Fox n Forests Nintendo Switch Review: A Sly Adventure

It seems that the retro formula is paying off for a lot of indie games these days. Celeste benefits from an 8-bit style design and compelling levels and has since become one of the Nintendo Switch‘s best games; and The Messenger looks like the spiritual successor to Ninja Gaiden we didn’t think we needed.

Now comes Fox n Forests, an engaging 16-bit style platformer developed by Bonus Level Entertainment for the Switch amongst other systems. While it doesn’t quite have the pizzazz that other games like Celeste and Shovel Knight possess, it’s got more than enough charm to make up for it.

The game puts you in control of a fox named Rick who becomes an unlikely hero when he’s assigned the task of saving the forest. But he’s not doing it on a whim — a wise old tree (no, not Deku, Zelda fans) grants him some weaponry along with the ability to change seasons. Now this is actually a useful ability that you can activate at given times to help you get through stages. More on that in a second.

Getting a Hang of the Gameplay

Anyway, back to Rick. He has the ability to double jump to gain some height and can also shoot his crossbow straight ahead and in the air, kind of like Arthur throwing his weapons in Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. He can also use a slash attack for up-close strikes and breaking open treasure chests and hitting enemies in the air. The only catch is that you can’t use an attack after a double jump, which means you’re in trouble if you’re landing close to or on an enemy. The controls are responsive enough that you shouldn’t get too frustrated — but a double jump attack would’ve been welcome.

Now this is where the season change comes into play. Over the course of each level you visit, you’ll find an impassable object standing in your way. For instance, bees swarming around a hive. Try to approach them and you’ll get stung. But you can press the season change button and suddenly the hive becomes frozen with the bees hibernating inside, and you’re good to go.

This season change tactic is wonderful and changes over the course of each level, going from spring to winter to summer to fall. Each one introduces something new, such as leaves to climb or the ability to freeze water so you can cross a lake without drowning. (This fox apparently can’t swim.) It’s a neat idea that pays off in dividends over the course of your adventure.

A Good — Yet Short — Adventure

To go along with your platforming, there are also shooter stages that can be a bit challenging. Bonus Level did a great job implementing these, as it feels like a throwback to various 16-bit era games. Sure, you might die cheaply in a spot or two, but it keeps you coming back for more.

There’s also a power-up system that allows you to boost Rick’s strength in a number of areas based around coins you pick up. This is also pretty cool, though it’s a bit easy to become overpowered in some situations. This does come in handy during later levels though, so it balances out.

Where Fox n Forests comes up slightly short is with its game length. The adventure is engaging for the five or so hours that it lasts, but once it’s done all you have left to do is re-explore levels to see what secrets you missed. Fortunately, there are enough of these to go around to keep you busy. But I would’ve liked a new series of levels to challenge my gameplay skills even more.

Don’t Pass Up This Fox

And some people won’t be too fond of the checkpoint system, in which you have to bribe one of your buddies to utilize. It seems a bit cheap (no pun intended) to do this when all you want to do is save your progress, but at least you have ample opportunities to earn some more coin if you need it. This is particularly true with bonus stages.

Fox n Forests has a very good 16-bit style presentation going for it. The animations are fine and the backgrounds look great, like something you’d find out of the SNES era. The bosses have some smart design to them as well, though I wish I had run into more of them. The music is pretty good too, though it sounds more like a selection of moody Castlevania tunes instead of something you’d find in a typical adventure game. Still these selections aren’t too shabby.

Even though its gameplay is missing a couple of things and its overall length is on the short side, Fox n Forests has more than enough charisma to carry it through. It’s fun to play and feels like one of those classic 16-bit platformers you played back in “the day,” right down to the music score and delightful visuals. It may not deliver as much as other platformers do, but for those looking for some nostalgic flair, it wouldn’t hurt to pay a visit to these Forests.

WWG’s Score: ⅘

Disclaimer: A review code was provided by the publisher.