Late to the party

Over the last few days I've finally gotten around to buying + playing this (I'm terrible, I know) and duly, I have some impressions to share. Conversation here is slow enough that I figure there's space for a new thread.

This may come as a shock to some of you, but overall I have to say that

Spoiler

I think it's excellent

Very well polished, not especially technical but has just the right amount of variety for its length. All of the weapons are useful, the difficulty scales well with the shop system while encouraging retries over grinding, the music is great, all-in-all it has all the quality and charm I'd expect from the man himself. There are a couple of places I wouldn't have minded a little more detail; while the art style generally works very well, I did find some of the ground/wall tiles to be a bit plain. I wouldn't have minded seeing more of his customary shading to go along with his wonderful character and enemy designs. That and the story is obviously very bare-bones. It's an interesting world with fun characters so I hope he does more with it some time.

So uh yeah Pixel's new game is fun and you should totally get it ASAP

 

Hey DoubleThink you're not the only one... I've been putting it off for a long time myself. Not sure what I'm waiting for, it's a Pixel game after all...
So, why haven't I jumped on it yet?

Okay, number one reason I haven't tried it: it costs a small fair amount. About the amount I pay for games on Steam that I really want to get. Which then forces me to analyze, is it worth it, compared to other games I already have on this waiting list to buy.

After rewatching the trailer, I can see that gameplay will very likely be excellent, as Pixel never fails there. But, for instance, even though I found Ikachan enjoyable, I never replayed it. It didn't have that critical edge, the story element that hooks me and keeps me coming back.
Likewise, I played Pink Hour a while back and had some frustrating fun, but it didn't really grab my imagination. To me it looks kind of like going from Dan Remar's Iji to Princess Pitch or MURI. Which are fun, but it's not something on my mind when there are so many other games to try.

Actually when the game was Gero Blaster, I was a lot more curious due to the trailer. Memorable little melody, curious looking story. Your cat princess is in another castl...UFO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=op8FRV-hyO4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ej2AtlVNvjM
But, looking at the final Kero Blaster trailer, it looks like I'm looking at lots of classic NES stage action [but epic], the kind where you wouldn't be surprised to find coins and cherries popping up after beating an enemy and hopping on a balloon. I guess that's not a bad thing, but I don't take it very seriously.

Seeing the little dialogue at the end does give me hope though. And of course, I highly imagine I'm doing Pixel a disservice. After all, I did make the same ignorant decision to ignore Cave Story when it first came out. It didn't LOOK that impressive. But after I was convinced to give it a try, I never turned back.

... (some time later)
Decided to watch a review... it does have spoilers, but it does a great job at giving me a taste of the game (by Balrog??):

Spoiler

Mmmm... well it looks even better than I thought. Like a great movie to watch on a rainy day. But, it does confirm the lack of dialogue. I think I'll save it for my b-day :] Maybe get the soundtrack too~

 

And of course, I highly imagine I'm doing Pixel a disservice.

You are doing yourself a disservice.

Yes it is somewhat linear, yes it isn't Cave Story, but looks are deceiving, it is extremely fun to play. Give it a chance and you will binge-play it, I know I did.

 

You are doing yourself a disservice.

Yes it is somewhat linear, yes it isn't Cave Story, but looks are deceiving, it is extremely fun to play. Give it a chance and you will binge-play it, I know I did.

For that matter, Cave Story is decently linear too.


Kero Blaster In a Gargantuan Nutshell
Kero is a must play for any fan of platformers--whether it be mario, metroid, or cave story, it certainly has an appeal for all. Yes, the game is short, but it has a cast of memorable characters, some awesome environments and artwork, and classic Pixel music.

Kero Blaster In A Nutshell:
Just play it.