Thrill Penguin

Super fun precision platformer. Unique control scheme and stylish presentation.

Thrill Penguin is a fun speed platformer. The controls are nice and smooth, and the levels are fun to get through as fast as possible.

A minor project from the developer after [b]Garlic[/b], clearly using a lot of its code, given the almost identical wall-jumping and wall-climbing mechanics, with simpler but cleaner graphics and little frills; there's not even a story, only the hilarious faces of the penguin either in victory or defeat, showing that the creator is effectively the same. While the controls are always responsive, I actually liked the mechanics a bit more here, because the penguin doesn't tend to stick to walls automatically, only when you activate the climbing. His animation is adorable, especially the way his dive can end up with a slow belly flop on a flat surface but, when used correctly, allows to gain momentum by sliding on slopes, even upside-down! [b]Thrill Penguin[/b] creates a false sense of safety as the first levels are little more than a tutorial, but it soon makes it clear it's a worthy little brother to [b]Garlic[/b], there are no enemies to contend with, but the level designs are more than enough; the game especially loves the gimmick of platforms and walls that start moving the moment they are touched, be them falling, ascending, or moving laterally to squish the penguin, making some passages more devious than they look at first glance. As levels go on, the diving mechanic becomes increasingly necessary to land safely. While there is a clear homage to the original [b]Super Mario Bros[/b], each world ends with a level where you avoid fireballs, reach a bizarre fire-spewing fat bird, and run past it when it jumps to win. But I won't fault this lack of boss variety too much as the game has got six worlds with 9 levels each, a really high number for a title that costs so little. Just like [b]Garlic[/b], however, depending on one's skill or patience the game may stay consistently fun, or frustration may take over. Overall, I still liked it more than its "older brother" because Sylph took the lesson that less is more, stripping down some mechanics for the better.