Back in the 90’s, my brother and I would play a game called Chip’s Challenge until one of us got past the set challenge that night. Chip’s Challenge was a launch title for the Atari Lynx in 1989 and later ported to Windows, Amiga and Commodore 64. Solo developer Tod Powers of National Spork has me reminiscing those nostalgic nights with a great 40-hour challenging but not stressful game, Hazmat Hijinks: Total Meltdown. The game originally released on Steam, iOS and Mac App Store in 2018 and has been updated to version 4 this month with over 96 levels to challenge your problem solving skills.
Hazmat Hijinks: Total Meltdown is about Hanford’s pet fox being kidnapped by the cleaners. They broke into Hanford’s home with the intent to kidnap him. He wasn’t home so they took his fox instead, after vacuuming the place – as you do. The game has you challenged to collect key cards, hazmat suits and other items while you walk your way through viruses, bacteria, chemical spills and radiation. Finally you’ll battle the cleaners, all to find his little furry love.
You can play each level sequentially or pick-and-choose your path and there are plenty of easter eggs and secrets to find. Hazmat suits are the core of surviving these levels and there are four known suits as well as more that can be found. The blue suit allows you to walk through chemical tiles, yellow shields you from radiation, silver provides fire protection and the sparkly iridescent suit lights your way through dark levels. Gloves let you pull objects, the hammer opens crates and other things, boots let you walk on oil without sliding and gas cans can spread fire to your advantage.
Fun fact – Hanford is named after the Hanford Project, America’s most polluted Superfund site where plutonium was manufactured for 46 years. Some of the levels require some lateral thinking and are really good brain testers. Hazmat Hijinks: Total Meltdown is a fun and easy-to-play game that will keep you amused for long stints at a time. Now go find that fox!
This review utilised a Steam key provided by Novy PR. Hazmat Hijinks: Total Meltdown is available now on Steam, iOS and the MacOS.
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Written by: @KaiZscherpel
