From The Archive is a series that takes articles written by Jennifer McMurray in the past and presents them here on MIC News for a new audience.
Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso was previously published on The Adventuress on October 4, 2015.
Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso was made freeware by Jupiter Games in 2010.
The game takes place in the universe of the Mr. Smoozles webcomics by Steve Ince. Aliens are slowly eliminating the Earth from existence, and on top of that, they’ve brainwashed Mr. Smoozles. Now Ed has to evade Mr. Smoozle’s deadly laser beams while interrogating people and solving the puzzles of the mansion in order to put things back to the way they were.
The art style follows the style of the webcomic quite closely, which is a good thing, as the comic has a bright, cute art style that ends up juxtaposing the danger of the situation, and makes for a good combination. The story is top notch, which shouldn’t be a surprise, as Steve Ince is well known for his adventure game writing, from his days at Revolution Software to more recent titles such as So Blonde. There is no voice acting, but the game’s script works well enough on its own, and the fantastic arcade style soundtrack successfully fills the needs in the audio department.
The action can be tense, as is the case for any arcade-style action game. Ed has to avoid Mr. Smoozles, who patrols the mansion with a laser pistol and must also avoid obstacles such as mines and machines. Ed also has to retrieve items in the mansion, sometimes in exchange for another item, and sometimes to get to new places. It’s standard adventure game fare, but it’s actually quite amazing how well this laid-back style of talking to characters, collecting items, and solving puzzles blends with the fast-paced action sequences.
If you don’t mind a lot of action in your adventure games, you probably would enjoy Mr. Smoozles Goes Nutso. It has an intriguing story with a good dose of humor, a charming art style, fun puzzles, adrenaline-pumping arcade sequences, and a soundtrack that suits the arcade style of the game nicely. It’s also now available to download and play free of charge, so it’s well worth giving it a play.
Final Verdict:
4 out of 5