Mutant Mudds Deluxe Wii U Review

Mutant Mudds is the type of game that induces nostalgia without there really being any at all. The nostalgia comes from the art style Renegade Kid chose for the game. This particular style takes a lot of cues from both the 8-bit and 16-bit era. It is very fitting considering some of the best 2D platformers appeared during these eras. Renegade Kid was not happy with just using the same pixelated style, instead coming up with their own style that they call 12-bit. It is the perfect fit for this 2D action platformer. Though this style makes the game special, it also adds to the well-loved mechanics of platformers. Now you are not just going from one end of the screen to the other, you are also bouncing back and forth between the background and foreground.

The game begins with Max, the protagonist, watching T.V. with his grandmother. Before he knows it, Mutant Mudds come crashing down to earth. Equipped with his water cannon and jetpack, Max must go on a quest to save the world from these Mutant Mudds. There is not a lot of depth to the story itself, but that doesn’t take away from the game. The highlight is the action-packed platforming.

Since this is a re-release, I will not go into too much detail about the game itself because everything is still there. The game controls are still tight, the music is fantastic, and it’s still loads of fun to play. This new deluxe edition for the Wii U adds 20 new levels to the 60 that already existed on the 3DS version. It also adds the ability to play off screen on the gamepad.

Though everything is still great, there are some problems with its transfer over to the Wii U. When the game originally came out on 3DS in 2012, I thought it was one of the only games that used the 3D effect well, since you are jumping to the background and foreground. Without the 3D effect on the Wii U, it was sometimes confusing whether a certain platform was in the background or foreground, leading me to fall to my death a couple of times.

Graphically, the pixel art does not look as great on a big HD screen as it does on the 3DS screen. It is not ugly by any stretch of the imagination but it should be pointed out. The offscreen play is also very nice, but to some degree pointless, considering you can get it on the 3DS and take it everywhere instead of being tethered to the Wii U.

One more thing to note is that the added levels are not really new levels, but ghostly versions of existing levels. These reimagined levels are all about increasing the difficulty of a game that is already hard. The Mutant Mudds are now ghosts, and in order to get rid of them, you need a new power up. The power up does not last very long though, so it is all about figuring out how to get around the Mutant Mudds. It is nice to have new experiences added to this version, but it kind of feels lazy and does not add too much to the experience.

What I did find to be much better on the Wii U, though, was the ability to use the pro controller. I find the 3DS uncomfortable to hold, especially when I have to be very tactical with my button inputs, so using the pro controller felt heavenly. 

This could have easily been the go-to version of Mutant Mudds, but if you have already played it then there is no point in double dipping. There is nothing wrong with this version, the tight controls are still there, the catchy tunes are still catchy, and it is still a very fun game worth playing. The real problem is that it was built from the ground up with the 3D effect in mind. When you are putting it on platforms that do not have the 3D effect, it just does not work as well. The only reason to buy this version over the 3DS version is if you have never played it and find the 3DS uncomfortable to hold. Other than that, the 3DS version is superior in every way and you can take it with you wherever you go.

7.5/10