Pepper Grinder
Review
High Speed Rotation
by Camrin Santchi
reviewed on PC
A Spiral Starts Somewhere
For almost as long as there's been gaming there have been platformers- and a trend for quite some time has been an attempt to reclaim the nostalgic value of older games. This is where Pepper Grinder comes in - a traditional platformer with a variety of elements that make it feel like a fresh take rather than just another grab at nostalgia. Some spice, pepper in this case, to the classic formulas gamers know and love.
When gamers boot up Pepper Grinder they take the role of Pepper, who has washed up on a strange island, the remnants of her ship looted by the narwhal-like beings that made the island home along with their leader, a mysterious woman. Giving chase, Pepper soon finds herself falling into a ravine, clutching onto a drill that becomes her primary weapon as well as method of traversal.
This drill is a big part of what sets Pepper Grinder apart from other traditional platformers. It is used to defeat enemies of course, but the real fun comes from using it to dig at high speeds through the earth, combined with boosting this allows gamers to practically leap out of the dirt like a dolphin out of the ocean.
Piercing the Heavens
Making good use of Pepper Grinder's drill is what allows for gamers to explore this island, collecting treasure and taking down bosses. Operating cannons, popping hot air balloons, unlocking doors and even grappling from specific points, Pepper's drill is an amazing tool and weapon, not to mention standout iconography for this retro styled platformer. This item sets it apart from other platformers of its type, and allows for a completely different type of movement.
Each stage in Pepper Grinder is relatively short, and upon completing them there is an option to replay them in a time trial of sorts that encourages finding new ways to improve speeds and collect as much treasure as possible along the way. Each level has multiple special skull coins that can be found hidden along the way, sometimes just offscreen, and other times found hidden below cracks in walls or the ground that may require some creative reaching. These skull coins can be used to access additional levels, as well as sticker books for collectibles and even additional customizable options for Pepper's appearance. Standard treasure, meanwhile, can be used to either boost your health temporarily or to collect stickers- and with treasure adding to the count after replaying levels but not special skull coins, players are able to 'grind' for additional health and stickers should they feel the desire to.
A Touch Hard to Control
While the drill in Pepper Grinder allows for incredible maneuverability, it can be a little wonky to control at times. It isn’t unmanageable by any means, but it will take some gamers a bit of practice in order to most efficiently make use of it and streamline their movement. This is where some accessibility comes in for Pepper Grinder, since there are easy options to restart a level or resume from the latest checkpoint, and the time trial options for replaying levels can provide an incentive to try and improve their capabilities more and more.
Thankfully this is one of the only issues this reviewer ran into while playing Pepper Grinder and the game itself offers solutions thanks to the opportunities to practice and hone your skills.
A Victorious Drill Run
In all, Pepper Grinder is a very fun time with a creative way to stand out from other retro-styled platformers thanks to the drill at the very centre of the gameplay. Add in enjoyable level design that encourages replayability, challenging but satisfying boss fights, and you have a very enjoyable and short retro platformer that is sure to delight fans of the genre!
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8.4
fun score
Pros
Creative, Fun Level Design, Challenging Bosses
Cons
Occasionally wonky movement
