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Yoku’s Island Express


Whiskey_chaser
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  • 2 weeks later...

If you listen to the Bomb/Beastcast you may have heard them talk about this game. It’s a platform/pinball hybrid and I’m gonna have to chuck Metroidvania in there too cos that’s what it is.

 

So you’re a tiny little beetle pushing around a ball, you arrive on an island via a wave and you are immediately given the job of Postmaster by the previous occupant of the job who’s legging it because some shit is happening on the Island that he just isn’t down with. It turns out you can make a whole game from that premise. 

 

The novelty is you navigate the Island using pinball bumpers, these bumpers flick the ball you (as the little beetle) are holding on to. Throughout this platforming you encounter mini pinball table like areas that require you complete small tasks (like send the ball through certain loops and in to certain spots) before you can progress. 

 

All the while on your journey you’re collecting fruit that can be used to unlock bumpers so as to reach new areas or purchase things like larger wallets to hold more fruit.

 

You encounter jolly characters along the way who have tasks for you, some are fetch quests, others are items of use to help you further progress (hence the Metroidvania description).

 

Its a pretty happy little game thus far (about an hour and a half I think) plinky plonky Hawaiian like guitar music with whistles and drums, plush greenery, that sort of thing.

 

Im not always sure where I’m going but I always seem to be going the right way and I’ve enjoyed the time I spent with it so far. Time will tell if the £15.99 price tag was just.

 

 

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So sorry, I didn’t remember seeing a thread for this.

 

Playing this on the Switch, I put it on at halftime during the footy, next thing I know I’ve missed 10 minutes of the second half.

 

Just did my first significant “thing”. I won’t go in to too much detail, not that I’m giving much away but just so it’s as spoiler free as possible, but it was at the Skull Hideout and it was good pinball fun with a little puzzle element.

 

I feel an addiction growing.

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Been playing this a bit today but, as is a running theme for me lately, I’m frequently getting lost and stuck.

I got the ability to suck up slugs but there’s one bit I’m on that I just can’t suck it up without smashing into it instead. I’m sure I’m missing something but I just can’t do it.

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Dunno what to say H, I don’t remember having trouble sucking up a specific slug. Is that what you mean? Your trying to suck it up but you just smash in to it instead?

 

I’ve had a Sootling Leash for a while but have only recently found a place to use it. I’ve done a bit of backtracking too, some on my own accord and some due to side questy type stuff. Progress feels like it’s coming thicker and faster now. Had to use the map fairly often to plot my way.

 

My only gripe, and it’s minor, is that sometimes I’ll have a full wallet of fruit and come across nothing to spend it on for a while, all the while encountering a ton of extra fruit. Then I’ll finally find some shit to spend it on in fairly quick succession and deplete my spending resources only to come across more shit to buy. And is there any fruit about? Is there fuck.

 

To be fair that’s only happened a few times but it feels odd that it happens at all. Could be the way I’ve chosen to go but I’m still not always sure I’m going in the right direction!

 

 

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I got further through it.

The problem with the slugs is the mechanic is a bit fiddly. I read after a bit of googling that you should only hold the button down once time starts to slow down, not before. I think that’s the main reason why it wasn’t working very often for me.

 

I got a couple of new things now that means I can explore more places.

I’d be interested to hear what Jim and Sly make of this as the pinball feels pretty spot on to me.

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3 hours ago, Sly Reflex said:

The most interesting thing would be if people that enjoyed this took up FX or TPA.

Personally, I like pinball but not enough to go deep in a proper pinball game.

This is more using that mechanic to play a Metroidvania, which is more my bag.

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I gon got stuck. Making my way to the third chief, I feel I’ve looked everywhere down below but I can’t find a way in. It’s possible I haven’t finished something from the Space Monks. It’s also possible I haven’t drunk enough cider. Thing is it’s gonna take a while to get back up the top...

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Yea dude, but i was way below them. Actually getting back was much easier than it looked.

 

I also found where I was supposed to go but to me it didn't seem that obvious! I am on the last bit I think now, I have most of the map uncovered. This game is a real treat.

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Just finished it. I certainly enjoyed it although sometimes I didn’t always find the way forward very clear but that may have been me being a spacko. Fairly easy as games go.

 

Still lots to do, I finished at around 60%, I can see myself dipping in again here and there.

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On 6/18/2018 at 9:41 PM, illdog said:

Just finished it. I certainly enjoyed it although sometimes I didn’t always find the way forward very clear but that may have been me being a spacko.

That’s been my main problem with it - sometimes it doesn’t even have the objective on the map.

 

I’ve finished the main story, though I have plenty to do. Got one of the three packages to deliver left at least.

 

I thought I recognised one of the main dudes’ name on the credits, and sure enough it’s a Swedish guy who worked on Chronicles of Riddick, The Darkness, and Wolfenstein : The New Order. Bit of a change for him, this!

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  • 1 month later...

Played through the Switch demo a few times now and ordered a physical copy. It's slightly cheaper to get it digitally, but I figure I might trade it afterwards.

 

Really enjoyed the demo, the pinball works well and is satisfying, and the rest it seems to play well too.

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Put a few hours into this today, got as far as getting the slug sucking add on. It really is lovely, the gameplay, art style and music all really compliment each other.

 

Some of the pinball is 'proper' pinball as well, with carefully timed shots needed to hit certain paths and collect purple gem things.

 

That has been the nicest surprise for me, that the pinball has some challenge that a pinball table would have and it isn't just a mechanic for navigating and controlling.

 

Looking forward to playing some more tomorrow.

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I think I'm fairly far into this now. Got the soot swingy things so I can get to some bits I couldn't before and completed two of the three letter delivery quests. Also activated two of the bee line fast travel things as well. It continues to be excellent and I don't really want it to finish yet so hoping I still have a few more hours left. 

 

I can't figure out what (if anything) the ball colour changes do. I've gone red at the moment and it doesn't seem to make a difference on game play. 

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