Spanky's Quest is a puzzle-platformer released in 1991, created and published by Natsume for both the Game Boy and the Super Nintendo/Super Famicom. In Japan, the game is known by a different title: Monkey Reflections: The Adventures of Mr. Jiro.
Though the game may sound ridiculous so far, wait until I describe the rest. It is not as bad as it may sound though.
The Story
A wicked witch turns fruit into monsters = Mopoland is starving!
Welcome to Mopoland, a once wonderful land now under the wicked spell of the evil witch Morticia. She has transformed all the kingdom’s fruit into nasty monsters, leaving the citizens facing a horrible famine. Now it is up to Spanky, a brave and cute little monkey with a magic ball, to chase down Morticia across six challenging levels and break the curse to save Mopoland!
The Graphics and Sound
For a 1991 release, the visuals here are surprisingly polished. It is not Donkey Kong Country or SuperFX-level graphics, but what’s here is charming. The fruit-shaped enemies are especially amusing, each sporting goofy facial expressions and fun animations. Spanky himself is nicely designed too; he really fits the role of a cheeky little hero, rocking a denim jacket, a red kerchief, and even bold sideburns.
The music in Spanky's Quest is catchy and pleasant. Even though you hear the same tracks again in multiple stages, they don’t get annoying, which is quite impressive. The boss theme fits the game perfectly too. As for the sound effects, everything is spot on. The bounce of the ball off Spanky's head sounds satisfying, and when it pops, it is a clean, distinct balloon pop. Overall, the audio design feels fun and nicely polished.
The Gameplay
In Spanky's Quest, your main goal is to help Spanky get through 56 levels by collecting keys to open a door in each stage (except for boss fights). Some doors need just one key, others can need up to six. But there's a catch; if you take too long, a dangerous crow shows up and tries to take you out.
The levels are full of fruit-shaped enemies that either carry keys or guard them, so you need to defeat or avoid them. Sometimes the keys are in tricky spots, and you need to think a bit to figure out how to reach them. This is where the puzzle element comes in.
For the action part, Spanky uses magical bubble balls that he bounces on his head to make them grow. When you pop them, they turn into various sports balls that attack enemies. The stronger the ball, the more bounces it takes to make. You can also find special hats that help you by making balls stronger faster or giving Spanky special abilities like floating.
All of this makes the game a fun mix of puzzle-solving and action.
The controls in in the game are really simple. Most of what you do is just move and jump between platforms, toss magic balls into the air, and then pop them. The game controls feel smooth. Spanky here moves well both on the ground and while jumping.
At first, bouncing the ball off Spanky's head might feel a little tricky, but it becomes easy after a few levels. Overall, the game is very beginner-friendly and easy to get the hang of.
Replay value is not so good. There is not much reason to replay it as there are no secret levels, bonus content, or completion goals to go after. That said, the game is still really fun, and if you enjoy it, you will probably find yourself coming back to it after awhile just because it is an enjoyable experience.
My Verdict
Spanky's Quest really does not get the credit it deserves. It is a fun and weird mix of action and puzzle gameplay, and it is surprising that it never got more popular and not even a small cult following. If you enjoy unique, lighthearted games, I totally recommend picking it up. Chances are, you will have a lot of fun with it.
Play it on the coveted Super Nintendo/Super Famicom or play it on a highly recommended gaming emulator.
Let's keep on gaming in the free world!
