Hey, remember that 2017 roguelike called Midboss? Or that 2020 platformer called Super Bernie World, where you try to transform the US like a retro-fied Bernie Sanders? Yes or no, Kitsune Games has released some good stuff in the past, and now they’re back with a sequel to Super Bernie World: Kitsune Tails. Once again, it’s a Super Mario-inspired platformer, but this time it’s a wonderfully strange rescue mission, inspired by Japanese mythology in a way that’s cute and colorful. And today it’s out!
In Kitsune Tails you play as a nameless kitsune, inspired by the Japanese Inari Okami deity. Events occur that cause you to develop a romantic interest in a young sorceress who helps you in your time of need. But then drama! Your former mentor turned antagonist kidnaps this young sorceress and locks her in an elemental prison. So it’s up to you to create ‘cute outfits’ that will help you save your new love.
Honestly, it seems like a really fun throwback to those GameBoy Super Marios. Your character can jump on “pangos” to make them curl up, then throw them at enemies, like the turtles from Mario. And I like the look of some of the outfits, like one that turns you into a shark that can swim or a shogun that can jump up walls by making poles to swing from. Apparently there are five worlds to explore, in addition to several haunted houses in which you have to carry lights “to reveal secret doors and ward off ghosts.”
A nice touch is that if you’re struggling, you can buy power-ups from a shop or simply “change the playstyle” (whatever that means) to be instantly revived. If you beat the game, “kaizo” levels are an optional extra, and by “optional extra” I mean something that absolutely nails it.
If you’d like to check out the game, you can find it at Steam And itch.io.