The most pugilistic of the 3D platforming marsupial icons is not only back with a vengeance—he brought friends
In anticipation of Kang the Kangaroo‘s release on the 27th of May, Tate Multimedia has uploaded a trailer showing off the friends and family of the main character, as well as providing their informative and charming bios. The trailer features:
- Walt, Kao’s mentor and martial arts master. He’s a Koala, and pretty cool
- Marlene, Kao’s mother and the ‘Iron Lady’. Presumably has nothing to do with Margaret Thatcher, may her soul rot in the furthest bowels of hell.
- Gadget, Kao’s best friend and janky inventor. He’s always happy to provide his services to his friend when he’s not harassing capybara children
To the uninitiated: Kao the Kangaroo is a revival of a video game series that emerged as one of Crash Bandicoots’ many rivals in the anthropomorphic platforming animal video game subgenres (one of many impossibly specific videogame subgenres that is still somehow not specific enough). The last game, Kao the Kangaroo: Mystery of the Volcano came out back in 2005, so this upcoming title is a big deal. We have received a decent amount of information during its announcement, but the game still remains mysterious in many aspects. Does it contain any voice acting? Will the cast have outrageous Australian accents? Can Kao drown his enemies in a horrific act of cold, premeditated murder?
Regardless, it’s reassuring to see new 3D platformers making something of a comeback. A genre that seemed to dominate the industry two decades ago, lately dedicated 3D platformers seem to only reliably make an appearance when Nintendo releases a new console with the obligatory Super Mario game (or an indie developer hoping to capture that magic throws their A Hat in Time in the ring). Hopefully, Kao (and the likes of Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time and the Spyro Reignited Trilogy) can inspire more developers to breathe new life into the art form.
The accompanying press release from Honest PR promises:
- Beautiful, diverse worlds, packed with secrets
- Engaging and fun gameplay for all ages – family-friendly, but for core gamers too
- Magic gloves stacked with powers
- Kao himself – a cheeky, brave, and feisty kangaroo who embarks on a life-changing journey
- An engaging story filled with a cast of captivating characters
- Challenging combat including unique boss battles
- A whole host of items to collect
Kao the Kangaroo will launch digitally and physically on PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, Steam and Epic Games Store on Friday 27th May 2022 for a digital price of €29.99/$29.99/£24.99 and a recommended physical price of €34.99/$34.99/£29.99
He/Him
A flamboyant ultra nerd, Dave participates in the Underlevelled Tournament both for the thrill of the fight, and to avenge the orphans lost in the climax of the previous tournament.
Born: London
Height: ???
Weight: ???
Hobbies: street dance, collecting manga volumes, reading, editing
Likes: short-to-medium walks on the beach, pointing out how things can and will be misconstrued as racism, fighting games, RPGs, anime, Hades, alternative hip hop, conscious hip hop, Mara Wilson, overly long bios, ice-cream
Dislikes: insincere media, his own uncanny resemblance to Richard Ayoade, mayonnaise
