GoobnBalloonsDX – PS4 Review

I’ll be honest, anything on itch.io is a mystery to me. It’s one of the PC storefronts I tend to ignore when looking for new games to try. GoobnBalloons originally saw the light of day there for free. Now an updated version has arrived with more content, improved visuals and generally more polish. Whilst the new additions are absolutely welcome, the core gameplay has remained solid, if unspectacular.

GoobnBalloonsDX ditches the original pixel aesthetic for something cleaner and more complex. It’s not a technical tour de force but I do find it easier on the eyes, even if it does maintained that solo developer feel. IconicArts have done well to flesh out the concept and, whilst there’s not a lot going on visually, the balloons come in a variety of colours. There’s also more in the way of backgrounds, some of which carry their own stipulations.

In terms of gameplay, GoobnBalloonsDX is all about popping balloons. They float down from the top of the screen whilst your chosen character blasts them from below. The arcade mode follows a traditional score attack mode where you pop until a balloon makes contact with you. As the mode continues, variants turn up to offer more points. The scoring system is very basic and leaderboards are local only. Controls take on a traditional twin-stick setup.

The main meat of the game exists within Goob’s Odyssey. This campaign takes place across a world map you can traverse. Each level maintains the balloon popping ethos but there are twists to the formula. Sometimes you are tasked with destroying targets, others may throw in complications like wind or indestructible balloons. The variety is frequent and it ensures the game rarely feels repetitive.

Levels are generally short with most of them taking under a minute to complete. This can lead the campaign feeling short, despite dozens of challenges. Anything tasking with survival takes the longest and the randomised patterns can make some situations feel unpredictable. Thankfully, retrying can be quick. Each challenge is rated with medals and a bronze medal is enough to unlock the next on the map. There are branching paths which allows for some levels to be optional and there are plenty to work with.

I don’t think all the levels are winners. I had trouble with one that required you to control two Goobs at once. I found focusing on two screens to be bothersome, especially when the smaller screen takes up part of your main playing field. On top of that, there are moments where precision’s required. In most challenges, you don’t have to be restrictive with your shots and any balloon is fair game. When that luxury is taken away, it can become frustrating.  Local multiplayer can ease some of the tension but it does seem limited to two players.

As you progress, there’s accessories and new characters to unlock. The former doesn’t add to the gameplay and acts solely as cosmetic trinkets. Each character has their own quirks. Goob is your first option with a steady rate of fire and decent movement speed. So far, my favourite is Mr. Analogue. As the name suggests, he has full analogue movement which allows for more directional precision. The trade off is he does tend to slide. Goob and many others stick to the eight cardinal directions for shot placement. It’s good for most levels but I like being able to have more degrees of freedom.

It’s a shame you can tag a character as a favourite. Before each level, you pick your character and accessory and it always defaults to Goob. If I’m retrying a challenge a lot, I need to go through that process every time. It’s a minor annoyance but, for a game so small, it sticks out. Any challenges that require high scores shows up the scoring system for being really basic. Outside of screen-clearing balloons, there’s no real way to build a multiplier up. Higher value targets do arrive but the process seems slow.

That leads me back into the arcade mode which gains more stages as you unlock new worlds within Goob’s Odyssey. It’s interesting to the see the two modes linked but, despite the purity the arcade section offers, it’s still hampered by the way scoring works. At least new stages offer a change in what balloon types are thrown your way. In that respect, it’s still a big improvement over the original game.

I do like how easy it is to discern threats. The balloons are all colourful and the special balloons have their own look and charm. It never looks too chaotic. Even with the random elements, I never saw GoobnBalloonsDX as especially difficult. There’s the added incentive of chasing gold medals but, without any rewards attached to it, I never felt the need to do so.

There’s fun to be had in GoobnBallonsDX. The new content fleshes out the concept and makes for a more substantial experience. There’s a variety to the campaign which helps prevent things getting stale and there’s a few interesting ideas on offer. They don’t always hit and I do find the scoring leads to some levels dragging on. There’s a good feel to the movement and shooting and the new characters all have their own unique quirks.