Snow Bros. Wonderland's Fun 3D Platforming Is Refreshingly Forgiving

Heading into this review, I'd never played the original Snow Bros. People have mentioned that they have a lot of fondness and nostalgia for playing it in arcades. While I lack that nostalgia since Snow Bros. wasn't the sort of game I saw at Disney game rooms, I can see the pure joy that comes from the gameplay. I had a lot of fun with the sequel and played for several hours, and I didn't need quarters to play.

The first Snow Bros. game debuted thirty-five years ago from Toaplan, a Tokyo-based developer known for entertaining side-scroller platform games. Originally made for arcades, the game was a side-scroller like many of its contemporaries and made its way to homes via the NES in late 1991. Tatsujin, which currently owns Toaplan, has released Snow Bros. Wonderland in celebration of the original's release.

Snow Bros. Wonderland

Twenty years have passed since the original Snow Brothers took on evil with the power of ice and camaraderie to stop an invasion. But now the next generation must learn to wield that power as they protect the kingdom from a new threat. Two brothers team up when evil King Atchich wants to take over the kingdom again. That it happened "again" should be concerning, but we Americans don't have room to talk about our competence in fighting evil.

Snow has never been a more powerful weapon. Whether in single-player or co-op modes, the brothers take on Atchich's goons, using various attacks or tools that are available to them. You can use bouncing platforms to your advantage or turn your character into a snowy pinball, using the ricochet to take down an army. You are to be feared, especially when obtaining keys for necessary portals.

From side-scroller to three-dimensional worlds

Instead of a side-scroller, Wonderland has multiple platforms to explore and navigate with portals and the action and animations have been upgraded to 3D. While I'm not usually fond of 3D animation in games, Snow Bros. Wonderland is one of the exceptions. The designs aim for stylistic execution rather than attempts at realism, and the abstract approach reduces the potential for the uncanny valley. It means that the puzzles become complex, but not impossible, as you figure out when to jump and how to avoid common obstacles. No fall damage makes a huge difference as you can fail repeatedly while navigating a platform, but try again to figure out what you did wrong.

The gameplay thus far is fairly straightforward. I had a huge sigh of relief seeing the blend of platforming and boss battles as someone who is terrible at dodging. Mooks and bosses have a predictable pattern that you can use to target them using snowball powers and jumping. I can't compare it to the first Snow Bros. game, but given my experience, I would have been terrible with that one.

It helps that the first few levels are forgiving and merciful about failures. You have the equivalent of one hundred lives. While coins can buy lives, you can also find coins easily. I was able to navigate about three levels without a problem. Whether that will hold for future levels remains up to debate. But it means that, without any time limits or fall damage, I can enjoy the game as an amateur.

Most importantly, however, this game is fun! It makes you want to grab your wrappings and some boots before going out to fight icy mooks. While I haven't played co-op mode, some other reviewers have mentioned they've enjoyed themselves a lot. As we transition from winter to spring, while some places are still getting heavy snow, they can enjoy the pixels of cold snow and two brothers fighting evil.

I know the journey is fun, meaning the end can only be better. And as a Floridian who rarely sees snow in real life, getting to enjoy this snowy action any time of the year is much appreciated.