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(Image credit: Summitsphere)
Pizza Tower fans have been waiting for the well-loved PC indie platformer to make the jump to consoles, but this week’s Nintendo Indie Showcase once again failed to deliver that announcement. Instead, we saw a very similar-looking game called Antonblast - and while some elements of the fandom were quick to call it a “Pizza Tower clone,” both games owe their inspiration to a much older Nintendo classic.
Antonblast and Pizza Tower both draw heavily from Wario Land 4, a 2001 GBA platformer that’s something of a cult classic among Nintendo fans. These games are a bit more focused on exploration and collectables than a traditional Mario title. They feature a stocky hero who charges shoulder-first through brick walls and have levels that culminate in action-packed timed escape sequences where you rush back out of the level you just explored.
Pizza Tower launched early in 2023 to instantly become one of the highest-rated games of the year, and while Antonblast isn’t due to launch until later this year, it was announced well before Pizza Tower found its viral success. Nonetheless, when Antonblast appeared on a much bigger stage at the Nintendo Indie Showcase yesterday, you started seeing the words “Pizza Tower clone” being thrown around an awful lot.
So that one game with the character with the hammer is just a Pizza Tower clone right? Wonder why we aren’t getting Pizza Tower on Switch!April 17, 2024
So that one game with the character with the hammer is just a Pizza Tower clone right? Wonder why we aren’t getting Pizza Tower on Switch!April 17, 2024
no way they put a pizza tower clone to the switch before pizza tower itselfApril 17, 2024
no way they put a pizza tower clone to the switch before pizza tower itselfApril 17, 2024
Indie World in a nutshell:No Silksong and a knock-off Pizza Tower clone… EXACTLY what we wanted Nintendo, good job… 👌 pic.twitter.com/RINbKfoynwApril 17, 2024
Indie World in a nutshell:No Silksong and a knock-off Pizza Tower clone… EXACTLY what we wanted Nintendo, good job… 👌 pic.twitter.com/RINbKfoynwApril 17, 2024
Everyone who watched the trailer of that Antonblast game and called it a “Pizza Tower ripoff”, I’m gonna need you to fire up your emulator or whatever and play Wario Land 4 right now. It will be good for you, you’ll have a nice timeApril 17, 2024
Everyone who watched the trailer of that Antonblast game and called it a “Pizza Tower ripoff”, I’m gonna need you to fire up your emulator or whatever and play Wario Land 4 right now. It will be good for you, you’ll have a nice timeApril 17, 2024
people calling antonblast ”pizza tower 2” is making me want to hurt them pic.twitter.com/1Q6ltFTJrwApril 17, 2024
people calling antonblast ”pizza tower 2” is making me want to hurt them pic.twitter.com/1Q6ltFTJrwApril 17, 2024
If you want to give Antonblast a spin for yourself, there’s a demo available on bothSteamand theSwitch eShop. The full game is due to launch on November 12, 2024.
We’ll keep you updated on all the bigupcoming Switch games.
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1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
1
Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
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Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure”
4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years”
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5
Cobra Kai season 6, part 2 review: “Returns to the sort of hard-hitting form that made it such a fan favorite in the first place”