The Kore Gang by developers Zoink Games and SnapDragon Games is an action-adventure platformer full of charm, wit, and humor guaranteed to put a smile on your face.
The Wii The Kore Gang game was stuck in developer’s hell for quite a few years before its gradual release in 2010 and 2011. Originally meant for the Xbox way back in the early 2000’s, the game was passed between companies, set aside on the “to-do” list, and finally recently worked on and remodeled for the Wii. In the end, you might expect the output to be a hopeless mess, but The Kore Gang is surprisingly well-planned and beautifully crafted, offering players a grand adventure they can fully immerse themselves in.
The game’s premise is directly related to its subtitle “Outvasion from Inner Earth”. The world is in peril as evil, subterranean rulers are planning to drill their way up towards the surface and conquer the rest of our planet. The cruel Krank brothers, heads of this devious operation, kidnap the brilliant surface-dweller Dr. Samuelson in order to force him to help them reach past the earth’s crust. Luckily, hope is at hand when expert mountain-climber Pixie accidentally discovers a huge metal suit invented by Samuelson that augments the user’s ability a thousand times. Soon, she meets up with Madboy, a tough guy who doesn’t shy away from fisticuffs, and the loyal dog Rex. Squeezing together inside the giant suit and dubbing themselves “The Kore Gang”, the three heroes attempt to hold off the invasion themselves and stop the Krank brothers from achieving world domination.
You control the robotic suit in the game which houses Pixie, Madboy, and Rex inside. Although you can’t use all three characters at once, switching from one hero to another is effortless and seamlessly integrated. Players will find themselves switching between characters often, as all three have their own unique abilities that are needed in different situations. When Pixie is in command of the suit, your jumping skills improve dramatically and you gain the ability to use a grappling hook, essential in platforming areas of the game. As Madboy, you gain offensive abilities and can pummel all the enemies you meet, and as Rex, you can run faster, follow scent trails, and decipher vault combinations using super-sensitive hearing.
The game features over 30 levels spanning across 6 worlds. The graphics, although a bit outdated by today’s standards, still give off an artistic charm and cartoony feel that fits right in with the game’s unique storyline. The audio is also topnotch, with characters being voiced appropriately and a soundtrack that matches the mood and tone of the levels. Ultimately, the real showstopper is the game’s script and cutscenes. Humor and wit are prevalent all throughout the spoken lines, and the cutscenes do a good job of providing momentum. Since when have you ever seen the main villains of a video game do a hilarious song and dance routine before a fight? This is just one testament of the developers’ creativity.
With items to collect, power-ups to upgrade your suit, and a few extra unlockables, The Kore Gang Wii game is a game that takes itself seriously but has fun in the process. If you’ve ever been a huge fan of Psychonauts or adventure games in general, you’ll want to try out The Kore Gang.
As good as the game is, however, its length is pretty short, and completing all 30 plus levels takes about half a day. Unlocking the extra content might lengthen its lifespan, but after that there’s not much more to do other than repeat the main adventure.
A few control and camera issues also rear their ugly head once in a while. Although this doesn’t take much out of the gameplay in general, it does leave some frustration, especially during levels requiring precision and accuracy.
The Kore Gang is available exclusively for the Wii console and is for single player only. It can be played using the Wii controller and Nunchuk combo.
The Kore Gang is an excellent adventure game with a quirky premise guaranteed to hook you in. Although the gameplay is pretty straightforward and simple, a plethora of cutscenes and hilarious voice acting provides the necessary incentive to see it through. The length of the game is pretty short, but you’ll be having fun the whole time. Ultimately, The Kore Gang is definitely an adventure game worth the price tag.