When you put money into a drink vending machine, have you ever wondered what happens inside between the time you put your money in and the drink comes out? Well, in Do Not Fall, a downloadable game for PS3, they try to explain that. Play as a dog…bunny…thing, well I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t matter as you can unlock other characters later. Anyway, in this top-down viewed platforming challenge, you must make it to the end of the level while avoiding obstacles, baddies, and crumbling floors. Just like the title says, you must do everything you can to “Do Not Fall.”

Each world in the vending machine is separated by drinks. Each drink has ten levels and a different setting and obstacles. The first world with bottled water looks like a pipe factory. The Milk levels are set on a farm. Green Tea has a Japanese setting to it, and the Pineapple Juice is a volcanic land. There are other worlds and levels, too. A handful of single screen multiplayer modes for up to four are also available, and including kicking soccer balls in a goal, running over as many squares with your color as possible, and more!

In each stage, you’ll have to avoid obstacles like crumbling floors, roving enemies, and other traps. In a way, it kind of reminds me of the Frogger games that came out in the GBA/GameCube days. Scattered about the levels are different items for you to collect. Keys unlock passages that allow you to explore new sections of the levels and find the exit. Golden bolts help you unlock new worlds and secret levels. And silver screw nuts can be used to buy goodies at the shop. Shop items include new power-ups, playable characters, concept art, and videos, among other things.

Play control is simple, just run around, jump, and dash to break obstacles and add length to your jump. But you can only dash when a meter is full, then you must wait until it gradually fills up again. Only problem is that moving with the analog stick isn’t quite as accurate sometimes. Plus it costs way too many nuts to buy some things in the shop. But if you like cute and quirky puzzle platformers that pack a lot of challenge, you may want to try this one out anyway.

In a way, this game kind of reminds me of some of the things you would’ve seen on the N64, so it’s a bit nostalgic, too. Wouldn’t it be funny if other games adopted Do Not Fall’s title strategy? I could see a conversation going something like this, “Hey, wanna play Don’t Get Shot?” “Nah, I’d rather play the sequel, Don’t Get Shot 2. Speaking of which, did you preorder Don’t Get Hit yet?” “I’m saving money for Don’t Die, myself.”

Kid Factor:

You can push others and fall off of pits, but you just come back in a bubble to try again. And that’s all the violence there is. Reading skill is helpful for the text in the menus and hints. Younger gamers may get frustrated at the high challenge in the later levels, too. Do Not Fall is rated E for Everyone.

Tags: Game Reviews