Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Whakman gets straight to the point: reach the end of each side-scrolling stage and collect the yellow gold pieces along the way. That directness is a strength. You are not asked to learn a sprawling rulebook before the platforming starts; you roll, jump, bounce, dash, and figure out how safely you can carry momentum through an underground obstacle course.

The dash is the move that gives the game its edge. It is useful for speed, but it also lets you destroy the ghosts roaming the sewers, so movement and combat are tied together rather than split into separate chores. Better still, landing on a ghost boosts Whakman upward. Once that starts clicking, enemies stop being only obstacles and become tools for reaching higher platforms.

Spikes and platforming hazards ensure that a fast route can become a messy one in a hurry. Whakman does not use extra lives; instead, each level tracks how many times you died. That makes the immediate goal forgiving enough to keep trying, while the death count quietly challenges you to improve rather than merely scrape through.

There are 18 levels, with awards unlocked for strong performance as you progress. That structure suits a game focused on execution: finish a stage first, then come back with a sharper route and fewer deaths. If you enjoy platformers that let you turn familiarity into cleaner runs, Whakman has a sensible reason to keep you moving after the first completion.

Graphics

The game stays in a side view, taking Whakman through underground sewer stages populated by ghosts, spikes, platforms, and bright yellow gold pieces. That contrast should make the collectibles easy to pick out while you are threading through the level.

Story

Whakman begins with a deliberately simple hook: a strange creature lives beneath the Earth. The game uses that idea to place its hero in underground sewers, where the action stays centered on getting through each stage.

This is a premise designed to get you into motion quickly. Whakman is defined less by a long setup than by what he does in play: rolling onward, bouncing from ghosts, and dashing through danger.

That light framing fits the compact stage-based structure. You are here for the next tricky stretch of platforms and hazards, with the underground setting giving those repeated runs a clear home.

Overall Experience

Whakman sounds most satisfying when you stop treating its levels as simple trips to the exit and start treating them as performances. The combination of dash attacks, ghost bounces, and a visible death count creates a natural push-pull: get through the stage now, then see whether you can do it with more control next time.

Frustration will likely arrive when spikes punish an ambitious jump or a rushed dash. Still, the decision to count deaths instead of limiting lives means a failed attempt feeds directly into another try. That is a good fit for a platformer that asks you to learn its spaces rather than preserve a scarce resource.

The payoff is straightforward but worthwhile for the right mood. Give Whakman a chance if you want a concise, stage-driven platform game with movement options that become more useful as you learn the levels. If you mainly want a big adventure or a heavily plot-led game, its focused underground run-to-the-exit format may feel slight.

Retro Replay Score

6.5/10