Spelunky (Switch eShop) Review | Nintendo Life

These days, it seems like every other indie game released is a take on the roguelite genre, but it wasn’t always that way. At one time it was even considered relatively Cool take on game design, and one of the games that led the way in this regard was Spelunky. After receiving an initial release in 2008 for PC, the version we now have on Switch was first seen on Xbox Live Arcade in 2012 and ushered in a new era of game design and independent studio success stories in the world. process. Now, almost a decade later, is it that good? Yes, quite.

Spelunky’s premise is simple: You are an adventurer in the Indiana Jones / Rick O’Connell vein who is exploring an ancient ruin that has a touch of magic. This magic can seemingly resurrect your explorer each time he dies to any of the countless traps and creatures that await him within, while the design and structure of the ruins completely change each time he returns to delve deeper.

For the player, this means that their main task will be to improve their learning and application of the rules of the game, rather than memorizing strict designs or patterns. Spelunky is divided into four main ‘worlds’ (although there are quite a few additional levels to discover) and each of them is based on certain stage tricks, enemy types, and traps. There are a lot of things here that can kill you completely, and the constantly changing level layouts ensure that you stay on your toes, making survival more a matter of reflexes and knowledge, rather than learned-level muscle memory.

Each level is cleared simply by finding the exit that takes you to the next floor, but running through is generally not the best strategy. There are tons of treasures to find and spend on items and power-ups in the shops later on, plus each level has a ‘damsel’ for you to keep that can restore you a precious point of health if you can successfully escort her to the end. So there is a lot of potential in each level, but you are forced to prioritize things due to the threat of a ghost appearing after you have been in a level for more than a couple of minutes. Goes through walls and never disappears – an extremely deadly Boo. If it touches you, you die instantly. Chilling.

Part of the charm of Spelunky is finding the depth (Heyyy!) there is what initially appears to be a very simple action platformer. Many levels, characters, and hidden items have pretty esoteric unlock conditions, meaning that you’re almost constantly learning something new about how it all fits together. More importantly, there are many ‘soft rules’ that you stumble upon while playing that make progress a little easier. For example, it’s a game changer when you learn that you can use the aforementioned damsel as a meat shield to block arrows for yourself and activate traps, although you usually do so at the cost of the poor girl’s life.

If multiplayer is your thing, there are also co-op and deathmatch modes to explore. Cooperative mode lets you play with up to three more friends, and while it’s nice to have some ‘help’ getting through challenges, they’re much more likely to accidentally (or not …) exploit each other. There’s also a little deathmatch mode, if you just want to put aside the pretense of working together and see who is the better player.

Spelunky is still pretty simple with his presentation, although this does not strictly detract from one’s enjoyment. The character sprites are well drawn and legible, while the environment designs do just enough to convey the feeling of being lost in an ancient, cavernous maze. Its visual design does not Wow you, nor its mostly low-key and atmospheric soundtrack. The music feels a bit too cold given the high-stakes gameplay; on the other hand, something more appropriately frantic might have been too stressful.

Nearly a decade later, Spelunky still has all the fundamentals in place and is still a great entry into the roguelike genre. Solid gameplay, plenty of secrets, and an addictive game loop make it an easy game to recommend, although we’d say you should come prepared to die. much before you really ‘get it’. Whatever your tolerance for difficulty, Spelunky proves to be a good fit for the Switch; It’s certainly worth your time if you’ve never tried it before.