The Daily Click

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Review: Zan-Zan Episode 3: The Final Hattenation

Author:	Hill Gigas
Added:	03/12/2007
Overall:
Average:	7/10

So here is Episode 3 of the Zan-Zan saga. I went into it knowing pretty much what to expect, and I was 75% right. The only difference between this one and the last one is that this one has a real lonliness to it. In fact, if I had to pick one word to describe this game, it would be: lonely. Until the very end of the game, you won't see a soul, no enemies, no npc's, nothing. Just you and the sleepy music and those wierd cactus things that come up out of the ground.

Gameplay is one of the better parts of these games. Play control is pretty solid. You always feel like you have good control over your character. The only drawback is the hit detection. In fact, every hit I took in this game happened one of two ways- The first way was running over a spike that I thought was "down enough". Its easy to think that your blue body if your point of impact, but stubbing your toe on the top pixel of a spike will hurt just as much. The only other way you'll get hurt is from unfair spikes that are almost right under you when you enter a new screen. When you go onto a new screen you'd better not move a pixel because in most rooms there is a spike or cactus right in front of you about to appear. In fact, your momentum from the last screen is usually enough to carry you into one. 3/4 of my hits happened this way.

I've always enjoyed the graphics of this series. The sprites are simple, colorful and well made. The worlds are fun to explore, and the main character is very endearing.

The sounds of this game are good enough for what it is. There arent many sound effects other than you getting hit and you splashing in water. Nothing else really happens for there to be a sound effect. There is only one soundtrack, very slow and very soothing. It's nice to listen to, but different music for different areas would have been nice.

Lastability takes a hit just because the game is so short. I died only once, then beat the game with my next life. Most people won't die at all. It's a very easy game. Buttons are in front of the doors they open, there is a heart behind every spike, and the signs tell you to go left before going right. It's just a matter of walking from point A to point B.

Overall this is a cute little series that won't last long, but is a pretty fun way to spend 10 minutes. Graphics are cute, sounds are decent, and play control is solid. Recommended for fans of simple platformers.