 Nintendo Life 's O 'Neill thought the five world bosses were among Treasure 's best ( in particular , the transforming " Cerberus Alpha " boss ) , but found the mid @-@ level bosses uninteresting . Peter Bartholow of GameSpot and Electronic Gaming Monthly 's reviewers felt similarly . Sushi @-@ X of Electronic Gaming Monthly added that the technique of looking for a boss 's weak spot was similar to Metroid . Famitsu reviewers praised how the game encouraged players to experiment with the basic " grab , throw , and shake " gameplay . They also appreciated the cadence of Mischief Makers 's short levels . O 'Neill ( Nintendo Life ) thought the game had great variety in gameplay mechanics ( from maze puzzles to outrunning lava ) , graphics ( from bosses that scale back the screen to levels with screen rotation ) , and audio ( from upbeat quirk to scary ) , and added that he was surprised to hear critics speak against the " unique , varied , and dramatic " sound . Scott McCall of AllGame too appreciated the sound , from the voice to the " almost indescribable " music . Gamasutra 's John Harris noted its " tremendous variety " in gameplay — from a Track & Field remake to outrunning a missile barrage — as rare for 2D platformers , and commented that " it is obvious that Treasure poured their hearts into this game . " 
