Things haven't gone according to plan for poor Raph. Not only has his airship crash-landed in a mysterious corner of a far-flung world, his girlfriend has also been kidnapped by the villainous Blackwing. Thankfully, Raph isn't alone. With the Professor providing a fantastic new travelling device, you step into the young hero's shoes and set about exploring this new realm...
Spin spin sugar
For Raph to gain any success on his journey, you have to master the Professor's machine - the Gyroscopic Exploration Multidimensional Multiterrain Apparatus (or GEMMA for short) is a quirky little vehicle which allows Raph to hover around the Great Tree village which is slowly being overrun by barbarians.
With the hovercraft abilities of GEMMA at your disposal, you must make your way through the village by traversing a number of different types of platforms, solving puzzles and battling baddies until you reach your goal of rescuing Raph's lady and getting the spare parts necessary to fix the airship.
Manoeuvring the spinning top-like GEMMA is all about balance, timing and good judgment. You can move and jump in any direction while speeding up and slowing down by spinning, which increases its momentum. The faster you move, the further GEMMA can leap and the easier it can barge enemies away during the occasional skirmish. Don't get too hasty with your spinning, however - GEMMA requires fuel which runs out as you travel, so collecting fresh fuel is essential.
A real gem
GEMMA can also be upgraded, with the game gently introducing new skills and gameplay elements as you progress. Double jumps, the ability to pull objects and more awaits, leading to intricate puzzles that test your newly learned skills. Don't worry if you get stuck either, as there are helpful signposts littered around the environment to provide clues.
If you want something a little different from the story mode, there's also an arcade mode to test your skill and speed. Your aim is to overcome various puzzle based stages, where you journey around tricky environments and collect items. There is also a split screen multiplayer mode to let you go head to head with friends in games such as racing and air hockey.
With its bright visuals, sense of humour and comic mischief, topatoi is ideal for the younger games player looking for platforming and puzzling fun. And with the ability to upload your scores to a global high score table using PlayStation Network, there's always a fresh challenge around the corner. Fancy a entertaining diversion? Take topatoi for a spin.
