Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Round the Bend! launches players straight into the sewers of a gloriously gross comic factory, tasking you with helping Lou Brush recover eight scattered pages after Doc Croc’s diabolical explosion. From the opening screen of interconnected pipes, you choose which section to tackle first, giving you the freedom to chart your own path through the game’s eight wacky environments. Each pipe leads to a side-scrolling platform stage filled with gushing sludge, surprise trapdoors and mischievous mutants that feel right at home in the show’s toilet-humor universe.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

Once you’ve navigated these scrolling stages and retrieved a page, the action shifts to single-screen, multi-layered puzzles inspired by specific storylines from the TV series. Whether you’re sneaking past robotic nurseries in “Doc Croc’s Nursery Crimes” or dodging flying banana peels in “The False Teeth Versus the Atomic Banana,” each page plays like a miniature comic strip come to life. You’ll jump between foreground, middle and background layers using a simple button press, creating a satisfying sense of depth and exploration.

The controls are responsive and intuitive: a directional pad for movement, a jump button for classic platform hops and an interact button to switch layers or trigger on-screen levers. As the levels progress, new mechanics—like sticky walls, springy vents and turbo sludge streams—keep the gameplay fresh without ever feeling overwhelming. Even younger players can enjoy the basics, while completionists will appreciate hidden shortcuts and bonus items tucked into the grime.

Graphics

Visually, Round the Bend! embraces the TV show’s distinctive, exaggerated cartoon style with vibrant sprites and bold color palettes. The characters look like they’ve jumped straight from the comic factory’s printing press onto your screen, complete with squiggly outlines, gaudy patterns and relish-green sludge that drips convincingly from every platform edge. Backgrounds are packed with tongue-in-cheek details—think plunger dispensers, rotating gears and posters advertising “yukky toys”—that reward close inspection.

Each stage boasts its own unique look, from the neon-lit corridors of Doc Croc’s secret labs to the grimy brick tunnels under the factory. The single-screen puzzle sections shift the visual style slightly, layering parallax backgrounds and animated cut-in sequences that bookend each comic-influenced challenge. Though the hardware imposes a modest sprite count, clever use of shading and frame-by-frame animation breathes life into every oozing nozzle and bouncing banana.

Performance remains smooth even when the screen gets crowded with enemies or swirling sludge effects. There’s barely a hint of slowdown, and collision detection feels precise—a must for a game that relies on split-second jumps and timing. Overall, the graphics strike a perfect balance between nostalgic simplicity and playful exaggeration, ensuring that fans of the series will feel right at home.

Story

Round the Bend! doesn’t burden you with a sprawling narrative, but it captures the spirit of the show’s anarchic humor perfectly. Doc Croc’s gleeful destruction of the printing press sets the stage for Lou Brush’s sewer-bound rescue mission, providing just enough context without detracting from the nonstop action. Between levels, you’ll encounter brief comic-style interludes that riff on signature TV moments—complete with speech bubbles, over-the-top expressions and puns that land with satisfying splats.

Each of the eight pages you collect reveals more of the factory’s madcap world, introducing mini-plots like the rivalry between the Atomic Banana and the Bad Teeth Brigade or Kenny McTickle’s quest to recover his enchanted kilt. These vignettes are short but memorable, driving you forward with the promise of unlocking the next outrageously named stage. The writing is cheeky and self-aware, occasionally breaking the fourth wall to crack jokes about video game conventions.

While the storyline never gets heavy, it never needs to—Round the Bend! thrives on its relentless comedic energy. Fans of the TV show will appreciate the inside jokes and familiar character cameos, and newcomers will quickly get swept up in the ludicrous premise. If you’re after a game that marries simple platforming with off-the-wall humor, this title delivers in spades.

Overall Experience

Round the Bend! offers a delightful blend of classic platforming and light puzzle-solving wrapped in a delightfully dirty aesthetic. The game’s accessible controls and progressive difficulty curve make it a great choice for younger players or anyone seeking a breezy romp through sewer tunnels and cartoon factories. Yet the hidden secrets, varied stage mechanics and faithful nods to the source material ensure that seasoned platformers will find plenty of replay value.

Each level feels like a perfectly pitched, five-minute comic strip brought to life, ensuring that the pace never drags. The transition from scrolling stages to single-screen challenges adds a welcome change of pace, keeping you on your toes just as you start to settle into a rhythm. Paired with the game’s energetic soundtrack—equal parts circus-carnival and 8-bit rock—you’re in for a consistently upbeat experience.

Whether you’re a nostalgic fan of the original TV series or simply in search of a quirky platformer with personality, Round the Bend! stands out as a refreshingly irreverent outing. It isn’t aiming for blockbuster spectacle, and it doesn’t need to be: its charm lies in its focused premise, solid level design and irrepressible sense of humor. Jump in, dive through the sludge and see if you can piece the comic back together—just watch out for those rogue plunger launchers!

Retro Replay Score

5.4/10