Donut Dodo

Genre: Platformer / Arcade

Players: 1

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Review:

Donut Dodo, released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2022, is an Arcade-style Platformer that is clearly designed to be a throwback to classic games in the genre, particularly games like BurgerTime, Donkey Kong, and Donkey Kong Jr. In this game, players take the role of a baker trying to collect all of the donuts in each of the game’s five levels (plus one bonus level) while avoiding a large, fire-breathing dodo and its odd assortment of minions.

The 2D pixel art presentation in this game does an excellent job imitating the style of the classic games it’s clearly designed as a tribute to, while featuring a lot more color, detail, and personality than those classic games actually had. This seems to take just the right balance of appealing to nostalgia while not being completely beholden to outdated aesthetics.

These visuals are complimented by sound effects that perfectly capture the quirky, cartoony sounds of games like Donkey Kong, and it’s backed by a catchy chiptune soundtrack. For a good example of what to expect, check out the first stage’s theme, Fun House Fiasco.

Much as this game’s presentation gives us a modernized and improved interpretation of the classic look and sounds of the games of yesteryear, so too does the gameplay. Players will run, jump, and climb their way around the game’s stages, and while the core gameplay is much more fluid and forgiving than the old Donkey Kong games ever were, the gameplay here is also more fast-paced and frenetic, making this game in many ways far more challenging than those old “Nintendo Hard” titles.

As such, this isn’t a game that everyone will appreciate – the game’s cartoony look may seem to convey a kid-friendly experience, but the challenge level is so high here that I think the intended audience is clearly more seasoned gamers who cut their teeth on the high challenge level that games like the old Donkey Kong titles were known for.

There is one other thing here that I feel needs to be addressed – the length. With only 5-6 stages, once you get a feel for how to play this game effectively you’ll likely see everything it has to offer within the span of 20-30 minutes, tops. However, at only $5, this still works as a smaller, more bite-size game, and even as the stages cycle on repeat, they do take on added difficulty as you continue and more enemies are introduced, with the goal clearly being to see how long you can last and how high you can score.

In the end, while not everyone will enjoy Donut Dodo, I think it succeeds brilliantly at doing exactly what it sets out to accomplish – creating a new experience that brings to mind classic Arcade Platformers and dishing out fun but highly-challenging gameplay that plays more like the way many players remember games of that era than the way those games actually played. If you’re looking to add another fun but challenging retro-style experience to your game library, this is a good choice.

tl;dr – Donut Dodo succeeds at doing exactly what it aims for – being a fun but challenging retro Arcade-style Platformer in the vein of the original Donkey Kong and Donkey Kong Jr. infused with more modern sensibilities. This game’s short length and high challenge mean not everyone will appreciate it, but for only $5 this is a solid pickup for anyone with a fondness for those classic Arcade games.

Grade: B-

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