Anton Blas Kind of like playing a funny Saturday morning cartoon. It's arrogant, extremist, and often, you feel like you don't really understand what's going on. Somehow, this chaos condenses into something that actually makes sense—and sometimes is even calming.

Anton Blas It's just coming out in 2024, but it looks like a long-lost side-scrolling platformer from the 16-bit era of the SNES or Sega Genesis. It's not just because of the great pixel art. There are some fun details in there, like the delightful '90s character designs and Mode 7-like effects like your character splattering across the screen when you die, which really feels like a missing classic from that era.

summit sphere, Anton Blas’s developers describe the game as a “fast-paced, explosive action platformer,” which is a good way to sum up what the game actually feels like. what happens if you put it in Wario, Sonic, Donkey Kong Country, Crash Bandicoot, The Ren & Stimpy Showand Rocco's modern life Place in blender.

As Anton or Annie, you will rush through various enemies and obstacles in your path, sometimes transforming into a real tornado of chaos, to retrieve souls (as in the drink) from the evil Satan, who stole the souls and took them Scattered across 12 different levels.

The levels usually have some sort of gimmick or theme, and are explored with an almost Nintendo-like precision. A level will often turn your character into a pinball. Another special feature turns you into a bouncing exploding bomb. One of my favorite areas is the maze-like bathroom, which is eerily quiet compared to the rest of the game. At the end of almost every level, you activate a switch, start a timer and begin a wild and thrilling run back to the entrance.

In most cases, Anton Blas Encourages you to build momentum, just like a classic Sonic game. Even if things get out of control because of how fast you're going or how much is on the screen, it's easy to get into a state of surging forward. As I got better at the game, I actually started to feel more chilled when things got out of hand. Games usually lead me in the right direction and I learn to accept that things are happening the way they should.

Sometimes the game has some tough platforms or annoying checkpoints that might take me out of the flow state - also like Sonic. Some bosses tend to be epic, screen-filling spectacles that can be incredibly difficult. Luckily though, reloading is fast, which makes these frustrations easier to deal with. The final levels and bosses are particularly challenging, but if you do make it to this point, trust me when I tell you the rewards of seeing them pass are worth it.

Like the 90s cartoons that were its obvious inspiration, Anton Blas Can be a little loud and immature. There's actually a button you can press to make your character scream. But like the best shows, its creators clearly enjoyed creating an over-the-top world, and they made it incredibly fun to play — even if I had no idea what was going on.

Anton Blas Now available on Nintendo Switch and Steam.