Kasso Gaiden review - "Feels like Subway Surfers, but make it graffiti"
- Skate through various soundtracks
- Unlock a bunch of funky skateboards
- Take on the leaderboard in endless mode
I've played a fair handful of Subway Surfers-style runners. You know the type - you run forward, move from lane to lane, try to avoid dangers, and collect tokens that are meaningful when it comes to points at the end.
Kasso Gaiden is one of these sorts of runners, where you play a funky-looking skateboarding character who can do cool tricks along the way.
There's a giant head that you are racing towards, normally in black and white, looming. The world itself is lacking colour, but as you hit tricks and go forward, you do find pockets of light! Many of the hazards are also brightly coloured too to mix things up.
The levels themselves in Kasso Gaiden are defined by the music track. Combine that with the fact that the different tokens you can collect feel like they line up with the music, and this becomes almost like a rhythm game. I say "almost" because at the same time, a lot of the sound effects are fighting the music.
You see, Kasso Gaiden has a lot of jarring sound effects. When you collect a token, run into one of the giant coins (three per level), or when you successfully do a trick, there are different sound effects. The trick sound effect - clapping and airhorns - is extremely harsh compared to the sounds themselves. These moments seem at odds with the soundtracks and audio in that way, which pulls me right out of the experience.
The tracks do have their own requirements for completing them fully, often to do with collecting a specific number of tokens or coins, having a minimum of two hearts left, or even doing a set number of tricks during a run.
Tricks are quite interesting, as on the paths, there are sometimes triggers that have you pulling tricks automatically, but other times you need to crouch your character and then successfully land the trick before they have finished their charge.
There is an endless mode at the end of each run of tracks if you want to test your own skill. This area has some items that, when you run into them, actually make the level more challenging. Hitting a mushroom, for example, adds a fog of various colours over the map, making things more challenging to see.
This version has a ranking system based on points, where you can climb a high-score table and unlock various little cosmetics like icons.
It's a balancing act, with a lot to look out for, many hazards, and some key requirements to keep in mind so that you can successfully pass the level. I do find the music in Kasso Gaiden to be interesting, and I love the different skateboard designs - I ended up purchasing quite a few as I really like the way they look. The graphic style is also funky and interesting, adding to the general vibe.
Kasso Gaiden review - "Feels like Subway Surfers, but make it graffiti"
Kasso Gaiden doesn't feel like it is unique enough to stand out, but it's an interesting little game. I do wish the sound effects were mutable, as they sort of take away from the experience.
Jupiter Hadley
Jupiter is a prolific indie game journalist with a focus on smaller indie gems. She covers thousands of game jams and indie games on her YouTube channel, letting every game have a moment in the spotlight. She runs indiegamejams.com, a calendar of all of the game jams going on in the world, and judges many jams and events. You can find her on Twitter as @Jupiter_Hadley