Goro is a village leader in a stylized version of ancient Japan. Out for revenge, he wields axes to attack enemies, as well as using them as a grappling hook, allowing him to traverse the underside of wooden objects. Ominous black blobs stand in his path, each with various powers and attacks such as giant hammers and spiked hats. These, as well as plenty of other traps, must be avoided.

The platforming in Wooden Sen’SeY is pretty basic at first, but trickier opportunities to use the grappling mechanic are slowly introduced. The controls felt a bit obtuse when jumping right in, but after experimenting for a few minutes, I got comfortable jumping, shooting, and swinging from platform to platform. Bonuses are hidden in hard-to-reach places that encourage exploration and the use of Goro’s various techniques.

Wooden Sen’SeY isn’t the most original game out there, and my first thought was that it was very similar to Kung Fu Rabbit, but the grappling system adds a visceral feel to the platformer. Expanding upon the PC version through the Wii U GamePad, Wooden Sen’SeY gains the ability to control the grapple swinging motion by tilting the controller, though the Control Stick also worked for this function.

Despite the focus on bladed weaponry, the art is bright and colorful, and the atmosphere is lighthearted and humorous. The game should provide a challenge, mixing old and new platforming styles.