Forum Overview :: Reviews :: A Selection of Freeware Metroid-Alikes

[quote name="Mischief Maker"]<A HREF="http://neuralscan.co.uk/Plasma%20Warrior.html" TARGET="new">Plasma Warrior</A> Intentionally sporting C-64 production values, this game doesn't do anything special for a metroid-alike, but it doesn't do anything wrong either. Has the most "Metroid-y" ambience of the lot here. If you enjoyed Metroid back in the 8-bit days, give this game a try, it's over in an hour or less. <A HREF="http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=03Within_a_Deep_Forest" TARGET="new">Within a Deep Forest</A> You play an anthromorphic bouncing ball exploring a colorful fantasy realm on a quest to stop the mad scientist who created you. You collect new ball materials whose properties open new doors to you. I like this game, but I never finished it because the bouncing-ball mechanics coupled with the precision platforming drove me into hair-pulling fits. Give it a try if you're the patient type. <A HREF="http://www.hurrican-game.de/" TARGET="new">Hurrican</A> A remake of the classic Amiga game Turrican. This is more of a level-based contra than an exploratory metroid game, but it features a morph ball complete with mini-bombs, so it's on the list! Run and gun in your robot suit blasting the shit out of everything in your way through huge levels full of hidden secrets and powerups. The main problem with this game is that the controls are WAAAAAY more complicated than they have any right to be. Even if you just let the game autoswitch to the primary weapon that's powered-up the highest, there are 3 limited-ammo super weapons, each with a different button, a lightning gun, and the button to activate the morph ball is not the same button used to deactivate it. Perhaps it all works better on a pad than on a keyboard. Still great violent fun. <A HREF="http://nifflas.ni2.se/index.php?main=02Knytt" TARGET="new">Knytt</A> The sequel to WADF. As easy to control as WADF is frustrating. You play this little monkey thing that can climb up any wall. Unfortuntely, while it's way less frustrating thatn WADF, it's also less interesting with a simpler story and less crazy environments. The biggest blow to the game is that you don't gain any new abilities as you play, what you start with is what you get. It's still fun and not at all frustrating and the world is full of little details. <A HREF="http://www.acid-play.com/download/return-of-egypt/" TARGET="new">Return of Egypt</A> A Symphony-of-the-Night-esqe game where you play Moses battling the undead hordes in Egypt. Kudos to the japanese dude who made this game in resisting the urge to make Moses a 20-something dude with vertical blue hair and neon-pink ninja bloomers. You play an old Jewish man stalking through Egypt and whacking mummies and false idols with your staff. The whole damn game is in japanese (Press F4 when you begin to set up your controller) so I have no idea what the hell the plot is, but there's a golden calf during the first boss fight so you're free to make up whatever kosher story you see fit to devise. Unfortunately, when you get hit Moses just makes a generic grunt instead of exclaiming "Oy!"[/quote]