Super Mombo Quest Review

Reading Time: 5 minutes

Fast Facts

Introduction

Super Mombo Quest is a brief story about a hero on his quest to save the universe from a dark and powerful force. I navigated precarious platforming, mastered new abilities, and fought tough enemies along my journey. Is the quest worth playing? Find out in this Rapid Review.

You’re the Hero

To begin the story, I was introduced to a loveable purple monster, Mombo. I worked alongside Thoma to discover who was the hero who would save the world. After some experimenting, Thoma discovered that Mombo was the hero that the world needed. With Thoma’s expertise, I began my adventure and began my quest to defeat the Beasts of the East. The story is simple, but it establishes the title nicely.

To supplement the story, the developers feature various non-playable characters. They all had personalities, but they did not add much to the experience. Some of these non-playable characters sold items or impacted the gameplay in other ways, but in terms of the story, they had little impact. I would occasionally engage in conversations with these characters, but they rarely meant much.

Super Mombo Quest is not a game that I would play for the story. Though there is some background and there are various characters to talk to, neither the story nor the side conversations were meaningful.

Collecting Coins

Even though the story did not leave an impact on me, the gameplay loop was one of the most rewarding experiences I have played all year. Super Mombo Quest is a Metroidvania that differentiates itself from other titles in the genre in two distinct ways. First, the level structure focuses on tiny objectives that reward the player throughout the title. Secondly, the upgrades that can be collected do more than grant access to new areas. The rewarding level design coupled with the rewarding powerup system makes Super Mombo Quest an enjoyable experience.

The level structure revolves around collecting gold coins. I could earn gold coins by killing enemies while maintaining a combo, collecting all purple gems in the level, and sometimes gold coins themselves would be placed in tough-to-reach areas. This system was incredibly rewarding. I found it made my experience with the game much better because even if I reached a dead-end, there was a tangible reward to my adventuring.

As I mentioned previously, the powerup system compounded the reward to completing certain areas. One of my favourite powerups prevented me from taking damage when I completed all objectives in a certain area. This prevented me from getting frustrated when I needed to retrace my steps or travel to a distant location. I could travel long distances without worrying about taking damage or wasting time killing enemies. Moreover, there were upgrades that would enhance my maps and show me important information. I could see missing coins in the level, save points, and places to restore my health and lives. The quality-of-life upgrades made the experience much more fulfilling.

New Form, Who This?

In addition to the subtle upgrades, there were different form changes that Mombo could perform. After many of the bosses, Mombo would obtain a new gemstone, giving him new abilities. They ranged from giving me a leaf glider to allowing Mombo to combust and turn into a fireball. The variety in powerups kept the experience engaging and let me tailor my experience to the way that was best for me. Even though most of the game was accessible regardless of the form chosen, there were some specific challenges that required the use of the powerups. Luckily, every powerup was self-explanatory and easy to learn. I had a good time learning how to master each ability.

Even the traditional movement was engaging. Without powerups, I still had the ability to dash on the ground, perform wall jumps, and use my double jump. This movement was more than enough to satisfy me throughout the experience. The additional options from the gemstones were simply a bonus. Additionally, I could jump on the tops of enemies to deal damage to them. There were more than enough options to navigate the levels and combat enemies.

Foes Fit for Mombo

The enemies themselves were interesting as well. They had specific patterns that were easy to identify, but tricky to master. Some very challenging enemies appear later in the game, but none of the enemies were overwhelmingly difficult. They were clearly indicated, innovative, and all fit the theme of the game wonderfully.

The bosses were yet another lovely addition to Super Mombo Quest. They were tricky, especially when aiming to get a perfect score. Still, they clearly telegraph their attacks, provided me ample time to react, and rewarded me with even more gold coins. The bosses were also very fun to challenge.

Finally, to keep the game interesting, the developers featured an innovative concept. The Mombo Combo is earned by killing all the enemies in the room without letting the timer expire. It was not challenging to attain this status because the timer expired slow enough and taking damage did not reset the timer. Additionally, dealing enough damage in a short period of time replenished lost health. This encouraged me to continue moving through the hordes of enemies quickly, without much risk of taking damage. I enjoyed this, but I thought it was not a challenging objective.

Back for More?

What the game lacked was an additional difficulty. The difficulty curve was excellent. I was taught exactly how to counteract every obstacle I encountered. However, I would have liked to see additional difficulty modes that alter the ease of attaining the Mombo Combo or replenish fewer lives. Still, the default difficulty was a great experience. I simply wanted another difficulty to replay the title in the future.

The gameplay in Super Mombo Quest was a very refreshing experience. It was rewarding, engaging, and it felt incredible to control. I even went out of my way to collect all the gold coins. I had a great time with the gameplay.

Smile!

The atmosphere also added to the experience. The music was distinct in each new biome, and it added to the ambience of the game. It was upbeat and cheerful, just like Mombo. The visuals were also charming. Super Mombo Quest features bright, cheerful visuals. The developers detail all the necessary information when evaluating attack patterns, the stages are wonderfully crafted, and the characters are adorable. I thought the presentation of Super Mombo Quest was delightful.

Conclusion

Super Mombo Quest was a very fulfilling experience. I was pleasantly surprised by how deep the gameplay was, and I was shocked by how rewarding it was to collect the gold coins in each room. Time flew by as I played the title. I did not realize I had invested as much time as I did into the game until I looked at the clock hours later. I strongly recommend checking out Super Mombo Quest if you enjoy action-platformers or Metroidvanias.

Rapid Reviews Rating

4.5 out of 5

4.5

You can purchase Super Mombo Quest on the Nintendo eShop here