Attic of the Underdogs

Curse of Kaumana, The

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Review by Underdogs:
The Curse of Kaumana is a superb exploration-focused platformer coded with Game Maker application. The review at Game Maker Games says it all:

"The Curse of Kaumaha is a spacey, held-back style of platformer, with a great exploration aim in its core. The original concept takes place on an island, buried deep in the folds of the Pacific Ocean, smitten with a curse. You are the only one who can break the curse of Kaumaha by freeing spirits and collecting masks.

As far as the gameplay goes, it’s inevitable that several players will completely morph into the game, while others will quit playing after a short session. As said previously, the platformer uses a calm, mellow approach. There certainly is action, although its degree is restricted to the game type: The Curse is simply not the kind of game I would play if I wanted to have a quick action blast. Instead of the typical “kill your enemies” idea, the game developer decided to use an interesting alternative, which can be summarized as “free your enemies’ spirit”. In any case, this doesn’t mean the game is tedious. On the opposite, I have been playing the game non-stop for days, and I plan on continuing my quest in the next weeks.

To emphasis the game’s orientation even more, the creator opted for separated and long levels that are not linked together directly. This allowed him to additionally set the player’s focus on individual goals, such as collecting the lost golden mask in each island portion. As with any adventure game, the long levels can however become irritating in the long run, especially in this case where one bad move can lead you to instant death. Don’t let this put you down though. It fairly annoyed me at first, but the more I play the game, the more I enjoy the concept. Nevertheless, this can lead to a certain degree of frustration.

Pros:
- Everything surrounding the heart of the game has been incredibly well thought out (theme, minigames, unlockables, secrets, multiple options, etc.);
- In my opinion, one of the best platform adventure game made with GM;
- Outstanding graphics.

Cons:
- Occasionnal and minor bugs encounters;
- Repetitive gameplay for certain players;
- Although it fits the game like a glove, the background music becomes cyclic after a while.

In short: To some fans of the well-known game Seiklus, playing The Curse of Kaumaha will bring memories of the long hours spent exploring as the white Seiklus character. This game may not appeal to everyone, but I’m definitively hooked. I would say "Three thumbs up," but I only have two."

Average Rating:7.21 [14 votes]
Genre:Action
Designer:Game Fortress
Developer:Freeware
Publisher:Freeware
Year:2005
Software Copyright:Game Fortress
Theme:
Multiplayer:
Related Links:
More Info:Mobygames | The Web
System Requirements:Windows XP
If you like this game, try:Seiklus, Bonkheads, Doukutsu Monogatari
Thanks to... 
Technical Notes: