Pumpkin Jack

 Switch
Pumpkin Jack Image
Metascore
73

Mixed or average reviews - based on 10 Critic Reviews What's this?

User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 18 Ratings

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  • Summary: Pumpkin Jack is a spooky scary 3D platformer in which you embody Jack, the Mythical Pumpkin Lord. Dive into an epic adventure through otherworldly landscapes and help the Evil annihilate the Good. Follow the will of the Devil himself and slay your nemesis in an epic quest that will take youPumpkin Jack is a spooky scary 3D platformer in which you embody Jack, the Mythical Pumpkin Lord. Dive into an epic adventure through otherworldly landscapes and help the Evil annihilate the Good. Follow the will of the Devil himself and slay your nemesis in an epic quest that will take you on a journey in the Boredom Kingdom, a mythical realm shattered by the curse. You will meet friends along the way, from a haughty owl to a snarky crow. Discover stunning atmospheres in a colorful yet spooky scary Kingdom. Travel through epic and dramatic settings, with each level having its own eerie atmosphere. Using a vibrant palette and high-quality lighting effects, Pumpkin Jack invents its own unique cartoon universe inspired by the classic PS2 graphic style, made with Unreal Engine 4.

    Pumpkin Jack is a classic 3D Platformer before anything else! Every level will challenge you through several themed platforms, all giving you new trials to complete. You will have to master the arts of dodging, timing, and movement to vanquish Jack’s foes. During the dynamic real time battles, choose which weapon you want to use and strike at the critical moment!

    Solve puzzles that focus on physics, gravity and reflection. Inhabit a pumpkin head and burn books, hammer some moles, create a path for magic spheres… And there is more: In each level, you will be faced with an action sequence using a new exclusive gameplay!    … Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 10
  3. Negative: 0 out of 10
  1. Nintenderos
    Nov 1, 2020
    80
    Pumpkin Jack is a great title on Nintendo Switch, a very fun and entertaining video game. Its good controls, great soundtrack and sense of humor make it perfect to enjoy it at any time, but especially on Halloween.
  2. Nintendo Life
    Oct 23, 2020
    80
    Pumpkin Jack is an absolute triumph. For a debut title, it’s remarkably confident in its vision, delivering a delightfully spooky experience that feels very familiar to MediEvil without outright copying it; in fact, with MediEvil's controls feeling distinctly dated by 2020 standards, we’d go so far as to say Pumpkin Jack is superior. The controls are slick with satisfying combat mechanics, and while the platforming can occasionally feel a bit frustrating, it’s mostly very well done. Visuals in handheld mode can look a little grotty, so we’d recommend playing on the TV if you can, and make sure you crank up that camera sensitivity. Fear not though, folks; Halloween is well and truly alive in 2020 thanks to Pumpkin Jack.
  3. Vandal
    Oct 27, 2020
    80
    This is an adventure with a 32-bit era vibe, something that we wish we had more often. Yes, it’s not perfect, but if you miss those games from a simpler time, Pumpkin Jack is a good option.
  4. NintendoWorldReport
    Oct 23, 2020
    75
    Pumpkin Jack is only a few hours long, but it feels very complete. It lasts exactly as long as it should without ever really getting repetitive. Combat can start to feel a little ridiculous towards the end as it throws huge amounts of enemies at you in a desperate attempt to provide a challenge against your evermore powerful weapons. But platforming and other gameplay elements keep things from getting stale. Pumpkin Jack is a surprisingly charming package that is worth playing through in this or any season.
  5. Nintendo Enthusiast
    Nov 2, 2020
    75
    Pumpkin Jack is great for what it is: an atmospheric Halloween romp with some fun platforming moments paired with familiar frustrations.
  6. Hey Poor Player
    Nov 1, 2020
    60
    Pumpkin Jack isn’t a bad game. But it’s not a good game, either. It’s just, well, fine. For some, fine is fine; I imagine that some people will buy this game and enjoy it, and that’s okay. However, as someone who really has a fondness for GCN-era platformers, I hold games like this to a higher standard. I expect, if you will, a certain level of greatness. Do I think that this game had the potential to reach said greatness? Absolutely. But it didn’t, and, unfortunately, it’s the end result that matters the most.
  7. Nintendo Insider
    Dec 7, 2020
    60
    Playing through Pumpkin Jack definitely took me back to the days of the original Xbox, PlayStation 2 and GameCube and the plethora of action-adventure games like this that populated those consoles. What that means though is while Pumpkin Jack can be an enjoyable nostalgic trip at times, it also suffers from the same problems those games were guilty of back then namely their simplicity and uneven quality. Pumpkin Jack is charming and atmospheric, sure, but held back by the very games it’s trying to evoke.

See all 10 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 1 out of 8
  1. SuperkenGaming
    Oct 25, 2020
    9
    Pumpkin Jack
    The jack of all trades
    Im just gonna start by saying go play this game, stop watching this review and just go buy it.. im that    Pumpkin Jack
    The jack of all trades
    Im just gonna start by saying go play this game, stop watching this review and just go buy it.. im that confident that you will absolutely love pumpkin jack.
    Pumkin jack is a 3d platformer pretty similar to the likes of medivel, but I actually like pumpkin jack much more as this feels like medivel meets uncharted to an extent.. sadly not necessarily in the story as this is the weakest part of pumpkin jack… a story of good and evil except youre on the evil side this time.. you’ve been hired by the devil to stop a wizard from saving all of humanity from the monster running around terrorizing them… sadly no voice acting or what id consider real cutscenes.. which isn’t necesrily a big deal, but I would’ve loved to hear the wise cracks my crow companion was making as id play rather than try to stop and read whoich is near impossible in more than handful or situations.. but this is pumkin jacks biggest sore thumb, the rest of this 5 hour journey is an absolute blast, linear 3d platforming style with secret bird skulls for you to collect and unlock other literal skins for jack, for example you can be a lumber jack, or samurai jack, bashing monsters with what starts as a shovel, but as you beat the games bosses youll unlock more weapons and each of these weapons getting progressively powerful and more fun to use, and this is what I feel makes pumpkin jack so special, it doesn’t allow thing to get stale and it doe so with fun, not over complicating progression, the game progressively gets harder while you get closer and close to god like power, but it always remains fun with great checkpoints, satisfying combat, an little set pieces here and there such as a mining kart roller coaster or riding a ghost horse.. mini games where youll be matching the rhythm of the mushrooms, or matching tomb stones, these are an appreciated break from the main game, however these are also where any frustration can set in.. I died a little over 30 times throughout me 5 hour journey, and id say that probably over 20 of thise deaths came at the hand of not tilting the right direction on the carts, getting smacking with too many boxes as I feel through a portal… and these didn’t feel like fun quick time frustrations, these moments felt cheap and annoying, I dreading the moments I had to jump and dodge on a cart.. mostly be casue these are decently lengthy sections with no checkpoints… but after they were done it was back to the fun.. Pumpkin Jack is such a pleasant surprise and is officially one of my favorite Halloween games. So full of character charm and whit, wonderful music, great cast of characters, I want a sequel like right now.
    I give Pumpkin Jack
    an 8.5/10    … Expand
  2. Rakereview000
    Aug 2, 2021
    9
    Pumpkin Jack does everything it needs right. It's fun, spooky, entertaining well-designed 3D platformer with a cool vibe that feels like anPumpkin Jack does everything it needs right. It's fun, spooky, entertaining well-designed 3D platformer with a cool vibe that feels like an Halloween party.… Expand
  4. BattleMouse
    Jan 2, 2021
    8
    Simply awesome. Its a game where classic meats modern. Took me all the way to my childhood :)
  5. Polop04
    Nov 9, 2020
    8
    Game is very good and funny. Game has great graphic,music and best of all are charakters. Game is also easy but playing it is never boring.Game is very good and funny. Game has great graphic,music and best of all are charakters. Game is also easy but playing it is never boring. Also i have to mention that it was all mame by online 1 guy.
    So if you are looking for game like Medievil this is for you.    … Expand
  6. ophone
    Oct 12, 2022
    8
    A nice little game which puts somebody like me, who never celebrated Halloween, into a Halloween mood.
    Its strengths are the varied level    A nice little game which puts somebody like me, who never celebrated Halloween, into a Halloween mood.
    Its strengths are the varied level design and the boss fights, with the final one being the climax, as it should be in such a game. All embellished by a colourful design, quality narrational interludes and nice music, while being spiced up with a good amount of humour.
    For a 3D platformer, especially one developed by basically just one person, the camera positioning is rather well executed, except perhaps during the boat rides. And the game slowed down a little in a few rare moments.
    I had my fun with Pumpkin Jack. Due to its short length it definitely didn't overstay its welcome.    … Expand
  7. SwitchPerson
    Nov 3, 2020
    8
    If you're like me, you saw five seconds of Pumpkin Jack footage and thought, "Okay, this game was made for me." The spooky cartoonishIf you're like me, you saw five seconds of Pumpkin Jack footage and thought, "Okay, this game was made for me." The spooky cartoonish aesthetic, the silly tone, the platforming, the Danny Elfman-esque score – it was going to take some major issues for me not to fall in love with the game.

    And here's the good news: There are no major issues! I adore this game, despite the fact that it's a bit on the easy side, and the runtime is about four hours or so. I'll definitely be revisiting the game to pick up hidden items and unlock costumes. If you want to support a game made by a single developer (!) who poured his heart and soul into every frame, throw your cash at Pumpkin Jack.    … Expand
  8. TheLinkgirl
    Oct 19, 2022
    4
    Pumpkin Jack is an oddity to me. I feel that it simply lacks in all departments. The design of the levels seems uninteresting, the combat is aPumpkin Jack is an oddity to me. I feel that it simply lacks in all departments. The design of the levels seems uninteresting, the combat is a little clunky and unsatisfying, and there's really not a ton to sink my teeth into. I can see it's a good game, but something just holds it back no matter where I look.… Expand

See all 8 User Reviews

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