It feels like 3D platformers have come back in a big way these last few years, and some of the most memorable entries have been the most unconventional. Demon Turf utilized a fascinating hand-drawn 2D art style. Tinykin had you leaping and exploring bedrooms and kitchens while commanding a small army of not-Pikmin. Snake Pass tasked you with slithering around as a snake in a platformer without jumping. Super Adventure Hand fits this canon of offbeat 3D platformers like a glove, and though it isn’t an exceptional entry in the genre, it’s so bizarre that we can’t help but suggest you give it a try.
Super Adventure Hand begins with the titular appendage going for a woodland stroll before being accosted by the nefarious feet, who knock the hand unconscious and steal the arm it was attached to. You thus set out on a quest across various hand-themed worlds, collecting mugs along the way that (somehow?) aid you in your goal of reclaiming your arm. From the feet.
It’s a 3D platformer at heart but with a weird twist. You’re presented with relatively simple, linear levels packed with expected staples—fire traps, rotating platforms, fans—yet much of the challenge and charm comes from directing the unwieldy hand to do what you want it to. The hand doesn’t accelerate or move quite like you’d expect a typical 3D platformer protagonist to move, and trying to understand the odd physics that govern it often reminded us of Snake Pass’s unique approach to ‘platforming’.
It’s humorously strange, but controlling the hand can occasionally feel like an exercise in frustration. Sometimes you’ll attempt to leap to a distant platform, only for one of your fingers to push off a surface at an odd angle and send you careening into the depths, forcing a respawn earlier in the level. It’s a short and easy enough experience that such hiccups don’t totally sink your enjoyment—indeed, many times such failures elicited a chuckle—but the goofy controls can eventually start to feel like a joke that’s wearing thin.
To pad out the replayability a bit, hidden thimbles scattered across each level unlock new cosmetic options like watches, rings, and nail polish for customizing your hand. Additionally, you can get up to three ‘thumbs up’ on a level depending on how quickly you cleared it, adding in a time attack element for achieving true mastery. Collecting everything and nailing all the time requirements requires some serious dexterity, adding a nice skill ceiling for those with quick fingers.
Visuals are pretty basic here, but a big part of Super Adventure Hand’s charm is the viscerally revolting sensation of watching a disembodied hand scurry around as it tickles its way up walls and across platforms. The fingers all move independently while they warp and twist according to the terrain, taking on an almost rubbery texture as the hand desperately clings to surfaces. It’s uncanny and disturbing, but watching that hand move is one of the most consistently enjoyable parts of the game.
We’ve got to hand it to Devm Games (Moving Out) for coming up with the concept. This is a joyous, eccentric platformer that’s not quite like anything you’ve played before. Though the controls can be frustrating, that’s also the point of this brief, uncannily gripping experience.
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