Mr. Pumpkin Adventure Review

We've all been there - excitement courses through us as we prepare to meet a new game; our fingers hitting the power button on our consoles and our hands tightly gripped around the controller, but then the game starts! And, we're stuck staring at the images on our televisions, wondering what is actually happening? This is exactly how I felt powering up CottonGame's Mr. Pumpkin's Adventure for the first time. Granted, I did enter the game decently blind; the only information snugged into my arsenal was that this title was a point-and-click, a genre I very little play - besides Pajama Sam and a few mystery games I've found myself sucked into on several different occasions.

From the get-go, I seen how unusual this game was. Our protagonist, Mr. Pumpkin (who in my opinion, definitely did not resemble a pumpkin), has lost his memory - no recollection of where he's at or even who he is. The story is never fully explained, and the only tidbits received are based on diary entries found throughout the levels and confusing comic panels that introduce the chapter. Paired with this odd story is the strange surroundings that you are constantly placed in. Characters such as a man with only half his peanut head and a chili pepper looking to get his cigar lit are all part of the cast in Mr. Pumpkin's Adventure.

It's not the peculiar art design that throws this game off; in fact, the game design seemed to reel me in, and I found myself looking forward to what exotic character I'd meet next. The soundtrack, even with its random changes in notes and tone, was another bonus in this title. Instead, it's the gameplay that makes this game one that I don't plan on returning to.

As it is a point-and-click, there's a lot of pointing and clicking; I found myself clicking everything and anything just to see if it'd make any difference. Most of the time, it did not. But when it did, you found yourself with a collection of various objects that didn't always seem so clear where they fit within the background. Puzzles were also annoyingly difficult - all varying in different skills such as math or memorization. To some, this may be a bonus but for others it can lead more towards frustration than enjoyment. There is a fun addition to gameplay though in the form of a mini-game where, as a pumpkin, you jump over blocks, and if you make it to 200 points, you're rewarded a hint to the level's puzzle.

This game is short, as the story can be told in only eight chapters (but can be shortened to only six or seven), and each of these chapters vary in length, but for the most part, they do not take long to complete. There are also three endings, and after unlocking all three, you're rewarded with another short secret chapter.

To sum it up, Mr. Pumpkin's Adventure is a bizarre game - from its seemingly incomplete storyline to it's interesting art style and soundtrack. There are a variety of puzzles, but unfortunately, the difficulty of some can push a player away. Mr. Pumpkin's Adventure, for the most part, serves its purpose as a point-and-click, but it doesn't necessary serve its purpose as a good game.