I was just as surprised as anyone when a Kao the Kangaroo reboot was announced just four months ago. My initial reaction was something along the lines of, “Okay – why not, it’s only been twenty years. Sure, bring Kao back!” I was more than skeptical, to put it lightly. To me, Kao is nothing more than a fun memory, a 3D platforming curiosity that I enjoyed on my Sega Dreamcast between hour-long sessions of Power Stone, Crazy Taxi, and ChuChu Rocket!. Kao was never a go-to title, or something I would rush home to play after class let out. Kao was a filler, a stand-in for what I believed were ‘better’ 3D platformers. Kao was good enough then, but can he be good enough now?
Kao’s reboot begins with an ominous vision of Kao’s sister Kaia being taken away by a dark entity. Worried about his shanghaied sibling, Kao sets off to find Walt, a master fighter and mentor to both Kao and his father Koby, for guidance. It isn’t long before Kao stumbles across a pair of boxing gloves known as the Eternal Gloves, a corrupted artifact that is also linked to Koby’s disappearance (yup, he’s missing too), and sets out to find Kaia, and unravel his long-lost father’s secret. The set-up is simple and sets the stage for a very heartwarming story that packs a serious emotional punch. Maybe I’m just a big ol’ softy at my age, but there are moments in Kao that really tugged at my heartstrings. An early moment of Kao leaving his village of Hopalloo Island and hugging his mom as he says ‘goodbye’ is just too damned wholesome for its own good – and it genuinely got to me. Just like Kao’s story – and all the whimsical characters that inhabit it, its world and design are oozing with heart.
Kao begins his journey on Hopalloo Island, a bright and colorful place that is populated with all of his ‘roo family. The island – and all subsequent ones that follow – act like hubs for each ‘level’. From here, Kao can freely roam and chat it up with the natives, spend his hard-earned ducats at the local shop on Life Upgrades, 1-Ups, and funky outfits and accessories, and travel to the various stages within the island level. Unlocking each stage requires a specific amount of Eternal Gate Runes, most of which can be found on the island itself, or in other stages. The further you progress in the game, the more runes will be asked of you to proceed.
Stages are expertly laid out and will test your 3D platforming skills. Things get a bit gimmicky when you are introduced to the Eternal World. This purple-y-hued, alternate dimension of Kao’s world reveals hidden platforms and hookshot icons for Kao to sling himself towards. These otherworldly objects only become visible by hitting a similarly-colored purple-y glowing icon and are – you guessed it – time-sensitive. It all makes for some tricky platforming segments. These dimension revealing icons just love to position themselves in a spot that requires you to perform an air-spin attack so that the hidden platform magically pops up beneath your kangaroo feet, and saves you from certain death. Yes, it feels a bit gimmicky, but this is a 3D platformer – you gotta have a good gimmick! It’s like Blinx without his Time Sweeper, or Gex without his…one liners and dated pop-culture references (God, I miss that stupid gecko).
Stages are fairly open to exploration, with branching paths that lead to secret areas and hidden collectables, or even Challenge Zones (known as Eternal Wells) – which also contain hidden collectables. For all the stuff you gather – ‘K A O’ Letters, Scrolls, Gems, Runes, Zelda-Like Heart Container Pieces (collect four to increase your Heart Meter!) and piles of golden ducats – Kao hardly ever feels like a collect-a-thon. The game just really likes to reward curious players, and I had tons of fun just going off the beaten path and finding a shiny object. It is a delicate balance, but Kao Kangaroo carefully walks that fine line between too much and too little.
Each new island brings its own charming sense of self to Kao’s journey. There is a great big, cartoonish world for our young hero to explore, and every destination you encounter has its own unique cast of characters to interact with. The islands are vibrant, full of life, and feel very lived-in. It adds a lot of authenticity to Kao’s quest as we become just as wide-eyed and awe-struck as he is when he sets foot on a new territory. The overall design is very ‘3D Platformer 101’ and helps keep things nicely organized while you go off and punch enemies in the face, something that Kao is exceptionally good at.
Kao is quite the apt little boxer. He’s got plenty of spunk and that comes through while he pummels his enemies into the ground. Armed with the Eternal Gloves – which talk to you, btw (yes, seriously) – Kao can execute a rapid three-hit combo. Every blow Kao delivers builds up a meter which can unleash an explosive punch, which is great for crowd-control and taking out larger, brutish enemy types. Kao can also dodge attacks by quickly rolling out of harm’s way, and he can perform a belly-flop if things get a little too hectic. But the real power behind Kao’s punch lies in the elemental abilities he can imbue his gloves with. As you progress, you will unlock fire, ice, and lighting abilities for your gloves which can be used to interact with the environment. Fire for example can be used to burn away cobwebs, and ignite dormant furnaces. These abilities are limited however, as Kao can only carry three charges of any combination at once. Fortunately, these charges are plentiful and can also be replenished via Elemental Totems found throughout each stage. There was never a moment where I found myself ‘needing’ a specific elemental type, and was frantically trying to find it. And if boxing gloves aren’t your thing, you can also utilize your trusty Boomerang. This weapon – which sadly does not talk to you – can be found in any stage. Like your chatty gloves, the boomerang can also take on an elemental property, and can be used to do fun things like burn away a rope to drop an Explosive Barrel on a group of unsuspecting enemies’ heads from a safe distance. Combat is fast, fun, and each blow you land has a sense of weight behind it. There’s plenty of enemy types to beat the ‘roo poo out of too. From frogs and flies and overgrown tentacle vines, to piranhas, chimps, and over-sized apes, Kao has a lot to contend with, not to mention the all those bosses he has to go up against.
Boss Stages are housed within the island ‘hub’, and require more runes to unlock than your standard stages, naturally. These battles with Kao’s famous “fighting masters” – who have been influenced by the dark power that threatens the very balance of Kao’s world – have a very puzzly, Zelda-like quality about them, where you have to use a combination of brute strength and brain power to go the distance. Bosses typically have three phases and aren’t too challenging. It might be the decades of 3D platforming experience behind me, but I was able to get through most of the bosses with ease. It also helps that Kao’s controls are an absolute knockout.
3D platformers – or should I say ‘good’ 3D platformers – understand the importance of player movement, of jumping instantaneously in and of combat and navigating an environment riddled with obstacles. A good 3D platformer’s controls have to be fine-tuned to perfection in order to give the player the confidence to tackle that mob of enemies or take those risky leaps of faith, knowing that the game is entirely on their side every perilous step of the way. Kao handles with incredible precision. From bobbing and weaving through waves of bloated frogs and belly flopping on top of bothersome monkeys, to double-jumping and swinging your way between spiked pillars, across disappearing platforms, and over pools of putrid acid, Kao’s controls are masterclass.
Presentation wise, Kao is a total charmer. Its cartoonish aesthetic is an out-and-out necessity for a game like this. The character design and animation is a nostalgia trip all by itself. It’s exactly what you want in a Kao the Kangaroo reboot: visually striking from top to bottom. It evokes the spirit of Kao games past that updates its loveable characters for the modern era. Tribal tempos and groovy beats further pull you into its imaginative world. Even the voice acting is a bit of throwback, as each character’s delivery has just the right amount of cheekiness to it. Listening to Kao quip about being there to chew bubblegum and kick butt and being all out of gum is ridiculous and captures his child-like innocence to a T.
Tate Multimedia have done their lovable marsupial proud; Kao looks, sounds, and plays better than I ever would have imagined. Kao doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t. It is pure 3D platforming bliss that is polished to perfection. Kao clearly means a lot to his creators, and that dedication and passion is found throughout his exciting new adventure. It doesn’t drastically change the 3D platformer formula, but it doesn’t have to. There is just so much to love here that fans of the kangaroo boxer and newcomers alike will be beyond pleased. And speaking of the fans, I have one last thing to say before I wrap this glowing review up.
Kao’s revival would not exist if his fanbase wasn’t as passionate and vocal as they are. Kao is so much more than just a reboot done right; he’s a symbol to any and all dormant franchises out there that there is hope for them yet. A ‘Great Kao Revival‘ was definitely not on my 2022 Bingo Card, and I have the fans to thank for that. As someone who has constantly championed the return of IP’s like Croc, Tomba, and Gex, along with the likes of Legend of Dragoon, Legacy of Kain, and my beloved Silent Hill, it’s nice to know sometimes, someone is actually listening. Tate Multimedia answered the call, and delivered unto us a champion.
A review key was provided by Tate Multimedia for PC.
