Miles & Kilo

Simple classic platforming fun at a breakneck pace.

Miles & Kilo is such a short and sweet platformer or an auto-scroller depending on your choice and it’s a lot of fun! It could be classified as a sequel or a spiritual successor of Kid Tripp from the same developer with a similar gameplay to this one. After your plane crashes on a supposedly cursed island and its parts get scavenged by a bunch of goons, you try to get them back with your dog Kilo. You get past obstacles, fight bosses, collect fruits to use against enemies, and collect coins to score high points through levels that are usually 25 seconds long. It’s not a very long game as it took me only 4 hours to get all the achievements, but there’s a time attack mode that gets unlocked after you beat the game once which adds a little bit of replay value, especially if you’re going for all achievements. It has relaxing summer vibes and a charming soundtrack with fun gameplay. It kind of reminded me of Adventure Island with its short levels, but Adventure Island games are usually a lot longer. My only complaint about the game would be the slight input lag I’ve experienced during my playthrough. If you’re looking for something to relax real quick with a little bit of challenge, Miles & Kilo would be the ideal choice. Sadly, its predecessor Kid Tripp isn’t on Steam.

For what is, at first glance, an unusual knock-off/lookalike of the much-iconic Super Mario Brothers that defined the platformer genre in the mid-1980's back on the old NES, Miles & Kilo does a rather good job at taking us back to those more retro arcade-styled games that had such addicting yet very much challenging gameplay, albeit with the hindsight of modern gaming development allowing for a more smoother experience alongside those pixel 8-bit graphics that have their own unique charm in that such a style can be timeless if done well! Although to get down to basics, Miles & Kilo is a platformer at heart as well, where the player controls either Miles or Kilo depending on the level itself as each of the two have different gameplay styles where the platforming side of things is concerned, with Miles taking the traditional platformer whereby you have full control of your character and thus has the more precise of obstacles to overcome whereas Kilo, who will be waiting for you either at the start of a level or later on depending on the course itself, will take over control from Miles as he dashes forward uncontrollably, with only the ability to jump and dash into enemies and get underneath obstacles saving him from dangers that, although not as complex as Miles' levels, still pose a threat when one can not stop themselves! Seeing as you are graded on your performance in each level via either a C, B, A or S rank depending on how many of the three objectives of each level that you meet, (that being how many coins you've collected, how many fruit you've picked up and how fast you completed the level) it encourages both casual gameplay on a player's first playthrough as well as more efficient and skilled methods for future attempts, be it for achievement hunting or for getting as best a time record as possible. On that note, once the story mode has been completed, a new gamemode will unlock that goes by the name of 'Time Attack', which essentially acts as a recorded playthrough of all 36 levels in this game that has you racing against the clock to see just how fast you can get through them all, with each death being counted and including the times of failed attempts as well, which is something that expert platforming fans will love for bragging rights! Since this game lends itself rather well to smooth gameplay that rewards knowing the best routes and those with excellent quick reflexes to act on the spot for the many obstacles that lay ahead, (not to mention keeping a close eye on the fruit as, unlike coins, fruits are used as throwing weapons against enemies from afar but this is limited to 5 fruit at any given time and does affect the score of each round, albeit not mattering so much for a mode where time is key and not the score itself!) it gives those who enjoy the game something that little 'extra' to dip into here! As far as potential criticisms go though, my main issue is that there is no windowed screen to play on as I often enjoy being able to click away from the game and back in to do other things in the background, something that is not possible with this game as it will only allow for full screen gameplay. Also it is a little on the short side for anyone even remotely decent at platforming and, with no extra secret levels/world that is host to some borderline-insane difficulty for the most hardcore of players, some may find themselves getting rather tired quickly once they have beaten the game on their first run. In conclusion, Miles & Kilo is definitely a decent enough platformer in it's own right that, whilst not on the scale of bigger triple-A platforming games, can still be enjoyed in the short time that is spent with it as the price of this indie is reflective of how much content there is in this title, and it's surprisingly well-made with the charming duo that is Miles and Kilo making for a fun platformer that adults can enjoy well enough as well as be a fun and addictive game for younger gamers! TLDR Version: • Easy platformer game to get into that gradually ups the challenge throughout five thematic worlds (+) • Charming characters with fun and witty dialogue that is coupled rather nicely with the well-made 8-bit graphics that pay homage to old NES titles (+) • Controls and precise and fair for Miles with challenging levels but also adds variety with simpler obstacles for Kilo combined with forced momentum forward (+) • New gamemode that unlocks after completing the story mode allows for more competitive play for those itching for more to challenge themselves with (+) • Miles & Kilo doesn't allow for windowed gameplay and forces full screen on the player (-) • Although varied, the 36 levels available can be beaten somewhat quickly by veteran platformers in under an hour first try and may find themselves disappointed if the Time Attack gamemode doesn't appeal to them (-) • No secret levels for those who go out of their way for finding hidden parts of a game or aim for full completion that push the platformer's difficulty to it's limits for the most dedicated of players (-)

An unusually fine sense of [i]flow[/i] makes this semi-runner stand out. I say "semi-runner" because while the game encourages players to blow through its tiny stages as quickly as possible, there is usually the option to slow down and sip the chamomile -- except in the pell-mell Kilo the dog stages, which operate on another set of rules. If you play merely to [i]beat[/i] the game, it may seem far too short for its price; keep in mind that all achievements are perfectly attainable with a modicum of patience, and that shooting for that hundred-percent -- practicing the stages repeatedly and learning the secret flow of each -- will win you the maximum amount of fun (and hours). I hate speedrunning in general, but love games like [i]Miles & Kilo[/i] and [i]Mighty Switch Force[/i]. What a paradox, eh?

Overall Score: 10/10 Great Autorunner, with over 30 levels and S ranks to get on each. Very fun throughout, and enjoyed finding consistent strategies for the time attack mode. $8 seems a but much as only 3-4h of content and less if you are playing casually, but it goes on sale for 80 cents often.

It's very sad that such a great game is that badly buried in the Dark Steam Depths! I DO recommend, this is very chill game! And I love it!

Nice little fast-paced precision platformer with a focus on speed. Don't be fooled by its cute & whimsy style... it can be fiendishly challenging at times, especially if you're trying to beat your best times.

Собачка ^^

me salió hasta una ampolla con este juego, me encanto, es divertidisimo, 100% recomendado