Thanks to Hamada for helping with edits.
As I’ve noted, Donkey Kong is my favorite ongoing Nintendo franchise. It flourished under Rare during the Nineties, then fell into a fairly aimless phase after Microsoft acquired the studio in 2002. But the series saw a resurgence in 2010 through Donkey Kong Country Returns, a Wii platformer helmed by Retro Studios. Returns’ impact ultimately didn’t match that of its 1994 namesake, but it was successful nonetheless. It performed well commercially and critically, and scored a 3DS re-release in 2013 and 2014 sequel in Tropical Freeze (which itself obtained an updated Switch re-release in 2018). Returns‘ influence can also be felt in a handful of subsequent side-scrollers, like Playtonic Games’ Yooka-Laylee follow-up the Impossible Lair. A significantly more overlooked title it inspired is Flying Wild Hog’s JUJU, a downloadable game for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Steam, and Android.
Sorcerer bat Calypso kidnaps Juju’s older brother and does other evil stuff, so Juju and his reptilian companion Peyo set out to stop him. (Image: Flying Wild Hog)
Getting this point out of the way, nearly every facet of JUJU is deeply indebted to Returns. With the sole expectation of Donkey Kong’s blowing mechanic, all of his moves there have counterparts here. Juju yields his own dash attack, although his can be initiated mid-air à la Sonic’s Jump Dash. Should you need to stun nearby foes or waken a slumbering statue, Juju bangs on his bongos, a slower take on DK’s ground slap. Juju unlocks new techniques as he progresses, the first of which is the ability to hover, mirroring Diddy Kong’s jetpack. Similarly, many of Donkey Kong’s items and tools carry over, albeit with visual makeovers. JUJU’s HUD is lifted from Returns, and even its frog enemies deflate identically to those on Donkey Kong Island. When not cribbing from Returns, the panda looks towards common platforming tropes – he later gains a Mario-esque ground pound and (in the one major break from Returns) the ability to swim. Although JUJU’s dearth of creativity is disappointing, its foundation could still power an enjoyable game.
Returns and Tropical Freeze’s stages are as bombastic as the hero exploring them, capable of dramatically changing at a moment’s notice. Meanwhile, JUJU is bland, regrettably lacking their adrenaline, imagination, and pacing. JUJU‘s split into four distinct worlds with ten levels each, while a fifth serves as the backdrop for the showdown against Calypso. Usually, JUJU recycles its ideas across worlds, only occasionally letting the aesthetics inform the level design (slippery ice cream litters the candy realm, for example). A few stages host gimmicks unique to them, though there’s nothing here platforming connoisseurs haven’t seen elsewhere. There’s a level where you ride across water on a raft, one where it’s (sort of) too dark to see, and another where you’re chased by jawbreakers Indiana Jones-style. Furthermore, Juju himself is a slow, stiff character to control, a far cry from the unassumingly acrobatic gorilla he strives to ape.
JUJU employs a minimalistic presentation, mostly relying on visuals to convey its menu options, tutorials, and rudimentary plot. (Image: Flying Wild Hog)
But JUJU is, without question, at its worst during its boss battles. There are five in total, one for each world, and they take a few hits to defeat (barring Calypso, who tanks eight). Regardless, these fights greatly outstay their welcome; the giants lethargically cycle through their moves, only rendering themselves vulnerable after performing specific attacks. Aggravating this further, you fight the first four bosses twice and they mostly just take longer to vanquish during their rematches (bringing to mind NiGHTS: Journey of Dreams, another game that struggles to respect your time). Only the fourth boss, an ode to one of Bowser’s many fights, avoids these pitfalls, forcing you to jump across platforms as it gives chase.
JUJU tries to incentivize exploring and replayability much in the way Retro Studios did. Stages house hidden alcoves containing butterflies or portals, the latter of which teleport you to a short, butterfly-collecting minigame. Should you nab every butterfly in a bonus room, you win a coin. However, there’s a small assortment of these maps and JUJU reuses them ad nauseam, meaning they quickly grow tedious. Channeling Rayman Origins’ Lums, butterflies also populate JUJU‘s stages and each one closes with them getting tallied up. If you’ve gathered enough butterflies, you’ll obtain up to three coins. Collecting every coin within a world unlocks its eleventh stage. With one expectation, these stages are JUJU‘s best – they’re significantly faster paced (putting them somewhat at odds with the hero’s plodding speed, admittedly), harder, and more engaging than anything else on display. JUJU also hosts cooperative, time trial, and hard modes, all taken out of Returns’ playbook. And in an appreciated courtesy, you can double Juju’s health if the game’s proving too difficult.
Calypso uses magic to empower his minions before boss fights, recalling Kamek of Yoshi’s Island fame. (Image: Flying Wild Hog)
This article’s shorter than my usual fare, and that’s because there simply isn’t much to say about JUJU. On a technical level, it’s perfectly functional, and its saccharine soundtrack and visuals, though generic, are sufficient (and there are nice details, like how every planet’s enemies are tailored around its motif). Ultimately, it’s likely Flying Wild Hog’s mission with JUJU at least partially informed its shortcomings. On its Steam page, the team explains they wanted to create a game accessible enough so their kids could play with them. That’s an admirable goal, and JUJU’s slow, forgiving nature certainly loans itself well to younger, less experienced players. But there’s little here to service anyone else, and JUJU’s callbacks to older, stronger titles only reinforces how hollow it is in comparison. Fans of Retro’s Donkey Kong duology may haggle some enjoyment out of JUJU, but that’s the only demographic I could recommend it to.
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