Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a spin-off of Summer in Mara from 2020. The big difference between the two games is that Summer in Mara was an adventure game with lots of crafting and farming, while Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is more of an old-school 3D platformer. The people behind it say it's inspired by games like The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker and Super Mario 3D World. However, I think I can see games like the first Crash Bandicoot, Pandemonium and Klonoa here.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is set in the same world as Summer in Mara, and you once again take on the role of the girl Koa, who, together with her friend Napop, sets out to find eight treasure maps that pirates have scattered around a number of different islands. Along the way, you have to jump on platforms and collect lots of seashells, which act as the game's currency. With these you can buy new clothes for Koa and a new backpack for Napopo, and you can also upgrade your small boat that you sail around the different islands in. At the same time, you must try to rebuild the city of Qälis, which the pirates have destroyed, by buying, for example, enclosures for the animals and new stalls for the marketplace.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara is a relatively simple game. As mentioned, you travel to different islands, which of course all have a theme, for example, there's one with white beaches and palm trees, another with volcanoes, one with ice and others are set in ancient temples or on a disused naval base. They're all fairly linear, but there is the option to explore the environment a bit in search of hidden artefacts. If that's not your thing, you can try to complete the course in time and earn gold, silver or bronze medals. These medals don't actually have any value in the game (unlike the seashells), so it's just a fun bonus that means you'll basically have to complete the courses at least twice if you want to complete them 100%.

The gameplay is quite simple, but don't let the cute style fool you. There are occasional serious platforming challenges, where you either have to jump quite accurately or perform jumps that have to be timed with disappearing platforms and the like. On top of that, there is only one checkpoint on each level, so you can be sent pretty far back if you die. However, there is a so-called "Relaxing Mode" where there are more checkpoints to make things a bit easier.

The graphics are on the simple side, but they work as they should. The static camera works well and most of the time follows along well, giving the player the angles they need. The audio is also as you would expect in a game of this type, with a cheerful soundtrack and shrill voices from the game's main characters.

Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might look like a game aimed at children, but it's not - the difficulty level is simply too high. It's more a game for those who are big fans of the first Crash Bandicoot and of Pandemonium and Klonoa, in which case Koa and the Five Pirates of Mara might be some light summer entertainment for you. Just don't expect a game on par with its inspirations, but instead an old-school "3D platformer light".