In TransSubversion, players take on the role of Scrappy, a sentient robot after the Amber of Light energy source. Scrappy isn’t alone though, as he’ll face puzzles and rival robots in over 40 colorful levels. Due to the speed of the platformer, this bot might eventually resemble a certain blue hedgehog. With jump pads, underwater air bubbles, and hectic speed, it’s not hard to see the inspiration that Sonic the Hedgehog served for the indie game.
TransSubversion is composed of many well-drawn, linear, short levels. Scrappy’s story is told through comic-styled panes, ensuring that this tin man has a brain. These are the only breaks you’ll want to take from the fast-paced action, however, as the title was absolutely meant to be played at full speed. In fact, there’s a little replayability built into the game in the form of medals. Players will be rewarded with a Bronze, Silver, or Gold medal for each mission; the level of the award is dependent upon how quickly the mission was completed.
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Mind you, TransSubversion is a little more challenging than a dash from Point A to Point B. The acrobatic little robot will run, jump, roll, use weapons, and bypass barricades. Jump pads, gravity-changing buttons, gate switches, and climbing boxes present Scrappy with various options for navigating the levels. Though the doors that bar progress are unlocked with a corresponding key of a matching color, the android faces a particularly imposing restriction: he may only hold one item at a time. This presents a dilemma; which object should be carried? Players must decide which weapon to carry or which door to open first. True, there are multiple answers to any given level, but only the best choices will result in a Gold medal at the end of the mission.
There are lots of tools at Scrappy’s disposal, and he’ll need them all. For all the small components in the game, there is a surprisingly simple HuD, requiring that you only keep an eye on the health (red bar), energy (blue bar; used in such an instance as shooting without a gun), and the box that displays the currently held item. Swinging the camera around by activating one gravity switch, sending a laser to unlock a gate by touching another switch, rolling a ball before freezing it to serve as a stepping stool, or aiming for speed-boosting Air Jets can introduce a tempo that causes you to take for granted the vibrant art of TransSubversion. With so many levels, there is a basketful of eye candy to consume with each playthrough.
Sadly, however, there is not much replay value in the indie title. Developer davidklimek thoughtfully included the medal system and bonus stages for the more rapid robots, but that’s about where the game’s lifespan terminates. As a standalone indie game, TransSubversion is fun, but it would have been augmented with an online leaderboard, a multiplayer, or maybe at least a co-op campaign.
Scrappy is close enough to the familiar quick echidna to pull in genre fans, but it introduces enough little tweaks to justify the new robot hero. With that aside, critics shouldn’t try to put the independent game in the formidable shadow of its predecessor. As a strictly solo game, the 240 :MSPoints: tag is a fair price for a new platformer that only borrows the best of its forbears. Try it out today.
You can find more information on TransSubversion as well as download the trial and full versions of the game on the Marketplace.
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