Cute, colourful, pixel art platformer? Check. SNES-inspirations? Check. Bopping music? Check check and check! Pompom: The Great Space Rescue is looking to bring some lovely platforming SNES nostalgia to your Switch on 25th October (thanks, Gematsu!). Developed by Tomo Camp, the game sees an adorable little hamster take to space to save his friend from a team of Space Cat Pirates!
The inspiration thread is clear — from Super Mario World to Kirby’s Dream Land 3 to Mega Man X, plenty of level designs, layouts, and puzzles all look back to the past. But this ham has his own little twist — you’re not moving Pompom, you’re moving the platforms.
The game launched on Steam in March 2022 and has received a lot of positive reviews, with many comparing the platformer favourably to previous Nintendo pixel platformers. And it looks just as good in motion, too.
Here’s a summary of the game from its Steam page:
Out of the hamster wheel and into space, Pompom is on a mission to save his boy Hoshi from the claws of Captain Cat and his wicked crew. Chase down each of the Space Cat Pirates, building platforms as you go. Use whatever it takes: springs, whips, umbrellas, cannons… Nothing can stop Pompom!
STORY
One day Pompom was working up a sweat on his hamster wheel, when Hoshi the boy burst into the room, showing a hand of beautiful jewels that fell from the sky with a great ‘BOOM’. When suddenly, Captain Cat and his gang appeared and kidnapped the little boy through a portal to space. Now Pompom must go on an adventure to save his boy Hoshi from the eight Space Cat Pirates!
GAMEPLAY
In a whole new kind of puzzle-action platformer, you do not control Pompom the hamster, but instead use your quick thinking to help him by placing and controlling platforms, obstacles and items around him. Analyze and use everything that comes your way: build bridges, place springs, prune vines… Be clever, be quick, be efficient. Travel through outer space to beaches full of flying fish, to ancient temples lost in the jungle, as you help Pompom outsmart his enemies and rescue his boy Hoshi from Captain Cat and his crew.
FEATURES
– Play a platformer in a new way, moving not the character but the platforms.
– Explore a beautiful tribute to the SNES classics and the 16 bits retro era.
– Adventure across 8 worlds in an epic space rescue: jump on flying fish, dodge nasty arrows, dispel vengeful spirits, swim past piranhas, battle flying saucers, and more.
– Pompom defeats enemies and collects items, and you can use those items and interact with the world to get him to victory.
– Use every item at your disposal: fly out of cannons, swing on ropes, slash vines, splash honey, freeze time and much more.
So, this might be one of those games that we get a little mad at, but keep coming back to because it’s oh-so-cute? We can take that. We think.
Even from the screenshots below it looks pretty irresistible — ghost houses with giant ghost pirate cats and big blocky fish are just the beginning.
If you really like the look of the game, then you don’t even need to wait until 25th October to give the game a go. A demo is now available on the Switch eShop in the UK.
Will you be boarding the hamster wheel and heading to space with Pompom on 25th October? Get rolling down to the comments and let us know!
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