Sküljagger for the SNES is a typical side-scroller. You climb up ladders, jump across pits, and fight enemies. It does provide a lot of entertainment. You take the role of a pirate. Besides your sword, the weapon you acquire is bubble gum. There are four types of gum: cherry, orange, grape, and lime. Cherry allows you to blow a bubble that makes you float up into the air. Orange gum turns into a grenade so you can blow up your enemies. Grape gum encloses you in a giant bubble that can bounce high into the sky. Lime basically makes you dart around the screen, killing enemies in the way. The nice thing is that there is a bubble gum practice stage, so you can figure out how they work.
The music in the game is pretty good. It fits into the levels very well. The sound effects include your sword slashing, bubble popping, and enemy crushing. Everything mixes together and sounds great while battling through a level.
The graphics are, for the most part, average. Environments in the background are spectacular. They are great views from high up on a cliff, or inside the hull of a boat. Characters are drawn cartoon-like, which fits perfectly.
The controls are pretty good in Sküljagger, but they could have been improved. They aren’t as swift as they could be. The bubble gum can get frustrating. Keeping a cherry bubble inflated, or bouncing high with grape gum can be a challenge. It either takes a lot of practice or it can be nearly impossible to master.
Replaying this game provides a good time. The levels seem pleasurable even after they become memorized. Blowing bubbles is always good for a laugh. The reason I bought this game is because I saw the German title, Sküljagger. “I want to own a game called Skull Hunter,” I said. I didn’t realize I was getting a decent game. It is a much better game than I expected.
