If you know me, then you know that I like the 3D platforming genre. Describing games like Rayman 2, Banjo Tooie, and Mario Sunshine as “My childhood” is an understatement. What luck then do I find a kickstarter for a game that claims to take inspiration from not only that genre, but the mentality and spirit from the Golden days of my youth. Naturally, I backed it and began to patiently wait. Come about half a decade later and it’s finally here, a bit after the other large kickstarter 3D collectathon revival game Yooka Laylee. If you’ve read my review on that then you’ll know that while not terrible or anything, that game failed to really hook me and I left it quite disappointed. I then began to fear that the game I kickstarted before was going to end up as a similar flop.

Thankfully my fears were averted as I booted the game up for the first time and began to play. Exploring the controls was a bit of a challenge at first, and figuring out the quirks of our protagonist’s moves took some getting used to. But once I got the hang of it I found myself dashing, double jumping, sprinting and animation canceling my way all around a quirky and playful word that enticed me to find all of its secrets. The game’s music and world is what really sells it, I found myself simply standing or sitting around and appreciating the game’s atmosphere, something I rarely do in any game.

What I like most about the game is how much it loves it’s inspiration. You might scoff at that and think “But Yooka Laylee did the same thing and you didn’t like THAT game!”. Not to sound elitist, but no it did not. Between the constant fourth wall jokes and taking the piss out of itself, YL felt more like a parody of its contemporaries rather than a revival. It felt insulting and disrespectful: while at the same time blatantly pandering to the nostalgia blinded fanboys who claim Banjo Kazooie was flawless and any evolution is heresy.

But I digress; Hat in time shows it’s love for those games not by simply parroting them; flaws and all; but instead finding the best in them and figuring out what worked, while also taking a critical eye to what didn’t, or might not anymore. It isn’t lost in the past while making fun of itself, it trusts that the player will meet it halfway and give it a chance, and deliver it does. I haven’t felt this way playing a game since… well those games from my childhood actually.

The missions are varied, the progression is relatively open ended while also being quite simple, the moves you earn as the game goes on are always useful at any time in the game (With MAYBE one exception that feels a little contrived), the characters are sometimes funny, often sympathetic, and almost alway charming in their own way. The voice acting was an interesting touch, but I’m not confident in saying that it was essential, and frankly sometimes it can be a bit trite. Thankfully if you don’t like it or just don’t care you can turn it off, or even replace it with something a bit more nostalgic if you find the right secret.

Don’t mistake it as nothing but a saccharine romp all the way through. The various places you go all offer up different kinds of experiences and challenges. A surprising amount of levels involve a rudimentary stealth mechanic, some will test your ability to explore and traverse, while others offer straightforward platforming challenges. There’s plenty of skipping around being happy to be sure, but there’s also some real laughs, offbeat silliness, heartfelt sincerity, and even a few actual scares along the way. Against all odds, by the ending I felt myself genuinely touched by the game, and that’s high praise coming from someone like me.

What I can’t say however is that it’s perfect. The sectioned off design ala Mario 64/Sunshine is the kind of structure that I feel was a bit dated, though it’s much less egregious than those examples. Even once you get used to the controls there are a few quirks about them that I feel could have used ironing out. (Ex. Can’t move after you slide, you have to JUMP out?) The camera also sometimes clips through walls or spazzes out if it moves at the wrong angle. Some parts of the game seem like they have a notable lack of polish. The main story seems to be a bit short and not as demanding on players, and overall it might be a bit too much on the easy side, especially if you’ve played the games that it aspires to. Then again, it’s less challenging difficulty suits its overall feel-good atmosphere and childlike tone. It’s not really meant to push your limits unless you seek those challenges out yourself.

All in all, A Hat in Time succeeds where Yooka Laylee fails: Giving that spark of wonder and joy. Short and flawed as it may be, Hat in Time delivers on the promise of what it means to run, jump, and fly through a world worth exploring. The game is overflowing with charm, heart and soul, a passion and love for games matched only by us, the player.