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What makes ANTONBLAST different?
Developed by Summitsphere, ANTONBLAST launched on Steam on December 3, 2024, and on the Nintendo Switch eShop in the United States on December 13, 2024. The verified listings cover PC/Steam and Nintendo Switch; Nintendo identifies its edition as digital, lists single-player support, and says behavior on Switch 2 is consistent with Nintendo Switch.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Super Retro Platformer Collection - For Nintendo Switch | $48.99 | Buy on Amazon |
| 2 |
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New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - US Version | $52.98 | Buy on Amazon |
| 3 |
|
Windswept - Nintendo Switch | $38.80 | Buy on Amazon |
The story is cartoon mayhem: Satan steals Dynamite Anton’s prized Spirits, and Anton—or his coworker Annie—sets out to get them back with a hammer. Brulo, a disgraced casino owner with his own grudge against Satan, provides the detonators. The central objective is simple: reach the bomb, find Anton’s Spirit, and get out before Happy Hour ends. Steam’s official listing and Nintendo’s US listing describe the premise and platforms.
How the levels play
Break in, explore and find the goal
Movement and combat are built around the Mighty F’n Hammer and a charge ability. Rather than making precision jumps the whole point, the game encourages you to smash through obstacles and enemies, build momentum and investigate side routes. Collectibles and optional routes give you reasons to look beyond the most direct path.
#1 Best Overall
- Game 1: Commander Keen in Keen Dreams: Definitive Edition
- Game 2: Macbat 64: Journey of a Nice Chap
- Game 3: Regina & Mac
- Game 4: Toree 3D
Turn around when the timer starts
Reaching the level’s bomb triggers the escape phase: you must make your way back through the stage before the countdown ends. The route you just learned becomes a different problem when you are moving quickly in reverse, deciding which paths to take and where you can keep your momentum. The pleasure is not only going fast; it is learning how the level works well enough to cross it both ways.
That structure makes Wario Land 4 the most useful comparison. Le Monde Pixels describes ANTONBLAST as a spiritual successor to that series, highlighting its horizontal momentum, hammer attacks, destructive movement and timed return. Pizza Tower is another useful reference for readers thinking about high-energy platformers, but it is not a substitute for ANTONBLAST’s own bomb-and-escape structure.
Replay for better runs
After clearing levels, optional time-attack and combo-chain modes reward players who want to refine their routes and movement. These modes extend the appeal beyond simply reaching the end of the story, though they make the most sense if you enjoy repeating a level to improve a run.
Rank #2
- A variety of playable characters are available, some with unique attributes that affect gameplay and platforming physics.
- Younger and less-experienced players will love playing as Toadette, who is brand new to both games, and Nabbit, who was formerly only playable in New Super Luigi U. Both characters offer extra assistance during play.
- Multiplayer sessions are even more fun, frantic, and exciting thanks to entertaining character interactions. Need a boost? Try jumping off a teammate’s head or getting a teammate to throw you.
- Features a wealth of help features, like a Hints gallery, reference videos, and a Super Guide in New Super Mario Bros. U that can complete levels for you if they’re giving you trouble.
- Three additional modes—Boost Rush, Challenges, and Coin Battle—mix up gameplay and add replayability, while also upping the difficulty for players who want to try something harder. Players can use their Mii characters in these modes.
What the reviews praise—and where they hesitate
Nintendo Life’s Mitch Vogel praised the gameplay variety, cartoon visuals, replayability and level design. The review listing gives the game a 7.8/10, while its conclusion calls it “Great 8/10” and describes it as “a great tribute to Nintendo’s Wario Land series with its madcap action and focus on gameplay variety.” The review estimated roughly 10 hours for the base story and about twice that for full completion; those are reviewer estimates, not a guaranteed playtime.
Le Monde Pixels’ December 13, 2024 review likewise praised the pixel-art animation and energetic presentation. It pointed to difficulty spikes, busy boss fights and some long dialogue as drawbacks. Those reservations matter if you prefer clearly readable encounters and a consistently even challenge rather than a chaotic, high-energy ride.
Is the Switch version fixed?
Nintendo Life’s North American Switch review, published December 22, 2024, reported frame-rate drops in visually busy scenes and cited launch-period reports of crashes and softlocks. The page notes that a patch went live on December 24, 2024, and cautions that later updates may have improved the reviewed experience. These are reports about the launch period—not evidence that the current Switch build still has those problems. The available coverage does not establish Switch performance as of October 2026, so it cannot confirm either that the issues persist or that they are fully resolved.
Rank #3
- Over 40 handcrafted stages filled with hidden collectibles, bonus challenges, and quirky obstacles to overcome… or fall victim to. Leader swapping gameplay - change who leads the adventure to unlock entirely new actions and strategies.
- Experiment and discover - there’s no single right way to play. Combine abilities, techniques, and movement to suit your own style. Unique character abilities - Marbles and Checkers each bring something different to the table, and mastering both is key to conquering specialized challenges.
- Couch co-op support - jump in solo or grab a friend and tackle the wilds together in local co-op play.
- Whether you’re riding the wind solo or sharing the breeze with a friend, Windswept invites players to slow down, explore, and enjoy the journey as much as the destination. How far will you go? Where will your journey end? Let's get swept away - together!
- English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (LATAM), Spanish (Spain), and Traditional Chinese in-game text.
If you are choosing between Switch and PC specifically because of those reports, the evidence here does not support a current platform-performance verdict. Check recent player reports or an up-to-date listing for the version you plan to buy rather than treating 2024 launch coverage as a description of today’s build.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Who should play ANTONBLAST?
- Try it if you enjoy destructive movement, momentum-based combat, exploring side paths and the challenge of escaping through a level under a timer.
- Look elsewhere if you want a precision-jumping platformer above all, dislike timed return runs, or find difficulty spikes and visually busy bosses frustrating.
- Choose based on replay appetite: time-attack and combo-chain modes are a plus if you enjoy mastering routes, but less compelling if you mainly want to clear a story once.
- Think of Pizza Tower as a comparison, not a promise. The shared appeal is energetic platforming; ANTONBLAST’s defining loop is its goal-triggered reverse escape.
Verdict
ANTONBLAST’s best idea is also its clearest identity: every stage teaches you a space, then asks you to tear back through it under pressure. Its hammer-led destruction, expressive presentation and replay modes make that loop rewarding, especially for players who like learning routes and chasing better runs. Difficulty spikes and chaotic boss encounters can interrupt the fun, and Switch performance should be judged from current-build evidence rather than launch reports.
Quick Recap
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