Go! Go! Island Rescue!

Genre: Puzzle-Platformer

Players: 1

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Review:

Go! Go! Island Rescue! is a Puzzle-Platformer released on the Nintendo DSi via the DSiWare service in 2010 and then grandfathered into the Nintendo 3DS eShop when that system was released. This game is a sequel to the 2009 iOS game Go! Go! Rescue Squad, and features similar gameplay, which involves controlling a fireman in a burning building tossing fire extinguishers at fires and tossing hapless civilians called “Darwins” to exits.

This game’s presentation uses colorful, cartoony 2D visuals for its characters. These mostly look good, though the animation is extremely choppy. This is all backed by a relaxed and surprisingly catchy soundtrack, befitting the game’s lighthearted puzzle theme and island setting (albeit perhaps not the “fire rescue emergency” theme).

The gameplay here is reminiscent of games like Lemmings and Krusty’s Fun House without being quite exactly like either of those games. You’re primarily focused on getting the aforementioned Darwins to exits, and you primarily do so by moving around the area, climbing ladders, and tossing objects and people, which uses a trajectory that the game helpfully predicts for you. This is a fairly unique approach to the genre, and it’s well done here, with some strong level design that highlights the unique gameplay and gradually introduces new elements.

In the realm of complaints, I do think the controls can be a bit unwieldy, and your character’s inability to jump manually feels unnecessarily restrictive. However, these feels like relatively minor complaints when the game is overall pretty enjoyable.

Given that Go! Go! Island Rescue! Sells for a mere $5, I’d say this is a pretty good choice for fans of Puzzle-Platformers. It has a good idea, an appealing presentation, and some strong design. If you’re a Puzzle game fan with a Nintendo 3DS, you’ll want to be sure to pick it up before the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes in March 2023 (tomorrow!)

tl;dr – Go! Go! Island Rescue! is a Puzzle-Platformer where players toss fire extinguishers and hapless civilians to rescue them from a raging fire. This game has a fairly unique concept and some solid puzzle design. With this game costing only $5, I think Puzzle fans will find this is absolutely a game worth getting before the Nintendo 3DS eShop closes in March 2023 (tomorrow!).

Grade: B

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