Zool Redimensioned review

As a youngster I absolutely loved my mascot platformers. It started (as it did for so many people) with my boy Mario, but it didn’t take me long to fall in love with the likes of Sonic, Donkey Kong and Kirby. Not all platforming heroes went on to super stardom though, and for every Nintendo and Sega icon there was also an Aero the Acro-Bat or a Jelly Boy. One of these long forgotten protagonists was Zool, a ninja from the Nth dimension who is best known for advertising Chupa Chups lollipops to children, who’s back for another go in 2023 with Zool Redimensioned.

I actually played quite a lot of Zool as a child. My family first got a PC when I was about 6 years old, and for some reason one of the only games we had on the crusty old desktop was this colourful platformer. This version of the game is probably most well known for the physical code disk it came with, which was an anti piracy measure that involved you matching up different pictures of the titular ninja to get a code before the game let you start your adventure. There’s no code disks to worry about this time around though, just a whole lot of platforming.

Zool Redimensioned doesn’t reinvent the wheel when it comes to 2D platforming, but innovation isn’t everything. The aim of each of the games’ levels is to reach the golden Zool coin at the end, while taking down daft enemies and collecting items based on the world you’re in. Each stage is short and sweet, with enough challenge to keep you engaged throughout.

Zool controls like an absolute dream (which definitely wasn’t the case on my old PC) with the ability to double jump, climb walls and bounce off them with ease. You also have plenty of offensive abilities at your disposal, like firing shiny projectiles and a spin attack that destroys the enemies it touches. Again, not particularly revolutionary, but a whole lot of fun to unleash on walking candy or evil violins.

What I love most about Zool are the different themed worlds you find yourself in. The world made of sweets is the one everybody remembers, but after that there’s a music world, a fruit world, and a world made entirely of tools. The collectables change with each world too, so all of a sudden you’ll go from picking up chocolate bars to records. Nothing about this is explained of course, but who needs an explanation when you’re gathering pineapple rings with incredible chiptune music pounding in the background.

With only seven worlds each containing four levels, Zool Redimensioned won’t really last long on an initial playthrough. There are a few medals to earn in each stage to aim for that add some relatability though. There’s a target time, a number of collectables to gather and a medal for not dying up for grabs, and getting them all will more than likely take you a few tries. This probably won’t be exciting enough to make everybody replay the stages multiple times, but it’s a nice inclusion nonetheless.

If you’re feeling really brave, there’s also the option of playing the game in Ultimate Ninja mode. This difficulty level completely changes the experience, reverting all the shiny new mechanics to the classic Zool experience. Losing the double jump hurts, but not as much as the zoomed in camera does. I honestly found this mode painful to play after bouncing around happily with my remastered abilities, but it does show quite how much the developers improved this outdated game.

The final addition in Zool Redimensioned is the multiplayer mode, which features three different party games to play with a friend. These can only be played locally, but are a fun distraction if you’ve got a buddy handy. One of the games is a race to collect the most items, another involves holding a crown for as long as possible, and the aim of the last is to score points by hitting balls at targets. It’s probably not going to hold your attention for too long, but it’s a nice enough inclusion.

Zool Redimensioned is an old fashioned good time, with colourful worlds, tight platforming and a banging soundtrack. It’s not a game that’ll keep you busy for very long, but the improvement over the original game is simply astounding.