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4 /5

A incredibly cute and colourful single player platform game from the same stable that brought the classic "Bubble Bobble", "New Zealand Story" and "Rainbow Islands" to the gaming world. Liquid Kids features 'Hipopo the Hippo', a Hippopotamus who must fight his way through a large number of enemy-packed levels in search of his missing girlfriend - rescuing other hippo-like creatures along the way. Hipopo is armed with magical water globes which can be thrown at enemies to freeze and damage them. Once frozen, the enemies can then be kicked and destroyed completely. The water attack works in a very similar fashion to the water attack bubbles of another Taito classic, 1986's "Bubble Bobble".

The level design is superb and makes full use of the game's water theme; with moving platforms, collapsible floors, boats and water-wheels all making an appearance. Small plants also appear on certain levels which can be 'watered', causing them to grow and creating new platforms.