Remember the mid-’90s when 3D platformers were everywhere and the genre to get into? Pretty much every studio wanted to not only make the next big gaming mascot, they wanted to experiment with 3D graphics. 3Cat and JanduSoft offer up Manairons, a modern, old-school platformer.

“Manairons is a 3D action platformer game inspired by the legends of little creatures living in the Pyrenees. Help Nai face off against the landowner who has taken control of a charming village using the power of the “canut,” with magic, flute, and plenty of chaos.”

I wouldn’t quite classify Manairons as a traditional 3D platformer, at least, not in the fully three‑dimensional sense. It sits more comfortably in that familiar 2.5D space: 3D visuals layered over a largely two‑dimensional plane. At the outset you choose between two Manairons, tiny pixie‑like creatures tasked with thwarting an unscrupulous land baron who has seized control of a village’s shops and forced their owners into producing shoddy goods. The choice between characters is purely cosmetic; there are no differing stats, abilities, or movement quirks to distinguish them.

Structurally, the game is straightforward: traverse each level from entrance to exit, confront the boss, and liberate the shop from the baron’s influence. The expected genre staples are all present, platforming, light combat, and a sprinkling of puzzle‑solving. Each stage is themed around one of the village’s shops, from cobblers to bakeries, and the environmental design is genuinely charming. The levels are visually distinct and cleverly tied to their respective trades; dodging scorching ovens in the bakery is a particular highlight. The whole aesthetic leans into a warm, nostalgic throwback style, even incorporating a playful Zelda: Ocarina of Time‑style mechanic where you learn and play short melodies to alter the environment.

I’ve always had a soft spot for games that cast you as a tiny character navigating a world built on a much larger scale, ever since that iconic level in Super Mario Bros. 3. Manairons captures that sense of scale beautifully. But it’s not without its frustrations. Combat, for instance, lacks precision. Even with a lock‑on system, attacks feel unreliable, and the move set is shallow, often boiling down to mashing out a simple three‑hit combo. The camera also proves troublesome, making it difficult at times to judge distances or land jumps with confidence. A touch of freedom in camera control could have alleviated this. The double jump feels inconsistent, and collision detection occasionally seems to operate on its own shifting logic.

Available now on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox at around £20, Manairons is a charming but undeniably uneven platformer. With more time spent smoothing out its rough edges, it could have been something special. I enjoyed the whimsy, the setting, and the delight of exploring oversized environments as a tiny protagonist. But a handful of gameplay inconsistencies and technical hiccups hold it back from reaching its full potential.