Play Mask, The (Europe) Online

I picked up Mask, The for the Super Nintendo back in 1995, a game based on the movie and developed by Toei Animation. It was one of those licensed platformers that came out during the SNES era, not particularly groundbreaking but still a solid part of the library. The game captures the over the top energy of the source material without trying to reinvent the wheel.

You control Stanley Ipkiss, who transforms into the Mask, and you move through levels screen by screen, fighting enemies with playing cards and bouncing around with exaggerated, elastic movements. The main goal is to rescue your girlfriend while collecting masks to extend your power and health. The pacing is fast, sometimes chaotic, and the difficulty can spike unexpectedly in later stages. Playing it feels like controlling a cartoon character who’s just barely holding it together.