"You had me at SPLODE!"
Well, they finally did it. After so much destruction, the scientists at Big Science Labs have captured Splosion Man. To celebrate, they throw a big party. Unfortunately, due to the carelessness of one scientist, a bottle of champagne is spilled on a nearby cable, creating a highly unstable reaction where a bow just happens to land. Thus, Ms Splosion Man is born, and she's just as crazy, destructive and homicidal as her male counterpart. Now, she plans on rescuing Splosion Man from the clutches of the eggheads, escaping and marrying her beloved.
The story is still simple, but that only leaves room for what Twisted Pixel does best; their quirky characters. Ms Splosion Man herself is full of tremendous energy. Much like the original Splosion Man, she demonstrates her insanity through her multiple walk cycles (power walks, dancing, talking on the phone, etc.) and constant jibber jabber all throughout each stage. The pop cultural references are back too, of course, but instead of movie quotes, most of her dialogue involves lines from modern songs (like "If you want to be my lover" or "If you like it then you should have put a ring on it") when she kills enemies. However, while the quotes in the original Splosion Man made sense, some of MS' pop music lyrics feel out of place. Why quote a Spice Girl or Lady Gaga song while blowing *** up? Ms Splosion Man actually comes off as a bit more annoying than the first one, but the humor and charm are still intact.
For those of you who haven't played the original, as the title suggests, the game revolves around the "sploding" mechanic. That is, with the tap of a button, you can "splode" multiple times to get over obstacles, deflect missiles, and kill enemies or helpless scientists. This may just sound like a fancier jump at first, but it's more than that. It's also your health. Sploding 3 times in succession will burn you out and deplete your energy, leaving you vulnerable to enemy fire resulting in death. Luckily, landing on the ground will recharge you almost instantly. The mechanic worked well before and it works just as well here.
The gameplay is pretty similar at first, but with this explosive sequel comes new moves and a greater variety of puzzles to play with. For instance, now there's the zip line, which automatically accelerates you forward. This alone is a fun new element and allowed Twisted Pixel to really play with it and use it in multiple ways. In addition, you also have trampolines, barrels that slowly propel to the ground and rocket cars. Each one creating a variety of challenges and surprises as you progress. Also, along with the return of the helpless scientists and robots come gun wielding scientists and old guys in wheel chairs that you'll need to pass certain puzzles and clear your path.
As you can see, there is certainly more to offer in puzzles and gameplay elements, but it doesn't stop there. One complaint I had with the first Splosion Man is while all three stages were enjoyable, they all felt similar thematically. Well, Ms. Splosion Man fixed that. There are only 3 stages with 15 levels and a boss at the end of each again, but thanks to different themes and aesthetics, the variety is much greater. The first stage starts you off in a lab but you quickly go outside in the big city starting in a later level. Moving on from the lab and city comes more tropical-looking stages. These newer aesthetics really add to the game's improved visual appeal and makes each level as interesting as the last.
But enough about how they look, how do they play? Well, luckily, the fantastic level design of the first game returns. In fact, thanks to the added elements as mentioned earlier, the levels are bigger, better and more fun than before. However, it's also a lot harder. The game eases you in with the simple gameplay but the difficulty spikes up fast, and several levels after that rely on a little bit of trial and error to pass them. This can occasionally make the game frustrating as your timing on many puzzles has to be 100% perfect, otherwise the game is anything but forgiving. Still, this just makes accomplishing them all the more rewarding, but I wouldn't recommend this game for the easily frustrated. Other than that, the level design is faster and more thrilling than ever before, and the whole experience is rewarding.
Co-op also makes a return, of course. The game pretty much plays the same but you'll have the ability to "splode" off each other to reach certain platforms. This is when you run and jump into each other, explode at the same time, and launch one or the other to incredible heights. Pretty similar to the first game's co-op, but with newer challenges that are exclusive to the mode. Don't have any friends to play with? Well, you're in luck, because you can unlock "Two Girls, One Controller" mode. Here, you can play co-op by controlling both girls with both thumb sticks (the left stick controls one, the right stick controls the other). This mode isn't bad but you'll find it much more tedious than just finding someone to play with you. Some of the controls can get a little confusing as you control both, like trying to splode into each other.
The first Splosion Man offered a unique sidescrolling platforming experience. Ms Splosion Man carries over what made the first game so wonderful and not only adds more puzzles and elements, but it offers a greater value. For just $10 (or 800 mp), you'll get a pretty lengthy platforming adventure with lots of hidden collectables, leaderboards and a co-op mode. While the game may be frustrating at times, the experience is worth it in the end. If you enjoyed the first Splosion Man, then there's no reason you shouldn't have a blast with Ms Splosion Man.