An Apology to Maki’s Adventure

• Joel DeWitte

Despite it being a second job, we at Super GG Radio set high expectations to cover the wide world of independently developed video games.  It’s especially rewarding when we run across fledgling developer’s early works because it’s built on pure passion for their project and a desire to contribute to this medium we love.  The practical reality is sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, and improper planning against a limited bandwidth meant that Maki’s Adventure, a 2D side-scrolling action platformer by individual developer Zoroarts got the short shrift.  This is an apology and a retroactive review.

Admittedly, Maki’s Adventure made a poor first impression on me.  Shortly into the experience it subjects you to a mini quiz with general knowledge questions as well as a few about the game itself.  While it was brief, I found myself asking why it was there.  Once that gets out of the way I was able to get to the meat of the matter – the platforming.  When it comes to character momentum, Maki’s jump is light but doesn’t show the kind of ramp-up & ramp-down between starting the jump, hitting the peak, and falling back down the way I expected.  It’s closer to a Hollow Knight movement, which works well within the spaces you’re expected to move through.  Along with that, Maki’s main power is the ability to transform into a shark whenever hitting water.  The level design is built in a way which uses that ability meaningfully both as a method of attack and to traverse through water.  To the developer’s credit, Maki’s shark form captures an unwieldy control for the shark that feels more like a fast-moving tank than the light as a feather human form.

Having a combat focus goes a long way for keeping the game well rounded.  Maki is nimble and can dance around monsters with ease but is a bit of a paper cannon.  I found myself dying several times, but it was my fault for trying to brute force my way through instead of what I should have done – approach each enemy as something to slice through rather than platform around.  This game doesn’t have much in the way of backtracking, so it isn’t a heavy lift to kill your way through the world.  I was also delighted by the boss battles.  It’s well-trodden ground to have several patterns to work through, and the game ends in an epic boss battle that shakes things up considerably.  It’s to the credit of the developer that the boss battles feel tightly packaged and are approachable.  The intention behind this aspect of the game is greatly appreciated.

Keeping in mind the limitations of a one-person show, the presentation is an area of improvement for Zoroarts.  Maki’s non-descript shadow look with red horns, while helping them pop on the screen against the different colorful backdrops, doesn’t have much in the way of personality.  Audially I was treated with a minimalist use of sound and a world that felt largely muted because of it.  The broader world has more color and diversity, but the level design doesn’t stray enough between zones that make it feel truly unique.  In regards to story, truthfully I cannot remember it.  There wasn’t anything wrong with the story per-se, but it didn’t strike me as anything noteworthy.  I suspect there were concerns that without a story thread players wouldn’t be as invested, but that’s speculation that could be too harsh.

I hope Zoroarts takes this in the constructive feedback spirit which its intended.  Maki’s Adventure foundationally has strong 2d platforming, levels that mostly utilize Maki’s toolkit, and boss battles that feel tightly designed.  There are legitimate surprise moments that left me with a smile and eager for more.  Whatever issues I have with production value is papered over by the structurally sound level design & gameplay that shows true game design chops.  If they learn from the experience and use this to spring board to their next project, I’m confident the next Zoroarts game will be even better.