Snow Bros. Wonderland | PS5 Review

From the 2D puzzle platformer of the bygone NES era to tumultuous timeline of our real world today we find Tatsujin's latest iteration of the Snow Bros. series carrying it's legacy forward for a new generation of gamers. In this Wonderland sequel that takes place ten years after the events of the original we find that the former Snow Bros. are retired, and that their next of kin Tom Jr. and Nick Jr. are the successors to their snowman super powers. 

This succession of power could not come at a more convenient time as demon lord Atchich has once again gained power over the kingdom and let loose Hell on Earth in opposition to the princess. His demon minions taking control of various regions that the duly appointed heroes of the day must clear in order to regain control. Whether or not they stand a snowball's chance in Hell is up to you to find out ...

As Tom, Nick, or two other joining characters of Snow Bros. fame you can go solo or co-op as you tackle this unique 3D take on the original formula. As a snowman superhero beckoned to defend the kingdom, and save the princess from demon lord Atchich you must learn the ropes of the gig, and fast. This includes the encasing of snowmen statues or demons in snow, and using those snow boulders to combo into other demons for sushi coins. It is the sushi coin currency you are mainly after as it unlocks everything from new abilities and bonus perks to gallery items, and costume items. 

To make the most of each segmented stage of combo centered puzzles you will need to not only use the snow boulder creation method, and kick to combo scoring mechanic, but must also use in-stage gimmicks that will do things like change the snow boulders direction or bounce them into other demons in the given trajectory. 

Doing this with maximum combo potential in mind is the key to capitalizing on score items in the form of food and meal tickets that will translate, at the end of a stage to sushi coins. Sushi coins being the game's currency for all unlocks. Additionally you'll be able to dig up hidden presents, and replenish health in hot springs.

Each stage in a mapped out line of seven leading to a region boss battle has portals that must be unlocked in order to gain access to the next section, and the keys that will drop in both silver and gold which lead to leader demons as well as the final exit, respectfully. Learning how to best utilize the surrounding gimmicks, and deal with the hazards per stage will be the key to getting a top score, and unlocking each stage's special cosmetic or ability. 

The boss in the mix then leading you on to the next set of stages in a thematic evolution of regions with their own unique additions to gameplay. With the boss battles strategy is required, and both ice pellets as well as demon snow boulders can be used to whittle away that the boss's health as it moves and acts in patterns across the arena. It should be said that ice pellets, the ammo used to build snow boulders, are set to a cooldown, but can be rejuvenated by holding down TRIANGLE on the controller.

The Presentation ...

Snow Bros. Wonderland, is a 3D spin-off of the 2D original that lightly takes inspiration from it's predecessor. It is still very much stage oriented, but with stages setup more like rooms with sections of demons to be dealt with. Each of the stage's inner workings connected by portals that are either unlocked through demon clearing or the obtaining of special keys dropped after leader demons are cleared. The game does sport an isometric look, and is themed as any fantasy story centered around demons and snowmen should be.

For story elements that game introduces, early on, static yet lightly animated cutscenes with spoken dialogue done by a cast of what seems to be British voice actors/actresses. It's not Triple A budget cinematography, but it does alright for a game of this caliber. The soundtrack, on the other hand, is oddly synth in nature, but complimentary so. It almost has a chiptune quality about it giving homage, once again, to the original game.

The Verdict ...

Going into Wonderland I was actually expecting something more along the lines of Super Mario 64, but was pleasantly surprised to see a stage based and puzzle based style of gameplay that did adhere to series standards. While stages are often times short lived, and easy to breeze through for any diehard gamer with experience it's still fun trying to 100% every stage as you go along. I'd say if anything the three difficulty settings that mostly effect sushi coin payout do not hold sway in this easily accessible adventure. It's a game the younger audience could also easily enjoy this holiday season.