The Nintendo Switch has long been the bastion for fans of platformers, thanks in part to not just its first-party titles, but its massive collection of third-party and independent titles. “Hatch Tales: A Heroic Hookshot Adventure,” one of the latest platformers to hit the Switch, pays homage to 2D puzzle platformers of the past with a mix of addicting gameplay, fun level design, and a unique blend of traditional mechanics.

I had the chance to give “Hatch Tales” a spin thanks to the fantastic folks over at Limited Run Games, and it has quickly become one of my favorite games I’ve played in a long time. While I’m not sure it rewrites the book on platformers, it’s flat out fun and hard to put down, which is all I can ask for from a game. And by “hard to put down,” I mean I’m playing through levels of the game as I write this review because I seriously cannot stop playing this game.

Story

“Hatch Tales: A Heroic Hookshot Adventure” stars the titular Hatch, a pint-sized hawk with a sense of adventure. Armed with his trusty hookshot (and not much else,) Hatch sets out to save the kingdom of Talonreach from the evil Nazar. To do so, he has to explore eight worlds and collect a sacred artifact from each. Once he has all eight, he can confront the icy king and save the kingdom.

Gameplay

While the game isn’t overly complex, the blending of mechanics is what makes “Hatch Tales” stand out. Hatch can only perform a handful of actions: he can walk, jump, use his hookshot, and peck. But just because the character is simple, doesn’t mean the rest of the world is.

Standing in Hatch’s way are a variety of enemies, corridors of spikes, whirling maces, and so much more. While it may seem difficult to traverse on foot, don’t forget to use your trusty hookshot to navigate areas — it’s often the key to completing puzzles that Hatch simply isn’t fast enough to run through.

The world is full of secrets, usually found in the walls or ceilings. The game does a great job of telegraphing these secrets but sometimes you’ll just flat out miss them. Secrets usually contain Ember Sprites, the game’s answer to “Super Mario World’s” Yoshi Coins, but can also reveal hidden areas with lots of gems or treasure maps.

Treasure maps unlock side quests, which give you additional opportunities to collect gems and Ember Sprites. Ember Sprites are needed to unlock the final level of each world, while gems are needed to unlock Sparkle’s Arcade, where you can play levels starring “Mutant Mudds” character Max.

World Layout

There are eight worlds with six levels each. Worlds range from a forest, to a fiery mountain, to an icy cavern, and more. Within each level are six levels and six “Side Quests” which will give you an opportunity to get additional gems and Ember Sprites. Each world also has a “Mutant Mudds” arcade level and another level worth 1400 gems.

Level Types

Unlike other platformers, “Hatch Tales” breaks up the monotony by introducing different goals for each level. Most levels are referred to as “Rescue Quests,” and are completed by traversing past obstacles and freeing one of Hatch’s bird friends from its icy prison. Other levels have different requirements, forcing you to play the game a little differently.

“Minion’s Hideout” levels are “kill ’em all” levels, requiring you to defeat all the enemies in a level to complete it. Be warned that the level ends upon defeating the last enemy, meaning you’ll leave gems and Ember Sprites on the table if you don’t collect them.

“Wisdom Trials” are levels that revolve around a certain powerup and are usually completed by delivering an ethereal key to the end destination. Powerups include a peck boost that allows Hatch to break through terrain blocks, a double-jump ability, super speed, and the ability to fly, among others.

“Kappa Game” levels star a green bird that makes players play through untraditional levels not uncommonly found in “Super Mario Maker,” like a level where players must slide on ice, time their jumps properly, and follow a trail of collectibles until the end of the level.

Sound

The music and sound design of “Hatch Tales” finds itself right at home with classic platformers of years’ past. While I wasn’t exactly humming tracks after playing them, the music while playing isn’t distracting or otherwise.

The sound effects also find their home in the classic era of platformers. Nothing that would be out of place in many of the traditional wacky 16-bit platformers of the time, but maybe not those found in “Mario” or “Sonic” games.

I hope you like the sound of Hatch making noises when he jumps, because you’re going to hear that effect a lot. At least the other noise you hear often, Hatch’s hookshot’s “ca-chunk,” is satisfying to hear.

Additional Quick Thoughts and Tips

• The difficulty ramps up between Worlds 1 and 2, then again in World 5. Keep that in mind as you progress through the game.
• There are no load times. Don’t wait at the directions screen after entering a level like I did.
• There are also no lives. You’re able to challenge levels as many times as you want. After a few attempts, the game will add hearts to your heart counter as sort of a pity system. I’ve never seen more than two but it very well may keep going past four total hearts.
• Hatch’s hookshot pauses time, whether this is an intended effect or not. Use this to your advantage when navigating difficult areas and get through tricky puzzles unfazed.
• Hatch’s invincibility frames after getting hit are short, so if you’re going to try to damage boost through things, be quick about it. Often times, though, you won’t have enough time before you’re able to be hit again and you’ll lose all your health.
• There is a level generator akin to “Super Mario Maker, with fan-made levels from the game’s initial release on PC. It’s fun but nothing that I’ve put too much time into. If you want more “Hatch Tales,” though, it’s included in the game without having to download any DLC.
• Which is good, because I don’t know if this game is worth $20. It’s worth buying and playing, but I don’t think $20 was the right price. $14.99 sounds closer to what games like this normally go for. Maybe the extra $5 comes from the level designer?

Verdict

Buy It. I can’t get over how much fun “Hatch Tales” is. I probably played the first three worlds in the same night I started it. It’s really a blast to play. The gameplay is enjoyable and engaging, the level design is fantastic and challenging enough without becoming unfair, and the additional custom level mode is appealing for those of you looking for more after the main campaign.

While I won’t say “Hatch Tales” is perfect, it was the perfect first game to review for the website and the right game for my taste. Go grab it from the Nintendo Store today.