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TLDR For my review: The game is easy to compare to Pizza Tower, but don't do that to yourself or you won't enjoy it as much. It's a hell of a lot more challenging, but also very rewarding for that. There are some things in the game that feel unpolished, but it's nothing that would ruin the game. With 3 game modes, 4 collectibles per stage, 12 stages, 8 bosses, and potential future updates to come, there is a lot of replayability in a game that's filled with humor, a really great art style and an even greater soundtrack.
For the full review: I think it's very easy to try and compare this game to Pizza Tower because they both are very clear in their Wario inspiration, but I seriously think anyone looking to play this game should ignore the idea of comparing the two. Antonblast is simultaneously very similar yet nothing like Pizza Tower. I can't say one is better than the other because they both set out to accomplish two entirely different goals.
Antonblast is focused on destroying as much in your path as you can while finding a rhythm to playing the game, with different mechanics and different rules to make the game more challenging. The standard ability to dash is there, but AB mixes it up by adding the ability to get a turbo boost from attacking colorful blocks or enemies. You can chain these together to clear pathways or give yourself extended air time if you're using the hammer bounce mechanic to lob yourself across the stage. You're also given 3 health points as opposed to the unlimited amount of damage that you can take in standard Pizza Tower levels It can be upgraded to 5 points later, but those will feel unneeded once you've got the skill under your belt. Antonblast also maintains a lot of replayability through the fact that it has 3 main modes (Arcade, Time Trial, Combo Chain which I will explain in a bit) along with 4 extra collectibles per stage, one of which grants you a secret that I will not spoil. You can also find a secret Virtual Boy mini challenge in each stage, which can sometimes happen on complete accident.
When it comes to the different gameplay modes, it's equally satisfying to learn the rhythm of a stage, but you're thinking a lot differently than when playing PT, which I think focuses more on mastering your path and being able to move as much as possible with no intention of stopping. AB asks that you to focus on stringing your combos to make your escape route as seamless as possible. Antonblast also comes with two extra modes besides Arcade--Time Trial, which is exactly what you would expect (this comes in the style of crash bandicoot, with standard crates being swapped out for time freezing crates) and Combo Chain. Combo chain will disable any of your extra health points (capping you at your original 3 point bar) and comes with a couple of rules--you have to either smash crates or kill enemies to maintain your combo. If the combo meter runs out then you lose your chain AND a health point. There are no health crates and no checkpoints, so if you die, it's back to start. This second mode is insanely challenging but also very rewarding, it is as frustrating as it sounds but it feels so satisfying to finally master a chain and leave with your score fully intact.
Obviously, I have talk about any critiques, and I definitely have them. There are some times where levels do not feel entirely polished, or sometimes it might even punish you for using the max speed you can possibly come up with. While I get that sometimes speed is not the focus, it feels weird to have a stage set up for you to move fast, only for you to miss an intended jump. This is something that I thought I would get past with time, but I've gotten to the point where I'm easily clearing combo chain or time trial goals and despite having a rhythm mapped out, I've just decided that sometimes the game is probably asking me to slow down. I wish that if there is DLC (which the game definitely seems to be pointing at having some kind of extension), that this isn't as much of an issue in future stages. I don't need to be going Pizza Tower levels of fast, but I do wish I wasn't being asked to slow down. There's some stages that don't have this problem at all, and they're some of my favorite levels for it.
Speaking of levels, one of my major issues is that there are 12 levels to play through that are separated by 8 bosses across the game. This is something I've gotten used to (I've literally replayed the entire game on 4 separate saves), but I still feel very weird about the boss-to-stage ratio. Some of the stages are very lengthy, and 4 of these bosses are more mini bosses than they are actual bosses, so they're definitely spread out in a way that doesn't make any portion of the game lag, but it just feels like a weird problem to have. At the very least, I can easily say that the 4 main bosses are some of the best boss fights i've had in a game in a while, and every single major boss is unforgettable and the boss themes for all of them are definitely ones you'll be replaying for months after you finish. The soundtrack across the entire game is fantastic, along with the art style. It's not as wacky as Pizza Tower, but I think Pizza Tower leans more into looney tune styled humor. Antonblast has a million things about it that make it very silly in its own ways, and a lot of jokes catch you off guard.
I had a lot to say, but that's because the hype looking to see this game has been big for me. I heard of Antonball as far back as 2022, and I picked up the antonblast demo March of 2024--By the time the game came out, I had 20 hours on the demo alone (which could have been cleared in just 20 minutes). Despite whatever complaints I have about the game, it's absolutely worth your time and money. Just expect a game that is challenging, and ignore the temptation to compare it to Pizza Tower, because both of these games are fantastic in their own right. If the creators are reading this, please make Satanblast ship canon and I will immediately scrub my review of any negative comments.