Join Kao on his biggest adventure, as the brave kangaroo sets out to find his missing sister and solve the mystery of what happened to his father years ago. He will need to travel the world and confront the famous fighting masters, who are influenced by the mysterious, dark power. On the course of his journey, Kao will learn under the guidance of his master, Walt, how to become not only an awesome fighter but also a clever one who uses his head as much as his fists. Although he will need to fight lots of enemies along the way, he will also make new, and strengthen old, friendships. Finally, he will need to face his ultimate opponent - the mysterious Eternal Warrior, whose ambitions are a threat to the world balance. Will he succeed? It’s all up to you...

Kao the Kangaroo is a platformer that is easy to pick up and play

Kao the Kangaroo is the latest in the series of platform video games developed and published by Polish studio Tate Multimedia. The game is pretty easy to pick up and play but it's like any one of a million similar games in the genre. It does very little, if anything, that is original. But that's not really an issue. If you're a fan of platformers then you'll feel right at home here.

The biggest issue I had (we were playing this game before lauch and so this may be fixed by the time the game is available to buy) is that there was no option to invert the X and Y axis for the camera. So, if like me, you like to flip the up and down controls when you're playing, you'll find it a little frustrating until you get the hang of it.

The game starts off deep in the thick of the action, which took me a little by surprise as I was expecting an opening cut sequence to set the back story to the characters. After a relatively short space of time the game begins proper, with an introductory sequence to allow those unfamiliar with the franchise to learn a little more about Kao and his family.

Search every nook and cranny for hidden items

You then head off on your first quest. at which point the game runs you through a quick tutorial as you make your way to your destination. Through the early stages there are constant help points where hints are given on how to progress. It's not long, however, before the game's difficulty steps up a notch. As with most platformers, the skill is mastering areas that on first appearance seem a little more complex than they actually are. And, once you work out how to navigate traps, beasties and platforms, you'll wonder why on earth you found that area to be difficult in the first place.

The game starts off deep in the thick of the action

The one thing that will probably get you to rage quit is the distance of the save points. If you lose all your lives you'll spawn back at the last save point , but eveything you've collected, since originally saving at that point, is wiped clean. So, if you spent ages obtaining those hard to reach coins, having to redo this can be a real pain.

It's really a game for the young gamer in the house. And if you're the sort of player who loves to search every nook and cranny for hidden items then you're going to really have fun here. Just don't expect much in the way of originality and you'll have a blast.

8

Darren Rea