Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara

« As a spin-off of a highly underrated game, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a lovely 3D platformer that's full of charm and heart. »

« Koa and The Five Pirates of Mara is perhaps a little twee for older gamers, but anyone that’s after a fast paced platformer should check this out. »

« Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is an opportunity to revisit the world of Summer in Mara, now as a 3D platform game with a very Nintendo flavour, not very innovative, but fun and with a control system, previously seen in Mail Mole, designed with speedruns in mind. You'll enjoy it more if you played Summer in Mara. »

« Overall, I think that Koa and the Five Pirates is a great reworking of the Summer in Mara world and characters. Being a 3D character platformer just makes the gameplay feel fast-paced and welcoming. Like I stated, for younger players this is a great introduction to these types of games if you’re looking for something that might be even more accessible than Mario. For platforming veterans there’s some decent challenge in getting gold medals in every stage, but other than that it might feel a bit too simple. The game might be unpolished in a few places, but there was very little that hampers the gameplay experience. Leaving the door open for future Mara adventures, I think that these characters really lend themselves to different genres and experiences. Even if I didn’t pick up on many of the callbacks to Summer in Mara, I could tell that the developers really like these characters and this world they’ve created. Perhaps it’s time to explore the RTS or RPG genre in Mara? »

« Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara isn’t exactly a bold reinvention of the 3D platformer, but it repeatedly proves that it’s got it where it counts. Smooth controls, decent level variety, and lots of collectibles all make this one a fairly easy recommendation, even if it is a little simplistic looking. If you're after 7-10 hours of solid, colourful 3D platforming, we’d suggest giving this one a shot. »

« Fun, engaging and accessible, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara can be equally enjoyed both in short bouts on the Nintendo Switch screen and in longer sessions on a television screen, as the experience easily suits both ways thanks to its captivating world and well implemented mechanics. The difficulty curve can seem unbalanced at times, but the game is very accessible to newcomers and a welcome addition to the Nintendo Switch catalogue. »

« If you’re not looking for something new in the field of 3D platformers and you just want to scratch that itch with a genre we don't see often anymore, Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might be a perfect new release for you. On the other hand, if you want something unique, polished and unforgettable... You might be in the wrong place. »

« Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a decent, albeit very basic platformer that does enough to be mildly entertaining, but not enough to have a lasting presence. »

« A decent platforming game, but feels a little too much like a simpler version of Mail Mole. The theming and music are great! Characters have personality although all the cutscenes are card based, so not too much happens in any single one of them. The movement feels the same as mail mole. The obstacles feel the same as mail mole with the addition of a lot more areas to fall into water/magma. The end screen of each level feels like a reskin of the Mail Mole level finish screen, even down to the time medal stamp and victory poses cycling. Even the "Pirate races" are essentially the exact same format as the NPC race levels in Mail Mole. However this game has removed the digging mechanic which made Mail Mole's movement feel unique and helped masked the simplicity of the platforming. And while simple, the challenges that came up in that game were just a bit harder. Koa is very, very simple in its execution of challenges. The main mechanics are the jump roll, and the rolling jump. Each level essentially breaks down into Jump -> hit the roll button when you touch the ground -> jump at the end of the roll. Rinse. Repeat. No further unlockable skills, no expansion of this moveset. Nothing. It's just the same the whole time. So about 3/4ths of the way through the game, you've pretty much seen and done every type of challenge there is to do ten times over. Now, this game could serves as a very entry level platformer, either for someone who struggles with the genre or a young child getting an introduction to this type of game for the first time. There is enough challenge in here to overcome and feel rewarded for this demographic. Which is why I'm giving it a 6 and not a 5. It's a short run time as well, so its not too much of a commitment for someone dabbling in the 3D jumping space for the first time. All in all, as a veteran player you might find yourself being underwhelmed by the last few levels, mostly by the repeat nature of most of the levels and objectives. But that isn't to say you won't enjoy pieces here and there, or enjoy trying to find the fastest route through the levels to achieve the gold medal times. »

« The Good Great graphics, game looks and plays great on the Nintendo Switch Lite. A nice fun little platform game. The Bad No double jump! How dare you! The controls can be a bit fiddly at first, and unless you are running, the movement of the character feels very slow. So, you just end up constantly holding down the button to run. Overall Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a well-made and engaging platforming adventure. With its beautiful visuals, diverse gameplay, and memorable characters, it provides a delightful gaming experience for players of all levels. Whether you're exploring the islands leisurely or seeking to conquer time trials and challenges, this buccaneering escapade is a must-play for Nintendo Switch owners. I score Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara a strong 7.5/10 Full Review at ****/2023/07/review-koa-and-five-pirates-of-mara-on.html »

« A great platformer with nice art and music! You can play it exploring or try to beat speedrunner timings. Highly recomended! »