Things might get a little muddy up in here.
Our number five game, Mutant Mudds, is a game that almost didn't exist in its current state. If developer Renegade Kid had their way, it would have come out as a third-person 3D action game on the DS as Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds. If the game went that route, we might not have experienced the lighting-in-a-bottle magic of Mutant Mudds, the 3DS eShop 2D platformer that is our fifth best game on the 3DS in its first two years (and the top eShop game on the list as well...and our top non-Nintendo release, too).
Mudds succeeds mostly in its simple gameplay mechanics that are used to triumph over the numerous platforming puzzles and challenges. You jump; you hover; you shoot; you bounce between three different layers. Nothing is too complicated, and the pace is brisk, with most of the challenge not coming from “what do I do?” but from “how do I do that?” The added abilities, giving you a longer shot, longer hover, or higher jump, help you find one of the best aspects of the game: the hidden Game Boy and Virtual Boy-styled bonus levels. A fall 2012 update even added 20 new levels, playable only by the unlockable super-powered Granny character.
The sheer delight extends past the gameplay as well, with a wonderful “12-bit” aesthetic and way rad retro music. In my review back in January 2012, I mentioned that the music felt like it was “ripped out of a Capcom game from 1992,” and I kind of want to go back and knowingly nod approval to my past self, because that is exactly what the sound feels like, from the infectious opening tune to the noise when protagonist Max jumps.
For me, Mudds has ascended to a rarified place where games such as Mega Man 2 and Super Mario RPG lie. If I just need to play a game to unwind and relax, I usually go to those games. That is what I do with Mutant Mudds on my 3DS, and at this point, I'm halfway through my third playthrough. It's not even challenging to me, but that doesn't diminish the fun I have. The challenge is present, though, and it's mostly a triumph that the difficulty curve flows so naturally from the initial 20 levels and into the two separate batches of 20 bonus levels.
Mutant Mudds is a magical experience on the 3DS that calls to mind games ranging from Wario Land to Gargoyle's Quest. With a Wii U re-release set for June and a 3DS sequel set for 2014, hopefully the charming muddy platforming continues to be so wonderful. And with more content, bosses, and more fun surprises, Max's continual battles with the wretched villains seems poised to be continually fun. If you haven't checked out Mutant Mudds of 3DS or PC, you're missing out, and fortunately, if you did, the game is even coming out on Wii U very soon.