Unlikely success and great fun.
Mutant Mudds' success was never guaranteed. Not only is Renegade Kid responsible for one of the best games of the year, they also produced one hell of a story. There's no shortage of tales of a phoenix rising from the ashes, but few faced such a tumultuous history.
Originally unveiled as a Nintendo DS title in June of 2009, Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds (as it was originally known) was a change of pace for Renegade Kid. Coming off more mature rated games, the colorful 3D platformer seemed an interesting departure for the developer. But it was not to be: Renegade Kid had trouble finding a publisher for the title. Later, in December of 2010, Renegade Kid's co-founder Jools Watsham took to his computer and put out a request for 1000 comments on a blog he had written concerning the potential of Maximillian and the Rise of the Mutant Mudds reaching the DSiWare service. Sadly, the quota was not met.
But, perhaps living up to the studio's name, Mudds didn't take the news lying down. It resurfaced in June of 2011, in the form we see today. Mutant Mudds was finally coming, and what a game it turned out to be.
As an homage to the 8- and 16-bit days, Mudds soars. While it prides itself in those nods to the past, it never dates itself or chooses to skate by on nostalgia. With its three-plane mechanic, Mudds successfully blends the old and new. Its visuals not only honor the NES generation, but also allow the game to focus on its gameplay. It may not pack god rays and 30 simultaneous particle effects, but Mudds' platforming is top-notch.
Difficulty is integral to Mutant Mudds. You're never let down by poorly balanced enemies, dawdling frame rates, or a multitude of glitches. When you fail, there's no one to blame but yourself. For as simple as Mutant Mudds is on the surface (run, jump, and shoot guys), Renegade Kid was meticulous in its design. Far off platforms are always just within your grasp. Escaping falling bombs requires quick thinking, not luck. The game is able to impress with its gameplay, a rare feat when so much focus in modern development is on the visuals.
There's good reason why Renegade Kid never gave up on Max. While it may have been harder for others to see in those early days of its production, they knew they were on to something. While there have been attempts made to recapture that magic of the NES and SNES days, few knew the formula. But it wasn't something to just emulate—it had to be built from the ground up. It took a few years, but Renegade Kid's end result was exactly what we remembered, and just what we needed.
