Dual Custody

Hillary Haziran 06, 2022

Game Category: Platformer - Arcade, Online, Free-to-play
Developer / Distributor: Badger Games
Release Date: 4 Aug 2012
Rating: ESRB - Not rated

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Dual Custody is an HTML 5 game that will surprise you with its original gameplay and retro appeal. Programmed using Scirra's Construct 2, Badger Games (based in Seattle) have come up with a game that is surely a crowd pleaser. After all, there's an innocent and cute little baby involved in the game.

Welcome to Dual Custody

You will be controlling Robot 8, an indestructible robot who has the responsibility of carrying endearing baby Sammy through an underground base laden with traps. The robot may be invincible against the traps blocking its way, but not sweet Sammy. To disarm the traps, the robot must put the baby down, but this will cause baby's Happy meter to start depleting. The game is over if the meter reaches zero.

Don't cry, Sammy

You will surely ask - now why is Robot 8 bringing Sammy to the surface? Was Sammy kidnapped?

No, of course not.

There is a reason after all for the game to sport a title like Dual Custody. You see, a brilliant criminal scientist and his megalomaniac wife have dual custody of Sammy. And it just so happens that both of them had been living at the bottom of a well-defended secret underground base built by the doctor. That is, until they got divorced.

Just starting out on Level 1

It just so happens that today Mom has custody of Sammy. So, it's up to Robot 8 to bring him to the surface to hand over Sammy before she starts filing a complaint for Dad's poor sense of punctuality.

After reading the amusing back story, you can get acquainted with the game mechanics and then start off on the first level. Helping Robot 8 along the journey will be the mainframe computer known as Robaba, you can talk to it by accessing hulking interface consoles you find along the way. You will sometimes get subtle hints from Robaba, so pay attention.

Find the elevator that brings you to the next level

If a trap ever hits Robot 8 while it's carrying Sammy, the robot's defenses are activated and the poor little baby is going to cry his heart out. You also lose some points from the Happy meter shown at the top left. The trick to playing Dual Custody is to know when to put Sammy down and to use Robot 8 to destroy any pesky traps that is currently preventing you from moving ahead. The minute you place Sammy on the ground however, he's going to start bawling and the happy meter will also start to deplete; rush back to Sammy as soon as you can.

One thing you have to do often in Dual Custody is to double jump. There are many hard-to-reach places in almost every level, so make sure you practice this skill. A lot.

Objectionable? I thought I did pretty well for a first timer

There is only one way to raise the level of the Happy meter - pick up toys scattered throughout the game's levels - every single one of these toys will help put a smile on Sammy's face.

To complete a level, you must find the elevator. It's usually located at the opposite end of the level and can only be reached after surviving blade traps on the ceiling, circular saws emerging from the floor or ceiling, standard and homing gun turrets, pits filled with green goo, and more. Once at the elevator, you will be assessed on your performance in several categories.

Life gets much harder on level 4

Pros:

Dual Custody features an original game play mechanic that has you transporting a baby from level to level.
Drop the baby and take out traps with your invincible robot, but don't leave Sammy alone for too long.
The game comes with an interesting story and the illustrations are actually well done.
The sprite animation and level graphics presents a good retro appeal to the sense. Baby looks especially cute when he's crying his heart out.
The music and sound effects help to elevate the gaming experience up several notches.

Watch out for those nasty gun turrets

Cons:

The Happy meter is not reset when moving on to the next level; this raises the difficulty bar to an obscene level... prepare to get frustrated.
There's just too much precision required for the double jump in some areas.
Dual Custody is a very short game; you can probably finish it in under an hour; more levels would have been appreciated. Here's hoping that Badger Games can flesh out the game even further.