When Michael Rabalais received his copy of Pucca Power Up in the mail, he was drawn to a phrase on the back: “Pucca and Garu’s action romance story.” In Michael's opinion, the possibilities of such a statement are maddening. Are they driving monster trucks through the Arc de Triomphe while feeding each other chocolate covered strawberries? Are they searching for the Ark of the Covenant while drawing scented bubble baths? It’s incredible! So it leaves the question, is Pucca Power Up the Expendables mixed with the Royal Wedding, or Hudson Hawk hanging out with my high school girlfriend?
DHGF: Pucca Power Up was never going to be a great game. However, it had the chance to be something at least enjoyable. That opportunity was squandered thanks to poor design choices, iffy mechanics, and a lack of polish on just about every front imaginable. Even diehard fans of the TV show should avoid this game, as it will simply disappoint you. Let’s hope another developer can do the license justice at some point in the future.
Although Pucca Power Up can’t quite compete against Nintendo’s celebrated first-party platformers, the cartridge is an enjoyable jaunt which should captivate younger players.
Pucca Power-Up plays as a fairly traditional 2D Platform game. Running from left to right (occasionally returning for hidden areas or items), the player must tackle enemies and gaps in the land, clamber to new heights and collect hidden items for special bonuses, and all of this is performed with just the D-Pad and two buttons. Linking the levels are a map which has obviously been borrowed from a certain series developed by the console manufacturer, also with its own intricacies.
