Critical Gamer writes: The modern gamer’s Pavlovian response to bright colours and relentless smiles is a sneer and a derogatory comment. Should such a young whipper-snapper pluck up the courage to give this game a go, however – which they really, really should – within five minutes they’ll be wearing a grin goofier than that of Joe himself.
As has been declared before, Critical Gamer’s official genre for Joe Danger games is ‘raplunter’ (racer/platformer/stunter). Though Joe is a stuntman, he acts more like the illegitimate offspring of Mario and Sonic. The racing element is clear; he’s on a motorbike after all, and a handful of levels feature other racers who must be beaten to the finish line. Many of the levels without opponents have optional time limits to beat. What will likely surprise those unfamiliar with this game is that it’s much closer to a traditional side-scrolling platformer than it is to a side-scrolling racer.
Grow up I want to do the stunts.
Xbox 360 version tested.
After seeing the birthplace of PSN, Joe Danger Special Edition also lands on Xbox Live, ready to conquer all the players to the sound of tricks, wheelies, wheelies and stunts.
The plot, if plot it can speak in a similar way, it is obvious and banal: Joe Danger, known stuntman, during a performance was the victim of an accident that forces him to a period of forced inactivity. Being a stuntman is a dirty job but someone has to do it, why the pilot Joe, despite having put on a fat basis of respect, decides it's time to get back in the spotlight and get back in the saddle of his motion.
Splitkick: There’s something disarming about the humble nature of Joe Danger. It lets us glimpse a gaming landscape that might have been if narrative didn’t win the war against gameplay. Unfortunately, the brutal nature of some of the Special Edition’s offerings actually hinder the experience overall. Joe Danger SE dashes along at a pace that makes the vanilla levels feel sluggish, but crashes headlong into a wall of sticky controls in the process.
CVG - Not only do its side-on stuntman-racer-platformer levels reward you amply for the perfect playthrough, each one is so superbly crafted you won't give up until you've nailed it. Perfection breeds perfection.
Not that this is quite perfect, but it's as close as any racer can come. Playing as the titular daredevil Joe, you rip through ramp and jump-filled levels trying to grab stars, find hidden extras and avoid crashing out, all while racking up combos by pulling tricks, flips and wheelies.
