Akeni the Video Game is a solid effort that is very much reminiscent of 'Pitfall!' and 'Pitfall II: Lost Caverns' for the Atari 2600, released by Activision in the early 1980's. To my surprise however, Akeni has absolutely everything that those two classic games have to offer, while adding an even greater sense of adventure through not only the improved graphics, but perhaps even more importantly, the specially crafted level designs. The graphics are an obvious improvement over the pixelated goodness of the original titles, but they still have an excellent retro look and feel to them. The overall gameplay mechanics may take a little getting used to, such as timing accurate jumps, ducking when necessary, and learning how to progress throughout a level for instance. I recommend leaving no stone unturned, exploring every nook and cranny possible. Practice will be key, and once progress has been made the game is very rewarding. Akeni also boasts great tropical like music and sound effects, including all of the other detailed elements of nature that one should expect in a great Tropical Island adventure game. If you're a big fan of the retro 'Pitfall!' games, then this game may actually blow you away. I would personally rate this game an 8.5 out of 10.
- Joe