ANTONBLAST Review — Happy Hour

Humans deeply desire to see things crush, shatter, and explode. Something about wanton, harmless destruction gets the blood pumping and seeds that oh-so-precious dopamine in our brains. The same can be said for flashing lights, loud noises, and a ticking clock; ANTONBLAST, with its destruction-focused gameplay, Wario-land-style “hurry up” level clearing, and, well, loud noises, perfectly encapsulates all three, making for an undeniably exciting platformer.

ANTONBLAST follows the titular Dynamite Anton and his “co-worker” Annie as they quest to get their booze back from Satan, who enraged that Anton might be redder than himself, has set a trap to lure him out and siphon his redness. Said “quest” is actually more like a drunken, wanton destruction spree aimed vaguely in the direction of their stolen spirits, but whatever.

The game allows you to play as either Dynamite Anton or Annie. The obvious choice for me was Annie; I found her much more expressive and interesting. This is ironic and funny, considering the devil’s whole plan revolves around Anton’s redness, and Annie is noticeably green.

ANTONBLAST is a fast-paced, explosive platformer. As the title suggests, you will smash, break, and blast everything in your way to get your precious spirits back—be they walls, gopher soldiers, or screen-filling bosses.

The primary function is what ANTONBLAST calls “clutching,” a gameplay term I might be unfamiliar with. Essentially, when you attack with Anton’s hammer or Annie’s mace, slamming your weapon into the ground creates forward momentum. This can be used with movement commands to get extra distance on jumps and to rush through levels at frightening speeds, obliterating any obstacle in your path.

This is just one of the many laws of cartoon physics ANTONBLAST uses for its platforming. You’ll also see Anton and Annie turning themselves into bowling balls, jumping between the foreground and background, and achieving superhuman bounciness, achieving a level of bounciness no mere mortal could ever hope to achieve.

Obvious comparisons can be made between ANTONBLAST, Wario Land, and Pizza Tower (the latter of which I’m more familiar with). Both Pizza Tower and ANTONBLAST use speed and momentum in their level designs, occasionally broken up by more precise platforming and exploration. The most obvious comparison is the timed exit; ANTONBLAST’s “Happy Hour” gives you a (generous) timed period to reach the exit before things start exploding (this time, not in the protagonists’ favor). It’s an exciting way to end a stage.

What I find interesting is that despite ANTONBLAST’s focus on speed and over-the-top cartoon violence, there’s a surprising amount of exploration in each level. I’ve heard the developers intended for an almost Metroidvania level of exploration. While this might seem to clash with the fast-paced, destructive gameplay, I found it works pretty well, at least before you trigger “Happy Hour.” Players who want to rush through levels are free to do so, but you’re not punished for exploring at a slower pace.

The game’s clever level design is presented with irreverent humor. The world is grungy, a little gross, and its jokes mostly revolve around its flamboyant characters—most notably, Satan, the charismatic (for all the wrong reasons) antagonist, who sashays across the screen in jealousy-fueled monologues about wanting to destroy a man as red as he is.

No discussion of ANTONBLAST is complete without praising the art, which stylistically pulls from old-school, raunchier cartoons like Ren and Stimpy or Cow and Chicken with its character designs and grungier feel. This pairs well with the thick-outlined pixel art, giving ANTONBLAST a retro PC game look. It’s as if Pajama Sam went punk, and I love it.

ANTONBLAST delivers an exhilarating mix of speed, destruction, and cartoon chaos. Whether you’re blitzing through levels or taking your time to explore, the cartoon zaniness shines through. The art style and character designs evoke a nostalgic yet edgy charm, further enhancing the game’s unique appeal, and I, for one, can say that ANTONBLAST is a game platforming fans will be sure to remember.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! ANTONBLAST is available on Steam and Nintendo Switch.