Having experienced Cosy Computer's new game Pizza Possum earlier this year, I was hopeful that it would wind up being a modern arcade delicacy, as mentioned in the headline. Everything was there, from the old-school premise to the simple gameplay, complete with a few modern flourishes. All it had to do afterwards was just flesh things out a bit and it would succeed in replicating some old-school thrills. Plus, how can you say no to a game where you help a little critter like this scarf down pizza? The finished game is finally here, and it’s time to see if this is ultimately worth chowing down on...
The story of Pizza Possum is that you are a possum in a quaint little seaside Italian village, and you have a dream of eating the giant pizza belonging to the village's dog leader, Bella Chonki. Granted, our little possum friend will be eating at least a good twenty or so pizzas on the way up to Bella's pizza (among other food), so you think they’d be satisfied, but hey, it’s a classic arcade game, plot is sort of secondary here. To get to Bella, you’ll have to scarf down food along the way in order to earn keys, which unlock more parts of the village, being patrolled by numerous guard dogs.
And that actually sums up the gameplay as well, since the only major commands are "move around" and "use item." Beyond that, there’s a stealth twist to things as you try and maneuver around the guards, minimizing the amount of time you’re in their sights before their Metal Gear Solid-style exclamation mark fills up and then you have to outrun them in a chase, or just hide in the occasional bushes and wait for them to pass. You also get an arsenal of items to use, unlocked after each run based on your score. These get useful and creative, ranging from drinks that help you speed up to dog disguises that help you get around better, which are all fun to use.
There’s also the massive amount of food to eat as well, which includes pizza, fruits, fish, and more, plus hidden zeppoles or the occasional large dish like a massive tiramisu or caprese salad. Eating food is as simple as walking up to it and automatically chowing down (or standing in the vicinity of larger dishes and whittling them down, creating a nice risk as they can leave you open to get spotted), though too much food in a short amount of time fattens our possum buddy up and briefly slows you down. Again, that’s pretty much it. It’s simple, controls well, and being able to move around smoothly and basically vacuum up snacks is incredibly enjoyable.
It also helps that the game makes great use of its setting, with a lot of different regions to unlock and visit on your way up to the massive pizza, allowing for multiple paths as well, which is always welcome. The layouts in each region are well-designed, each with their unique sights like vineyards and beaches, well-presented in the cute, cartoonish style. The world essentially being a vertical hill is also unique, allowing for a lot of neat escapes as you leap off of rooftops. There are also a lot of caves to hunt for, which act as your checkpoints in case you get caught. Everything in Pizza Possum was shaping up to be a charming, casual arcade classic.
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