Missing Banban is infinitely different from Garten Banban 0 and better, too. Granted, the latter was my first introduction to the universe brought to the Switch by Feardemic. Alas, Garten of Banban 0 didn’t leave a lasting impression in terms of gameplay, but it did show potential for world-building.
There’s no room for ambiguity (other than character naming), as Missing Banban is a bona fide 2D platformer that’ll have you jumpin’ and shootin’ way before you learn anything about the protagonists, antagonists, levels of humidity or where the nearest library is.
You play Sheriff Toadster and are on a mission to rescue your friends. Some wrong ‘uns have corrupted them, and despite being your besties beforehand (presumably), they’re now against you and will either attack or chase you down in a side-scrolling escape a la Super Meat Boy. Despite their cute and docile appearance, they’re a bunch of dicks.
Missing Banban Review (Nintendo Switch)
Besides the recurring characters and associated relationships, Missing Banban is nothing like the first-person abstract puzzle recently reviewed. It’s a side-scrolling platformer no different than any other retro game of its ilk – the only slight standouts would be the bright colours and quirky inhabitants that occupy it.
Toadster will run and jump, dash, and shoot with their pistol, which also has a charge option. The same applies to everything else in that you collect coins that can be exchanged for power-ups, an increase in health and energy, and some additional guns, which are awarded through story progress.
As mentioned, you begin as Toadster, but by collecting sheriff badges, you can purchase new skins of familiar faces. Cosmetics only, darling – no changes to stats or the narrative. So, collecting all the coins on offer in the game is meaningful on Missing Banban, unlike that fat Italian guy with the mushroom Goomba things.
Off The Wall
The best part of Missing Banban was how easy it was to get into. After the intro about a sceptre… missing friends… haemorrhoids, and birthday cake, you’ll immediately be into the mix, shooting stuff, blasting away ledges for enemies to fall from, and leaping enough chasms to qualify as a platformer.
Flags serve as checkpoints, but if you die, you don’t return to these; instead, you return to the screen before. And let me level with you: Missing Banban isn’t hard at all. It was so easy that I had to take a break, fearing I would finish in one sitting. Sometimes, these casuals are welcomed with open arms in a sea of 60+ hour games, and in short, this is fun; however, it could do with a bit more challenge.
In the first hour of playtime, I died three times, and each of those was related to the shoddy Ninja Gaiden wall jumps. They aren’t good, and it’s easy to balls up and falling off the screen. That said, once you learn this, you are highly unlikely to break a sweat with any of the bosses, as you can shred them on your first attempt. Granted, that might be what you’re looking for, but it would have been nice to savour it a little.
Missing Banban Review Summary
Let’s wrap this up. Missing Banban is a decent indie platformer. Whether it pays homage to the series in a way that fans would hope, but as a standalone retro platform game, it’s worth a play, even if it’s a little too easy.
