Sonic Mania Devs’ Next Game, Penny’s Big Breakaway, Recaptures The Early 3D Platformer Era
The early days of 3D platformers were a Wild West of disparate ideas and mechanics as developers circled in on what worked, and different colorful mascots with their own hooks were introduced at a steady pace. Evening Star, a new studio formed by the developers of Sonic Mania, is looking to recapture that era with Penny’s Big Breakaway, a throwback platformer to the N64, PlayStation, and Dreamcast. And based on my experience so far, it’s recaptured that period in gaming history with aplomb.
This is most apparent in the visual style, which harkens back to a style of early 3D simplicity without looking quite as rudimentary as those older games. It leans heavily on simple shapes and saturated colors, but the designs of both characters and stages are a little more complex than you would actually see on those older platforms. It’s a decent compromise, delivering a dose of nostalgia without being overly reliant on it. As someone who doesn’t feel enamored with the style of that era, it does look a little garish to my eyes, but your mileage may vary.
The star of the show, both figuratively and literally, is an aspiring street performer named Penny who specializes in yo-yo tricks. When the Emperor summons performers to the palace to put on a show, Penny is excited to answer the call–but along the way, her yo-yo gets entangled with a cosmic string that transforms it into a rambunctious living creature. That in turn leads to a mishap at the palace, which makes Penny a wanted fugitive being chased down by the Emperor’s forces.