Remember the joy of 3D platformers from your childhood? Well, buckle up, because Big Hops is here to reignite that spark, proving the genre is far from over!
This delightful indie gem, developed by Luckshot Games and available for $\$19.99$ on platforms like the Nintendo Switch 2, PC, PS5, and the original Switch, masterfully blends nostalgic charm with modern innovation. If you ever found yourself lost in the magical worlds of classic 3D Mario games, you'll feel right at home with Big Hops. Its impressive controls and beautifully crafted environments are sure to evoke those cherished memories. But it’s not just a throwback; Big Hops carves out its own unique identity with a captivating presentation and physics-driven antics that lead to moments of pure creative brilliance… and, yes, a few head-scratchers.
Despite its occasional quirks, Big Hops stands out as a compelling and robust title that absolutely deserves your attention.
Controls and Characters: A Hopping Good Time
Ever since we first guided characters through fantastical 3D landscapes, the precision of movement has been the true differentiator between a good 3D platformer and a truly great one. Big Hops immediately impressed me in this regard, right from the very first second.
You play as Hop, a young frog with an innate talent for jumping, and controlling him is an absolute joy. Navigating the initial areas feels incredibly satisfying, with movements that provide such clear feedback that you feel completely in command, never fighting against unresponsive or clunky controls. It’s like Hop understands your every intention!
But here's where it gets truly interesting: From the outset, Hop possesses an array of advanced and expressive movement mechanics. Think of it as a deep, nuanced moveset that rivals even the most celebrated Mario titles. You can make Hop roll, dive, run up walls, and charge his jumps. He can effortlessly bound over small gaps or cling to and climb almost any surface, provided he has enough stamina. And his versatile tongue? It’s perfect for swinging across gaps and maintaining momentum after a landing, reminiscent of the fluid movement in games like Penny’s Big Breakaway.
You don't need to master every single technique right away. In fact, I found myself rarely needing to engage with optional collectibles that tweaked attributes like reduced friction when sliding. However, the journey of discovering and mastering Hop's full range of abilities throughout the adventure was an incredibly rewarding experience. I can already envision speedrunners having an absolute field day with this game!
Big Hops' controls quickly reveal a recurring theme: this game is more sophisticated than it initially appears. This depth extends to other aspects of the early gameplay as well. While the art style of its cartoonish world might seem a bit flat at first glance, it's executed with such loving detail. You'll explore colorful and diverse locations, each centered around unique communities. For instance, I encountered a charming cowboy town populated by bunnies, with otters diligently working on oil rigs. The characters are fully voice-acted, and they exhibit a surprising depth of emotion for such a cheerful genre. The narrative unfolds beautifully over the roughly 10-hour adventure, following our humble frog protagonist on a truly epic hero's journey.
Stages: Lovely Levels to Leap Through
The game’s level design is equally, and unexpectedly, ambitious. Big Hops is structured into three main zones, each separated by interludes that feel reminiscent of Super Mario Galaxy's gravity-bending dark dimension. While there’s a clear path to follow, you’re granted a generous amount of freedom within each series of sandbox environments. For example, I took my time assisting the local bunnies in town before moving on to the next main objective. I also stumbled upon optional, self-contained platforming challenges that were a blast to tackle. Even the mandatory quests often offer a choice, allowing you to complete tasks, like fixing broken machines, in any order you prefer.
And this is the part most people miss: Even Big Hops' more scripted sequences shine through their sheer inventiveness. They push the game's moveset to its absolute limits and evoke that fantastic feeling when a platformer makes you realize you can skillfully reach areas that initially seemed impossible. I recall climbing to the very top of an oil platform, cleverly recharging Hop’s stamina by snacking on bugs along the way. From that vantage point, I surveyed the structure and the numerous tasks ahead before tackling the next objective: using Hop's tongue to slide pipes into their correct positions. It felt like navigating a real, tangible place, not just a collection of abstract platforms.
Beyond a couple of boss encounters, Big Hops largely eschews traditional combat. This forces the game to draw even more creativity from its core platforming mechanics. The power-ups are all about empowering you to alter the environment to suit your hopping needs. You might drop a mushroom to create a new bounce pad or use a hot pepper to torch obstacles. The sheer inventiveness on display is remarkable.
While certain power-ups are essential for specific situations, you are consistently encouraged to dream up your own solutions, and, for the most part, the levels are flexible enough to accommodate them. You can even store power-ups in your inventory for later use, sometimes in places you're not even supposed to. This level of player agency is incredibly empowering. Because figuring out the intricacies of how and where to best utilize each power-up takes practice, it significantly adds to Big Hops' deceptive depth. I was genuinely impressed by how, with just a few strategically placed sticky globs on makeshift platforms, I transformed an insurmountable gap into a mere stroll.
Physics-Based Actions: A Mixed Bag
Unfortunately, the very engine that drives so much of the game's imagination also presents its most significant challenge. A substantial portion of Big Hops relies on physics-based interactions. This means that the speed of your swing can affect your landing, or your jump angle can influence how a bubble bounces. This can lead to frustrating inconsistencies, where minor variations in otherwise identical actions yield different outcomes.
But here's where it gets controversial: Sometimes, this physics system allows you to 'cheese' the game with jumps that seem to defy logic. Other times, however, you'll find yourself utterly frustrated, unable to discern what separated your successful attempts from your failed ones. It's a shame, because alongside its excellent platforming, Big Hops skillfully weaves in clever puzzles. You'll find yourself rearranging mine cart tracks for an escape, employing stealth to photograph criminals, and digging for dinosaur teeth.
However, when you've meticulously figured out a puzzle solution, the last thing you want is to contend with a fiddly physics system that seems to arbitrarily work against you, perhaps deciding your mine cart isn't quite aligned with the next track, sending you plummeting to your doom.
I'm pleased that Big Hops offers more avenues for player expression compared to the relatively straightforward Astro Bot. The physics system is a huge part of how this expressiveness is achieved. While games like Donkey Kong Bananza offer similar freedom, they do so with a greater degree of polish and predictability. Big Hops is a great game, no question, but these occasional disappointments serve as a reminder that it is, ultimately, a smaller, slightly less polished release.
Furthermore, I encountered several technical issues during my playtime on the Nintendo Switch 2 that impacted my overall enjoyment. Generally, Big Hops struggled with unstable frame rates, which may be attributed to the extensive physics calculations. I also had to reset the game on a few occasions to resolve graphical glitches. The game even crashed multiple times, sometimes after I had completed a significant task, forcing me to redo my progress. These problems persisted even after I had updated to the latest patch available at the time of this review.
What are your thoughts on physics-based gameplay in platformers? Do you find it adds to the fun and unpredictability, or does it lead to more frustration? Let us know in the comments below!
