Features

App Army Assemble: Suzy Cube - An excellent 3D platformer

Our community puts it to the test

App Army Assemble: Suzy Cube - An excellent 3D platformer
|
| Suzy Cube

It's Friday afternoon, the weather's still sunny, the day is still hot, and what better way to welcome the weekend than to check out what the App Army's been up to.

In this week's App Army Assemble we gave them a shot a Suzy Cube, Noodlecake's recently published 3D platformer. In its review we gave it a Silver Award, saying: "It doesn't quite reach the heights of its inspiration, but Suzy Cube is still the best 3D platformer on the App Store."

What will our community think of the game, however? Let's take a look.

yt
Subscribe to Pocket Gamer on

Funem (NVidia Shield TV with a Game-pad)

Suzy Cube is a great platform game unashamedly in the style of Super Mario 3D Land. It's highly polished with excellent graphics and sound.

As with all platform games, especially ones done in 3D, the controls can let them down. In this case on a touch screen they can be fiddly, making time-based challenges frustrating at times since one missed jump can cause you to fail a challenge. It’s one you will either put up with or uninstall with a lot of frustration.

I played this on the Shield TV and had the fortune to use a proper controller. In doing so nearly all the frustrations were taken away. My only remaining gripe with the game is that the camera is too close to your character, leading to areas you can miss or jumps you are unsure if you can make. This can be fixed in an update though.

The game is still great though, it's had a lot of love for the genre built into every fibre of its being and for what I think (I could be wrong) is a first crack at it by the developers, I can't wait for a follow-up.
Mark Abukoff (iPhone 7)

This really is a very gorgeous game. It's beautifully made and I found the controls to be easy (and I had no control problems) once I figured them out.

I found the levels for the most part easy, with the occasional lesson learned by falling, but it's just not to my taste. It's a little too cute and sugary. I can't fault the quality of the game because I think that it is very very well made and I think that platformer fans will love it.

It doesn't really bring anything new to the genre, but what it does, it does very well. So while I won't be playing it myself, I can very easily recommended it for platformer fans.

Federico Casavecchia (iPhone X)

All I can say at first is: woooow. I am not a huge fan of 3D platform since I have grown playing classic 2D metroidvania games, but this Suzy Cube really surprised me. I'm enjoying it so much that I think I will complete it trying to discover all of its secrets. It reminds me Crash Bandicoot on old PSX, with many secrets and collectibles hidden around levels to be discovered in a smart way.

The sound FX are cool while OST is near to non-existent, but that's not an issue. As for gameplay, I think the controls and reactivity are really well balanced, making this game great even on a touch screen phone. Obviously with a pad you would get a real premium experience. Congrats to the developer for this little gem.

Chad Jones (Sony Xperia XZ1)

When I think of Noodlecake, I usually have a positive view on them as a company (Lumino City, Alto Adventure and Lichtspear, for example). Going into Suzy Cube I had a feeling of positivity and as usual Noodlecake did not disappoint.

There are a few things in this that reminded me of Mario (even the bees, although not as aggressive, reminded me of past games). There's a three-star system that may take some replaying to achieve perfection.

I didn't use a controller playing this game and didn't feel it was necessary, I got along just fine using the touch screen. I thought I would struggle because in the past while playing 3D platformers I always felt like the controls were off or I would try to jump on a villain and end up landing in front of them.

The graphics were okay, I didn't feel like they were spectacular. They have the 'blocky' look and not the beautiful Mario polish (I know it's not a Mario game) I'm just not a fan of that art style. But, it's not horrible either. Overall, the game does have a lot to offer for the price and it will keep you busy for a while with a lot of replayability (striving to get all three stars). I see myself playing this game for quite a while.

Joel Julius Evangelista (iPhone 7 Plus)

Suzy Cube is obviously inspired by Super Mario 3D Land. It's got cutesy graphics, fun music, amazing level design with hidden areas, and just enough challenge (not too easy nor too hard). It really takes me back to when I was in grade school - a time when I was super into platformers (even the power Rangers and lilo and stitch ones on the GPA).

This game is absolutely why I love platformers. They are the right amount of challenge for me. The Controls are also really great for touch and I haven't had any problems with them. Overall, this is such a pleasurable experience to have whether you're an avid fan of platformers or just looking for a game you can play while chilling after a nice dinner.

Yash Bhatia (iPhone 7+)

Suzy Cube is an interesting type of 3D platforming game that is not only fun to play, but the visuals are a treat to watch. The most amazing part is the controls which are responsive and that's hard to find in a mobile game these days.

The game is pretty challenging as collecting three stars can be hectic, but not impossible. It takes inspiration from the Super Mario games, that's obvious, but I'm not complaining. We haven't seen anything like this on mobile so that's refreshing. The chiptune music is great as it feels nostalgic to me.

Suzy Cube is well-made with a fantastic level design. I also want to say that this game is full of charm and i see three years of hard work has finally paid of for the developer. We need more games like this. This is an amazing and charming 3D platformer and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Tanmay Kothari (Realme 1)

It's inspired by Mario and Crash Bandicoot, but done well for touch screen. The thing that I like most about Suzy Cube is its level design which is made in a very neat and pleasant manner. The visuals are cute, pastel-type and the cube characteristic of the entire world gives it a unique charm.

The soundtrack isn't really unique and doesn't stand out. What I feel they can improve upon is the controls. They're clunky and the littlest of errors from your side could result in failure, which makes it frustrating as the levels are challenging. You need the controls to respond perfectly to overcome those challenges.

I would give it a good score for great level design and visuals. There is good replayability to get three stars in all levels and the campaign has decent length which makes it value for money as well.

Kudos to Noodlecake and developer, and hope you guys keep churning such great games in the future as well.

Ed Davis (iPhone 7)

Suzy Cube is a simple platformer where you encounter enemies and collect coins, much like in any other platformer. The controls work relatively well, but they can be a bit twitchy at times.

The graphics are simple, but effective and don't rag your battery too much. The music is quite jarring, though. I would recommend playing it on silent. Overall, a good little game to fill those ten minute coffee breaks!

Dries Pretorius (iPad Air)

Suzy Cube reminds me a bit of Super Mario 64 and Psychonauts, without the cohesive open world experience or story respectively. Instead, it boils 3D platforming down to sharp level design and responsive controls. The level design is what makes Suzy Cube fly.

Some stages are large, open spaces that require you to fall with style. Next, you're sliding down snowy slopes, then solving puzzles in a cramped tomb, or running a gauntlet over a lake of lava. Every stage feels like it's built around a different idea. With 3D platforming's rich history, there are plenty ideas to draw from and they all shine here with a slick aesthetic.

The soundtrack won't steal your heart, and there is barely a narrative, but Suzy Cube is all Trinchado, pure savory platforming substance.

Swapnil Kumar (Lenovo K4 Note)

I'll come right to what was a pleasant surprise - that Prince Of Persia style wall-to-wall jumping. Okay, wasn't exactly that, but that took me down memory lane of when I used to spend countless hours with the Persian Prince.

This is a solid platformer. It has tight, responsive controls, it's challenging (as in move to an edge of the jump-pad and then do the jump, otherwise fall) and it's highly accessible to everyone. The design and aesthetics are great, music is retro, passed through an 8-bit filter.

If you found Candleman a bit too gloomy, or Super Mario (auto) Run too auto-y, this is the thing to grab. I have only one gripe - if they wanted to make their own N64 style platformer, why did they go with bland cubes only? Why couldn't they have made it a bit more lively, like Mario?

But, mobile gaming is getting there, most importantly, understanding that not all gamers love that auto stuff.

Lalol Hernández Gómez (iPhone 7)

Noodlecake publish only the best of the best on iOS and Android and Suzy Cube is no exception. As others stated, its inspirations are clear and we don't get many Mario 3D Land-like games.

Since the controls in these kind of games are crucial you'll be happy to hear that they totally nailed them, including the camera movement. Your collectible dose is there, as well as multiple challenges per level. A game easy to recommend!

Quincy Jones (iPhone 8 Plus)

This is as close as we may get to Super Mario World 64.It's a wonderful game with great music, its controls only took a second to master, and the gameplay itself feels like this is what touchscreen gaming is all about.

It's a great game that gives you a lot of fun challenges and levels. The worlds are made up of charming little creatures and there are coins and hidden stars to give you replay value.

I got to beta test this so I got to see just how much it had improved, to the point that this might become a classic for iOS gamers.

Oksana Ryan (iPad Pro)

There's not a lot to say about this game except it was really great. It's a whimsical, colourful and entertaining platformer, and even the music is light-hearted. It's great fun to play, with all of the classic 'jumping over', 'onto', and 'into' moves, enemies to flatten, and coins to collect.

I loved this game from the very start. Is there anything new in it? Not really, but its bright graphics made me feel cheerful and the controls are very easy to handle. I can see it as a game for all ages because of the classic way the game has been designed, and I can recommend it without hesitation.

David Bailey (WileyFox Swift 2)

It's great to see such a lovely-looking game working well on my fairly low-powered Wileyfox Swift 2. Suzy Cube has clearly taken huge influence from the 3D Mario games, and thankfully has got the crucial feeling of momentum right. Having this work so well on a touchscreen is great game design.

I often find with touch controls that my fingers get in the way, but having such simple controls means that I can keep my fingers firmly in the bottom corners. Just like the Mario games, there are lots of secrets to uncover if you use the camera well, and the levels definitely have replay value if you are a completionist.

My kids love playing Mario games on the Wii U, and they picked Suzy Cube up straight away. Thoroughly enjoying playing this game.

What is the App Army?

The App Army is Pocket Gamer's very own community of mobile game experts. Each week, we provide them with a bunch of free codes and early access to the hottest upcoming games so they can provide their thoughts in features like this.

To join, simply follow this link to the page on Facebook and request access. We'll get you in right away!
Emily Sowden
Emily Sowden
Emily is Pocket Gamer's News Editor and writes about all kinds of game-related things. She needs coffee to function and begrudgingly loves her Switch more than she lets on.