Even though Yooka-Laylee

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Recently, we had a good old look at an early version, and when I started asking the developers for some lovely tidbits about their game, I could barely stop them going on. They told me a bunch of awesome little things about the game, its lead characters, and how it all works. What do I bring to the party? Well, I’ve arranged them into this nice little list with numbers and headlines.

1. They Live on a Boat

All aboard!

This is ‘Shipwreck Creek a busted up pirate ship where Yooka and Laylee live. Laylee’s decorated it using these handy tins of ‘multicolored paint’.

Is that Ronseal?

She’s also tagged the boat ‘Batship Crazy,’ though Andy Robinson, the game’s writer and communication direction, isn’t sure that will make it through the censors.

“We might have to settle for calling it the ‘Batty Sark,’” which sounds rude but Urban Dictionary’s not having any of it.

2. Everything’s Talking at Me

Why so cirrus?

Nimbo is this cloud character who’s having a bit of trouble.

“There’s a lot of urination puns in there because he’s having trouble passing water and Yooka and Laylee have to help him out.”

If you manage to unblock his overcast pipes, you can get Nimbo to rain down and make a little river which will open up other areas of the world. You’ll also be able to freeze water using a move called ‘Frost Breeze’. It’s like meteorology 101 but with bats.

3. You Can Even Race Clouds

If you thought one cloud-based character was exciting, well strap yourselves in because Nimbo has a nephew: Nimble the cloud. And you can race him, if you want.

“The Nimble race is an example of some gameplay that’s enabled by the power bar. As you’re rolling around your power bar is depleting so you have to keep an eye out for butterflies to replenish it”. Just like real life.

4. It's Basically Trials but You're a Lizard

This kart can talk. Obviously.

There’s a minecart bit in every world that’s a mix of old school 2D gameplay, like the mine cart levels in the Donkey Kong Country series but Playtonic have also taken inspiration from games like Trials HD.

“The guy who controls the mines is called Kartos and the sections are almost like rewards for you after finishing the world so you can have a little tour of the whole world.”

5. the Flowers Are a Bit Up Themselves

"Let's go chat up some begonias!"

Flowers can be well snooty. So much so that if you approach one of the talking flowers in the game whilst in your Lizard/Bat forms, the pretentious plants won’t give you the time of day. Get transformed into a flower by Dr Puzz though and you won’t be able to shut them up. Charming.

6. Cannons Can Also Procreate

What’s that up there? A cannon, yeah? Well observed except NO – it’s actually Blasto an anthropomorphic cannon who’s the brother of another cannon named Blastooie. They talk, feel and come with their own troubles like you and me. Blasto’s problem in this section isn’t trying to understand how a lady cannon gave birth to little cannons but actually that he needs to deliver some birthday gifts to a friend with Yooka and Laylee’s help. I can’t even tell you how much money I’d pay to see the home video of Blasto’s birth, mind.

7. Eating Stuff Lets You Become Stuff

That'll spoil yer dinner!

One of Yooka’s upgrades gives him the ability to take on the traits of stuff that he’s gobbled up. So here, Yooka’s just munched down a cannonball and turned all heavy so he can make it across that bridge without getting blown off.

Dev: “There’s all kinds of stuff you can eat and absorb”

Me: “Can he eat a jaffa cake?”

Dev: “There are no plans for jaffa cakes as yet”

Me: “If he ate a bit of wool, could he be a sheep?”

Dev: “...shall we move on?”

8. Yooka’s a Reptile but Acts Like a...monkey?

Don't tell me lizards can't stick to ice!

The ‘reptile roll’ that Yooka does gives him extra grip to go up slippery surfaces like ice in the confirmed Glacier World and bits of Wet Plastic in the not-so-confirmed Working Class Summer world.

“We’ve included lots of little Super Monkey Ball style sections and there’s a lot of depth to that roll. There’s a charge mode for it and you can even jump with it too.”

This jump can be used to solve puzzles like whatever is going on here:

Get Jonathan Blow on the blower!

9. There’s Eight 4-Player Mini Games to Unlock!

Tron 3's looking...different

We’ve met Rextro the Dinosaur before: he’s a throwback to the retro games the Playtonic team have worked on. He runs a retro arcade full of minigames you can unlock. They’ll be single player challenges to start off with but beat Rextro’s high score and you’ll unlock 4-person multiplayer versions of the games. Playtonic reckon these little games are so good, people will want to play them as much as the full game so they’re making them accessible from the main menu after you unlock them.

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That’s just some of our favourite things about Yooka-Laylee. There’s going to be a playable demo at E3 so look out for our thoughts and feelings about this during the conference.