What would happen if you take a terribly addictive web-based platformer, polish it and release it on XBLA?….. ‘Fancy Pants Adventures’ that is what happens. It becomes a horribly addictive web-based come Xbox platformer with excellent animations and great sense of humour.

Platformawesome!

Our dashingly clad Fancy Pants begins his adventure at home (where you get to choose your pants), before speeding off to save the kingdom and later your sister from sneaky, thieving, disco loving pirates (Ed. We all know pirates don’t like disco, but we’ll let that one slide)!

I will point out here that I am not very good at platformers, my partner has been known to watch me play and snigger (not so quietly) to himself. That being said FPA is accessible to all skill levels. You simply can play the game through to enjoy the humour and narrative for a bit of casual fun or you can find all the hidden stars, doors and challenges for a more serious gaming session. Both styles of play are catered for. Many of the hidden challenges can be unforgiving taking a lot of skill to master, the terribly addictive thing is you actually want to master them! They are the reason it has taken me this long to finish the review, I keep getting caught up trying to find all the challenges then master them, and as someone who is not a platformer aficionado it takes a LONG time (and occasional bouts of swearing).

THE PANTS!!! I wants them all!

Sombrero & Cammo Pants ... OH YEAH!

Now as in most games these days you have unlockables and as the name suggests in FPA you unlock pants (& hats). These unlockables add absolutely nothing to the actual game play other than the fact that you can make your Mr Fancy Pants prance around in cammo pants and a sombrero. There are a number of ways you can unlock the pants (& hats), the simplest is through finishing levels, but the best ones come through completing the extra hidden level challenges. Around each of the levels you can find NPCs and blank doorways that hide rewards and challenges. Some of the best pants are actually themed to the NPCs that accompany the challenges, for example from the disco hippie you get Psychedelic Rainbow PANTS (yes emphasis is necessary). The unlockables are fun, silly and add to the general light hearted tone and frivolousness of the game.

I have to say that FPA was a blast to play, it was that great mix of fun gameplay and lightheartedness that made me want to keep coming back for more pantsy-piratey fun. I have only played in solo mode, however I definitely think co-op would be a blast, as in many levels the extra difficult challenges would be made so much easier with a companion, allowing the players to get more into the overall silliness of the game. If you want something silly and fun then have a go, it is definitely worth it!

Game: Fancy Pants Adventures

Platform: Xbox 360, Xbox Live Arcade

Price: 800 MSP

Play Mode: Solo

Acknowledgement: Reviewer copy provided by Microsoft