The Fancy Pants Adventures

Does this Flash game get the job done on XBLA?

Posted 2 years ago By - Michelle Gonzales

The Fancy Pants Adventures is a fast-paced platforming game that started life as a couple of flash games. You step into the shoes of Fancy Pants, a stick figure on a quest to save his sister Cutie Pants from a group of pirates. It sounds silly because...well...quite frankly it is. And better yet, the game revels in its childlike charm.

Fast platforming is the focus here while the basic storyline serves to provide motives for Fancy Pants’ wild adventures. Eleven campaign levels are set in varied environments with increasing difficulty. The curvaceous landscapes are built with speed in mind and players must utilize their momentum to reach higher ground.

Controlling Fancy Pants is fairly easy since most of the game is primarily constant running and flipping. Black squiggle marks, stars, and other items are scattered throughout the areas and count towards a collection percentage. Completionists will be busy for awhile especially since some collectibles require the help of a friend to attain them. Up to four players can play together locally and on Xbox Live in both the story and competitive modes.

Having a friend along for the ride was a mixed bag. Jumping on their head allows Fancy Pants to reach higher locations but oft times they proved to be more of a hindrance. As partners increase their distance apart from each other, the camera zooms out to capture all of the action. Sadly, this led to some frustrating deaths because once someone gets off screen they die. As long as someone is alive and you have lives left you can respawn. Otherwise, prepare to restart a level several times if your teammate can’t overcome an obstacle with you.

Collecting squiggles isn’t the only challenge though. Enemies roam the scene and can be defeated by jumping on them or slashing them with a weapon that’s unlocked further into the game. Combat was a weak point across the entire experience because it slowed down the hasty gameplay along with not being particularly engaging. Throw in friendly damage during co-op and combat proved to be less than stellar for everyone.

What the game excels at is including a wealth of content. Both World 1 and World 2 from Fancy Pants Adventures are playable. Challenges and time trials are available as well, in addition to the story mode. Gathering all of the collectibles in the game is also time consuming and should encompass a majority of the playtime. They can be used to unlock headpieces, pants, and armaments to customize your character. During co-op it was fun choosing an item after completing a level. Just make sure to choose your teammates carefully to avoid frustration.

Conclusion

Zooming around levels was a blast... in the pants. There’s enough content packed into the title to recommend it to platforming perfectionists. Running, flipping, and collecting is where Fancy Pants Adventures was its best and most fun. Fortunately, those moments are plentiful enough to overlook the combat and co-op shortcomings.