Wunderling DX

[quote]Follow my Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/41363546-Fruit-N-Doggie-Reviews/]Fruit N Doggie Reviews,[/url] so you can be updated whenever I post a new review.[/quote] [h1]Overall Rating - Exceptional ★★★★★[/h1] [h1]First Impressions[/h1] With how many titles I have in my library, I think I might have gotten the name of this game confused with another, because what it wound up being didn't match any mental image I had of Wunderling DX (WDX). Then again, even after beating the game, I'm still not really sure what such a name should bring to my mind. I can only wunder. [h1]Gameplay[/h1] I wound up earning all the achievements for a game not that different from this one's basic mechanic, as this is a platformer where your character runs back and forth automatically. Although I instinctively want to think of this design as a puzzle platformer, and with all this game's secrets I wouldn't say that's completely incorrect, there's a lot of difficult platforming to contend with as well. The movement speed of the character is also calibrated well, as it always provides enough time to respond as needed, without feeling like you're walking through molasses. As you reach every even-numbered world, the witch grants you a new ability, which opens more possibilities for how you can navigate through stages. These three moves include being able to run in short spurts, wall-jumping (and sliding), and dashing forward through breakable blocks. It might not sound like much, but each one gets utilized heavily because of how well the levels are designed around these mechanics. Having experience with a similar premise certainly helped me adapt faster, but over time, not having direct control doesn't feel like much of an issue. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3460097016 [h1]Controls[/h1] Making use of the moves that you unlock quickly becomes another tool at your disposal, as it feels like an ability that was always meant to be there. It wouldn't surprise me if they had designed the game from that perspective, starting off with the full move-set, and then stripping them down into more basic set-ups. [h1]Story[/h1] WDX begins with a fairly silly premise, as you're wiped out by the hero within moments of running into him. However, as you advance through the worlds, reading the princess' diary pages, you unlock lore that turns this goofy world into a much more serious setting and situation. Something I'd disagree with is the game's moral though, which seemed to revolve around fighting against your pigeon-holed fate, as you can be more than what others think you should be. That's not a bad concept, but with much of what occurs in the story being outside of your control, that actually would fit your role as a powerless minion far too well. With the final world of completely optional content, I really had hoped it might have led to a much more satisfying conclusion, instead of one where everybody regretted not doing more when they had the chance. All that extra work just unlocked a few extra cosmetics, when your interactions with Dash implied this was going to be especially meaningful. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3460096468 [h1]Visuals[/h1] Each world has a theme, such as the factory and castle, which provides an aesthetic foundation for the stages. In some ways, I think this also hints at the difficulty, as the swamp and lava locations were a step up compared to the forest or beach. Even the darker atmospheres still had a degree of vibrancy, and despite having a flat affect, the minion and other characters all had a cartoonish style to them. It's an aesthetic I found quite enjoyable while I was playing. Sometimes I thought there was more purpose in their placement, but the animals in the background seem to be there purely for decoration. With one of the diary entries, I'd guessed they had a relevance to finding secrets, or perhaps implied something about what might be taking place in that location. [h1]Sound Design[/h1] All of the songs are either assigned to a level theme or world. For instance, I believe the same song plays on each of the factory levels, whether they might wind up being interspersed amongst more than one world. That seemed to be the consistent factor. Regarding the music itself, all of them were chiptune tracks, with most of them having sounds that came across a bit “crunchy.” Additionally, some of the noises generally sounded a bit bizarre, although it somehow conveyed a clear image, such as the ambiance I got from the cave song. I feel a bit conflicted, as some of them aren't really tunes I'd go out of my way to listen to, but I think most of them were well made, and fit the game well. In somewhat of a reversal, I think the sound effects were secondary to the music, as many of them weren't as prominent by contrast. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3460096768 [h1]Pros[/h1] 🌟 The controls were quite precise and responsive, allowing for all of the tricky areas to not feel like an absolute nightmare to navigate. 🌟 By the time you beat the game, the challenge will have increased to a healthy amount. [h1]Cons[/h1] ❌ I don't understand the point for most of the boss battles, as they're basically just interactive cutscenes. ❌ You replay stages quite a bit more than you might expect, at least if you go for all the content. ❌ Dash doesn't deserve to be queen. She allowed far too many atrocities to be put in charge. [h1]Tips[/h1] 🔍 Although I searched for most secrets in world one early on, and could find almost everything, I'd actually wait to do so until reaching world six. That's when you learn the last move, which will help with earlier areas. 🔍 Doing the fire dash earlier allows you to slide off a wall, but doing it late makes you bonk against it. You'll need to use both features to progress. 🔍 World seven ramps up in difficulty quite a bit, as you need to have much faster reactions to make all the jumps. [h1]Final Thoughts[/h1] This game wound up being quite a pleasant surprise, since I wasn't that thrilled by a game described as a “goomba simulator.” Such a term is misleading, as your only connection to goombas is being relegated to the role of a minion, and the character semblance. When it comes to the gameplay, it was much more engaging and enjoyable than shuffling back and forth indefinitely. Having earned all of the achievements, and completed everything in the game, there's a fairly big disconnect between where those Steam achievements finish, and all the optional content you can beat. It also wound up being kind of misleading, but in a different way. With the lore you unlock at around the point you'd clear everything by Steam's perspective, this was where you received the most reward for your effort, even if its a bitter pill to swallow. Anything beyond that basically fizzles out, as you don't discover anything else about this world, let alone change the story. From that perspective, I'd recommend beating WDX, but not going for all the secrets. It's good, but there's little reward for that extra hour or so of effort. [table] [tr] [th]PC Specs[/th] [th]Performance[/th] [/tr] [tr] [td]Ryzen 2700 RTX 2070 16GB RAM ADATA SSD 1920x1080 [/td] [td]The game ran without incident on default settings. 💖 - WDX is healthy [/td] [/tr] [/table]

Wunderling DX is a unique mix of a runner and a platformer. I generally despise runners and I might still prefer a pure platformer but I also adore this game. So the levels are not endless, they’re 141 distinct levels with an ending, you unlock 2-3 more skills that give you a bit of control. You will be able to jump, wall jump and dash. The only runner part is your character keeps moving without interruption but the levels are designed in such a way to allow you to position yourself when needed. There are 8 worlds, lots of collectibles and secrets to find. The game is super charming, looks colourful, has some catchy tunes, it even has a funny story to follow and the levels are excellent. They’re really well designed and subtly teach you new ways of using your skills. I also love that I can collect the most common collectible (flower) without needing to finish a level, you don’t even need to reach a checkpoint. The loading times are fast and the achievements are very good too. You actually don’t need to do all the worlds and you don’t need to do 100% with all of them for the achievements, but I did all of it anyway. It took me around 20 hours. The one issue I have with the game is the trial and error going too far sometimes. Don’t get me wrong, the levels are fairly short and there are checkpoints to minimise things but some sections are way too tight and punishing to get right. Sometimes there is a section where you jump too late or too soon, this minor difference is too much. Though this mostly happens with the 8th world which was added as an extra through a late update and is not mandatory in any way. Even though the 8th world is an extra, it was great. It shows the love and care the devs put into developing this game the entire time. I urge every interested player to give this game a chance even if you are neutral about the demo because the full game improves on the controls significantly. The normal price of €12,50 is worth it and you can get it for €1,24 on Steam until January the second. This price is a steal and shouldn’t be missed.

It took me exactly 6.9 hours (heh, funny number) to get 100% of the achievements in Wunderling DX! This game is very special. It's a fun little auto-runner platformer with a very on-the-nose kind of meta humor that makes multiple references to other games like Mario and Pokémon. I would definitely recommend this game to anyone; it is unique and stands out from its peers in many ways.

When I saw the game I thought "This game looks really nice for one or two evenings - just 4 hours according to HLTB" and after playong almost 14 hours I can say: that game deserves the title of One of the Hidden Steam Gems (at leas for all lovers of fast paced arcade puzzle games). I managed to get 40 out of 41 achievements without any guides and tips while just playing for pleasure. It is not punishing (like for example Meat Boy). It is challenging just right. I was continuously getting positive vibes from the game without any negative emotions. And the most important: while playing I physically felt that developers put love and soul into this game.

[b]Wunderling[/b] is an excellent little puzzle game that I think has been cruelly overlooked. It's got a good central concept, the game mechanics and controls are well-executed, there's a lot of levels to play, and plenty of extra details and secrets. The only real downside I can see is that it kind of sits at an awkward juxtaposition of genre. Those who enjoy cerebral puzzle games because they don't like reaction-based gameplay won't appreciate the precision timing needed for jumps and other actions; while those looking for challenging platforming won't like not being able to move freely. But honestly, I don't think that should stop you from giving this a go. While the gameplay is the main strength of [b]Wunderling[/b], I really appreciate the extra touches. The art design is great, with so much life to everything, and some clever moments of environmental storytelling. The story in general is better than you would expect. This is the sort of game where you expect an excuse plot. Instead, while not story-driven, there are some nice little touches, and the different characters are all nicely fleshed out with surprising moments. I picked this up by chance in a bundle, but I'm really glad that I did. It's definitely some of the most gaming fun I've had this year.

Cozy auto runner puzzle game that does a great job with pacing and introducing new tools as you progress. Over 100 levels and each one of them has at least one secret that requires creative use of game mechanics. This is one of those hidden gems that you wish more people knew about. Incredible game.

+1 有中文 有成就 空间跃迁（Warp Zoned）：穿过你的第一个传送门。 壁花（Wallflower）：首次在一个关卡中收集所有花朵。 像颗橡皮球（Like A Rubber Ball）：跳跃 100 次。 小小迷你（Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie）：找到 1 件宝藏。 花朵朋克（Flower Punk）：在 5 个关卡中收集所有花朵。 盛装赴任（Dressed For Success）：装备 1 件物品。 闪电跳跳侠（Jumpin' Jack Flash）：穿过 10 个任意颜色的传送门。 傻瓜与巨龙（Dunces & Dragons）：完成第一场 Boss 战。 五五开（Five By Five）：找到 5 件宝藏。 “别慌，伙计！”（(Don't) Have A Cow, Man!）：完成 1 个奶牛任务。 他们说要跳（Jump They Say）：跳跃 1000 次。 “嘿！听着！”（Hey! Listen!）：获得 1 盘磁带。 翠绿家园之门（Green, Green Gates Of Home）：穿过绿色传送门完成 1 个关卡。 二十分裂（20/20 Fission）：穿过 20 个任意颜色的传送门。 漫游闯关（Walkabout Wipeout）：以 100% 完成度通关 1-14 关卡。 释放蛙鸣者（Release The Croaker）：在世界 1 中释放青蛙。 迟开的花（Late Bloomer）：在 20 个关卡中收集所有花朵。 艰难人生（It's A Hard Knock Life）：死亡 100 次。 漫长炎夏（The Long, Hot Summer）：解锁沙漠世界。 时尚受害者（Fashion Victim）：装备每个类别中的 1 件物品。 狂热收集（Manic: The Gathering）：找到 20 件宝藏。 橙色花开特辑（Orange Blossom Special）：收集一整个世界中的所有花朵。 事不过三（Third Time's A Charm）：完成一个世界中所有绿色传送门关卡。 海盗与藏宝（Buccaneers And Buried Gold）：找到一整个世界中的所有宝藏。 千钧一发（In The Nick Of Time）：在生命值极低的情况下完成 1 个关卡。 沙堡与玻璃骆驼（Sand Castles & Glass Camels）：完成第二场 Boss 战。 传送我吧，小可爱（Beam Me Up Buttercup）：穿过 50 个任意颜色的传送门。 石楠花骚乱（Rockrose Riot）：以 100% 完成度通关 2-10 关卡。 黄金门票（Golden Ticket）：解锁工厂世界。 救场的胡萝卜（Daucus Ex Machina）：完成第三场 Boss 战。 突破极限（Up To Eleven）：获得 5 盘磁带。 不再拖延（Dilly-Dally Done）：以 100% 完成度通关 3-9 关卡。 “追击者如影随形”（Exit, Pursued By A Blur）：穿过 100 个任意颜色的传送门。 “不触大地”（Not To Touch The Earth）：跳跃 10000 次。 “吃甜菜还是不吃甜菜”（To Beet, Or Not To Beet）：完成第四场 Boss 战。 堆肥冠军（Compost Champ）：以 100% 完成度通关 4-C 关卡。 驯牛大师（Hoofmeister）：完成 10 个奶牛任务。 愚人金（Fool's Gold） 工厂精英（Factory's Finest）：以 100% 完成度通关 5-B 关卡。 终极幻想家（Final Fantasizer）：以 100% 完成度通关最终关卡。 植物标本达人（Herbaria Hit）：以 100% 完成度通关 6-15 关卡。 ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⣀⣶⣾⣿⣦⡔⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⣶⢢⣴⣿⣷⣶⣄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⣰⣿⣿⠿⢿⣧⣸⢻⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⡟⣇⣼⡿⠉⢿⣿⡆⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⢰⣿⠟⠻⣀⠜⠛⣿⡾⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢧⠟⠛⣷⣶⡿⠛⢿⡆⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⣿⣿⣶⣶⠉⢲⣶⢟⣽⣮⣭⣭⣭⣭⣭⣭⣭⣭⣵⣯⡳⣶⡿⠛⢿⣦⣾⣿⠄ ⠄⠄⢸⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⢣⡟⠁⠄⠙⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠋⠄⠈⢻⡜⣧⣤⣾⣿⣿⣿⡇⠄ ⠄⠄⣼⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣵⣿⣧⣀⣀⣠⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣄⣀⣀⣼⣿⣮⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⣧⠄ ⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⡿⣽⣿⡟⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⠛⢻⣿⣯⢿⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⠄⠄⣿⣿⣿⣿⢳⣿⠋⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠙⣿⡞⣿⣿⣿⣿⠄ ⠄⠄⢻⣿⣿⣇⣿⠇⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠸⣿⣸⣿⣿⡟⠄‎ ⠄⠄⠈⠿⠿⣼⡟⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄⠄ ⠄⠄⢻⣧⠻⠿⠁

几块钱买的游戏，这个价格的基础上内容还是挺多的，音乐也好听，全成就友好。[spoiler] 通关后可以看主角美照，还有隐藏关卡 [/spoiler]

Goomba simulator, fun concept, great at what it does. If you like platformer puzzle games, def give those on a look.

"Wunderling DX" is a quite charming and sometimes challenging pixelated puzzle-/precision-platformer with a good amount of content, easy to learn / hard to master gameplay-mechanics and nice level design. You play the most basic enemy in the baddies roster of your run-of-the-mill platformer, getting revived and powered up by the main villian to chase after the hero. I found the comedic and carefree approach on the story more miss than hit (and some pop-cultural references even a bit jarring), but the depiction of the genre it is parodising is competent (plus towards the ending its tone got somewhat serious and quite dark, which was refreshing). Gameplaywise it delivers quite well: There is a good amount of worlds and levels and while the loop can get slightly repetitive and sometimes even frustrating, it is overall more forgiving than other entries in this genre and progression feels good. There is also a good sum of collectibles and secrets. Plus the health timer (you need to collect buds, otherwise you deteriorate) adds some challenge while secret hunting, for you have to reserve your pickups. Overall a good entry in the puzzle-/precision-platformer genre that definetly deserves a broader audience!