Hive Jump Review: Jump Into Four Player Couch Co-Op

Back in October...2015, I saw a classic looking bug killer four player local co-op at the Nintendo Booth at IndieCade. After two years that game is finally on the Wii U Steam. And it remains a game designed for you and friends to just have fun crushing bug scum. Hive Jump, the name that still doesn't quite fit, does make sense from the story, but still isn't a great name, but a great game in the market that always needs a boost in co-op. It's also has a long list of Steam tags of both local and online co-op and multiplayer.

So down to the nitty gritty, it's a 2D platformer where you kill bugs with up to three other friends. You jump from hive to hive. In a upper class British person voice, "Oh my, now I get the name!,"

You get bug goo, the goo's money, you buy and upgrade weapons with goo. There's all the classic types from flamethrowers to plasma guns, electro bolts that bounce around, missles and more. Your team's goal is to get to the end of a hive and defeat the big bug boss or all they all queens, when it's a bug game? Anyways... So, big ol' boss fights.

After two years there are some problems that I wished were polished out. It's not the greatest platformer, controls work, but they could be more precise and for any platformer you want the most precise they can be. Some animations and interactions with bugs don't look like click.

I'm not sure what the idea with the over world map fight system is about in Campaign mode. I don't want to think about losing ground to bugs in even a rudimentary chess board. I want to jump in and fights bugs with friends on my couch.

Beyond that, the game is just lost in co-op fun. And you could play alone, but that's sad and I doubt you could make it that far.

Making you almost like Deadpool or Wolverine is that you'll be caring a pack, you or someone else on your team. As long as the pack's intact you and anyone else on your team can keep coming back from the dead. And you can die a whole lot, alien bugs are trying to kill ya'. But if the pack does take enough damage you're down to one life. And then soon game over.

Teaming up with four friends, all with different weapons and jumping into wasting a hive. It's hard not to just give the game credit for something so simple and fun. A slaughterfest that's rated Teen, that's colorful with green goo splattering your screen.

Hive Jump is on sale as of writing this currently $14.99, Normally $19.99

Reviewer was provided game by publisher for review purposes.