This is Super Mario 64, but instead of being an Italian plumber collecting stars you're a little girl in hats collecting magical hourglasses.

When you get into the meat there are finer differences, but that's the most appropriate comparison in my mind; I would not be surprised at all were I told that Super Mario 64 was a big influence. Many of the larger gameplay design choices are strikingly similar, if not identical. The hub is a spaceship instead of a castle, you select a large level and specifically the 'act' you want to play which then configures the level in a particular way, and then you platform around to collect the shiny time piece in that act. Collect all the time pieces, clear all the levels, beat the game. Solid, fun, 3D platformer play.

A big joy of this game is the presentation and story. The technical parts—art direction, voice acting, sound design—are all well done, but the game most especially does well something which I adore: it is fantastical, lighthearted, and ridiculous, and more importantly it makes no effort to explain itself, apologize, or be ashamed of that fact. It doesn't play down how carefree and magical it is. It presents to you without a flinch a world where you will believe an old west owl and a funky space penguin can be engaged in an epic film war for the ages. It's ultimately simple and artistic in that way, no math degree needed to solve the plot, but everything there is absolutely charming and hilarious. It's every bit as imaginative in its premise as Mario or other games of old.

A special nod to the music. It doesn't have the kind of music you'll much be remembering and humming to yourself, but that's not a knock against it. It's all well done and well-selected. In particular the game has a context system for the music, so when you're near certain places or engaged in certain activities the music will seamlessly shift appropriately. Nice.

There's very little to complain about overall, insofar as this is one of those games meant to be a fun romp over anything else. There's no great challenge factor and failure isn't harshly punished, so take that into advisement if those are your big video game turn-ons. Just about the only thing I had any problem with is sometimes the camera isn't as flexible as needed to get a look around your environment, particularly when doing things like jumping between wires or other small points. But the camera was never bad or aggressively fighting against me. Merely a spot where there's room for improvement.

My highest recommendations for A Hat in Time. Take yourself back to the couch you remember, and the warm, fuzzy glare of that old TV, controller in hand, and jump into a world where you don't question why you're bopping on turtles or squatting through warp pipes, only those things are instead smacking gangster caricatures with an umbrella or leading a parade across rooftops on the moon.

Be joy.