Originally released in 1994, Little Big Adventure is an isometric action-adventure game made by Adeline Software International and recently ported to Android by DotEmu. Yes, it is 20 years old. Time flies really fast as it’s now available on mobile.
Well Preserved
You will play as Twinsen, a male character, who has been jailed for dreaming about the destruction of a planet. Your goal is to break out of the asylum, converse with other characters, solve brainteasers, and stop Dr. FunFrock from ruling the world. The mobile version is a faithful port of the original as it features an identical storyline, artworks and gameplay. The voice quality is old-school and it’s not crystal clear on the ears. Also, as far as the graphics is concerned, you will see pixelated images and blurry cut scenes. Nevertheless, these drawbacks will not be enough to stop you from enjoying the experience you’ll have with the quests of Twinsen.
Complex Controls
What might annoy you, however, is the awkward touch control scheme. I would suggest simplifying it some more. The current scheme is a little bit difficult to maneuver as the game requires you to drag on the screen with your two fingers to change the view. You can move your character to your desired location by simply pressing on an area and he’ll walk to it. It seems to be an appropriate control method but Twinsen isn’t wise enough to dodge obstacles that get in his way. Want him to run? Just double tap. Execute a jump by dragging him on his current spot to the direction you want him to leap. You will be guided with a blue curve. Meanwhile, attacking enemies are easily caused by double tapping on the non-playable character (NPC). You will notice a red outline whenever you hit an NPC. Twinsen is so obedient that he will keep on striking the enemy until it is gone. Want to just talk to them? Tap on the screen one time. You will see that the outline is green. If you do not want to get seen or caught, you can activate the discreet mode by clicking on the two feet figure icon at the top of the screen. As the name implies, this allows your hero to move discreetly. To search through bins, push buttons, and read announcements you just have to walk near the item and an action will be performed. All the stuff that can be engaged is represented with a magnifying glass icon. Want more challenge? You can disable these “hints” in the settings menu.
Nostalgic
What I like about this Android game is it brings back nostalgia. Also, both the automatic save functionality and the zoom feature is a plus. You will not worry about losing progress as the last place you checked in will be saved. The zoom function lets you check the area thoroughly whether drawing closer or drawing away.
Patience is a Virtue
At $3.99, Little Big Adventure is priced at a premium. Just try to be patient with the controls and stick with it. If you aren’t tolerant, it may frustrate you. Anyway, this Android game might have been better if they just re-mastered the original.
