My Played Video Games Review: Plok! for the Super Nintendo

_{Image source}

Plok! is a platform game developed by the British company Software Creations for the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom. Plok! was launched in late 1993, with Tradewest handling the release in North America, Nintendo in Europe, and Activision in Japan.

When the Super NES, with its vibrant colors and large sprites, was first released, it created a huge opportunity for developers to not just to make games, but to create new franchises. If you could introduce a fresh character (with the obligatory "attitude" marketing), you had a chance at carving out a lasting piece of the market.

Looking at the Plok! box today, you might get the impression that the game was really pushing hard to fit into that trend.

Japan only box cover art (Image source)

The Story

Plok, the main character with a yellow body and red detachable limbs, steps outside his house and discovers that his favorite square flag has been stolen! Unable to find it anywhere on his home continent, he sets off to Cotton Island, where he learns that a duo called the Bobbins Brothers have taken it. After reclaiming his flag, Plok returns to his continent, only to find that it has been overrun by fleas, who have replaced all of his flags with their own flea flags.

Box, manual and cartridge of the game. (Image source)

The Graphics and Sound

Impressive for its time, the graphics in this game are vibrant and crisp, with smooth animations that make it feel like you're inside a cartoon. The backgrounds and levels are exceptionally well-crafted, from the beaches to the flea pit. Watching Plok move and shoot his limbs is a delightful experience—it's something you really need to see to appreciate. You will be pleasantly surprised.

If you thought CD-quality music was out of reach for a 16-bit console using only digital samples, think again—you couldn't be more wrong. Plok's soundtrack is fantastic, perfectly matching the mood of the game and delivering impressive audio quality. From the moment the title theme starts, complete with harmonica, you can tell the music throughout the game is going to be top-notch. The entire soundtrack has a playful, cartoon-like vibe, with a strong bass that ties it all together and gives it a modern, almost trance-like feel.

When it comes to the sound effects, there's absolutely nothing to complain about. The samples are of exceptionally high quality, even better than what you might find in some more recent games. It’s impressive to think they managed to pack all of this onto a single SNES cartridge.

Gameplay video sample of Plok on the SNES. Watch in 360p for near TV resolution of that time.

The Gameplay

At first glance, Plok! might seem like your typical platformer, but once you get through the first few stages on Cotton Island, you’ll realize there’s a lot more to it. Plok uses his detachable limbs to fight enemies, which include everything from jumping potatoes to heads popping out of the ground. He can also jump and do a spin jump to reach distant areas. This is just the beginning.

When you return from Cotton Island, the game takes a sharp turn. It shifts from a straightforward platformer to a unique blend of platforming, puzzle-solving, and flea extermination. Fleas have taken over the entire continent, and your mission is to wipe them out. In each stage, your goal is to defeat every single flea (which are small, jumping creatures that take a few hits to kill) to unlock the exit. Finding all the fleas can be tricky, adding a good level of challenge to the game.

The puzzle element comes in with the small targets scattered around the island. You can shoot your limbs at these targets, which act as switches that can trigger events like landslides. The catch is that any limb you shoot at a target is temporarily lost, meaning you have to go retrieve it. This adds a layer of strategy—fewer limbs mean fewer ways to defeat enemies, and once you're out of legs, you'll be hopping around defenseless, which ramps up the difficulty.

Later in the game, Plok gains an additional move that lets him shoot shells (the game’s equivalent of coins) from his head, turning him into a furious, invincible version of himself that slices through enemies with a deadly buzz saw spin jump. You unlock this move after playing through a flashback sequence on Legacy Island as Plok’s Grandpa, complete with a mustache and monochrome graphics—a really cool touch!

To top it off, Plok can also transform into different forms with powerful weapons for a limited time. These transformations are hidden in presents and include a Boxing Glove, Rocket Launcher, Flame Thrower, Shotgun, and even a Cowboy form. Each transformation comes with its own unique musical theme that perfectly fits the action.

Honestly, there isn't much reason to replay this game after you've completed it. It's an incredibly well-made game, and that's a good enough reason to go through it more than once, but there's nothing new to discover on a second playthrough. The absence of a password or save feature lowers its greatness. Unless you have a good 4 or 5 hours and a lot of experience, finishing the game in one sitting is a tough task. Save states would definitely make it easier. Thank God for emulators to solve that problem.

My Verdict

Why didn’t this game get the recognition it deserved? It has everything you could want in a platformer - impressive graphics, fantastic music, engaging gameplay, and a solid challenge. However, that challenge might be the issue. Plok! is so difficult that it could drive some players away due to sheer frustration. Despite this, it is a unique game worth trying out no matter what.

Play it on the unstoppable Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on an agreeable emulator.

Let's keep on gaming in the free world!