When it comes to licensed games, especially those aimed at younger gamers, it pays for a developer to know their intended audience. This 2D platformer with light puzzle-solving is a perfect example, offering just enough depth to satisfy its target demographic of 6-10-year-olds. It’s also packed with appearances from the popular graphic novel series’ quirky characters, undoubtedly delighting its young avid fanbase. Outside of a few boss fights that may take a couple of attempts, I can’t imagine anyone in the intended age group becoming frustrated with it either; something that will no doubt delight parents, too.
This city saving escapade begins with an ominous pink fog smothering the streets, prompting Dog Man, Li’l Petey, and the rotund robot 80-HD to investigate. It soon transpires to be a ruse orchestrated by Dr. Scum – a villain with a name so bland that even Dog Man and his pals regularly forget who they’re up against. Dr. Scum has created a hypno-ray that has left the city’s citizens in a trance, allowing for mini-boss fights against hypnotised friendly characters who now require a harmless ‘bonk’ on the head. To save the day, the trio must travel across the city, take to the skies onboard an airship, and venture into a volcano lair. Curiously, there’s an extra world to play through once the main quest is complete, pitting Dog Man against the Space Cuties. This helps bring the runtime to around 4 hours, with perhaps an extra hour or two required to gain every unlockable outfit and save Zuzu – Sarah Hatoff’s pet poodle – in every stage.
Character switching is the order of the day, with the three ‘Supa Buddies’ swappable at any time. They each have a unique attack, an easy-to-control super-sized jump, and the ability to run. Moreover, they have their own items, such as Dog Man’s shovel and 80-HD’s watering can – which helps sprout leafy platforms. They each gain their starting skills early on, and then later a second set of skills is introduced, some of which are used in conjunction with others, such as using Li’l Petey’s shrink ray on a metal block before 80-HD drags it into place using his magnet. Simple stuff, granted, but just engaging enough to hold younger players’ attention. I would however say that Dog Man’s later granted ability to fly upwards does make him more preferable over the remaining characters, making even the later platforming challenges a breeze.
On top of character switching, friendly characters can be summoned after being saved, each requiring one bar of phone battery to call in. They can be controlled for a few seconds and are used to hack locked doors, fly over long gaps, break blocks, and provide extra health. In some instances, you’ll need to search for battery juice to proceed, while in other instances these areas are optional and will simply contain a few balls of yarn or bones – used to unlock costumes and temporarily turn into a mecha, respectively. There are also three police badges to collect, reinforcing the focus on finding and collecting everything within a stage.
Stages are short, lasting under five minutes each, but they’re bountiful in number, and new things are introduced often, even if it’s merely a new enemy type or different kind of moving platform. Shorter bonus stages where characters appear as silhouettes make a return, along with new stages where a certain amount of bones must be collected within a time limit – and usually there’s a ‘correct’ route to discover in order to achieve a victory. Bosses come in all shapes and sizes, each having a few different attacks to memorise. A few can be “cheesed” by standing toe-to-toe and hammering Li’l Petey’s claw attack, while others may require a retry or two. If younger players do find themselves struggling, an accessibility mode is present that greatly reduces damage. Alternatively, a co-op buddy can be called in for assistance.
Compared to the 2024 tie-in, this is a significant improvement, offering greater variety and smarter stage design throughout. If you have a youngster who can’t get enough of Dog Man, or is just starting their gaming journey, you can rest assured they’ll enjoy this adventure. It faithfully recreates the look and appeal of the books, and never feels half-hearted. My verdict remains similar to that of the original game, however: more experienced players who have already discovered the depths of Minecraft, Fortnite, or Roblox may find it overly simplistic. Another consideration is the £34.99 asking price. At that price, it doesn’t compare particularly favourably with something like Super Mario Bros. Wonder on Switch, which offers considerably more content. As a parent, you may need to weigh up the value proposition here.
Mindscape’s Dog Man: Bark in Action is out now on all formats. A physical (boxed) version for Switch and PS5 is available. Developed by Floor 84.