Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! HD (PC) Review

Nelly is a frail, kind-hearted girl, and wannabe pirate, despite not really looking, or acting, or smelling the part. Guided by her spirit guide, the ghost of Capt. Bloodbeard, she embarks on a quest to investigate the disappearance of the 'spoonbeaks;' cute, talking birds, whose island seems to now be the home of the, possibly villainous, Baron Widebeard. This quest will have her meet up with all sorts of colourful and quirky characters, from language-impaired salesmen and cockney crooks, to booty-full members of the aristocracy and old ladies with a lust for Latin hunks.

Yes, Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy!'s strength isn't its plot. Like many adventure games of the Sierra/Lucas Arts variety, this is mainly about the humour. It's hard to explain why something is funny or not, of course, but just know that this generally follows a light-hearted approach, with no vulgarity or edgy-ness attached, if that makes any sense, with an abundance of puns with a pretty strong British aroma... again, if that makes any sense. For a better point of reference, check out the game's trailer. If you enjoy the creator's sense of humour in that small video, then this is for you.

Other than that, this is an ordinary point-and-click adventure. When it comes to the obstacles thrown at you, it follows the tried-and-tested formula of, A: talking to people, B: understanding what they need, and, C: getting it for them, with a nice mix between dialogue as well as inventory-based puzzle-solving. It's not particularly challenging, but it's not easy either, which means that even veterans of the genre will have to grease those thinking cogs before embarking on this quest.

This being an HD remaster, it brings the simple yet charming, children's book-esque visuals of the original in full high definition, and adds voice-acting, first, by the real Nelly herself, and from Alasdair Beckett-King, who actually does most of the characters. Granted, having only two voice-actors results in some characters sounding a bit similar, yet the final result is more than decent, especially when it comes to Beckett-King's "dodgy accents," as he describes them.

...And that's about it. Nelly Cootalot: Spoonbeaks Ahoy! HD is a tiny adventure game that will last one evening, and while it will not blow everyone's world, it's far from a mediocre, or forgettable experience. If you loved the original, or are simply a genre aficionado, try it out. It's super cheap, yet it's better than titles five time its price. Better yet, after playing it, check out its equally bird-loving sequel, Nelly Cootalot: The Fowl Fleet, for a few more hours of enjoyably dry British humour.