The Messenger

I had this game on my wish-list for a while before finally purchasing it. I was expecting what I saw in the previews: A challenging platformer that transcended time. Let me just say that I was completely blown away by this game and it is so much more than just a challenging platformer. This game, first off, is a wonderful homage to the old Ninja Gaiden game. It's look, the music, the tight controls all work perfectly together. The skill and abilities gained throughout the game are so satisfying and by the end you feel practically invincible! (Running over lava, climbing walls, etc...) Not gonna lie, it can be difficult at times, but if you enjoy platforming then this game is worth your time. Not to mention that the game eventually opens up from a mere platformer to an epic metroid-vania! It blew my mind that they managed to combine all the elements so perfectly. Also, the humor. This game is full of lil one liners and conversations that just make you smile (if not laugh out loud.) This gem full of twists and turns is also full of joy and laughter, but also emotional enough at the right moments to make you sit back and breath a fulfilled sigh. The phrase "they don't make games like they used too" doesn't apply here. The developers did such a good job with this game! Seriously can't say enough nice things about it! (Plus you can buy the sound-tracks! The music is fantastic by the way!) My children also loved playing through this game. It's completely family friendly as well, which is a huge plus for me. I love talking to my kids about different points in the game and what their thoughts were. It's rare to find a game that the whole family can enjoy nowadays. All in all, thanks to the developers and everyone that made this beautiful gem of a game! And you other people... Buy it! Support these guys! They earned it.

This game is incredible. The gameplay is incredibly demanding but just as rewarding and makes you want complete every challenge and find every secret, and there are a lot of them. The story is great, if a little convoluted, the dialogue is rife with hilarious meta jokes, the graphics (especially the enemy sprites) are beautiful even as they constantly switch from 8-bit to 16-bit and the level design is incredibly smart and refined. The soundtrack is exquisite (which is especially impressive as it switches between chiptune and more modern digital means as you go back and forth in time) and, if you're anything like me, you'll often stop playing just to enjoy the music. The game starts as a straight forward action/platformer that pages homage to games like the Shinobi series and the NES Ninja Gaiden titles but eventually opens up into a complex, exploration heavy metroidvania style game that ends up being a ton of fun, especially as you unlock the bulk of the abilities of the game during this segment. There will be a lot of backtracking and grinding if you want all the upgrades and items, so this may be where a lot of people lose interest, but I encourage you to stick with it as the game is so worthwhile from top to bottom. If you have a soft spot for the games mentioned in the title of my review or just enjoy slick platformers and exploring large 2D worlds then this game is absolutely a must buy.

It's supposed to evoke Ninja Gaiden, but tbh I never really played that so I can't say 100%. What I can say though is that this game is fucking sick. Tight controls, great abilities that mix movement and attacks and INSPIRED level design make the main character incredibly fun to control and you're always acutely aware that if you fuck up. it's not the game that did it, but you. There's great variety in level styles, from a cheerful bamboo forest to a Lovecraftian cosmos hellscape that gets as scary as pixelart can get everything's in there. Bosses are fun, varied and almost all revelant to the story later. Speaking of story: It's really, really good. Not just "competently presented" good, but legit different and interesting. The twists and well-written dialogue always had me wanting to know what comes next and the shopkeeper character is delightful. One thing I saw that others complained about was the backtracking. The thing here is that they misrepresent it. You travel back to older areas to get some "things", only that firstly these "things" are in parts of these areas heretofore unreachable(and in the first traversal one even wonders if one gets to come back to reach them) and on top of that 3 of the 10 """things""" are in COMPLETELY new areas. This backtracking also gives you the chance to uncover EVERY secret you missed the first time so it's an overall good thing. All in all game is good, and if I discovered it when it came out it would've been my GOTY 100% and I say that as someone who has real actual nostalgia for 8-bit(playing Dendy in 90s Russia GANG GANG).

Without spoilers, I can say you should get this if you enjoy platformers. It delivers on NES Ninja Gaiden gameplay while finding the right sweetspot for difficulty (by today's standards, it's about 3/10 for difficulty I'd say -- as someone who's finished games like SMeatBoy (all levels), Celeste (C-sides), Hollow Knight (5th pantheon) -- but this is not a bad thing, not every game needs over the top difficulty.) The levels are well designed, bosses are interesting, characters are surprisingly interesting (I didn't expect this game to have a story that genuinely had me interested, and then pleastantly surprised me), great music, fun mechanics. So the game is very good. I know by me saying "I can't say more without spoiling" is a spoiler in itself, but I will just say that this game is really a great package. I saw some Shovel Knight comparisons, which is fair in spirit. They definitely have some similarities, but this game definitely stands on its own. If you like old school nostalgia platformers, this game is a must own, but even if you're not from the early 90s era of gaming, this is a game you will enjoy, as you can tell the devs really cared about this project. It's not a perfect 5/5, but I can't give this 4 stars.

Now this. This is how you do a retro game proper. Frankly the only reason I played this at all is cause I got it gifted for free on Twitch. Don't be a fool like me and get scared off by this evoking Ninja Gaiden imagery. The Messenger is nowhere near as frustrating and unfair as Ninja Gaiden. Respawn points are plenty, wisely no life system, controls are precise, level design is smart. It does just about everything right. Even the writing is top notch! I voluntarily listened to every single tale the shopkeep has to tell. Yes even the secret "stop messing with my closet" tirade in its entirety. Twice. Most are probably aware of it at this point but yes there is a twist towards mid game. It's nothing completely mind bending but it's pretty cool. Last but not least, the music is an absolute BANGER. Easily competing with the likes of Shovel Knight or Undertale. Bamboo Boogaloo will be stuck in your ear cannals for days on end.