need to know
what is that? A platformer inspired by Wario Land and 90’s cartoons.
Expected payment: $19.99 (Steam)
Developer: pizza tower
the publisher: pizza tower
Review date: steam deck
Multiplayer? No
Link: steam page (opens in new tab)
Nintendo classics have always been the best choice for indie reimagining. Series such as Mario and Zelda have directly inspired greats such as Shovel his Knight and Tunic. But where is the return of Wario Land? A mix of fast-paced platforming, exploration, and anarchic slapstick energy made for some of the Game Boy’s crown jewels.
Well, it turns out I wasn’t the only one who thought so. In the last few years, there has been a sudden influx of Wario enthusiasts from the breakout-inspired Antonball Deluxe and its sequel Anton Blast. Doom mod called Treasure Tech. Announced at the beginning of the trend in 2018, the Pizza Tower has finally arrived.
An old pizza chef, Peppino Spaghetti, is sitting in a pizzeria worrying about making enough to keep the lights on. Suddenly he gets a visit from the diabolical Pizza Face. He is, of course, a giant floating pizza with a face. Pizzaface informs him that his home, the famous Pizza Tower, will soon fire a giant laser at the pizzeria, instantly destroying it. Then Peppino climbs the tower and begins his high-speed adventure to stop his cheap nemesis.
As you can probably tell, the game revels in the absurdity. In addition to the Wario Land inspiration, it also blends in his quirky 90s cartoon vibes like Ren & Stimpy, making for a very quirky mix.
Peppino himself is a joy to control. He may be a timid and anxious little chef, but he acts like a military tank with a Ferrari engine. He has a dedicated taunt button that doubles as a grab attack, dash, super his jump, and parry. It’s a Swiss Army knife of satisfying platformer tools. And the game is incredibly tight and responsive, even when he’s doing a full manic sprint. The next great speedrun, at its best reminiscent of Sonic the Hedgehog’s heyday, feels poised to become a game.
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Throughout these levels, you must rescue captured conscious pizza toppings.
Outside of boss fights, Peppino is invulnerable, instead hits just rob him of his overall score. This idea is complemented by a Devil May Cry-esque combo system. This also affects the game’s creatively demanding power-ups, taking all sorts of punishments, like being set on fire, becoming a cheese monster, or being flattened into a sentient pizza box. He suffers for his delicious art, but it never slows him down.
Pizza Tower has 19 levels of platforms, each with their own secret areas and treasures. Across these levels, you’ll need to rescue captured sentient pizza toppings (yes, Sicko, Pineapple that he’s one). Each brings you cash and is used to unlock bosses in each of the game’s five hub areas. But it’s not unfair to find out.
Each stage has its own wild gimmicks, from chickens that sit in Peppino’s hat and give him extra maneuverability with flaps, to claws that grab him and swing him around in his overalls. Surprisingly, despite the sheer variety to discover, it never stumbles, a testament to the versatility of Peppino’s movesets that fit seamlessly into so many different scenarios. .
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The game’s bosses are equally ingenious. Whether it’s based on a certain pizza from the ’90s or based on his mascot, the mischievous gremlin, Peppino’s greatest rival, Noiz, and more. face the challenges of I won’t spoil it here, but the final boss of the game and the finale that follows are both incredible and rival the spectacle of Bayonetta.
Throughout the game, vibrant pixel art imbues every enemy, item, and environment with a jerky, maddening personality. Peppino himself never speaks, but the power of animation alone makes him feel like a rich and full character. Each level’s title his cards take his style of art in new directions, from Terminator pastiches to Castlevania homages. It’s fun to watch, really funny, full of visual gags, and made me laugh out loud more than anything I’ve played in years.
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It’s complemented by a moderately intense soundtrack that combines retro-style themes with clever sampling in a way that’s reminiscent of Jet Set Radio. My personal favorite song is It’s Pizza Time. It plays after the finale as you race against the clock to escape each level.
Pizza Tower is a shameless ode to Wario Land, but it surpasses it in my eyes. I used to look forward to new Nintendo series, but now I don’t really care. Take what made that series so great and extend it tenfold, resulting in him one of the best and most satisfying platformers out there today. Simply put, it’s about kneading and playing.
