Comparisons are a thing, because comparisons are super effective.
It’s a great way to describe something, whether it’s a band, or a movie, or a video
game…to someone who hasn’t heard them, or watched it, or played it.
Telling them, “Oh, it’s kind of like that game you played, only combined with the style,
from this game you played.”
Just helps people get an idea what you’re talking about, and it’s especially helpful
in reviews.
Of course, it’s never literal.
It’s never literally this combined with that, like some strange experiment gone wrong.
It’s a comparison, it’s an analogy.
This time, it’s no analogy.
Get out your pitchforks.
It’s Funk Of Titans, for the Nintendo Wii U.
So I have to say this right up front.
Uh…this is not a bad game.
In fact, it’s a really fun game, and I had a lot of…fun, playing it.
Thing is, though…it’s also, probably, one of the most obvious, blatant combinations
of things…I’ve ever played.
So much so that, the comparisons I make in this review, aren’t just comparisons.
They are literally combinations of things.
It’s like we’re making stew.
“Hey, this stew is like you combined beef stock and carrots.”
Uh, no, ‘cause it’s literally beef stock and carrots.
It’s not like that, it is that.
And so is Funk Of Titans.
Not the stew, the…
It’s a combination of things.
Bit salty.
So what’s the recipe?
Well, I’m betting some of you already picked up on it.
Funk Of Titans, basically, takes design elements from Donkey Kong Country Returns, and combines
them with the general aesthetic of Disney’s Hercules.
And, sprinkles in a bit of Sonic The Hedgehog, to season for taste.
And, references like every movie ever.
Boils ‘em in a pot, voila, it’s Funk Of Titans.
And like I said, it’s not subtle about it, either.
I mean, check this out.
It does those silhouette levels, and it doesn’t even bother to change the color…
it does the jetpack stuff, and controls exactly the same…
I mean, even the fonts are the same, it’s actually kind of ridiculous.
Some of us weren’t happy about this.
But like I said, it’s not just Donkey Kong.
It combines Donkey Kong…with lots of aesthetic nods to Disney’s Hercules.
Like, this chick looks almost identical to the singing muses, the banners in the background
use a lot of the same fonts and styles, as well…like, it’s not just that it also
happens to be inspired by Greek mythology.
Seems to be inspired by Hercules, too.
By the time you start bouncing around with it’s Sonic and freaking Knuckles, well…
Let’s just say the monkey’s not the only angry mammal.
But you know, despite all these unoriginal things, these…stew, comparisons…it’s
really not a terrible game.
In fact, it’s actually a pretty solid runner.
In fact, at times, the level design is even kind of awesome.
And there’s some replay value, too—there are three medals to earn in each level, and
there are things you can only find if you have a certain item.
Which, by the way, you can buy items.
Different weapons, different outfits…but even those outfits are kind of indicative
of this game’s problems.
It’s, like…all the coolest outfits are also taken from other things.
Friday the 13th, Star Wars, whatever, it’s like…
This game is kind of like that one friend who just references things all the time.
Fun to hang out with, but…not the most original material, you know?
If it sounds like I was harsh on this game, I want you to know, that’s pretty much how
I always sound, about everything.
This has been me liking the game, you can imagine what I sound like when I don’t.
But at the same time, as much as I enjoy even an okay runner, like this…I am contractually
obligated to be honest, and I’ll be honest.
This game rips off a lot of things.
But at the very least, it rips off good things.
Although, to be honest, Hercules kind of came at the end of the Disney renaissance and was
certainly a step down from the recent films before it, but whatever.
The musical numbers were alright, Meg was hot, DK rules, and Funk Of Titans…is actually
a solid runner, on the Wii U.
Yes, indeed.