Antonblast

Antonblast is a platformer. The player takes control of either Dynamite Anton or Dynamite Annie as they rampage through several areas populated by Satan's minions to reclaim Anton's stolen spirits. From Brulo's Casino, which acts as the game's hub world, they can access several different levels, each of which houses a spirit. All of the spirits must be retrieved to challenge Satan and complete the game.

The player's primary means of attack is the "Clutch", a dash that destroys enemies and obstacles. Clutching in a rhythm set by a meter enhances the speed of the dash. Pressing the button just before striking an enemy or obstacle sends the player into a high-speed "Slingshot", allowing them to barrel through a series of obstacles without stopping. Pressing the same button in mid-air performs a spinning "Hammer Vault" that allows them to bounce off the floor to greater heights. The player can also roll and slide along the ground, or perform the "Antomic Blast" to plummet through the air and enter dumpsters.

Satan is admiring his own "redness" in his magic mirror, until it informs him that a demolition worker named Dynamite Anton has skin redder than his own. Satan demands that his army of moles discover what Anton likes the most and steal it to bait him into his lair. After the moles break into his apartment and steal his collection of spirits, Anton and his co-worker Annie go out to seek out those responsible. The pair are supported in their quest by casino owner Brulo, who promises to revoke Anton's ban from his establishment in exchange for ridding it of a Satanic curse.

After finding all of the spirits, the pair reach Satan, who proceeds to drain the player's color, making him redder, and he tosses them aside. The spirits rejuvenate and transform the player into a demon, enabling them to defeat Satan. A petulant Satan bombs the entire world in retaliation as Anton and Annie retreat to their apartment, the only structure left standing, to celebrate their victory.

Antonblast was created and self-published by independent developer Summitsphere. Founder Tony Grayson, was co-coder, designer, and sole composer for Antonblast and its predecessor. Antonblast is a successor to the studio's previous release, Antonball Deluxe, a Breakout clone with controls inspired by those of Mario Bros.. Since Antonball Deluxe proved to be a mild success, Summitsphere started work on Antonblast in June 2021.

Fans of Antonball noticed similarities between Anton and the Mario character Wario and suggested that Summitsphere make the next Anton game follow the style of the Wario Land series. Coincidentally, Grayson had already considered the concept, including Satan's role as the main antagonist, in 2017, Tony Grayson himself nicknamed the concept: "Red Guy", which was Anton's original name, the concept was prior to Antonball and Antonball Deluxe's conceptualization.

Time Extension writer Jack Yarwood praised the demo, appreciating Antonblast for "fill[ing] the gap" left by the lack of new Wario Land video games. Hardcore Gamer writer Kyle LeClair included Antonblast in his top 10 list of games featured at PAX East 2023, praising it as a "terrific ode" to both the Wario Land series and to the Game Boy Advance in general. He found the platforming enjoyable, calling the mechanic of jumping in and out of the background "clever", and also calling the destruction in the game "wildly-fun". Kotaku writer Kenneth Shepard included it in his list of indie games releasing in 2023 that he wanted to showcase, praising its pixel art, action, and premise.

Antonblast has received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregate website Metacritic, and a "Mighty" approval rating on the aggregator OpenCritic. Critics praised Antonblast for its detailed Game Boy Advance-inspired visuals and animations, addictive, replayable gameplay, and soundtrack. It became the top 20 of the best reviewed games in 2024 for Metacritic. Digital Trends' Giovanni Colantonio nominated Antonblast as their prediction for "Best Indie Game" for the upcoming Game Awards 2025, he praised the game's "zany visuals, animations, and sound", labelling the visuals as "an aesthetic explosion". Giant Bomb's Scott McCrae's top 10 games of 2024 listed Antonblast on #10, he praised the game for "taking aspects of Ed, Edd n Eddy and other 90's Cartoon Network shows, the Game Boy Advance, Crash Bandicoot, and most importantly Wario Land."