Things We Wish We Knew Before Playing Antonblast

Antonblast, much like last year’s Pizza Tower, is a spunky, frenetic platformer that feels uniquely alive and filled to the brim with chaotic energy. If Mario’s more modern exploits have started to feel a little too sedate, then Antonblast is just what the doctor ordered. While much of the gameplay will feel familiar to some extent, it most certainly has quite a few quirks you’ll want to wrangle.

This guide will tackle everything from the more nuanced applications of Anton and Ann’s platforming abilities, to giving you the bits and bobs you’ll need to know in order to nab every collectible in every stage. By the time you’ve finished reading this guide, you’ll have everything you need to really blast off!

Slow Down And Explore

Once you hit Happy Hour it is all go, go, go. At that point, the timer will pop up, and you’ll need to rush. During Happy Hour there will typically be at least one collectible that you won’t be able to obtain otherwise. So, the best way to be able to nab it is to have a good lay of the land. If you know that there is a spray can that is hidden behind a green brick wall, then when you destroy all the green bricks in Happy Time you know exactly where you need to go.

Moreover, there are a ton of secrets wedged in every nook and cranny of every last non-boss stage, and you will surely miss most of it if you aren’t inspecting every nook and cranny. This does mean that you’ll have to go a little slower, of course. So, if you’ve got that Sonic need to go fast, feel free to rush through the stage the first time, then double back for a slower-paced, more deliberate, sweep through the stage.

This is even more important to keep in mind when the stage is seemingly making you go fast.
If you are clutching and dashing, smashing through enemies, and breaking through boxes, you are in danger of missing stuff.

If the game shows you a collectible, and it is hidden in a wall, or up above you, you need to triple down on exploring. More often than not, the path to that thing will be in the room. That isn’t always the case, but it often is.

How To Identify Hidden Areas

There are a bunch of things you’ll want to take note of every time you see them…

• Cracks: If you see cracks anywhere, slam into them. There is a good chance they’ll lead you to a hidden room.
• Bowling Pins: If there are bowling pins, then that means you will be able to engage your roll. This could just be something that you’ll utilize during Happy Hour stretch, but there is a good chance there is a secret place to roll through somewhere nearby.
• Slopes: You can roll off of a slope. Anytime you find yourself on one, press that roll button and test the nearby walls.
• Graffiti: Don’t ignore the graffiti. The game often uses graffiti to tell you that there is something worth looking into in the area.

That isn’t an exhaustive list, of course. But if you keep your eyes peeled for that stuff, you’ll be able to locate most of the hidden areas and collect multiple hidden collectibles.

Pits Don’t Kill

If you see a pit, jump down into it. You need to get Mario out of your head, pits never kill you in Antonblast. In fact, quite the opposite is true: you’ll be rewarded for jumping into them. So, whenever you see a pit, you should consider it to be another doorway.

Pits almost always lead to bonus rooms, so they will often help fill your pockets with chips. Now, if there is fire emerging from the pit, or if it is filled with lava, that is a different story. But that is the fire killing you, not the pit.

Use Checkpoints Thoughtfully

Every stage includes a number of platforming sections that lead to optional riches and can only be attempted once. However, you are able to go back to the last checkpoint whenever you like. So, if you see a platforming section where you need to leap onto those fragile boxes, you may want to see if there is a checkpoint nearby before attempting it.

Checkpoints are plentiful, and it is typically a lot easier to jump back to a previous checkpoint to attempt one of those tricky platforming sections than redo the entire level. However, be warned, if you fail one of those platforming sections, and then hit a checkpoint, you will need to redo the level to complete it. If you want to complete all the bonus platforming sections in each stage, you will almost certainly need to use these checkpoints thoughtfully.

I didn’t have a convenient place to put this tip, so I am wedging it in here. If you are struggling with those sections where you need to hop from fragile box to fragile box, keep in mind that you don’t need to time your jumps. Just hold the jump button down, and you’ll get the jump off of each box. These sections are still a pain, but if you are anything like me, you were making them even harder for yourself.

Chain Clutches Together For A Boost Combo

Pressing the Clutch button will see you sprint forward. In the bottom-right corner of the screen, you’ll see a boost gauge. You can increase your boost combo by stringing multiple Clutches together. The more Clutches you string together, the faster you’ll get. Additionally, if you perform a jump, it will go farther depending on the size of the boost combo.

However, as your boost combo grows, it will fill the meter faster, and if you let the gauge fill up before performing another clutch, you will lose your boost combo. So, it gets harder to maintain as it picks up speed. This technique is important for people looking to set competitive times, of course, but some collectibles will also require you to make a jump that can only be made if you are traveling at a breakneck speed.

Combine The Clutch And The Roll For A Higher Jump

One of the first things I recommend you get a handle on is how to get that extra bit of height out of your jump by finishing it with the roll button (which will perform a dive if you are in midair). This is not a “necessary” technique – in that the game will never force you to use it – but it will help you reach otherwise inaccessible platforms and objects.

To perform this super jump of sorts, you’ll press the clutch button while jumping. This will see your character perform an arching, spinning attack which will bounce them upward after hitting the ground. Now, once you are at the top of the clutch jump’s arch, press the roll button. This will activate your dive and give you another foot of height or so. The tricky part is that you need to be moving forward as you perform the dive. If you are trying to reach a high-up platform, and you perform this maneuver while beside a wall, you won’t get the extra height.

This is a pretty finicky technique, but once you have it down you will likely find it useful for collecting certain items. Especially after you have destroyed a platform that you needed to reach something.