Go ape!
Donkey Kong isn't the only primate to take a starring role in a video game and this charming platformer turns out to be a great addition to what is a very crowded genre. The player is thrust into the jungle-worn shoes of the titular young jungle man, whose girlfriend has just been kidnapped by an evil scientist. For some strange reason, Toki then gets turned into an ape and sets out on an epic journey to rescue his girl and to turn himself back into a human. What follows is a colourful platform adventure which sees Toki exploring a series of levels, with themes such as jungle, ice, underwater and volcano. in classic fashion you can either spit at your enemies or jump on them, and with the bad guys including a nice variety of jungle creatures, both fantastic and realistic. There are a few upgrades t be found along the way, such as the ability to spit fireballs, or football helmets for added protection. Throw in a few puzzle-style elements and you're pretty much good to go. Toki might not be the most original game out there, with shades of everything from Mario to Gods, but it certainly delivers on the fun front. Toki himself makes for a charming hero, while the game looks absolutely splendid, with lovely vibrant sprites and some gorgeous environments. Levels too are well designed and which include a nice variety of elements to keep you entertained and are rarely less than great fun to play. Really, the only major issue with the game is its longevity as there isn't all that much to explore, with fairly small levels. Apart from that though, this is top notch stuff.
