Platform(s): PC
Genre: 2D, Metroidvania, Action, Platformer

The 1989 anime film Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland (based on the 40s Winsor McCay comic) may have been an ill-conceived overblown-but-pretty mess, but it did spawn a pretty kickass Capcom-made platformer. Sure, it really curb-stomped players of all ages, but it was on the level of the developer’s other Mega Man-styled works (or the Disney Afternoon stuff which were equally sublime).

Many moons later, we have a small indie team called Die Soft (close to a one-man team really) who loved the classic licensed Capcom-made platformers like the aforementioned Little Nemo so much , they decided to do their 2026 take on it. The results are a lovely tribute that stands purely on its own.

Slumberland Slaying

Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland puts you in the pyjamas of the titular character who has to take care of the creeping Oblivion (a literal disaster, not the concept) taking over Slumberland. To do this, he needs to visit each realm of a Guardian and either return their scepters of power, or just do a fetch quest or two where you have to carry objects they want from one end of a search action area to another.

Throughout my 6+ hours of playthrough, Little Nemo’s Slumberland journey has been varied and fun. You control Nemo in 2D fashion, jumping, lifting turnips and throwing them at enemies, and gain a bunch of your toys that help level the playing field. You eventually will get a yo-yo that directly attacks enemies and also gain the ability to swing from grapple points, do an 8-way air dash, and nullify projectiles and telegraphed heavy attacks with a bubble shield. You even get a pogo stick to safely jump over spikey hazards, making it easy to cross certain areas.

There’s also a Slumberland Rank system that can both help and hinder you. If you’re not at full health (three hits and you’re dead), you can collect Moons to eventually top it up. But if it’s full, you instead gain a Rank which makes your candy rewards higher (which you need to buy new pyjamas and items) but also make enemies tougher. Like “kill me and I explode out eight-way projectiles” kinds of tough. But getting to full Rank means you gain a one-hit shield and you move faster, and getting hurt means you get knocked down a Rank. Basically, if you play well and aren’t clumsy, you can literally speed through the game as long as you keep up the momentum and don’t fall asleep on the wheel.

While it’s not the longest or maze-iest version of a Metroidvania map I’ve experienced, Slumberland and its various locales are colourful and full of mechanics and surprises that can test even some hardcore 2D platformers. The ice level has its slippery floors while the Crystal Caverns area has you riding on floating bugs while triggering platforms via crystal switches. The spooky haunted level has you navigating the dark, requiring you to either carry a Jack O’ Lantern or find a pet to light up the way lest you get hurt real bad and “die”.

Speaking of which, the “death” mechanics are also pretty fair. If all your 3 lives are gone, you wake up and head back to the real world. You can either set up and change your acquired pyjamas -each of them with their own power-ups like higher frog jumps or quicker item pull-outs- or just jump right back to the bed checkpoint. Though you lose all your collected candy, it’s usually amassed by a pirate in the first world who demands 50% of your lost candy cut if you want it back. Also, you’re only losing a few minutes of progress so it’s not a bad trade-off.

The game’s design does pull a bunch of tricky jumps and sadistic enemy placements, with the latter even able to kill you in one hit unless you spend your due diligence looking for special wooden/steel coins that reduce enemy damage (4 pieces equate to 1; Zelda-style). Do you want to blaze through the game for a tougher challenge? Or spend more time in Slumberland exploring and eventually making the game bearable and easier ala most Metroidvanias? Coupled with smooth controls and a chill atmosphere, and you have a helluva throwback.

So far my only issue with the game is technical; throughout my 6+ hours of play, I came across 3 hard crashes and they happen halfway during cutscenes and some prolonged exploration moments. Hopefully this gets patched soon because you can lose momentum if you’re on a roll and lose a good amount of progress because of an engine error.

Sand Man

Little Nemo and the Guardians of Slumberland may look cute, but it is deceptively challenging and tricky to navigate. It also doesn’t wear out its welcome, with its levels being cleverly designed and its power-ups meaningful. The game is clearly echoing the trappings of the Capcom Little Nemo classic, but toned down the difficulty a notch or two just to make it actually accessible for this current audience. You’ll still be tested, but only if you do not spend time searching for optional buffs and artifacts that can help you out.

If you’re looking for a light-hearted 2D platformer with small Metroidvania elements, lovely artwork and soundtrack, and some whimsy, hop onto this Dreamland. All are welcome!

Final Score: 80/100

Review copy provided by publisher.