The fundamental rule of the universe is that two things make any video game better: dogs and hooks. Grapple Dogs: Space Dogs (released last week on Switch, Steam, and Xbox Series X) features both.
Developed by Medallion Games, GD:CC is a delicious 2D platformer with two distinct playstyles, depending on your main pup: Pablo or Luna. Pablo is similar to Mario or Sonic, stomping enemies with a featherlight jump and smashing platforms with a charged ground slam. Luna, on the other hand, has a gun and a super dash. He is (and I say that as a compliment) the Shadow the Hedgehog of the duo.
Both dogs have hooks, as promised, which allow them to leap through the environment, reach hidden spaces, and swing around for no greater purpose than to have fun. Of course, I wouldn’t recommend a game that’s all dogs and hooks. The real draw is the fantastic pacing—the way Nintendo-style creators build on their ideas from one level to the next. Just check out this trailer.
The fact that Space Fangs itself is based on the original Dog catchingreleased in 2022, shows its creators doing what is commonly considered clever business in the games industry. They learn from previous projects, create a recognizable brand, incorporate mechanics and characters that have traction, and (most importantly) build a damn good game loop. So why Grapple Dogs: Space Dogs have fewer than 100 reviews on Steam, which is a common sign that the game hasn’t found an audience?
The obvious answer is “an overabundance of games.” I’ll spare you another treatise on the problems of oversupply in the gaming industry, but I will note that Space Fangs is another point in this ongoing discussion: its creators released the game last week on Nintendo Switch, alongside over 70 other gamesWith so many up-to-date releases, backlogs, and live service games, it’s a miracle any up-to-date game finds an audience.
We can’t solve this problem today. But we can play great games when they are pulled from the top of the competition. And Grapple Dogs: Space Dogs is a great game.
