[Review] Go! Go! PogoGirl - Nintendo Switch

Developed By: Ohsat Games
Published By: Ratalaika Games
Categories: Platformer
Release Date: 02.10.23

Gasp! Someone stole your #1 pogo at night! Time to go pogo and get it back! Go! Go! PogoGirl!

This is novel, isn’t it? It’s a old-school platformer that has you constantly bouncing on a pogo stick. You bounce quite a bit. Pressing A as you land lets you do a stomp that also shoots you up higher. Sometimes you’ll need to do this for a switch, sometimes to get to a just higher platform. Holding down can charge up a super bounce, something that can get you even higher. While you can bounce on enemies, you also have a bit of a spin attack you can use as well. This move is a bit multi-functional though. Spin at enemies, get a little more height or distance, spin switches. It’s rather useful.

With these moves, you’ll go through twenty levels. Five in each of the four seasons. Wow, this trip to get your pogo back is long, isn’t it? You’re going through the whole year! As this year goes on, the levels will get bigger, there will be hidden pathes, and you’ll find more uses for your abilities. At the end of each season, you’ll fight a boss. They’re all simple “follow a pattern, bonk on head” kind of bosses, but they do spice up how you fight them at least, with the second boss of Summer even being a water boss.

Each level will also have three goals, which reward you with medals. Don’t die once, collect all 100 of a level’s green gems, and collect all three hidden red gems. If that first once seems a bit daunting, there are shields you can find in certain stages to protect you from one hit. Perhaps a cheat code might help too. The game has a handful.

I get a nice, warm Sega Genesis feel from this entire game. The sprites, the colors, the music. It’s nothing too breathtaking, but it’s almost familiar and does get me feeling nostalgic. I could definitely go without entire seasons using the same song for all five levels, but it’s good music at least.