Now here’s an interesting one. Bravehorse designer Curt Kling‘s entry into the Action 52 Owns game jam is a contemplative remake of the under-achieving side-scroller Mash Man. As Kling commented: “We tried to take the mood of the original game and expand on it, since it doesn’t really have any kind of unique gameplay elements to use.”
That’s an understatement. In the original game you pretty much walk to the right and jump on enemies with your enormous feet — provided you can get around the collision problems. And eventually you’ll get hit and you’ll die. As a game, it’s a bit depressing and futile. Which is what Kling seemed to read into it as well.
Without really expanding on the mechanics, Kling’s version saturates the game’s premise with as much emotional weight as possible. Apparently taking a page from early LucasArts adventure games, Kling positions Mashman as an unloved freak whose only role in his community is taken away by industrialization. Just as Mashman begins to contemplate his fate, the robots that had replaced him go wild and the villagers plead for his help. Cue a fairly short yet poignant encounter, with two possible outcomes. One ending is a bit more, shall we say, upbeat than the other; both are fun in their morbid ways.
Somewhere in here, I’m sure the game makes some commentary about traditional videogame morality and narrative structure. Or maybe it’s just being daft. Hard to tell sometimes. Either way, the game is gorgeously stylized and the world that Kling has created here will stick with you long after playing. Best thing is, the game is short enough to show it off to your friends and traumatize them one by one.
You can download Mash Man here
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