupilami franchise, with Marsupilami: Hoobadventure reviving the franchise after a few years.

I’m not familiar with the source material, but Marsupilami: Hoobadventure is based on the cartoon and comics of the monkey/lemur hybrid creature Marsupilami. After unknowingly awakening an evil spirit from a washed up sarcophagus, three Marsupilami are determined to save the day in a host of more than 20 different levels across 3 worlds. You’ll run, jump, and swing through these levels quickly, zipping through obstacles and punching enemies while collecting fruit.

If you’ve played the Donkey Kong Country Returns games (or Kaze and the Wild Masks), then this game will be familiar to you. The 2.5D action-adventure title will allow you to pick one of three Marsupilami characters (they’re identical in ability, with only their looks being different) as he or she goes from start to end. All your moves are used early on, but there’s a variety of situations that cause the level design to be fresh and exciting. For some levels, this means jumping on enemies to navigate over spiked pits, or utilizing your tail grab technique to hold onto ring platforms while dodging projectiles. The movement is quick and responsive, and I had a ton of fun just running around everywhere.

Like the Donkey Kong Country games, Marsupilami: Hoobaventure also includes a host of hidden secrets you can find throughout each level. From special bonus levels where you have to navigate through rings to collectibles like feathers that will unlock behind-the-scenes content, there’s an incentive to search every nook and cranny. Additionally, finishing a normal level will unlock a Time Trial counterpart, which encourages you to utilize the moveset of your character as you speed around each level. Honestly, this is where the game is the most entertaining, as the controls are smooth and the physics are snappy and work well.

The strongest point in Marsupilami: Hoobaventure has to be its presentation. The game looks gorgeous docked, and it’s brightly colored (though mixed with some darker colors when dealing with bonus worlds or night stages). The music is a treat to listen to as well, with latin-infused tracks and instrumentals in the background. It really feels like the developers put a lot of love in making the game look and sound great.

However, the reason that this would appeal more to children than all ages would most likely be the length. At a little under 30 stages across 3 worlds, the game’s over in a matter of hours. While it does have replay value thanks to the Time Trials and collectibles, that only increases the length to about double the runtime. It would be fine at a cheaper price point (and indeed, it’s usually on sale every few months), but at the initial $39.99 it’s a bit steep for those who normally blaze through platformers.

The performance for the Switch version is also a little underwhelming; as I mentioned before, the game looks beautiful but at times it stutters, especially when playing in handheld mode (even on the OLED). This title looks better docked anyways, but this is just a point of warning for those considering getting this or another version of the game.

Morally, the game is pretty clean, with Saturday morning cartoon levels of violence. There’s no gore, and enemies disappear when hit, usually in a puff of smoke. The only supernatural element is the antagonist at the beginning who is unintentionally brought to the Marsupilami world, but the player doesn’t do any spells or magic.

While a little on the short side, Marsupilami: Hoobaventure is a wonderful action-adventure platformer that children and dedicated fans of the genre will enjoy. It’s a surprisingly fun licensed game with clean content that looks and sounds charming.