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Like any good heroic tale, the main protagonist isn't without flaw, and at the end of the last chapter in 2014's Golden Tale, we were with a cliffhanger on his fate. Kitsune's Curse returns to this mystical land, where our ninja hero has magically transformed into a fox-like being. The Golden Tail talisman has yet again been stolen, and the evil cult that has it intends to unleash its power on the world.

Only by retrieving it back can the world be saved, and the curse is broken.

In this flip-screen adventure, Kitsune makes his way to the Yiga Clan's layer to retrieve the talisman. He must avoid the many hazards along the way; jumping over spiked pits, evading venomous forest creatures and stealthily past clan members. Kitsune is a bit of a pacifist, you see - he doesn't even carry a weapon.

All he can do is turn invisible for the briefest of moments, and it propels him a few feet along. This is beneficial for accessing those hard-to-reach high platforms, or dashng past any hazards. And it is on this that the game's core mechanic is centric; it becomes a precision leaping platformer where you utilise his special jump on every single screen.

No matter the obstacle, his little puff of 'smoke' will have its use.

On initial playing, it may seem a little fiddly to get to grips with the jumping mechanic, but once mastered, it becomes second nature. It's a vast improvement over the game's predecessor as you get a visual representation of where your invisible self will end up - previously, there was no 'smoke'.

Each of the rooms provides an excellent challenge to master, and with each restart, you will find that you progress just that little further. What it doesn't do well though is stray from its established path; the game is very linear in its challenge and doesn't entice the player to keep on going beyond its repetitous limitation.

It's a tight game - it just needs a little bit more excitement added to it.

Kitsune is back to steal back the Golden Tail from the Yiga Clan, only after putting it back together in his previous adventure. Kitsune's magical invisibility powers provide some interesting game mechanics to use, and when performed correctly, are strangely satisfying, but controlling said powers is a tricky and frustrating affair.

This is a shame because the presentation, colourful visuals and rather lovely soundtrack make for an appealing game. It's got enough exploration and difficulty to keep you going also. But it's let down by some unforgiving jumps which become a little annoying to fully enjoy this well put together title.

Presentation 80%
Excellent manual and collector box available at poly.play. Well presented levels.

Graphics 80%
Good use of the CPC's colour palette. Colourful visuals delivered to a high standard.

Sound 85%
Excellent in-game soundtrack that suits the game's backdrop perfectly.

Addictive Qualities 69%
While you'll want to 'have another go', the jumping aspect of the game can become frustrating after a while, leading you to switch off.

Lastability 70%
Relies too much on the jumping mechanic. Still a good challenge.

Overall 77%