[It's out, so a timely bump and a recommended tag for Ishi's rather marvelous platform adventure. Go buy!]

I dunno if it’s the time of year or maybe the stars have aligned into the correct position but this month has been a rather sterling month for the platform game.

Earlier in the week, I wrote far too many words on the upcoming PC platformer VVVVVV which is a bit of a special gem all told, a few days later and what should land in my inbox but some preview code of Johnny Platform’s latest adventure courtesy of the ever glorious Ishisoft.

The original Johnny Platform still stands as one of the best platform games on the service, now at a ridiculous bargaintastic 80 Space Points and worth every penny. But y’know, it was pretty much a slightly enhanced port of an already existing DS homebrew game. With the latest installment, Johnny undertakes his first adventure designed specifically with the 360 in mind and it’s a lovely thing indeed.

Normally, it’d surprise me to say such a thing given that as a rule Christmas themed games are either desperate reskins of already existing games or rather half arsed cash in attempts. However, we’re talking the ever talented Ishi here so no, it’s no surprise.

For those of you out there (all one of you, I’m sure) who’ve not sampled the delights of Johnny Platform prior, the game has a simple premise. It’s a single screen platformer (otherwise known as my favourite kind) where you attempt to clear the level of nasties and goodies to progress to the exit and onto the next stage. The principle for JPSC as we shall now refer to it (I know it sounds like a DSS form but hey ho) remains the same. Where this sort of game hits make or break is in the level design. It’s all very well having x amount of levels but if x amount of levels continually present the same challenge, you might as well not bother after the first one or two as you’ll have seen everything the game has to offer in no time.

Ishi clearly understands this problem and it chuffs me greatly that each stage presents you with different challenges based on different combinations of stuff wot you have learnt to do so far.

As with the first outing, the difficulty ramp up is somewhat slow – not that that’s a bad thing, mind you – constantly mixing things up each stage keeps the game fresh. On one stage you might be attempting a tricksy jump, another might see you carrying the biggest pile of presents ever and trying not to set yourself on fire with a bomb tucked amongst them or destroying an ambling troop of skipping robots or sliding across an ice palace of sorts bouncing on Christmas crackers. It’s the right side of fun and just the right side of frustrating.

Collecting cups of coffee along the way means you’re never short of extra lives unless you have an especially catastrophic run (because naturally, the more coffee you drink the more life you have) and save points every 5 stages take away most of the pain of restarts, it’s clear that Ishi understands the genre he’s playing in and understands what’s needed to make that all important fun factor come to the fore. As appealing as the odd masocore platformer has become, you can’t beat a proper old school single screener done well. JPSC is done well.

Throw in a bit of a more HD-erised makeover and you’ve got a winner.

Johnny Platform Saves Christmas is currently in peer review and will drop soon. We’ll give this a bump when it does and throw in the old Recommended tag at the same time.

If you find yourself sitting on Santa’s knee over the next week, tug on his beard and make sure you ask him that when he empties his sack underneath your tree this year, he leaves you a copy of JPSC in exchange for mince pies.