| Grab Glove Platform Panic | ||||
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| Developer(s) | Inora | |||
| Publisher(s) | Inora | |||
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS | |||
| Genre(s) | 2D Platformer | |||
| Release Date(s) | 2015 | |||
| Age Rating(s) | ESRB: E for Everyone | |||
| Media Included | Cartridge, Downloadable | |||
Grab Glove Platform Panic(stylized as GRAB GLOVE PLATFORM PANIC!!) is a 2D Platformer developed by Inora and released in 2015 for the Nintendo 3DS. Pitched as doing to Kirby/Ristar/Old Mario what Peter Pika did to a game like Crash Bandicoot, the game is a classic 2D platformer centered on Starbo, a guardian of the stars battling the evil Army of Void who has taken over the World of Stars.
Plot
The World of Stars is a far away place where logic and the everyday struggles don't apply, but rather wonder and magic. Everything is happy go-lucky in the place until a dark void in the sky appears, blocking the stars and polluting the dream lands. Out from the void comes Starsnatcher, a malevolent cloaked beast and his hoard of minions, big and small, the Army of Void.
Starsnatcher sends out his army to claim the stars, turning the beautiful worlds dark and grey. With things looking dim, a single star shines in the night sky, the silent mysterious guardian of the stars sent down from the heavens, Starbo. Starbo begins to tour the world and taking back to the stars, being cheered on by the creatures of the World of Stars. With enough stars, Starbo was able to go into the void and battle Starsnatcher.
Starsnatcher uses the powers of darkness in battle, with Starbo being unable to best him in brawn. Instead, Starbo uses the power of dreams, hope, and the stars, alongside all of the world's creatures to force the darkness away, and succeeds. While the Starsnatcher is sent away to never be seen again, his minions are purified, and all the creatures hold a festival, while Starbo watches happily in it's place in the sky alongside the other stars.
Gameplay
Grab Glove Platform Panic is a sidescrolling 2D platformer similar to Mario. Players go through levels filled with items, enemies, and platforming to reach the star at the end to progress. Progression takes players across 6 worlds, each with 6 levels. Worlds consist of 4 standard levels, a shooting star level, and a boss level(where players face a member of the Army of Void).
Starbo's moves are fairly simple, he can run and jump alongside using his unique ability: his Grab Gloves. These can primarily be used to grab enemies, from which he can use them as ammo, bait, or can smash them into the ground, wall, or floor. The Grab Gloves can also interact with the enviorment, by peeling away part of the enviorment to reveal hidden areas or hit switches. Starbo's life is shown as a large star in the top-left corner with a bubble number inside showing how many hits are left. Players begin with 4 but can get 8 in total. Once all Super Stars are collected, players can become Superstarbo when they collect enough coins, where enemies can't hurt him and he is much faster. However, he is harder to control. When Starbo dies, he'll lose a life, and when all lives are lost, players have to restart from the beginning of the level.
Levels are fairly linear but have no time limit and backtracking is allowed. Players are encouraged to explore with their moves to discover three Star Shards in levels, which are collectibles. In addition, at any time, a second palette-swapped Starbo can join or quit. Levels have checkpoints scattered.
Variety comes in the form of the shooting star levels. These are 2D sidescrolling shooters where Starbo rides a star and shoots light bullets at flying minions. These are relatively linear but get harder in each world, and do have something unlockable here. Gaining enough points unlocks a level in the bonus world.
Characters
- Starbo: The silent mysterious guardian of the stars. It's a genderless humanoid with a star-styled hat who uses the Grab Gloves and is the main protagonist. It's character page is here.
- Crib: The narrator of sorts. He leads the World of Star's creatures and spreads the word about Starbo through a storybook. He also hosts the main menu and world map, and is a dimunitive cloaked figure. His character page is here.
- Starsnatcher: : The main antagonist, a gigantic cloaked beast from another world, the void. He leads a merciless army and feels nothing but a hunger for stars. His character page is here.
Levels
Twinkle Plains
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Dreamy Greens | A simple level that teaches the basics of the control. Enemies are few, and the platforming is easy. The level takes place in an open grassy plain with simple watercolor visuals. In the background, stars rain down. |
| Bouncy Climb | This level focuses on platforming and goes from down to up rather than left to right. Players use the thread trampolines to bounce upwards, set to a calm piece played by the guitar. In the background, clouds float by. There are no enemies. |
| Spiked Sewers | A level that focuses upon fighting, and takes place in a large sewers. Players must defeat waves of enemies to free the spike barrier and advance. There's little platforming, and the background is decorated with graffiti referencing other Inora properties. |
| Gush Garden | The first level with water. It begins on a bridge where geysers are used to platform(but players must avoid fish flopping out), but leads into a small swimming section. In the background, a whale swims by and blasts water. |
| Balloon Festival | The first shooting level, it takes place over Dreamy Greens during a hot air balloon festival. Players must pop the stationary balloons to move onward, so it's not as hard. In the background, balloons fly into space. |
| Scaleburn Showdown | The first boss level, taking place in a stone fortress. It's a short level, where players must avoid fireballs flying to the side to reach the boss. The background is Scaleburn coughing up ash balls. |
Solar Dunes
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Rhythymbead Ruins | A village inhabited by wandering shamans, who have a unique art focused culture. Players are introduced to peeling away scenery here, which uncludes rugs, bead statues, and pots. In the background players can spot ancient pyramids. |
| Shifting Sands | Ancient statues buried under a sea of quicksand. Players must hop from statue to statue while fighting off hazards and avoiding the quicksand. In the background, quicksand bubbles while vultures fly by. |
| Confusing Climb | A lone canyon filled with dark caves providing shade. Players must make their way through the labirynth of caves to reach the oasis at the end and solving puzzles. In the background, statues shift and move back and forth. |
| Hourglass Slides | The deep underground of an ancient pyramid. Here, players must steer Starbo to avoid spikes down slides as he races to the end before an hourglass runs out. In the background, hieroglyphics show the story of the game. |
| Arabian Nights | The second shooting level, the beautiful night sky above the desert. Rather than fighting many enemies, players must avoid a magic carpet constantly trying to destroy it and spikes. In the background, the sun goes down and storks race by. |
| Solphinx Scuffle | The next boss level, a fortress deep inside the desert. Players must avoid lava and firebars as they attempt to reach the end. In the background, Solphinx(the boss) drinks from a water bowl and does tricks. |
Nova Tundra
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Cheerful Chills | An open snowfield, with penguins playing around and snowballs rolling. Players must hide in the background to avoid getting crushed by a gigantic snowball. In the background, a giant christmas tree is present, decorated with twinkling ornaments. |
| Shiver Sea | A sea with water so cold, it'll instantly kill you! Luckily, players can use icebergs as platforms, but be warned, they're slippery and easily tilted. In the background, a cruise ship crashes into an iceberg. |
| Snowflake Spook Mansion | An old mansion inhabited only by ghosts. Players must go through different doors, but some lead to bad places. To solve the level, players must search every nook and cranny, all while avoiding the dangerous ghosts. The background appears to be a simple wall with paintings, but the paintings occasionally shift... |
| Trimming Treetops | This level takes place on the christmas tree from the Cheerful Chills level. It's as beautiful as expected, but players must watch out for falling ornaments and collapsing branches. In the background, a village is celebrating the holiday and sledding down a hill. |
| Starry, Starry Night | The third shooting level. Players face tougher enemies and must duck under and above mountain peaks. The background is the painting Starry Night, by Van Gogh. |
| Badchill Brawl | Players must rush and time themselves to avoid falling snowballs to climb to the next boss, Badchill. The background is a stone carving showing Badchill performing various attacks. |
Flare Forest
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Leafy Road | A dirt covered path underneath large bushy trees. Player's reflexes are tested here, with sharp falling leaves that must be triggered and then avoided, with them getting closer and closer together. In the background, a lumberjack cuts down a tree. |
| Rushing Rapids | This river is pulled along by a deadly current, and occupied by malevolent beavers. Players can control the direction and speed of the log raft by moving from side to side. In the background, beavers are playing tag. |
| Burrow Blast | An undergrown maze set at night, players can switch what burrow they travel down, with rooms filled with treasure in addition to rooms filled with enemies. In the background, a worm is trying to get an apple. |
| Lumber Land | The hideout of Starsnatcher's lumberjacks, high in the sky. Players must race to get off of trees before they are cut down and avoid technology. In the background, bats migrate to the east. |
| Bat Dream | The sky above the Forest at night, and the fourth shooting level. Bats will fly from the trees when you get near, doing damage, as well as trees falling over. In the background, bats migrate to the west. |
| Troar Throwdown | A hollow tree occupied by the boss of this world, Troar. Players must jump from branch to branch, but they'll fall when you come in contact, all the while, water fills up the tree. The background is a carving showing the names of every previous boss and Troar. |
Isle Galaxy
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bouncing Beach | A beach occupied by partying natives. Players will have to use their festivities to their advantage, such as their bouncy drums, tiki huts, and roaring fires. In the background, clouds shaped like natives dance around. |
| Vine Swing | Starbo has been kidnapped by natives and must escape, only to find itself over a pit of spikes, with only vines. Players have to swing over the spikes in time, while also avoiding moving spikes, flying spears, and spiders. In the background, rain falls down creating a light mist. |
| Poison Place | A polluted lake in the middle of the jungle, with the star at the bottom. Players have to climb a mountain while avoiding the poisonous waterfall to shut off the poison flow and clear the lake. In the background, purple clouds go by, raining poison. |
| Redface Volcano | The main hallmark of the island. Players must ascend the beautiful but dangerous volcano while avoiding rising lava and enemies. In the background, molten lava bubbles. |
| Flight of the Eruption | At last, Redface Volcano has erupted, unfortunately during the fifth shooting level. This level is very difficult, featuring erupting lava, falling rocks, and blinding clouds of smoke. In the background, a mother eagle and her children flee from the eruption, cawing in fear. |
| Crabannon Clash | A pirate ship run by the menacing boss of Isle Galaxy: Crabannon. Players must first battle hoards of pirates, avoid cannonfire, and at last climb the mast to reach the boss. In the background, another ship circles the waters. |
The Void
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Gates of Gravity | The entrance to the dark dreamless land of the Void. Players must guide Starbo through the various gravity gates while avoiding Black Holes and Spikes. In the background, a thunderstorm is taking place with rain pouring down. |
| Sewer Attack | A dark dank sewer with slippery surfaces. Players have to test their platforming skills here with slippery ground and thin platforms, in addition to a number of hazards. The background is a gallery of paintings that show the Army of Void. |
| Dark Matter Sea | A sea in the sky, polluted by spots of insta-kill dark matter. Players will have to swim through the area without falling out or swimming into the dark matter. In the background, a black hole sucks in various enemies and items. |
| Devour Dash | The black hole from the last level has reached you, and it's sucking in every last part of the land. Players have to race to the end of the level without being caught by the black hole. In the background, airships fly by through dark clouds. |
| Airship Raid | The final and most difficult shooting level, taking place in the clouded skies occupied by the Army's airships, with the goal being to take all five of them down. This level features tight spots and tough enemies. In the background, Starsnatcher watches, cackling villainously. |
| Starsnatcher Strikes | At last, the final boss level and the showdown with the leader of the Army of Void: Starsnatcher. All you have to do is walk right to the final battle. In the background, both enemies and former bosses cheer on Starsnatcher while Crib and the other occupants of the World of Stars cheer you on. |
Bonus: Scattered Stars
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Bounce the Balloons | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Balloon Festival. Players jump from hot air balloon to hot air balloon while avoiding hazards and enemies. In the background, Scaleburn is flying by. |
| Ohno Oasis | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Arabian Nights, and combines the swimming of Gush Gardens with elements from Solar Dunes such as quicksand pits and a maze like structure. In the background, Solarphinx is sliding down a water slide. |
| Rolling Snow | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Starry, Starry Night. Players are on top of a snowball here, and must steer it while jumping and rolling over enemies. In the background, Badchill is singing Christmas Carols. |
| Windy Leaves | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Bat Dream. Players ride a giant leaf as the wind guides it across the sky, with players jumping around and attacking while trying to remain on the leaf. In the background, Troar is watering his garden. |
| Slick Surfing | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Flight of the Eruption. Players steer a surfboard across the water while racing a robotic surfboard. In the background, Crabannon is having a party aboard his ship. |
| Final Fight | This bonus level is unlocked by scoring high enough on Airship Raid and is the toughest level in the game. The area is split into four seperate sections. The first takes place on a harder but smaller version of Sewer Attack, the second is a fight against every enemy, the third is a more difficult version of Dark Matter Sea, and the last is a harder version of Airship Raid. In the background, every boss is playing Poker together. |
Bosses & Enemies
Bosses
Roll over bosses to see their description.
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Enemies
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Darkobo | The main mooks of the army. They are silent purple blobs that will roll towards you when spotted. A single hit will defeat them. |
| Arrwhoa | Flying purple enemies that are shaped like arrows. When they see you they'll shoot forward. A single hit will defeat them. They also appear in shooting levels. |
| Purplanha | Fat purple sharp toothed piranhas. They attack by snapping their jaws, or if you are on land, jumping out of the water. One hit will defeat them. |
| Aea | Seemingly still pharoah statues that will charge into you from the side when you are near. Attack one time from the back. |
| Bombdropper | Fat purple minions with wings, they won't attack directly but rather drop bombs on you from above. Thankfully, these bombs can be caught and used as ammo. One attack will defeat them. They also appear in shooting levels. |
| Snowsteel | Snowmen with robotic eyes and a cybornetic arm. They are stationary and will crank their arm up before tossing a snowball you way. One hit will defeat them. |
| Ghostails | Small mischevious spherical ghosts who swallowed balloons. Grabbing them from the front is impossible due to their ghostly nature, but their balloon tail allows them to be hurt. |
| Beaverbasher | Territorial purple furred beavers that will appear out of nowhere and chuck rocks at the player. Two hits will defeat them. |
| Pyroplant | Large mouthed purple plants that will breathe a steady stream of fire towards you. It's tough, but one hit will defeat them. |
| Strikebat | Ferocious grey bats that camoflauge and then appear, divebombing the player. One hit will defeat them. They also appear in shooting levels. |
| Bluedabo | Tougher Darkobos that have a blue color. They can wheel towards you like their brothers, but they can also do a bounce attack and take three hits to defeat. |
| Pheonicks | Flying fire birds that will attack by charging into you and spewing fireballs in threes. One hit will defeat them. They'll also attack you in shooting levels. |
| Swashbuckleborg | Crabannon's cyborg pirates. They appear as various different animals, but they're all the same. From far away they'll spew cannonballs, but up close they'll swing their swords. Two hits defeat them. |
| Spikepop | Purple one eyed traffic cones that will open up and shoot out spikes that rain down on the player. Three hits will defeat them. |
| Hambam | Hooded purple gorillas armed with giant mallets. They are slow moving, but will slam down their hammers when you near. Five hits will defeat these foes. |
Items
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STAR POTION A potion made out of the energy of stars. It'll restore one health point when collected. |
STAR NECKLACE These rare items will grant Starbo an extra life. |
There are three of these star pieces in every level. Collect 27 to earn a health piece. |
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STAR RING A ring constructed from pure star. When you touch it, you'll become temporarily invincible. |
STAR PITCHER A pitcher full of star energy. Collect it to restore all health points. |
These are glowing stars that can be found in the Scattered Stars world. Collect all 6 to be able to turn into Superstarbo. |
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STAR GUN This gun fires stars and can be used as a projectile weapon. When all 10 of it's ammo are used up, it runs out. |
A shooting level exclusive item, collect them to fire off a super powerful missile. |
ROLLING STAR Run into these to turn into a rolling ball. You can go super fast and roll over enemies, but it's harder to control. |
Reception
| Show | Score |
|---|---|
| Fresh Critic of Belair | 60% |
| Critical View | 40% |
| Pyro Sez | 82% |
| Wood-Grilled Reviews | 65% |
| Critical Hit | 85% |
| Fantendo Reporter | 80% |
| CSTNCA | 80% |
| Simply Magical Critics | 85% |
The game got fairly positive reviews, with a rough average score of 72%. Common complaints include repetition and short length, as well as a similarity to Peter Pika. Praise seems to be all over the place, some liked the bosses, some liked how the article paid tribute, and some enjoyed the content.
Trivia
TBA