Zool Redimensioned Review

If the name Zool sounds familiar to you, chances are you were gaming in the 90s when Zool: Ninja of the Nth Dimension released in 1992 on the Game Boy, Game Gear, Master System, Genesis, and the SNES. Players took on the role of Zool, a gremlin ninja from the Nth Dimension who was forced to land on Earth to raise his ninja ranking. There were seven different themed lands that had a boss at the end that you needed to defeat to move onto the next. Over 30 years later, Zool Redimensioned is a modern reimagining of that classic game developed by the Sumo Digital Academy and published by Secret Mode.

When you start the game, we see Zool flying his spaceship when he suddenly loses control and crashes onto a planet that has mountains of whipped cream, topped with cherries, and decorated with candy canes and lollipops. By default there is a CRT filter on the screen and distortion on the sides to make it resemble an old tube TV. These additions can easily be turned off if you prefer a more clear and crisp image.

With the intro cinematic complete, we are taken to the main menu that has a variety of settings that you can tailor to your tastes. Plus, it has super catchy, upbeat music. Not only do you have video and sound settings, but there is a section consisting of options that you can turn on and off to make the game easier for you if needed. You can turn on auto fire, invincibility, the low health alert, or infinite jumps — I would find this option frustrating if Zool was constantly bouncing around the screen! 

Zool Redimensioned has two different modes that you can play when you begin:

• Redimensioned — which offers a modern experience that doesn’t require you to pick up collectibles and is good for speedrunners.

• Ultimate Ninja — old school rules with no double jump ability.

Once you begin, you start playing on a brightly-coloured stage, full of collectibles that are candy or dessert themed. If you selected the Redimensioned mode, you aren’t required to grab all these, but I still found it fun to challenge myself and try to get them all. If you come across a Z power-up, Zool will make a clone of himself, which comes in handy when you are fighting enemies because you have double the amount of attacks. The game is also good with placing one of these near the boss battle location so you have that perk during the fight. Our ninja has five health bar blocks, once depleted you will lose a life. Be sure to collect the heart with wings that are fluttering around the stage to keep Zool at top health. If you lose all your lives you will get a game over and will have to begin at the start of that level — i.e. stage 5-4 not at the very beginning of that stage or the game itself. 

The controls in Zool Redimensioned are very responsive and will feel very familiar to you if you have played 2D platformers in the past, except instead of punching or using a sword, you will throw ninja stars. The levels aren’t incredibly difficult, but there are hazards that can trip you up if you aren’t careful. I got hit by sharpened candy canes more times than I want to admit. At any time if you find that you are having problems getting through certain areas, you can always pause and access the accessibility setting to turn on invincibility or turbo fire. Though if you do this, then you can’t unlock the trophy or achievement for that level. These options can also be turned off at any time as well.

The visuals in Zool Redimensioned are really fun, and each stage (made up of four levels) has a unique theme. You get to visit not only a stage of candy and treats, but a music themed world, a fruit themed world, a construction/tool themed world, a toy themed world, and a carnival. Each stage has its own unique music, but this song will constantly play throughout all four levels, so it can get a bit annoying after a while. The accompanying sound effects fit the items in the stages, though if you hear a drill and can’t see an actual power drill, watch out below you as a drill bit may come right through the wood at you.

I had a fun time playing Zool Redimensioned, it is quite a short game, taking me around four and a half hours to complete — and that included me trying to find all the collectibles in the level. Once the main game is complete, you will unlock a multiplayer Party Mode that has four different games to play locally against friends — you can even choose which hat you want to wear out of six options.

• Zool’s Gold — pick up more collectibles than the other players to win.

• Rool of Zool — fight your opponents to hold onto the crown the longest.

• Ball Brawl — smash the ball into the targets to collect the most points. 

• Shuffle — play all three of the games.

If you are a fan of 90s 2D platformers, and just want to have a fun time without feeling incredibly frustrated, Zool Redimensioned is a game you should check out. Especially since there are a lot of accessibility options, this game can really be fun for anyone. This title will also work great for speedrunning, and has a big variety of stages that you get to playthrough.