A Hat in Time channels Wind Waker's aesthetic for a PC and Mac platformer

A Hat in Time is an upcoming "collectathon adventure game" for PC and Mac that combines Wind Waker's cel-shaded visual style with the early 3D platforming of such titles as Conker's Bad Fur Day and Donkey Kong 64.

Developed in Unreal Engine by Jonas Kærlev aka Mecha the Slag, A Hat in Time puts players in the role of Hat Kid, a girl with an umbrella that can be used as a melee weapon, hookshot, and propeller.

Each level in the game represents a different day and your actions in one level will affect subsequent stages. "When Hat Kid changes something in one level, it affects all the other levels dramatically, introducing new features of the level that weren't previously available," explained Kærlev to Eurogamer.

"An example is in chapter one act three, where Hat Kid beats a mafia of cooks. Because the mafia does not exist in the future, the village that was once in ruins is now prosperous. Additionally, Hat Kid can in chapter two act one tell a dressmaker to make her a dress and deliver it in another location, and when Hat Kid arrives at that location, it's ready for her!"

Kærlev also noted that "exploration is definitely more of a focus than combat, but I try to keep the combat from being a chore."

The bright colours and cheery music certainly gives the whole thing a distinctly Nintendo-vibe, and in an age of retro 2D platformers, it's refreshing to see a polished 3D take on the genre come from a one-person team.

Kærlev is aiming for a summer 2013 release, but hopes to have a demo up by December or January. The developer expects the full game to be about five hours long and is hoping to charge just $1 for it, but noted this may change.

Check out some early gameplay footage of A Hat in Time below and vote for it on Steam Greenlight, if you feel so inclined. As of now, Kærlev says that A Hat in Time is currently 60 per cent of the way to being in the top 100.