Oh how I used to love drawing stickmen in my youth (oi, I’m not that old). Many a school lesson was spent creating stickmen and their grizzly methods of destruction in my old textbooks (notice I didn’t say exercise books, see I’m not that old!). Anyway, the thought of ever rescuing my creations from their grizzly deaths had never really entered my head until Stick Man Rescue came along.
Developed by TikGames as a Minis title for PS3, PSP and PS Vita, Stick Man Rescue tasks you with controlling a flying troop transport as you fly around levels searching for lost stickmen that have got themselves into precarious positions! The levels themselves contain traps and obstacles that pose a problem to you and the stickmen you wish to save so not only do you have to look after No 1, you also have to keep an eye on your stickmen, and the situation they are in. The ability to prioritise who you save first becomes more of a problem as you can only hold 4 stickmen in your craft at any one time. If your going for a Perfect score you will need to learn who needs saving first and who can wait just a little while longer, all of your stickmen need to be dropped off at your home base in order to count towards your level score and that score is added to your total score which also includes a death toll for all the stickmen who you were unable to reach in time. There are many ways your stickmen can reach their untimely end and you too if you are not careful, however you are not defenceless and you can help neutralise these threats to yourself and your stickmen by using your primary cannon and a variety of secondary weapons which have a specific use throughout the levels you encounter.
The campaign mode, unfortunately, only has 30 levels, however these levels are very well organised and the traps and obstacles can come from literally anywhere. Half a brain is definitely needed for this title I can assure you. There is a level select to replay levels for better scores but unfortunately that is it. Quality is assured throughout but I just wished there were something else as multiplayer is nonexistent and that seems a crying shame as co-op missions or a 2 player battle over survivors could have added a nice twist to the gameplay, in my opinion.
Controls again for a Minis title are relatively simple to pick up. You use the D-pad or left analogue stick to move your craft around the map. You use the x button to shoot your primary cannon and the circle and square buttons for your secondary weapons. Changing your direction is also handled by the shoulder buttons respectively. The control system is easy to use and works well while keeping the experience smooth. Graphically the game sets its stall out in the title and it does not disappoint in that respect. Stickmen aside every object or background is as you would expect it to look and overall the game looks very clean and sharp for it. The soundtrack unfortunately does not offer any variety and this is a shame as some tension may have added to the overall experience, particularly when a stickman is near death.
Overall then Stick Man Rescue is a fantastic action/puzzler in my opinion and a damn good use of my spare time. The levels are filled with obstacles and dangers while never appearing overly huge or complicated for the sake of it. Although I do wish it lasted a while longer! Though I have to admit it also made a nice change to be saving soldiers (yes damn you they are real people I tell you) rather than mass murdering them week after week. Recommended! A good soldier never leaves a man behind. Not even a stickman!
Ben Gove
At A Glance
- Title: Stick Man Rescue
- Publisher: TikGames
- System: PSP Minis
- Format: PSN Download
- Cross Buy: No
- Online Multiplayer: No
- Local Multiplayer: No
- Memory Card Space needed: 7040KB minimum
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