Fling a bouncy ball shaped penguin around obstacle filled 2D stages to reach an exit in Pengilo.  It’s available on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

To fling your penguin, hold down the button and release to launch it and the control stick to aim.  Your penguin will travel in an arc if flung high enough.  You must get it to a door to finish the stage, and later you’ll have to collect a key first.  Avoid obstacles like pits and spikes.  If you hit them or fall off the screen, you’ll have to start the level over again.  There are also three stars to collect in each level, but they are only there if you want an extra challenge.

One crucial thing the game doesn’t tell you is that once you bounce off a wall, you can launch and aim again, even in midair.  Once you learn this (and it is pretty easy to figure out), then the game becomes a bit better.  It’s an OK action puzzle game but very short with only 50 levels and I was able to beat it in under an hour even though I did not collect all the stars.

Kid Factor:

Pengilo is rated E for Everyone with an ESRB descriptor of Mild Fantasy Violence.  If you hit spikes or fall into a pit, the penguin just reappears at the beginning of the level without showing any pain.  Reading skill is helpful for some of the text, but not necessary just to play.

Tags: Game Reviews