Rotund Takeoff Switch Review: Bounce Rabbit, Bounce Rabbit

Denial will drag you down like a coat made of lead, so I’ll be quick to say that I won’t be setting any hi-scores on Rotund Takeoff. Hell, if I even manage to finish the game, that would be somethin’, wouldn’t it?

I toyed with not giving this a score simply because I haven’t finished it, but know how it makes me feel. Sexy. IGN commenters were armed with pitchforks and hurtful memes at the gates of Disqus, or whatever it’s called, when a reviewer said they didn’t finish games in their entirety when reviewing. Scandalous! Well, this isn’t IGN. Jog on.

Rotund Takeoff is mental. It’s testing, has irritating, repetitive music, and looks rough around the edges, but the gameplay? Addictive and fun. 

Rotund Takeoff Switch Review

Many years ago, a friend asked me if I was S or M. Apparently, it was a common question in their social circles, as was knowing one’s blood type. Having no idea, I dismissed the conversation until using it as an anecdote here to say it’s gotta be M – masochist.

You can’t not be one considering the very first level must have been replayed about 16 times until completion. Like Flappy Bird, but good, you take the helm of the morbidly obese lepus, Chubbins (coincidentally the name of the original title by the developers, Dahku, aiming to reach a warp at the end of each level.

A rabbit this size probably doesn’t have many tricks up its arse, but shame on you and your judgemental ways: he’s a repetitive bouncer. There’s no way to stop him from jumping; it’s a case of moving him left and right, and timing everything flawlessly.

Bunny Hops

There are no lives, health points or princess bunnies in other castles in Rotund Takeoff: when you’re hit, it’s back to the start for you. This mechanic is immensely infuriating, but barely at any point was it time to throw the controller, especially when it’s attached to the screen (the Switch).

There’s no security blanket of dirt beneath your feet but platforms levitating in the sky with arrows that indicate the direction Chubbins will bounce or the intensity at which the jump will be.

That said, bouncing in one spot doesn’t replicate a trampoline with consistent height, so you often have to time a bounce and act upon it immediately. Throw in a mix of sharp, pointy things and other bouncing animals, and Rotund Takeoff isn’t a bounce in the park.

Take Your Time

A timer is present at the top of the screen, but it’s for speedrun purposes, not a countdown. Also, you can disable it in the settings. But may I interject with a little bit of advice from the guy not so good at the game? Whether you keep the timer present or not, don’t hesitate too much.

There are plenty of opportunities to wait for the perfect moment, but cock it up, and you go back to the start without a cookie. Let your hair down, whip your balls out and go all out. Sometimes going with the rhythm of Chubbins can get you further than you expect, though this reckless attitude might be the root of my mediocrity.

The presentation was a bit gaudy – sorry to be so ungrateful, but the colours are hard work at times, the music even worse, and terribly catchy. It doesn’t help that Chubbins is one ugly son of a biatch as well. But the gameplay makes up for that, and I could see myself sneaking off to the toilet for a quick one (steady) if playing this on a mobile phone, not so much the Switch.

You’re The Best, Around

Playing it at home, though, strictly in handheld mode – not a religious thing, but convenience, it’s a game I’m going to recommend to you, dear reader. My oldest daughter, not yet a teen but has that ‘meh’ attitude inbound and finds every game other than Fortnite and Animal Crossing unfair, wouldn’t give back the Switch (she has her own) when asking for it back after playing this.

Though Rotund Takeoff is a bloody hard game, I speak for both of us, as well as respected game journalists, and say that this is not a rage-inducing title. But be brave. And patient. Just loading it up again to make some notes, I started a level and died within about seven seconds.

That time thing will play on your mind too. I took great pleasure in steamrolling through a level in the first attempt, only to be three seconds off the world record. Returning to have myself part of the Rotund Takeoff leaderboard alumni… I couldn’t replicate it, nor could I finish the level again.

Rotund Takeoff Switch Review Summary

The experience in Rotund Takeoff is a bit hit and miss, but that’s down to the person, not the game. Yes, it’s not that attractive, but it has a bubbly personality, and the gameplay is the winner here. And the controls using just the d-pad? I can’t fault them – they’re really tight and super responsive.