Mission in Snowdriftland Review

As soon as I saw the thumbnail of Mission in Snowdriftland, I got hooked to it simply because I am a sucker when it comes to platformer games. And so I backed the digital copy of the game on Steam.

But what I did not know is that it is a remaster of the flash game that existed fifteen years ago and that it was a game that was sort of published by Nintendo themselves. The flash game was used to advertise several DS and Wii games back then. And shortly after, the game was taken down for reasons unknown.

Attempts were made to revive the game and fast-forward now, we have full access to the flash game remastered with all of its original content. The question is, does it still hold up after all this time?

Story:

The story is very straightforward and sort of breaks the fourth wall. In the video game world, El Pix steals artifacts from Upixio headquarters and he is found in snowdriftland. Cubby complains about how the game designers can’t seem to give him a good role and with that, the game starts with Cubby on a mission to get the artifacts in Snowdriftland hence the title of the game.

The story is quite funny, short, and simple as expected for a platformer. It’s a bit upsetting that the rest of the game doesn’t have any cutscenes, unlike the intro.

Graphics:

For a game that is based on flash, the Graphics overall look great as they have vibrant colors with good detail. While the levels are almost based around snow, some levels are focused on trees, caves, ice, and even lava.

Animations are also nicely done and are slightly more smooth than the original flash game. Although some of them are not quite natural such as jumping on enemies and some animations are too simple. It is however understandable given that it is a flash-based game where most games on Flash rarely have lots of animations.

Music:

The music is great as well, as it is composed by Fabian Del Priore who is known for composing music for games like Giana Sisters.

It uses catchy chiptune music with a mix of bells and a few other instruments, while capturing the feel of the level themes perfectly. The only gripe is that the songs are a little too short on the side.

Gameplay:

The game plays like how straightforward platformers play out. Control Chubby from left to right, all the way from jumping on enemies, collecting snowflakes, and getting an artifact at the end of each level.

The artifacts are a nice touch as they are a pun from classic games like the Pixel Alien which is from Space Invaders or the Vector Ship which is from Asteroids.

As far as what Chubby can do, he can only jump and bop on enemies to jump higher. He can also run fast if he has enough distance but this is generally not a good mechanic and I will explain why later on.

Each level has its gimmicks that are memorable and add to the challenge. For instance, the first stage has you dealing with ice platforms where you need to stand on the end to reach higher platforms. Another example is the second stage, where you jump on tree branches and climb on spider webs.

On every level are snowflakes and are often placed in areas that are too risky to get or in some cases, hidden. While the snowflakes are optional, they are the most challenging part of the game, and are required to unlock the bonus level which will put your patience to a test if you are up for it!

Besides snowflakes, the only other collectible is the heart container which is located at the last level of every stage. They are very helpful for taking more damage and facing the only boss in the entire game.

You can also complete the levels as fast as possible with a time mode. The overall content offered is fairly acceptable given that it is a remaster of the original flash game and is overall solid even after all this time. That being said there are some problems.

The first problem is running. Instead of having a run button, Chubby will run when he has enough distance similar to the momentum building the classic Sonic games are known for. Problem is that this method of running is not very helpful when jumping on small platforms and as a result, you can get screwed with it most of the time.

The other problem is the level design. While it is overall solid, there are some sections in the levels that are not designed well for you to avoid taking damage so the only option is to do the opposite and get away from these sections.

And the last problem is the difficulty. This game is quite challenging and it's all because of not having any checkpoints. So if you die, you have to start the level all over again. But to be fair, the levels are generally not too long and the health pickups are quite generous.

Conclusion:

So after fifteen years of the wait, would I recommend getting this game?

YES!

It still holds up very well. It has a humorous story, colorful graphics, catchy music, and solid gameplay which are all on the checklist for a platform game. What is even good is that there will be more free content added into the game soon.

Whether you were one of those people who wanted to play this flash game for a long time or if you’re into platformers like me, Mission In Snowdriftland will keep you chilled!