Grapple Dog

Grapple Dog is a light, breezy mascot platformer that hooks you with precise, simple controls.

A cute yet frustrating platformer, with a grappling hook that can't quite do the business on levels mired in frustrating repetition.

Grapple Dog isn't quite perfect. We feel that more could have been done with the grapple itself, as it's a little restrictive in its application. A less friendly, more freeform approach would interfere to an extent with the tight level design, but it would still be cool for speedrunners if the grapple really let them cut loose. That's pretty nitpicky, though, because developer Medallion does precisely what it sets out to do — deliver an unpretentious platformer that's a hell of a lot of fun to play.

Grapple Dog is a fantastic platformer that nails just about everything it tries to do.

Grapple Dog is a charming and inventive 2D platformer with a solid foundation that's not afraid to ramp up the challenge when needed. It still needs some work in the performance and accessibility departments, but fans of the genre should still check it out.

Even though Grapple Dog is just one 2D platformer in a sea of them, I believe this can be your one diamond in the rough. It’s a game that feels responsive and is relatively easy for anyone to pick up and play. It isn’t a cakewalk, though, and you will find challenges ahead, but at the same time, you’re going to soak up the bright colors and the fun story, placing this near the top of your lists.

Grapple Dog is delightfully charming.

Inspired by Nintendo’s Game Boy and Game Boy Advance era of platformers, Grapple Dog spends its time keen on swinging its way to victory as it never strays from properly exploring one leading mechanic.

Grapple Dog can be a lot of fun, and it has a fantastic look and sound to it.

Grapple Dog is yet another unfortunate example of a game that has part of its experience compromised on Switch. Leaving aside the performance flaws, it is fine until the final third of the campaign, when it gets a little tiring. Anyways, this doesn't exclude its qualities as an action platformer filled with good challenges and collectables for those who like to see that 100% in the game files menu, in addition to the Time Trial mode for those who prefer to go really fast.