Grapple Dog Preview

I’ve always said that I’ll buy anything with a grappling hook. It’s such a fun mechanic, and if handled well it can only benefit everyone. So that’s where Grapple Dog comes in, with its name outright stating the main mechanic, and promising perhaps not as much as I’m putting upon its shoulders. It’s a side-scrolling platformer with a vibrant pixel-meets-Flash art style.

Now, I’m not proud to admit it, but every time I hear something proclaimed as “harkens back to the 16-bit era”, I roll my eyes. Don’t get me wrong - nowhere on the Steam page does it say anything remotely like that. I only mention it because damn, this really does harken back to the 16-bit era! Maybe a late-era Game Boy Advance title, but purely because the graphics are so good.

Grapple Dog, as you might suspect, has you controlling a dog who fell down a hole and, yadda-yadda-yadda, now has to save the world. You have a grappling hook and can do a jump stomp, and that’s about it. As you move around you build up speed, so if you’re able to time your jumps and swings well you can really move at some speed! I mean, there is an upper limit, but that limit feels surprisingly smooth as you jump around the levels. I’m not a fan of platformers that require split-second reaction times, so finding myself zipping around levels was a real joy.

There are 33 levels in the full game, but I only got to play a few of them. That did include a boss though, so I think I got a handle on how amazing the full game will be. There are also secret areas to find in each level, some of which require finding items to be unlocked, so there’s definitely replay value here.

I think the only negative in Grapple Dog is that you require a certain number of crystals - hidden around each level - to unlock the boss stages. I much prefer to just play each level and then go back through them when I’ve finished the game. By forcing you to find a certain number of crystals, you will probably have to go back a few times.

The bright graphics are a joy, the music is upbeat and catchy, and the movement is smooth. So long as you use a controller, and you like platformers, this is one to look out for. The keyboard controls are bound to weird keys, so definitely rebind or use a controller. There’s no release date yet, but Grapple Dog absolutely got its (grappling) hook into me.