Never has copying another game looked and sounded so beautiful.

New indie puzzle-platformer Creavures is a gorgeous title, chock-full of creative character designs, glowing graphics, and moody, ambient tunes.

Dig beneath that lovely veneer, however, and you'll find a fairly standard side-scroller that combines collect-a-thons, constant character switching, and limited exploration.

And that's fine -- Creavures is a decent little romp and certainly visually appealing. But playing it really made me miss the game it obviously mimics: Blizzard's early-'90s title The Lost Vikings.

For those who haven't played it, The Lost Vikings perfected the concept of unique characters who must use their collaborative abilities to overcome obstacles. The titular Vikings were Erik, who could run, jump, and bash walls; Baelog, who fought with bow and sword; and Olaf, whose mighty shield could block projectiles and act as a glider.

Creavures, by comparison, has five adorable little critters (reminiscent in design of Disney's Lilo and Stitch) with special attributes of their own. You can use only two of the five in any given section of a level, and you'll switch back and forth as needed to traverse the world's fluorescent forests and swamps.

The difference between the two games is in the implementation of these abilities. In The Lost Vikings, timing plays a huge role. You'll often have to shift on the fly between characters to vault Erik up to a platform or shoot Baelog's arrow to hit a switch. There are more enemies, too, so you have to keep moving the Vikings out of harm's way.

By contrast, Creavures' levels feel static and slow. You're never rushed, which fits the game's peaceful aesthetic, but you also miss a sense of continuity. As you reach each checkpoint in a level, you're able (and sometimes required) to swap a different pair into your active team to tackle the next obstacle. It makes your journey feel less like cohesive exploration and more like a series of very obvious play mechanic challenges.

The Lost Vikings didn't try to hide the fact that each level was a self-contained corridor. That fit with the game's wacky story, anyway: three random Vikings abducted by aliens (from the Croutonian Empire!) and escaping through various periods of time. Add in the hilarious cut-scene dialogue between levels, and it's no wonder why The Lost Vikings had such charm.

Maybe I'm not being fair to Creavures in comparing it to such a well-regarded classic. But it is possible to take the Lost Vikings template and apply it to something new and creative. 2009 indie game Trine proved that.

Trine was wise to stick to just three characters as well, with exploration/combat/physics abilities. It also added equipment and experience points for extra depth. The result, combined with quality graphics and an interesting fantasy setting, was a sleeper hit.

So there's still some life in the Lost Vikings' puzzle-platformer genre. Here's hoping a Creavures sequel can capitalize on it in its own beautiful way.