Antonblast review: "Explosively reinvents the destructive energy of Wario Land"

A love letter to Game Boy Advance (specifically Wario Land 4), on one hand Antonblast feels like a pitch-perfect recreation of games on Nintendo's tiny device of yore, but on the other like it'd destroy that archaic system. Which isn't to say it's massively demanding, but as Dynamite Anton frantically rushes through each stage smashing everything in his way – be they enemies, bricks, or the town's handyman moments after he's fixed something – chunky sprites go flying across the screen, making the whole screen shake.

It feels like the whole game is falling to pieces, and you're in control of the chaos. Whether he's delivering a smackdown or getting knocked around himself, Anton always unleashes a guttural, primal scream in response. You can't help but echo it right back – Antonblast is, well, a blast.

The thin story kicks off when Satan, incensed when his magic mirror declares his status as the reddest one of all has been eclipsed by Dynamite Anton, declares war with his mole army on our destructive hero. Whipping through Anton and his co-worker Annie's apartment (you can play as either – Annie's a deep shade of green and wields a powerful mace), the moles strip him of his stolen booze collection. Anton releases a screaming stream of profanity before setting off to reclaim them.

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Everything feels like a cartoon right out of the 00s, with Gianni Matragrano's Satan a particular highlight as he rolls his "r"s to no end taunting you between stages, and there's even a touch of Looney Tunes' Mel Blanc to Anton's distorted howling, performed by the game's creator, Tony Grayson. The 00s edge, though, carries across through to each stage, with bright block colours and graffiti-heavy environments that feel like they could be backdrops to old school Cartoon Network shows.

Every level in the game is accessed via a hub in Anton's local casino-bar hybrid space, each containing a uniquely designed spirit you'll reclaim by the end of the stage, plus a myriad of much more deviously hidden collectibles (seriously, if you're not paying attention you'll miss most of them). Tearing each stage to shreds doesn't just allow Anton to progress, but smashed obstacles and foes scatter bouncing casino chips in their wake that can be hoarded and traded for a handful of consumables and collectibles back at the bar.

Few of these permanently change mechanics – there are only two health upgrades that stick around. Others can temporarily provide support for an upcoming stage, like a hitpoint that will vanish forever, a dog that can hoover up collectibles, or a slight extension to the levels' final time attack section (more on that later). There's no difficulty modes, so these can serve as a way to tweak the challenge, but they're too expensive to really prompt you to use them much, and it's hard to know you'll have difficulty with a stage until you're knee-deep in it anyway. Though I barely used these after trying them out early on, some may find later levels to be otherwise quite tricky to complete.

Demolition derby

Yet, thanks to Antonblast's frenetic energy it's compelling enough to keep you coming back, even when some stages can prove quite tough. You're constantly urged to charge gung-ho into danger, thanks to a dash-attack mechanic that boosts your speed. Propelled forward with a button press, Anton will eventually slow – but hit it again at the right time and he'll combo into another burst of speed.

Time it as he makes contact with an enemy and he'll strike them with the hammer as he continues to rush ahead. Jump, and the speed boost also persists, hurling him across wider gaps. Spinning the hammer as he takes to the air and striking big blocks or enemies will send him twirling even higher. Hit the ground after pressing the hammer button in mid-air again a devastating strike will once again propel Anton back up into the air.

This momentum can be used to chain together the destruction of large groups of enemies and objects, often hurtling you towards optional bonus areas or shortcuts. Your speed can then also be translated into a sliding attack, which can take some larger enemies by surprise. Do so on a steep hill, and Anton will tuck himself into a bowling ball that'll send foes and bowling pins (which block some passageways) flying. Conversely, Anton can also cancel his momentum entirely by transitioning into a dive attack, hurtling straight downward like a cartoon anvil. Go from high enough and and the crash will create a shockwave, destroying some tougher objects in the process.

The learning curve comes from learning how to master these controls, and not simply go flying off in all directions. Early on, I found myself hitting buttons too often and struggling to get Anton to elegantly stop hammering himself into the air, or leaving my second in-air hammer button press too late, or dashing as opposed to starting a second bounce jump.

It's sometimes advantageous in Antonblast to hit the buttons you want a bit earlier than you'd expect, as it's about altering Anton's state of movement more than it is reacting to something in the moment. Once I got a handle on that, I found that despite the frantic-looking pace, Antonblast really rewards a degree of caution – you have to commit to the actions you take rather than button mash. Each time Anton makes contact with something he's destroying a hit-stop effect on the animation adds impact, but it also gives you just enough time to consider what you'll be bashing into next.

Smash and grab

Levels are linear for the most part, with Anton finding playing card-suited detonators to gradually blow up parts of the stage in order to progress further. At the end, he'll hit the master detonator switch, initiating Happy Hour – a countdown to the stage's total demolition and Anton's cue to hightail it back to the bar. Yet, these also transform parts of the level, meaning rather than feeling like back-tracking, these pressurised sprints feel fresh, and are tailored for a speedier approach.

Many levels also feature gimmicks that further transform how Anton controls for sections at a time. A jet-pack, for instance, sends him flying forwards as you tap now and then to gain altitude. Another has you trapped in a giant pinball for a bit of somewhat-annoying flipper action (thankfully, it doesn't overstay its welcome). These can offer a welcome change of pace, but rarely feel like they're as exciting as controlling Anton himself in his typical full-on thrash mode. They work best utilized in the Happy Hour to further emphasize the hectic dash to the finish line.

Antonblast shiny, lit fuse sparkles when it's nudging you to release these controlled and explosive bursts of energy. Most levels do a good job at giving you new environments to tear through, though there's maybe one too many cave-like areas. Nevertheless, with a cathedral-like greenhouse, a devilish hedge maze, a goblin heist in a mall, and more, there's plenty of inventiveness on show.

It's just a shame there's also so many boss battles that – while still rewarding precision play – feel like they slow down the action a bit too much. There's some mercy shown, as longer battles have checkpoints between phases, and Anton's bartender pal will throw in extra health when he's taken a beating, but these feel a lot messier than the bulk of the demolition you'll otherwise be undertaking. It's a shame as one part of the (excessively drawn out) final boss does play with the speedier mechanics of the rest of the game, and it ends up being a highlight moment.

Still, it's a small gripe, as the majority of the action is centered around the bold and brash dynamism that makes Antonblast feel so good. Obviously inspired by the likes of Wario Land 4, it's no exaggeration to say that Antonblast feels like it's strapped rocket boosters onto the formula and smashed it into a brick wall, raining down a wave of brilliant action that feels astonishingly fresh despite its retro influences once the dust settles.

Looking for more fantastic small games to try? Check out our Indie Spotlight regular feature for more tip-offs on the best hidden gems out there.