Developed by IshiSoft
Released for XBLIG (12/2009)
Also on PC
One year after Johnny Platform's Biscuit Romp, developer IshiSoft brought us Johnny Platform Saves Christmas! The game is very similar to the first one but there are many new features and additions that make this a more enjoyable game. The Johnny Platform games are a combination of action, puzzle and platforming elements all wrapped up into one. The main objective is always to eliminate the enemies and get to the exit that is revealed, but often just getting to the exit door is a feat of its own and will require some thinking.
The game was developed specifically for the 360 this time around, so many of the original games weaknesses that were a result of being a port of a Nintendo DS game are gone this time around. There are several stages that now take up the whole screen, and while there are still some vertical stages they are larger than they were in Biscuit Romp and as a result they feel less crammed. The sprites have received an upgrade and everything looks better as a result. The game now features a couple of songs that change up every so often so the sound design is also improved where the previous game had only one song that looped continuously.
Johnny Platform has some new tricks up his sleeve now which helps add some freshness and variety to the puzzles. You can now perform a roll maneuver by using the bumpers or triggers. You can jump at the end of the roll too so it will assist in getting across gaps you normally couldn't clear. If you hold the roll button as you land on top of an enemy, you can roll off the top of their head. Johnny has gotten stronger since the last game and can now walk while carrying multiple stacked objects now. The game has also added little fire pits that will send you flying (much like in Battleblock Theater) and help you reach high spots. In addition to the rolling blocks (which were cookies in the first game) you now have bombs which can be ignited if rolled over a fire source. With this being a Christmas themed game, there are of course lots of icy platforms. All these additions are well implemented throughout and help add some variety to the gameplay.
While the original featured an admirable fifty-five levels, this one steps it up and offer a hundred levels! The difficulty spikes are a bit uneven, but it's a bit subjective as the time it takes for one person to solve a puzzle may be completely different for the next player. The stage design is solid overall and a lot of thought was put into the level layouts. The lives system has been altered to be a bit less of a nuisance now, as you can now start from any stage you've completed. The game will record how many lives you had when you reached a given stage in case you want to go back and rack up some more lives if you were having trouble reaching the next checkpoint, which you'll get every four or five levels. Once you reach about the halfway point of the game the difficulty really ramps up and I really began struggling to reach the next checkpoint. Actually the lives/checkpoint system is my only complaint against the game as it will force you to replay certain stretches over and over until you finally get to the next checkpoint. It's not a huge deal but it did cause me to turn the game off several times where I would've continued on if I didn't have to keep repeating the last several stages over and over. With that being said though I'd say Johnny Platform Saves Christmas is easily one of the top puzzle/platformers that came out for XBLIG.
While the game is no longer available on the 360 after the indie games section closed down, the developer was nice enough to develop a port for the PC and offers it free to download. If you're the type of gamer who enjoys puzzles or platformers then you should definitely give this one a go (link to the PC version is below).
Final Verdict: Johnny Platform Saves Christmas! improves upon the original in about every way imaginable. 2D platformer/puzzle fans don't sleep on this one!
Related Links:
Johnny Platform's Buscuit Romp - Xbox Overview
Link For Free PC Version - IshiSoft Official Site
Johnny Platform Saves Christmas! Review - Indie Gamer Chick
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