Dotto Botto

The fact that this has 1 review is a crime.

[h1]Overview:[/h1] '[i]Dotto Botto[/i]' is a simple 2D platformer inspired by the classic '[i]Super Mario Bros.[/i]' games and is as short as it is casual. You play as "Dotto", an odd creature that must find his way home after flying into a random bird minding it's own business and crashing his plane. Play through 10 levels, each with increasing difficulty collecting coins and jumping on enemies as you help Dotto find his way back home. The game itself isn't terrible and actually [i]does[/i] have a few good things about it but at the end of the day just comes off as any old platformer with uninspired gameplay. Personally I didn't hate the game and did have some fun playing it, but it really just boils down to the fact that it's just one of many and I mean [i]many[/i] 2D platformers already put out on [i]Steam[/i]. [h1]Gameplay:[/h1] So anyone who's already played a '[i]Super Mario Bros.[/i]' game could guess, '[i]Dotto Botto[/i]' adopts some of the popular concepts that this particularly franchise is known for like hitting yellow blocks with question marks from below to gather coins (and sometimes hearts), jumping on enemies to defeat them and jumping on springs that launch you [i]extremely[/i] high. Just these features alone already make the game mediocre to say the least but it's also not to say one can't have fun playing it for simply having mechanics inspired from another more popular game. Something that '[i]Dotto Botto[/i]' did different however is the lenient jump mechanic that I noticed shortly after starting the game where Dotto can actually jump in midair after stomping on an enemy, leaving a spring or even just walking off the side of a ledge. This becomes a very important mechanic to beat later levels with but the issue is that the game doesn't tell the player at all that they can do this. In fact, the game doesn't really tell the player [i]anything[/i] in regards to how to play the game or what anything does. Thankfully, it's simple enough that any person that isn't an baby or toddler can figure out how to play the game just from well, playing it. Difficulty if I have to be honest is actually done well. I can't say it was hard by any means but I definitely had trouble playing some of the levels and if I had to answer the question, I don't think I'd be able to beat the game without at least dying once. For some reason, every time you start a level, you're in critical condition having only one heart as opposed to three. Why this is a thing is beyond me but it makes the game a bit harder but not in a good way. Although some areas have awkward level design, this could also just be the game ramping up the difficulty which did actually catch me off guard. I expected a simple and casual platformer that a kid could easily pick up and play cause well, this game looks like it was for exactly that, kids. However, I will admit later levels [i]do[/i] have some level of difficulty which is great. Now my concluding point relates to the ending. Although I won't spoil it, I'll at least say it wasn't worth spending the hour or two farming the 50 lives needed to obtain the "good" one. Yup, they pulled a '[i]Bubble Bobble[/i]' on the player. There's a good ending and a bad ending, the bad ending being obtained when you beat the game with under 50 lives and the good one being obtained when you beat it with 50 or more. The ending cutscene differs slightly depending on which ending you get but honestly when you see it, you'll most likely already know how both endings are gonna play out after seeing one of them. It really just comes down to how badly you want that last achievement. Personally, it's too late for me. [h1]Controls:[/h1] As simple as a cup of water, move and jump, it's all you have and it's all you need. Despite not having a control menu which might perturb some players, it's trivial enough that it really doesn't need it. [h1]Graphics:[/h1] Looks unique at least but also doesn't stand out or offer anything particularly interesting visual-wise. It isn't exactly pixelated but it kind of feels that way. Dotto himself as well as the enemies in the game have surprisingly fluid animations which honestly threw me off a little. The world however is bland and uninspired and doesn't look very intriguing but it at least works. Even the blocks in the game are clearly ripped off from the exact game the title is inspired by. The death animation is also pretty cool with Dotto careening towards the player and seemingly smashing into their computer screen. [h1]Audio:[/h1] Not too bad either but is something I definitely have mixed feelings about. Some sound effects are a bit weird and I feel don't fit within the game but others sound fine and work well. Music is also surprisingly not bad either but it [i]did[/i] get old after a bit of time but that also might have a lot to do with the fact that I for some reason had the right mind to farm for 50 lives. Unfortunately, '[i]Dotto Botto[/i]' also adopts the same type of audio setting that many other cheap indie games have which is just an on or off option. I know it's a trivial gripe but again, is it [i]really[/i] too hard to implement a volume meter? [h1]Conclusion/TL;DR:[/h1] '[i]Dotto Botto[/i]' is a short 2D platformer where you help a character named "Dotto" find his way home after crashing his plane. The game alone can be beat in under 20 minutes with 2 different endings but offers little to no unique or original content. It's strictly a casual platformer that's a direct inspiration from the popular '[i]Super Mario Bros.[/i]' series. It isn't a bad game but also isn't something you haven't already seen before. For me, it wasn't bad and [i]was[/i] actually a bit of fun but for people looking for a more fleshed out experience, this isn't it. However, if you're a more casual player and aren't picky with the complexity of games, this one actually isn't horrible, but I definitely wouldn't say it's worth the $3.39 CAD.