PAX EAST 2022 | "Kao the Kangaroo"
You can thank the fans for bringing back Kao the Kangaroo, a seemingly-obscure video game hero in the same vein as Crash Bandicoot and Banjo-Kazooie. Thanks to a Twitter campaign, interest in this walloping wallaby began to take hold by the gaming community. So much so, that developers Tate Multimedia re-released the second game remastered on Steam to test the waters. After a surprising success, a reboot of Kao the Kangaroo was decided, which is set to unleash this May.
At PAX East, I had the opportunity to experience an early level of Kao the Kangaroo. After punching for some coins in fragile containers, Kao finds himself in a lava-filled realm. Here, he learns how to use firepower, which not only adds an extra oomph to his attacks, but also plays a key in some of the level’s puzzles. What at first looks like a straight-forward platformer instead winds up being filled with secret areas and some hidden goodies for those willing to seek them.
There’s a nice feel when playing Kao the Kangaroo that makes it seem like a classic Rareware title. Jumping, attacking, and initiating levels and puzzles are fairly simple to master, giving way to a comfortable gameplay experience. This not only helps the game be more accessible to younger players, but it helps it stay true to its Dreamcast origins. It results in a fun experience, one that has enough challenges without reaching frustrating levels.
That fun aspect is what kept the Kao the Kangaroo PAX demo a delight to experience. Its cutesy visuals, humorous dialogue, and terrific controls make this a reboot that one should keep a close watch on. Because it’s the kind of game that’ll take a week complete rather than many months, there’s a relaxing feel that takes hold when maneuvering Kao throughout the level. Even taking on tricky ledges or long jumps — which can lead to major health lost if not done right — never feels exhausting, despite the many times I found myself plummet back to the checkpoint zone.
The main goal of bringing back Kao the Kangaroo was to make him more noticeable to the rest of the world. If this demo is any indication, Tate Multimedia may very well give their hopping hero the popularity he deserves. We won’t have to wait too long to see where Kao’s adventure will take players; one need only hope that this is only the beginning of Kao’s comeback story!
