Newt is a…well, I’m not really sure what she is.  A musical note?  A bug?  Well, she’s some kind of critter who lives in a world of music and color, but one day The Great Slumber arrives and removes all the color and music from the world.  Newt has the power to bring color back to everything she touches, and now she must save her world in this totally non-violent 3-D platformer.  Newt One is available to download on all current consoles and PC, but reviewed on PS4 here.

When Newt touches anything monochromatic, it turns back into color.  In each level, her job is to color everything in the stage, and go for a 100 percent score.  So make sure to touch every platform, tree, bush, and even bridge post!  When you touch an owl, they’ll change color and wake up and fly away and act as platforms for you, so coloring everything is important to progress, too.  It’s like a 3-D coloring book.  Also, the more you color, the more instruments are added to the background music, so that’s a neat effect, too.  There are four areas with six levels each, plus a secret area.  The four main areas are Forest, Cloud, Island, and Glacier.  Aside from having different colors and music, not much is distinct about each world, aside from things like the Glacier world having slippery floors and such.

In the levels are items to help Newt out.  If you find wings in a level, you’ll be able to jump higher and farther.  With the drum item, you can hold down a button and release it to color everything in the nearby area.  The drum also has the power to do things like freeze water and lava.  Only problem with these items is you can only keep them for one level.  It’s a shame you can’t carry them with you because they sure make the game easier and more fun.  In one level in each world is a hidden wand.  If you can find it, you’ll be able to automatically shoot out beams that change nearby objects to color, which is much better and you can take it with you to other levels in that world.  But once you go to a new world, you’ll have to find that world’s wand, so it can be a little annoying.  Luckily the game will tell you which levels hide the wand.  Hidden in each level is a parrot for you to find, and if you can find all of them, you can unlock something neat.  Collecting enough music notes will change the color of Newt’s outfits, and you get a new set of clothes when you enter a new world.

The problems I had with the game are really only minor annoyances.  Play control is a bit floaty, and I hate how if you hold the jump button after landing from a jump, you’ll automatically hop again.  Messed me up so many times.  But considering that when you fall, you’ll always teleport near where you fell, it was really only slightly annoying at best.  And even though there are four main distinct worlds, most levels are more or less the same and can get repetitive.  I also hated when I would get to the end of a level and only be 99 percent complete.   I wish there was a radar to tell me which tiny little flower hadn’t been colored yet!  Some may not like how short and easy the game is, but I think it’s great for beginners and anyone who just wants a relaxing game experience.  The graphics, gameplay, and music also are nostalgic as they remind me of 3-D platformers in the PSOne and N64 days.

Kid Factor:

Since there are no enemies to fight or attack you, there is no violence whatsoever.  If you fall off the edge, you’ll be teleported back near to where you fell.  Reading skill is needed for some of the text, but the game is pretty easy to figure out otherwise.  Younger players who are not familiar with 3-D platforming games may have trouble with some of the jumps.  Great little game for all ages otherwise.  Newt One is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews