“The best way to predict the future is blasting it with a hammer.”
Abraham Lincoln
If the humans are red on the inside, the need to out this semblance implies a search for authenticity — a natural extension of your interior, expressed in your appearance. Following this concept, the reddest man in the planet can only be the most honest too. And, from that honesty, rises the beauty of a pure being: Dynamite Anton.
Good morning people! Antonblast finally released, and I’ve been waiting for this moment for quite a while. In fact, two years might not seem like much, but I’ve been thinking about this game (almost) every day of my life since I met it. Even if I was exaggerating a little, consider the following: Antonblast was my first article here in Recanto do Dragão. Yes! The Kickstarter demo also kickstarted my journey in here, so I want you to understand how special this is to me.
Antonblast was made for me, I know that. Tony told me that on Skype. From its main inspirations (Wario Land, Crash, Sonic CD…) to the unique final result, I felt as if I was born for this exact moment in history. This is one of the only games I wanted to play above everything else. No movie, videogame, anime or show (besides a very specific Kingdom Hearts fangame) brought the same level of pure excitement. The days before the eventual release were torturing, the wait was killing me. But here we are! Let’s end this charade and get to the good stuff.
50 Shades of Red
Antonblast, released by Summitsphere in December 3rd, 2024 (coming to the Switch at the 13th of the same month), is a 2D platformer with emphasis on fast and creative movement about a drunk red guy going after his stolen alcohol collection, taken by Satan himself. That is the basic description of the game, a necessary introduction so that Google likes us.
The most obvious comparisons to make are Wario Land (Virtual Boy and 4), Megaman X, Sonic CD and Crash Bandicoot. It’s pretty easy for anyone to notice that, especially considering that some of these were mentioned as inspirations on the Kickstarter page. In 2022, I admit that I compared the game to Wario Land quite often, but nowadays, Antonblast has an identity so strong it’s hard to feel comfortable in comparing it to anything.
Every comparison has flaws — the “Crash-styled” progression does not encapsulate the scope of the level’s design. The “Shoulder Bash”, resembling Wario Land so strongly, is, in fact, a hybrid of Megaman X dashing with Crash Team Racing drifting mechanics; and not even that can perfectly sell the game’s movement. It’s easy to notice how much the game has evolved since its Kickstarter campaign, and how each aspect of its identity was built until it turned into Antonblast, no less. Of course the fights look like Cuphead, but only remotely. There are remnants of Sonic’s design in each stage, yet some people haven’t even made that connection at all. Comparing Antonblast with anything limits your understanding of the game. It’s been a long while since the game moved on from these limited comparisons, and now you can only ever call it Anton. And Blast.
Leaving the introductions aside, I want to point out the one most immediately noticeable aspect of Antonblast: its aesthethics. The visuals really changed with time, and went from the blatantly GBA style to the unique and charismatic looks of today, resembling many things at once. The keyword is “grafitti”, one of the coolest art expressions of all time, not only for its visuals but for its importance, both cultural and historical. The lines, colors and shapes follow this theme, with “wonky” visuals, uneven shapes, little to no circles (as the game would rather use spikey straight lines) and lineart that changes size at will, sometimes thinner, sometimes wider.
Shading style resembles that aesthethic too, no wonder the worlds are filled with “vandalizing” — some funny, and others just fucking awesome. These grafitti pieces were actually created by the community! Not all of them, but most, came from a Summitsphere grafitti competition.
Visuals also kind of resemble some other stuff, like 90’s and 2000’s cartoons for instance, like Cow & Chicken, Spongebob, Ren & Stimpy, Ed, Edd’n Eddy and, most of all, Beavis & Butthead. Naturally, the GBAlities of the game were not erased, although you can pinpoint some more Megadrive and PS1 inspirations that more clearly resemble obscure 2D platformers, like Earthworm Jim.
Despite the visuals already being beautiful, the music is just breathtaking. I’d say this is one of the best soundtracks of all time, and with “one of” I mean like Top 10 at the very least. I can’t describe it with any other word besides “Explosive”. No, I’m not talking about breakcore. It’s jazz, heavy metal, synthrock, and uses instruments and Samples from almost every one of its inspirations. You like Crash 2 songs? Sonic? Wario World? Well, Tony Grayson does, a lot. And mixing up these inspirations and some more, he made for himself a musical identity so unique that anyone can notice a Tony G. song whenever you hear it after playing Antonblast.
The soundtrack never gets repetitive, it never stops impressing you and it always knows how to evoke the right feelings on you. And don’t think that the compositions are all explosive and energetic all the time, and there is no balancing or anticipation between each faster note. Tony is, quite frankly, a genius, and I have way too many music tracks to prove it. From the classics like Dynamite Man and Happy Hour, to the recently revealed Bomb Candy Mines and Here Comes The Bucket Brigade. If you like Mario, there’s a song for you. You’re more into Sonic? A lot of the tracks capture the vibes of a good number of the hedeghog’s eras. In a horror stage, you get to hear some gloomy, atmospheric and dark sounds, but it also gives you room to breathe out all those musical blasts. Would you rather listen to something unique and different from everything you’ve heard? Antonblast’s got you covered too.
I even bought some new earphones so I can hear the soundtrack better. I play Antonblast wearing my glasses even at home so I can glance through all the animation and background details. Antonblast has refined my aesthethic sense in very unexpected ways. I’ve heard and seen things I never thought I would, and if you think I’m exaggerating, see it for yourself! I don’t think you’ll regret it.
Just a quick sidenote that the sound effects and voices are rad too. I’m specially fond of the SFX that came from other games, not only because they really fit, but it all comes from games I love like Medievil and Spyro.
The Science Behind the Hammer
What really interested me in Antonblast, besides its stellar presentation, is the spice of the recipe, the glue that ties it all together, the heart of the matter, the cornerstone of its foundation: and I used all these phrases to delay another use of the word “gameplay”, as this word is starting to bore me.
The Dynamite Duo (Anton and Annie) don’t really solve EVERYTHING with hammers. Sometimes you gotta get a little bit closer to your target. Antonblast chains Sonic’s momentum perks (rather controversial in recent times) with Wario Land 4’s control scheme, throws a little bit of what makes Crash Bandicoot 2’s simplicity so special and then adds its own secret component into the mix to cook a creative, free way of moving through the many levels in Antonblast. Yeah, I know, that’s a pathethic little analogy, but you get what I mean!
The keystone of your moveset is the Clutch — a move that, at first glance, is just Wario’s Shoulder Bash. In fact, it was exactly that two years ago, when Anton ran with his shoulder forward and would only use his hammer upon contact with an enemy. It didn’t made much sense at the time and was a clear spin on recreating Wario’s iconic move. Then Summitsphere got tired of this old, overused idea that belongs to someone else and decided to make a new, original, animation. Now, Anton angrily runs forward, with both of his hands on the hammer. Although… it’s a new animation, it still functions exactly like a Shoulder Bash. We need something better! We need… Crash Team Racing.
The new and improved Clutch separates itself greatly from its original inspiration, and it now looks a little more like a mix of Megaman X and… racing games! In CTR, in order to drift, you have to peek the lower right corner of the screen, and pay attention for when your meter turns red during a drift. In this moment, press the other drift button (named Power Slide) to boost. Three boosts can be done in the same Power Slide!
In Antonblast’s case, Tony got tired of the constant criticism regarding the nonstop pressing of the Y button in order to run, so he changed it to pressing the Y button even more frequently this time. When Clutch starts, a meter coincidentaly positioned at the lower right corner fills up, and when it goes red, you can Clutch again, to dash with higher speed this time around. That way, Clutches combo into eachother, and the combo counter is basically infinite as long as you get the timing right.
Clutch Jumps do not end your combo, and as soon as you land on the ground, you can press Y again to keep your boost going (similar to CTR’s Hang Time). And if you want to go even faster, you can press Y right before hitting a target so Anton headbutts them. That gives you another burst of speed! It should be noted that your Clutch speed extends into your jumps and the Hammer Bounce, a move we’ll touch upon later.
Clutching and cancelling into a Layer Jump (hopping between the fore and background) will not end your combo, and you’ll finish the animation with a new dash. You cancel your boost in ladders, doors and practically anything you want, but stages may more often than not give you ways to move on without ever ending your Dash! I’ll tell you, though: it’s veeeery hard to play Antonblast with no brakes from time to time. It’s a very complex game!
By pressing A (or down during a Clutch), Annie will slide. I said Annie, but both characters have the same moveset with no difference whatsoever so it’s just for the sake of variety! Well, sliding does not halt your combo, but it does slow you down a little. It’s used to cross tight spots, dodging and attacking. Something it can do that is actually necessary for a collectible or two is throwing bombs and other items in an upwards angle. Normally, you hit ’em with the Clutch, but sliding launches targets high enough to go over some platforms! That was natural to me and I learned immediately after seeing a bomb in Bomb Candy Mines, because they work exactly the same as they do in Crash Twinsanity.
In the air, your first ability we’ll be talking about is the Antomic Bomb, and it’s not renamed as Anniemic Bomb for Annie as that would be very weird. It’s a ground pound, replacing the ancient Hammer Slam shown in the Kickstarter demo, as that was just a weaker Hammer Bounce and taken straight from Wario. Antomic Bomb, as the name implies, is a lot more explosive. Both Bounce and Bomb can be used to break objects below Anton, but the bomb is more powerful and does not stop with bricks and the like. Antomic Bomb can also get stronger at certain heights, making it possible to break 1ton blocks spread across the stages, without a need for transformations or rolling.
The move has a weakness, though — it has a slow startup and even slower endlag, as your character sticks their teeth on the ground. However, one special property it posesses is that, right before it begins, Anton rises up a little into the air to reach higher platforms. In utility, it reminds of Spyro’s Hover, but it’s probably inspired by Super Mario 64’s Ground Pound, in which the titular character (Mario, for the unaware) has his hitbox extended way above his model when he utilizes the move. That does not help Mario in reaching platforms, but it does collect items above him and breaks some boxes! Oh, yeah, it also looks like Spyro’s Headbutt. And, obviously, Crash’s Belly Flop. Whatever…
The Dynamite Duo has very little main moves, but that simplicity gives each option a new layer of depth. That’s easy to notice with the last, and possibly most popular, move in the game: the Hammer Bounce. Pressing Y in the air puts Annie in a winding up stance, ready to attack with her mace. As soon as she makes contact with an object, enemy or ground, she’ll use the impact of that attack to launch herself spinning into the air. This gives you height, and you can also keep bouncing if you hit more targets. It is very similar to one of the most forgotten (although just by SEGA, the fans love it) Sonic mechanics: I’m talking about the coincidentally named Bounce, not to be confused with the Stomp.
Sonic quickly launches himself to the ground and bounces in ball form maintaining his velocity and reaching new heights. Using an enemy triples that height! At least, that’s the theory. Using the Hammer Bounce right after a Clutch keeps your momentum going, and it’ll stay like that as long as you keep bouncing on objects and enemies, but not on the ground. A second Hammer Bounce will cancel your speed! However, as soon as you land on foot, you can press Y again to start a Clutch Combo. You see how it’s all part of a cycle?
These mechanics, in tandem, maintain your speed but can also be used in many other ways. Clutch, Boost on enemies, Clutch Jump, Hammer Bounce and even the Slide compliment each other perfectly. Despite the isolation of the Antomic Bomb, it still has a nice spot in Anton and Annie’s arsenal, and makes any stage fun to explore.
There are some other moves that are a little situational, like rolls, crate bounces or layer jumps, but all of them are thoroughly linked to the level design, and are not really part of your main moveset. That is also the case for transformations!
Transformations in Wario Land are… weird, to say the least. The only moment where they’re cool is in 4, and then again, they’re just… fun enough, nothing more. They make up for good puzzle-solving, but you end up prefering to play as normal Wario, despite the transformations being much better than in 2 and 3. Here in Antonblast, you WANT to play as the transformations because they KICK ASS.
Tornado is like Fire Wario, but fast and can vaccuum everything on the screen. It is also used for platforming, and not entirely for puzzles. Anton Bomb allows intelligent use of the levels geometry, bouncing (and blasting) on slopes to reach higher spots. Sewer Shark is fast, invincible, and breaks 1ton blocks while also riding up water currents. Basically a Donkey Kong Country mount! The Jetpack is exactly like Jetpack Joyride, and even references the game in the name of the rooms that have it. I’m not gonna talk about any more transformations so I don’t spoil them, but they all have something in common: fun to play, and a nice compliment to the levels. All of them open up new movement possibilities, where as Wario’s forms tend to take out some of his abilities. It’s easy to fall in love with Antonblast’s transformations!
However, it wouldn’t really matter to have such a deep care in good controls with no challenge to match them (I’m looking at you, Knuckles’ Chaotix). Antonblast’s levels, unique and memorable, are just as inspired as the main characters. Their individual gimmicks (still borrowing from the root of the game’s design), visuals, music and, mainly, challenge are all stunning and well-thought out. I don’t really like saying big words without evidence, so here’s a little sample:
sliding! Reminds me of a Crash 2 enemy I like
There’s a room in Cinnamon Springs called Moist Movements. Please ignore the naming. At the start, you can press a switch to blast one of the card blocks, something you have to always pay attention to. Every level in Antonblast has four suit-type blocks (as in, cards), and you have to individually explode them to open new areas in order to advance on the stage or get collectibles. Well, you explode in here, and then you can use the spring to hop to the foreground where the action takes place. But before that, take a moment to appreciate one more Danton exploding sequence. Hilarious, isn’t it?
The room begins with a set of geyser stairs, lauching you upwards even when you interact from below. After climbing them, Anton finds himself in an enclosed area going downwards through breaking bricks to slowly reach the lower end so you can proceed through the level. Then, a lava pit, with some more bricks. Breaking the bricks reveals some more geysers to boost you up. Keep breaking bricks and following the geyser trail to reach the end.
That’s the usual way to beat this room, however, you should note that the bricks induce a Hammer Bounce, because they’re strong enough to do so. Crates break immediately upon contact with Annie’s mace, but the bricks bounce you upwards when blasted! So, as soon as you get past the set of geyser stairs, you can Hammer Bounce on a brick floor to pass over the right wall and, from there, keep on bouncing on all the bricks without even stepping on the ground to reach the end of the room, where you’ll find some crates to the left that you can jump on to get some money.
The game’s rooms frequently allow for different approaches to reach their end, and reward your strategy, creativity and knowledge: whether it’s about Anton’s moveset or the level itself. Money, collectibles, new challenges or speed are all worthy rewards for players that decide to take risks with the character’s movement abilities, and your skill will always make you harvest better fruits. If you’re going to blast these beautiful natural rock formations, at the very least, do it in style! Mother nature thanks you.
Every level has a Red Room, with trickier platforming and monetary compensations by the end. Every level has a Spraycan to give your character a new color palette. Every level has a little bit of the trash Annie lost, such as the TV, videogame controller, banana peels or broken glass. Every level also has an audio tape to listen to at Brulo’s and, above all, every level has a Spirit. Not a soul or ghost, but a drink. Booze. And you need them! They’re yours. There is also a… secret collectible. Let’s not talk about it yet.
Even though there are so many different items to get, this game is not about them. What I mean is, this is not a collectathon, and I knew that from the beginning! There are numerous areas in the game that block you from backtracking without replaying the whole level, and most of the game’s items are very hard to find. If it was a collectathon, it would suck! But it’s not. It is expected that each player will find a little bit of everything, and enjoy whatever you get. Brulo can sell you new colors with spray cans, and also some tapes. If you want it all, you’ll have to nab them on the levels too! However, only the Spirits are actually mandatory in order to beat the game, and you find them by playing normally. Spirits are Crash Bandicoot’s Crystals, and the rest? Less important than the Gems. You don’t get a secret ending by finding Annie’s junk, although that would be pretty cool, right? Oh, well…
By the end of each level, after taking back what’s yours, your job as a destruction worker is blast it all to smithereens. By pressing the switch, you activate a time bomb, and in a set period of time, the whole stage will be reduced to ashes. It’s similar to Wario Land 4 in concept, however, there’s a catch: Wario has to run desperately to the start of the level, accompanied by an anxiety-fueling horror-like song, pressuring the player to run as fast as they can. In Antonblast, the soundtrack inspires you by hype — Anton and Annie are blasting this place because they want to, and having a lot of fun in the process. It’s your job to leave before the explosives kick in, and indulge in the beautiful creations of god and your peers being turned into atoms. It’s a great view, and “Outta My Way… It’s Happy Hour!” denotes that the fruits of your labour have been harvested. Makes my eyes all fuzzy…
If I am to criticize something, I’d say some levels are very visually similar. The music is drastically different, and they all have unique level design, but I do think there are too many “cavern-like” levels in the tame. Slowroast Sewer, Pinball Mire, Concrete Jungle, Mad Mall, Crimson Factory, Bomb Candy Mines… most of them are not caves, but they’re still “dark indoors”. Not saying I don’t dig that vibe, just saying it can get repetitive at times. Levels like the Big Bath, Boiler City and Cinnamon Springs get my attention with ease by being so aesthethically unique. It’s not a big criticism, as you may find each visual style very different when you play, but I still think all mentioned stages have a very similar vibe between themselves.
Then again, most of them are in my favorites for different reasons: Bomb Candy Mines is electric and has one of the best tracks; Slowroast Sewer is way too fun to explore; Pinball Mire is a pinball stage and I fuck with pinball heavy. Of course, although Big Bath’s backrooms style (yes, it’s a Haunted Liminal Spaces level) or the orange-colored hills sunbathed by a colourful sky in Cinnamon Springs can pique you interest with ease, it’s not like the other stages are bad. At least, they still capture that “dirty” urban style of Antonblast, clearly resembling Earthworm Jim and 90’s cartoons.
But before we even get into a level, we can explore Brulo’s casino, packed with secrets and little jokes. Here you can practice your moves in a very well made hub world. Before you even enter the stage’s dedicated elevator, you can get a vague concept of how it’s gonna be, or a slight introduction that makes you even more oblivious (such as Big Bath).
At the entrance of Concrete Jungle you have to grind through some rails and hop up to stick on a goo wall, effectively introducing to the player two of the level’s gimmicks. It does not, however, spoil the bouncy jelly walls, still leaving some of the surprise for when you actually play the level. The entire casino features as many visual details as it does mechanical ones, making it the perfect introduction to each stage.
Here you may also find Brulo’s shop, where you can buy spray cans, permanent and temporary health upgrades, a pretty balloon, an additional minute during a Happy Hour and your own pet. Annie’s cat or Anton’s dog may join you on the next level to collect nearby items just like Sparx does in Spyro. Naturally, you’ll have to buy them again for the next level.
Why the sun sets red
Antonblast is one of the games I loved the most that I played recently, despite having just met it in full. That’s not only for its gameplay, level design and aesthethics. The simple universe and cast of characters, joined by the game’s humour and personality make the whole experience very special. I have two friends that played Antonblast for the characters, despite never even touching the game’s main inspirations. Some others felt compelled by the CN/Nickelodeon cartoon vibe of their golden era. Antonblast is more than just a game — in many ways, it’s Summitsphere life project, and each of the game’s creators mixed a little bit of themselves in their work.
Let’s start with the red guy himself, Dynamite Anton — a drunk bastard with anger issues and appetite for explosions. He is also the reddest being in the planet. He’s a destruction worker, blasting buildings for money. Anton is also a single dad of a pink hedgehog girl, and I’ll let you guys figure out by yourselves who is it. Hint: It’s almost the same as my name.
Anton’s roommate, Annie, is both a loyal friend and a lump in his back. Dynamite Annie is like a parasite, and the only reason she’s here is because she wans to. Annie has a few loose screws, and an even worse destructive tendency than Anton. She has nothing better to do, and the only thing of value she can get out of this journey is a Punchball trophy, with questionable importance for her. She stinks and has no sense of class or manners, but it’s hard not to find her absolutely adorable.
Both Dynamites are devils — and it’s hard to imagine a single idiot that would dare defy people so unstable… but well, you’d be surprised. Meet Satan, the devil himself. The second reddest thing on and/or in the planet, and as long as he’s not the first, he cannot sleep at night. When his magical mirror of question-based magic shows him Dynamite Anton, his heart rushes with love, jealously and then fury, ordering his mole servants to find this Antoine, find out what he loves the most and take it from him. That is his prized Spirit collection! And when Anton comes running, Satan will siphon his delightfully rosey tone, turning him into the reddest of all.
In Anton’s adventure, he’ll find some “friends”. Not really there to help him, more so that Anton can destroy their lives being the asshole he is. Brulo, the casino’s owner, allows Anton to use his establishment as a base of operations, so long as the red guy blasts Satan’s meddling servants that are wrecking Brulo’s businesses. Brulo is a ridiculous divorced middle-aged bald man, and the more he tries to get rid of both the Dynamites, the worse his nerves hurt.
Danton works in construction, and tries fixing the levels Anton has blasted. What a loser! He’s married to Nina, a purple woman keeping data about your playtime, time screaming (by pressing the annoying ZL button), Anton’s deaths and her husband’s too… and more!
Of course, the demonic side has their own set of charismatic players: the bosses, Bossbusters and direct servants of Satan alike, steal the show to stop Anton from getting what’s his. Actually, what’s Brulo’s. The Spirits are stolen. From Brulo.
I’d be delighted to talk a little longer about the bosses but I don’t want to spoil them. Just know that it’s very hard not to fall in love with them! Jewel Ghoul and Freako Dragon are two of the enemies that have already been revealed to the public and you can see their personalities right in their designs. The Bossbusters are like weaker lackeys every villain needs, and they’re especially necessary for Satan, inspired by Eggman and all.
The humour is everywhere, full of neat references and creative punchlines. Every room has a name, every alternate color has a description, and every level hides Micro-Demons to give their opinion about something stupid you may not even care for. In Cinnamon Springs, Greg’s friends are contemplating the beautiful landscapes as you blast them, making sure to curse your presence. Meanwhile, Greg is at the beginning of the level, in hiding, waiting for his death or eventual slumber, as that is much better than spending his vacation looking at rocks.
In another level you can find Micro-Demons traficking water. In Bomb Candy Mines, one of them hopes that you can’t read the “Danger!” sign besides him. On that same level, a demon called dibs on an isolated corner, so he can use it as a crying spot. In Crimson Factory, a Micro-Demon insults the player for being terrible at finding collectibles, sitting in front of one. When you get to that collectible, he surprisingly flatters you for your navigating skills. In Mysterious Glasshouse, one of those fuckers covers the entire upper half of the screen telling you to be careful of the spikey plants, that you would be able to dodge by yourself if it wasn’t for his giant speech bubble.
In every corner there’s a funny bit to look at, and a fun interaction to observe. The cutscenes and character voice acting also help you in connecting with them, and I’m guilty of reciting every quote in every cutscene throughout the entire game. I am very normal about Antonblast.
As I mentioned the bosses a while ago, I have to say their fights are a cool, fun twist of classic platforming game bosses. Simply comparing it to Cuphead is not a perfect description as to how they work, although it gives you an idea about it. Dodging projectiles and attacking at every opportunity. Each boss has a cool mechanic that matches their unique personalities. Of course I won’t be spoiling how they work exactly, but they’re challenging and very fun. Easier than Cuphead, though. Way easier.
To be honest, I really want to touch upon some… expositive matters. Things you could call a SPOILER and, for that, I believe a new section in this article is worth the effort, so you can skip if you want to play it beforehand.
Spoiling the Fun — Restricted Spoiler Section
Starting “simple”: Paul, the secret collectible. There is a hidden Paul in a bizarre spot in every level. They’re not just hard to find but may be found behind challenging sections or barred by a time limit (like the Happy Hours). Paul has rooms made specifically for him, and the chances of finding every single one by yourself is… close to zero. If you don’t know who Paul is, here it is:
He has no animations, this is his only one. Besides this sprite, he also has one for screaming, making his head big, and transforming in the final boss, turning into Fixed Gold Evil Baby Paul (Shiny). Oh, yeah, he’s playable. You unlock him by collecting all the hidden Pauls! He’s faster and jumps higher, alongside featuring no speed cap, allowing him to always get faster during clutch boosts. In spite of this, Time Trials and Combo Chains with him are invalid and are not registered in your personal score!
As I mentioned them, these two modes are unlocked on a stage as soon as you complete it just once. Time Trials are exactly like Crash Bandicoot’s, spawning special crates on the map that can stop time for you when broken. The general idea is to end a level below Par Time, and that is only possible by breaking the right crates and dominating each section of the level design.
Despite the general “harder mode” reputation Combo Chains bear, I do, in fact, see them as easier and way more fun. It rewards destruction, and every object, enemy or crate blasted adds to a combo counter on the lower left. This counter also has a meter, a countdown for a “bomb” that goes up whenever something is broken. When it reaches zero, your Combo will end and Annie takes damage. To win Combo Chain mode you have to maintain a combo from start to finish! That is harder than it seems, but easier than Time Trials, considering you can collect money to halt the meter or get special items that only appear in this mode to refill it. If you combo from start to finish, get all collectibles in the level while taking no damage, the game will show you “CRACKED” in big letters as soon as you hit the elevator, meaning you’ve dominated the level. Be proud!
Both modes inspire a player to dig a little deeper on your knowledge of each stage, figure out creative strategies and memorize enemy positions. It’s a pretty neat feeling to get a good time on a Time Trial, or a high combo on Combo Chains, but the satisfaction in knowing you’ve dominated Antonblast is dazzling.
There are some secrets on the levels that only give you more money or show you a secret Micro-Demon, some are in Brulo’s casino. Whether it’s a cute reference (like AVGN’s room) or a funny gag that can reward you in one way or another, there is always something hidden in every corner. And you can only consider yourself an Antonblast master when you find the skeletons in Brulo’s closet…
Lastly, I can now talk about the boss fights. Well, not all of them, I think I said enough about them… but the final battle. That is the greatest spoiler I could ever give about the game so I am warning you to ignore this section completely if you haven’t beaten Antonblast yet. This ending is completely insane and I’ll spoil it ALL.
Well, as soon as you get into the battle against Satan, it is revealed to Anton his actual role as a “delivery boy” of the remaining spirits Satan hasn’t recovered yet (strong Kingdom Hearts vibes). By using the Spirits, Satan becomes more powerful, and decides to take on Anton by himself.
The fight revolves around hitting his gigantic butt, and I know a lot of you were thirsty to do so, but to do that, you have to wait for the right opportunity. Satan uses Anton’s moves against him, like his own version of the Antomic Bomb, Clutch, Clutch Boost and Hammer Bounce. For both aerial moves, he uses his ass, making him vulnerable.
After beating him, Anton gets ready for the final blow and, just as he decides to attack, the mirror throws himself in front of Satan to protect him. Taking advantage of the very depressive moment of silence for a dead friend, Satan flees, and you have to run after him through the infernal tunnel, beating enemies and dodging lava pits. At the end, Satan will stop you, and transform into his true body.
Pause to say the entire soundtrack throughout this whole scene is fantastic, but now it gets crazy. Anton has to run back through the tunnel, escaping the invincible devil’s grasp. When they get back to the throne room, Anton trips and falls, and Satan uses this opportunity to siphon his redness with a comically large straw. What comes next will shock you…
Satan got mighty pecs, big arms and lost his charismatic tummy. Now he’s completely red, saturated even, and you’re nothing but trash to him. Despite Anton being his ideal pair, he even states he’s going after a mate. What a shame…
In the depths of the earth, surrounded by nothingness, the Dynamite Duo remain unconscious. That’s when the Spirits come back, and just like the Chaos Emeralds, fuse their powers to make Anton and Annie not Super, but… demons. With wings, sharp claws and horns. Anton is now an infernal beast capable of mass destruction. “Now”? No. He’s been like that from the beginning.
Oni Anton is a simple yet very effective idea. The final boss is in fact the devil, but not the buff fat-assed imp sitting on the throne. The real boss is Dynamite Anton, and we’re just lucky to be on his side of the story. He even receives a boss health bar as big as Satan’s, to show how superior he is. He’s fueled by rage, fed with carnage and his only wish is blast Lucifer in time for the Happy Hour at Brulo’s.
As soon as you re-enter the boss room, Satan summons his defeated lackeys for a shot at a boss rush. With no success, as every one of them is defeated in a single strike. The Bossbusters, believing they have any role at all in this finale, come out to explode the castle floor. Anton falls deeper into hell, and no attack from the moles or traps in the way can harm him.
At the depths of the abyss, Satan says “I guess it’s true. If you want something done right… you do it yourself”, and a giant devil surfaces from the background. I have no words to even begin explaining how amazing the demonic heavy metal sells the hype in ways you can only understand by listening to it. This last battle is chaotic and hard, but you’re well prepared for it considering Anton’s health is the same size as Satan’s. He tries to crush you in many different ways, shoots Undertale-like energy blasts at you and even some round unidentified projectiles to seal your fate (probably as an Antonball reference). Nothing works. Finishing this form takes a while but, when you manage to do it, Satan will be launched to the skies and, by using the power of Layer Jumping, you can chase after him.
The track playing on this aerial chase is… Antonball Deluxe’s main theme, that game’s rendition of Boiler City. It’s Anton’s song, and as we discussed he’s been the true protagonist of this boss fight for a while. By using the different boost targets around the section, you can reach Satan and press Y as many times as you want to deal over 100 hits to him with unique artwork and cartoon punching sound effects. It’s the Final Beatdown.
When Satan is already blasted enough, a final hammerstrike in slow motion sends him to the ground, and from the top of a debris pile, Anton raises his hammer while screaming during the final guitar solo. As soon as the drums make their final appearance, Anton jumps for the last hit when the screen cuts off to “A summitsphere creation”. That was Antonblast.
Red is the color that travels the farthest
Antonblast is magical. It’s a game that fills me with hope, inspiration and happiness, tingling through my spine. No wonder I’ve been obsessed with it for two years without having even played it. Just a little more and it’d be my favorite platformer of all time, and the more I play the game and listen to its compositions, the more I treasure this experience.
The year has ended, and a new one began. I accomplished so much in 2024, and ending the Antonblast arc was one of them. It was my debut at Recanto, and despite not being my last article here, it still closes a door in my life. I feel happy for the crazy amount of hours I’ve invested in this place and on my journalistic dreams, and I can’t help but notice Antonblast has a giant weight on this story. Just like Wario Land had at the start of my career, Antonblast brought me to Recanto and who knows where it might take me next.
The story isn’t over, but I do feel like a big step forward has finished. Even if we never hear of a game featuring these beautiful characters again (unlikely), the damage is done, and Antonblast reshaped the roads my life is taking from even before its launch. Huge thanks to everyone that followed me through these steps, I am very grateful for each of you. Special thanks to my colleagues at Recanto who took me in, cared for me and fed my dreams. My salutations to Lily for her diligence as my main editor for both Portuguese and English articles. Thank you to Summitsphere for the wonderful game, and for the new conversation topic that made me start talking to my good friend Kako again. We went from not talking at all for a year to chatting every day about Antonblast.
There’s much more I wanted to talk about, for real. Curiosities about the game, rooms and mechanics I’d like to spend some words on, many details about Annie I’d like to focus on to show my love for her, but I think this review is already big enough and… well, I don’t think many of those would fit the structure I decided on for this article. You’ll see more of me in 2025, and maybe some more Antonblast too. Happy new year everyone, and have a great Year of the Serpent, which probably means I have to play Metal Gear Solid. Peace!
Can you see how present Antonblast was on my life from them?