Miles & Kilo Review

Game: Miles & Kilo
System: Nintendo Switch
Developer/Publisher: Four Horses
Price:  £7.19/€7.99/$7.99/

(Review code kindly provided by Four Horses)

Overall Feeling: I Like it a Lot!

Storyline

While flying over a haunted island, Miles and Kilo’s plane is attacked by a mysterious specter which results in an inevitable crash landing.  In order to make it off the Island, our two protagonists must explore the island in order to find scattered parts, which will enable them to rebuild their plane and head home.

Gameplay

The game supports two play methods.  By default, the game blends together regular platforming mechanics along with the auto-run style of Kid Tripp.  This means certain stages will require Miles to be fully controlled by using the left thumbstick, whereas others stages will have either Miles or Kilo automatically running to the right.   However, if you want to play entirely using auto-run, then that option is available too via the setting’s menu.

‘Miles and Kilo’ is a great platforming game.  By the time I had reached world 3, I had already faced jumping fish, fruit throwing monkeys, leaping toads, venomous snakes, poisonous spiders, flying bats, etc.  In terms of general platforming, I was also required to jump from platform to platform by means of pouncing on foes, jumping on springs and by swinging from ropes, as well as via wall jumping and a zip line.  O yeah, I had also surfed the seven seas, enjoyed rides in mine carts, faced a mummy, and even joined Kilo in a cat chase!

Kilo himself has a Sonic vibe.  He’s fast, he spins and even homes in on enemies as part of a homing type attack.

In total, the game contains 36 stages which are spread over five worlds.  The ultimate goal of each stage is to achieve an S grade.

Don’t allow the cute graphics to fool you

‘Miles & Kilo’ is tough but not impossible!  Thankfully, the gamer has unlimited lives to play with, so a mistake will simply take you back to the start of your current stage.  The keys to successfully completing each stage are perseverance, memorisation, listening, and timing.  Actually, thanks to the inclusion of HD rumble, the feel of vibrations can also be used to avoid unforeseen upcoming dangers.

Visuals and Sound

The game has a great retro look and soundtrack.  Studying the visuals, there appears to be a mix of 8-bit and 16-bit style graphics.  Stages have a pixellated look, but Miles and Kilo’s design looks slightly more detailed, and really stands out.  Kilo, by the way, looks great!  I’m not altogether sure though if he’s the type of dog that I’d like to take for a walk.

Capture footage from Miles&Kilo. #NintendoSwitch pic.twitter.com/fDlOacfOQW

— Jonathan Davies (@weloveninty) July 4, 2018

A Question Answered

Have you ever played a game that’s filled with so much inspiration from classic titles that you feel the influences straight away?  This game screams Adventure Island with a hint of Mario and Sonic all thrown in.   Being intrigued, I decided to message Four Horses and ask them directly.

“Great game guys! What inspired you to create it? I see a bit of Adventure Island in design, as well as a little bit of Mario in the hubworld, and a touch of Sonic in Kilo.” (Jonah)

“Exactly those games! Glad the influences shine through.” (4 Horses)

I would just like to thank 4 Horses for confirming my suspicions!

In Conclusion

I think this game is great!  It’s fast, challenging, exhilarating, and it deserves to be in the library of any platformer fan that likes a challenge. As an extra bonus, if you preorder/purchase Miles&Kilo before the 12th July, you’ll also be able to download Kid Tripp for free.  Or if you’ve already purchased Kidd Trip, you’re able to purchase Miles&Kilo for half-price up to the same date.

Now please excuse me while I play some more!