There is one thing that connects the 80s, and for me, especially the 90s, when it comes to videogames. Mascots! We don’t really have these iconic, brand elevating characters now but back then they were a mainstay of gaming. You all know Mario, of course, and a certain blue trailblazing hedgehog, not to mention that destructive bandicoot. Every company had something though and some of these you might not know so well. How about Atari’s zippy little ninja Zool? No? Dizzy the lovable egg from the C64 days? Too young? Well, there’s a load more I could list off you probably won’t know either…actually, do you know what a C64 is? My point is we haven’t really seen any new mascots or lovable furry characters that will become defining in their time in an age. This being said, I’d like to introduce you to Kaze, the titular protagonist of Kaze and the Wild Masks, which will be hitting your screens very soon.
Kaze and the Wild Masks is a platformer inspired by the 90s icons of the genre we all know and love. It’s getting both a virtual and physical version and will be available for Steam, Google Stadia, PS4, Switch, and of course XB1. It will be appearing on March 26th for those of you interested in a bit of a platform romp.
Coming from Brazilian developer PixelHive, Kaze and the Wild Masks embraces everything we loved about the 90s platform era and blends it with the technology we have today. What you’ll get are colorful visuals and a musical score that harkens back to an earlier time in gaming, while still giving you the high resolution, crisp graphics, and buttery smooth gameplay you would expect from a contemporary title.
In Kaze and the Wild Masks, you are invited to explore the Crystal Islands. In this escapade, Kaze will have to rescue his friend Hogo from a curse that is spreading chaos across the islands. If you are to succeed, you will need to invoke the power of the Wild Masks. Whether it be tiger-like agility, the ability to soar like an eagle or rule the seas like a shark, the masks will give you all the tools you need to prevail.
As always, you’ll be wanting to know exactly what you’re getting for your hard-earned buck. In this case, quite a bit, actually. Kaze and the Wild Masks is giving you more than thirty levels to explore and over fifty bonus levels if you’re looking to expand your gaming experience. If you’re a platform fan this is giving you bags to get your teeth into. Did I mention you’d be facing off against enraged, psychotic vegetables? No? Well yeah, there’s that, too.
Personally, I’ve never been very good at platformers but I can genuinely see the appeal and why there have been so many brilliant additions to this ever-growing genre over the years. If like me, you’re curious to see how Kaze and the Wild Masks has embraced the games of old or are looking for a new furry character to fall in love with, this could be a very good way to go. Either way, you’ve only got another month or so to wait for this title to hop onto your favorite contraption.
