TIK Games has created what feels like a Loderunner clone but with Pandas and lanterns instead of little 8-bit men. In the game you guide your panda through levels collecting lanterns. But you’ve got to stay away from the hunters who want to capture you. For defense you’ve got the ability to make parts of the ground disappear, a la LodeRunner. But by clone I mean, newly skinned Loderunner. The game has almost all of the features of that classic including hole digging to trap enemies. If enemies are carrying a lantern they will drop it when they fall in the hole. The levels are laid out in layers with ladders and vines (like the hand-to-hand bars in Loderunner). Even the digging mechanic is the same, you can dig to your left and right so you need to implement the same strategy as you did in Loderunner.

The levels are scored on time taken to complete. Along with being able to make the ground in front of you disappear you can also pick up bombs and dynamite to blast your way through some barriers and finish the levels.

The graphics in the game aren’t all that fantastic, but considering it’s a PS Mini that’s not so surprising. However, I do believe they could have been better than what they are. The sound is on par with the graphics having basic sound effects and music that gets repetitive rather quickly.

The level designs are good but there are large amounts of places where you will get stuck and simply have to kill yourself and start over. This gets quite annoying at times as you are continually having to restart a level. The controls are simple enough but at times you need a precision movement and the controls are pretty tightly wound so that often causes you to have to start a level over as you’ll get trapped into one of those inescapable areas I mentioned before.

Overall, I think the game could have been better. It’s not a bad game it’s just derivative. I’ll be amazed if Tikgames doesn’t get sued on this one as it really is Loderunner with a panda. Sure it’s not quite as in-depth as there is no level editor and no scoring aside from time. I certainly think that TIK Games could do far more both with their own ideas and with those of others.