REVIEW

Tanglewood Review

by Rob Pritchard, September 7th, 2018

In the past few years, a handful of indie developers have opted to develop games for older platforms that have become industry icons such as the Sega Dreamcast, Super NES and the SEGA Mega Drive, also known as the Genesis in North America. Funded via Kickstarter in November 2016 by newcomers Big Evil Corporation, Tanglewood is the latest of these projects, which has seen a simultaneous release on PC and the SEGA Mega Drive.

Like many platformers from the early 90’s, the plot of Tanglewood is told without a single line of dialogue. The story focuses on a young fox-like creature named Nymm, who is separated from his friends and family after he stays outside past sunset. Unable to return to his home because of the dangers that inhabit the night hours, Nymm must rely on his natural abilities and the friendly supernatural beings that will help him survive until sunrise. Keeping with the theme of the retro aesthetic, there is little to no exposition within the game or description of the control mechanics, so you will need to read the included digital manual if you are curious as to the finer details. Many older games will revel in this trip down memory lane, whereas players from recent generations may be waiting for the tutorial messages that will never materialise.

Tanglewood is primarily a 2D platformer, with inspiration drawn from titles such as James Pond, Mario and Sonic the Hedgehog. In order to progress through each level, Nymm must come to the aid of mysterious multicoloured creatures called Fuzzls. By helping them return to their designated stumps, Nymm will be able to change the colour of his fur and gain their special abilities. Whether it is gliding like Bubsy, stopping time like Max Caulfield or hiding from enemies like Solid Snake, each ability brings something unique to Tanglewood’s gameplay, without feeling like a simple re-skin or a duplicated skill set.

Just like in the real world, the best way to survive in Tanglewood is to stay above the ground by leaping onto platforms formed by tree branches. The only way to reach them is by jumping into the foxholes littered throughout each area. Unlike many mascot platformers, Nymm’s physics are tightly designed, and thankfully lack the floating effect that you something experience with a character’s jumping mechanics. The only time any major difficulty spikes occured was when certain type of enemies appeared on screen. As you might expect, the earlier foes simply go back and forth in a relatively robotic fashion, whereas the later antagonists have tracking behaviours to seek out Nymm with a determination rarely seen in 2D platformers.

The PC version of Tanglewood is in fact using the Mega Drive version of the game, wrapped in an emulator that adds additional features such as save states to replace the built in password system, and access to the game’s digital manual. What makes Tanglewood unique in the realm of retro inspired titles is that it was developed using original SEGA hardware development kits, rather than using modern computers and working in reverse. One exciting feature is that you can legally extract the ROM file from a purchased PC copy of the game, and play it on your original console via a flash cart or a clone console such as the Retro Freak. The game runs at exactly the same frame rate on both platforms, with the PC having slightly better loading times by mere seconds.

The graphics of Tanglewood are vivid and detailed, but lack the diversity found in titles of it’s calibur. Most of the sprites for Nymm and the environment have a level of detail that was rarely seen in the 16 bit generation, but there are a few glaring assets that seem like they weren’t replaced before the game was shipped for release. The soundtrack is appropriately dark and mysterious to suit the game’s overall tone, with some cute sound effects and diegetic sound bytes to help immerse the player into Tanglewood’s mystical landscape.

Overall, Tanglewood is a cute 2D platformer that will appeal to retro and modern gaming fans alike. The graphic style and soundtrack will make fans of the 16 bit era feel like they are booting their consoles for the first time all over again. Despite it’s flaws, Tanglewood is a successful end result of an ambitious project whose creativity and ingenuity should be celebrated and replicated for many years to come.