Poi

I had to fight through a somewhat awkward camera to find it, but Poi recaptured that same nostalgic magic I first experienced when I played Super Mario 64 a long time ago. The stages are expertly crafted so that there's always something interesting in every corner coaxing you to explore, but they also aren't so big that they would become bloated or slow to navigate, either. + This game runs natively on Mac, which is awesome! I had no problems running it on my MacBook. + It took me 12 hours to get a 100% save file. Playing through again on New Game+, I finished just the main story in a little under 4 hours. Your playtime will probably lie somewhere between those numbers -- I tend to have slower playtimes than average. + I was able to get that 100% save file without using a guide. The in-game Compass item helped me find two locations I had trouble finding on my own, without spoiling their location entirely. + The music is generally good but forgettable, except for one segment near the end of the game where it was *perfect.* I can't say it will capture everyone's attention like it did mine, but that was definitely THE defining moment in the game for me. = The graphics, cast, and game world are relatively simple and cartoony, but also charming and whimsical. Nothing worth writing home about, but they set the stage for the exploration, which is what I feel the main appeal of the game is. = Golden Gears and Costumes will only start appearing in worlds after they've been unlocked, so it's possible to miss them when they appear in an area you think you've already explored. I also don't think the Compass can find these items (although I ultimately never needed to use it for them, so I'm not 100% sure about this). = The sideways somersault jump and the triple jump unfortunately aren't as convenient or as easy to perform as the double jump, generally lessening the appeal of the platforming. What's here is good, just underutilized. I'd have preferred if New Game+ simply removed the double jump rather than limited HP to 1, since I think that would've been a far more mechanically interesting way to up the difficulty while also rewarding better gameplay. - While there's not much story, what's there doesn't quite tie together as nicely as I hoped. SPOILER: [spoiler] The Master Explorer's missing wife is not brought up again after the initial cutscene at the Forest, even at the end of the game. This feels like a HUGE missed opportunity and even a mention of her would have helped the ending from feeling as abrupt as it ended up being. [/spoiler] - While New Game+ is a great excuse to revisit the game (the mirrored environments make them just disorienting enough to be interesting to navigate through again), the 1 HP limit is often frustrating, and you may not find the 4 or so hours it takes to be worth it for just one achievement, if you chase those. Overall, Poi was an absolute blast to play. I'd often end a play session excitedly imagining what the next world would be like, or thinking about if maybe there was more to explore in a certain corner or a map, and I could hardly wait until my next session. If you're able to overlook its occasional minor flaws, I think you'll be in for an absolute treat of a game!

Cute game, unnecessary NG+ achievement.

If you were to look at Poi and think "this looks like budget Super Mario Sunshine"... You'd be right ! It shares the same gameplay, is structured the same way, and even references it countless times. It could have easily just been another cheap imitation, but instead feels like it was crafted with care by someone who really liked the original. So if you did too, it could be worth your time. Visually, Poi is very limited and lacks charm. A generic hero, basic characters, blobs and moles as enemies : it's serviceable at best. The controls are what you'd expect from a classic platformer with a double jump, with the unusual addition of a dive. It's not as fun without Fludd on your back, but it lets you perform some neat little tricks once you get the hang of it. This almost compensates for an unruly camera and stiff controls that often lock you in a direction, making ladders dangerous endeavors. Still, those shortcomings won't matter that much because the game is really accessible. You could even say that it's... Easy as Poi ! (... No ? ... Even if you're Australian ?). Only the last climb will present a certain challenge, and even then, there's more than enough checkpoints. But the worst part of the game is probably the bosses. Clunky, barely functional and painfully uninspired, they're just awful. Now, the best thing about Poi is what it does like Super Mario Sunshine, even if the quality is nowhere near as high. From your airship that serves as a hub, you'll travel to 4 different worlds that each provide a large area, home of several medallions. They're the shines or stars from the Mario series, hidden as usual behind small platforming challenges or mysteries that are easy to solve, but pretty fun. As you progress through the game, more floating islands will join the hub, and offer even more short missions : labyrinths, time trials, arenas... Variety really is what makes Poi shine ! Along the way and for the 7 hours that it will take to find everything, you'll also notice the many nods given to Sunshine : sand birds, a giant bell to clean with water, gears and keys that serve as blue and red coins, an old guide who goes "yahoo" in a very familiar tone... Good memories. A Walmart Super Mario Sunshine, an hommage, an ersatz or even a fanmade project... You can call Poi many names, but it's still an enjoyable experience. There's no reason to play this over the game that inspired it, but it you have already played the latter or don't feel like emulating it, Poi's here ! I'll give it a [b] 6[/b]. But keep in mind that if you don't have a special affinity for Sunshine, you may not be as forgiving as I am.

Lots of reviews about this game mirror my own thoughts. It's a mediocre Mario clone. For some that means, "MORE MARIO!" For me, it just reminds me that Nintendo does this genre much much better, and I would be happier playing those games a 2nd (or 3rd) time.

neato

:)

Poi Pro Obtrusive Individual

This is a delightful platformer. I took a long time to finally get around to playing it because I was turned off by the character designs. That was a huge mistake, as the game is extremely charming and smooth to play. The movement is sublime, and scales well at higher framerates. The level designs are great, and the environment graphics are significantly more impressive and inspired than the human character designs. The non-human characters are also very cute. If you're as big a fan of good movement in games as I am, you owe it to yourself to give Poi a try.

I had a huge itch to re play through Super Mario 64, and after seeing i had to update my Dolphin, I decided to pass. I hopped on Reddit and asked for Super Mario 64 like games. Oh boy did I find one.. Poi is a super cute, super fun and despite being my first time playing it, it felt nostalgic. It is so fluid, where during a later level I felt like I was speed running it as the roll into a mega jump, wall jump combo is addicting. The medals gave star vibes and It was a blast to collect them all. I would 100% recommend anyone getting this game, whether its for their kids, or even for themselves. It was a fantastic experience, and it was a perfect way to start my 2025. Thanks PolyKid. Graphics - 6/10 Gameplay - 9/10 Replayablity - 9/10 Controls - 10/10 Spec Req - Super Entry Level

Played this game from early access to release during highschool, but just as fun today! Feels like a classic 3D platformer, with charming characters and worlds to boot. 10/10 would play and recommend again!