My Favourite Mario Kart Courses from Each Game!

Super Mario Kart turned 25 yesterday! The now renowned and popular series paved the way for fun item-shooting racing games that we've all come to know and love. Allowing players the chance to race as one of their favourite Mario heroes or enemies, the game offered a bunch of truly fantastic tracks, as well as a multi-player Battle Mode. 

To celebrate the games anniversary, join me as I share my favourite course from each of the games so far. 

Super Mario Kart 

Rainbow Road 

There's no way I could do a list like this without mentioning Rainbow Road somewhere! The track that has no doubt made plenty of people utter profanities as they slipped to their doom, Rainbow Road provided a challenging final course in Super Mario Kart's Special Cup. Pretty simple in design, this multi-coloured road offered sharp bends, angry Thwomps, and holed-up pathways. The simplicity is deceiving, as when you're trying to traverse this with other players, there's no doubt at one point you'll find yourself being nudged off the side. 

Rainbow Road also included some truly memorable music, and has since seen several reiterations throughout the games 25-year history.

I Picked Up Two New Games Today...

Club Nintendo closes in a few months, and it seems that finally, they have started adding some games to their Stars Catalogue. About time too! Whilst I have got a few goodies from there that I have been pleased with (my most recent being the Mario Kart 8 vehicles t-shirt, that you can see below), I always preferred the idea of a freebie game over a little bit of merchandise. 

A little big on me, but works well as a cosy PJ top!

Club Nintendo: The Rise, and Fall...and Rise Again

For the most part, Club Nintendo has its ups and downs. The occasional statue was available (although it took an age to even get close to the amount of points needed!), but the cleaning cloths, desktop wallpapers and stylus' didn't really cut it, at least for me anyway... 

Music Monday: Title Theme (Super Mario World)

Today's Music Monday track is a classic, which brings back a lot of good memories for me!

"Title Theme" from Super Mario World instantly reminds me of the days when I was playing this, and plenty of other SNes games with my Dad and brother. As I'm sure many of you agree, Super Mario World is a brilliant game which deserves to be classed as a classic. 

Give the track a listen below!

Contribute to my Kirby Feature!

Hey all,

I am currently planning a new retrospective/feature piece dedicated to the Kirby 20th Anniversary. It'll be in the style of my Metroid and Zelda features (please ignore the missing thumbnails, Blogger unfortunately bugged out for me and deleted EVERY image on my blog, so I'm still in the process of replacing them). 

As you can see from those two anniversary features, I involve my readers in these pieces quite heavily. I love featuring great fan art, excellent videos, music remixes etc as well as your own opinions on the series.

Do you have something to share in my Kirby feature? It'll be going up in conjunction with the anniversary on the 16th September. 

Perhaps you would like me to feature your opinion on the series or your favourite Kirby game? Maybe you have a Kirby video you would like to share or a drawing? Whatever it is...please get in touch!

Word of advice:
PLEASE keep comment sizes to a minimum! A SHORT message, no longer than two lines long. I can only feature so many people, and it's unfair to allow paragraphs...it means less of you can be involved!

How To Contribute:
Please email whatever you would like me to see to kayleighjpowis@gmail.com
I'll take a look at it...wait and see if it makes it in!

Please send all contributions before the 15th September.

Thanks and I look forward to sifting through all the Kirby stuff you guys send me!

Kayleigh

NintyFans '8-Bit Heroes' Contest Details Announced

My deviantART Nintendo art group, NintyFans is now running a competition on it's page for all our members to participate in.


The contest is called "8-Bit Heroes" and the aim is to create a piece of art that celebrates the retro days of Nintendo. This means fans of the older consoles, such as the Game Boy, Nes, SNES etc should have plenty to think about here!


For those who decide to enter this, you should try to create an entry that somehow celebrates/displays these retro days of Nintendo. We want you to give your favourite Nintendo character a retro theme, for example.


You can even give one of the more recent Nintendo games a retro overhaul. Eg. fancy seeing Girahim from Skyward Sword back in the old days of pixels and chiptune music? 


There are plenty of prizes up for grabs (although I would love more of you to donate prizes, so please get in touch if you're interested). 


More details can be found on the NintyFans page. Good luck, and enjoy!

13th Day of Brentmas: Mario Paint

YouTube musical maestro brentalfloss has released a surprise 13th video in his 12 Days of Brentmas series. The video features brentalfloss adding lyrics to the Mario Paint music.


Mario Paint is a game that I have fond memories of playing as a child, so I just had to share this on 8-Bit Girl! You can watch the video below. Enjoy!

Retro Review: Super Mario Kart

Lewis Terry has contributed a number of times on 8-Bit Girl, through me interviewing him on a variety of iPod games, to creating the pixel graphics seen throughout this blog. To increase the load on 8-Bit Girl (and to help me out on occasions), Lewis has offered to send me a few posts occasionally.


This post is a retro review, which we originally posted up on Retro Kingdom. As that blog is closing, as sadly we do not have enough time to update it, all of our reviews will be published up here for you all to read. I hope you enjoy his work!


Retro Review: Super Mario Kart
Written by Lewis Terry


The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) was where my childhood gaming addiction started. Before then, I had access to other games platforms, but none grabbed me as much as the SNES.  I had many favourites back in the day but one that stands out strong is the original Super Mario Kart. 

It seems common place now to have game characters star in other spin off games, such as sports or beat-em ups, however back then you would never have dreamed of it.  So imagine you are a six year old boy who loves the Mario games and you suddenly are presented with a game where they are all placed in super fast go-karts, it is a kids dream come true.

This is not saying that the game is only appealing to kids.  While it is presented in bright colours and all of its its protagonists are all cute characters, the game is highly addictive and presents some of the deepest game play and strategy that was offered on the SNES. 

Mario Kart sold over eight million copies worldwide and held the title of Nintendo's highest selling game on the SNES. Some feat, huh?

The game allows you to play one of eight characters from the Mario Brothers universe, each one possessing slightly different abilities.  You can either race against the computer or go head to head with up to three friends via a split screen mode, racing or duking it out in a battle arena, where players fire various objects at each other.

Like most games of it's time, Super Mario Kart is a hard game to master.  In order to pass the 150cc cup against the computer, one must learn all the short cuts, techniques and player attributes.  You have to learn how to powerslide and when to jump, and the best time to use those devastatingly satisfying red shells.  After many hours of investment, you will find yourself skimming water and pulling off feats you thought were impossible, only to still be beaten by the computer.

The graphics in Super Mario Kart are by todays standards dated, however they are probably the best example of Mode-7 on the SNES.  Despite all of the sprites on the screen and the frenetic action the graphics all stay nice and smooth, without flicking or clipping out.  The racers are animated wonderfully and have a nice amount of expression, when dazed or victorious they pull rather amusing faces.  But the main draw of the game graphically is the rich race tracks, their hazards and backgrounds.  From the cactus like enemies, to the Thwomps and the amazing but harsh Rainbow Road, the graphics are simply superb and are some of the best the SNES had to offer.

Like all classic Nintendo games, Mario Kart's sound was amazing and well thought out.  The audio in conjunction with the various sound effects all make the games atmosphere complete.  The background music is in part revamped versions of existing Nintendo music and part new creations, yet they are all distinctive and crisp in their own right.  No matter how relaxing the track may be when the final lap begins the music speeds up, suddenly making the game far more intense. Whether it is the background music, the coin sound effects or hearing the triumphant cries of the characters you can hear the quality of the audio.  So clear is the audio that it is always possible to distinguish one characters yell from another even if they are not on screen.

To most kids nowadays all of this will seem like old hat, yet it was Super Mario Kart was what layed down all of the foundations that modern novelty racers build upon.  Others may see the features offered as mundane or boring, yet still to this day if you pick up a controller and give it a spin, it retains the same addiction and charm as it offered back then.  There is a reason that this game sold eight million copies world wide and that is due to the games innovation and charm.

While there is no need to go out and get a copy immediately, as the newer versions of Mario Kart do the same thing, Super Mario Kart is an important piece of not only Nintendo's history, but of gaming history in general.

8-Bit Holiday Wreath

Well, December is finally here, and many of you will be starting adorn your house in festive decorations. Perhaps you fancy getting into the Christmas spirit, gaming style? Well, look no further than this great looking 8-Bit LED Holiday Wreath I came cross on Think Geek today. 


Crafted from EVA foam, the 8-Bit LED Holiday Wreath appeals to the old school gamer, and comes complete with blinking gold coins (think Super Mario), cherries (Pacman), a SNES controller and a Mario 1UP mushroom in a Santa hat, a rupee (Zelda), an aircraft (Galaga), and a Slime/Slib from Dragon Quest Monsters. 

The wreath will set you back $19.99 (£12.93 for all us UK people). 

Are you planning a bit of a geeky Christmas? Email me your gaming themed Christmas decorations at kayleighjpowis@gmail.com , and I may feature them! 

Retro Review: Smash TV

Originally released as an arcade game in 1990, Smash TV has since been ported onto the SNES, Playstation, Xbox and Xbox 360. 

The game borrowed heavily from the themes in the film Running Man, and involves players competing in a heavily violent game show, set in the then future of 1999. Players make their way through a variety of rooms, where they must defeat a swarm of enemies in each room before they are allowed to progress. New weapons, power up items and bonus prizes drop throughout, which the player must try to collect at the same time as defeating enemies from each side of the room. 

One of the Boss battles

Boss fights crop up after a set amount of levels, which can all be defeated by simply firing constantly at them. Smash TV's gameplay is actually extremely challenging. Enemies come in the form of frantic hordes which can easily smother you if you do not keep the quota down in due time. The original version of the game, and the SNES port does not allow for continues, so expect to see yourself dying and re-trying from the beginning of the game an awful lot. The later ports are much more forgiving, and allow for either a set amount of lives, or an unlimited amount. This makes the game far less challenging, but the enjoyment factor is definitely still there.

Smash TV is a highly entertaining but very challenging game. The enemy types are varied and add a new challenge (eg. one enemy type explodes, spreading shrapnel in all directions), but the gameplay is pretty much the same throughout. Each level reminds you to avoid shrapnel,bombs and enemy attacks, whilst gunning down the substantial amount of enemies. Progress to the end, beat a boss, and claim your cash prize!

"Good luck...you'll need it!"

Smash TV allowed for a multi-player gaming experience, and this is where the fun most definitely comes in. Going in with another player helps to prevent you from dying so much. Players can co-operate on each level, in the sense that they are lightening the enemy load between them, but the competition lies in how many bonus items they can pick up, and ultimately, how many enemies they  shoot down.

The games graphics are very impressive, and I feel that they still hold up in today. The game show setting is vibrant and grand-looking, and the developers have really created some intriguing looking boss characters. One thing I distinctly remember about Smash TV is the music. The tv show theme music is catchy, and really adds to the exciting atmosphere created in the TV studio design. The dialogue borrows lines from the 1987 film RoboCop, thus acting as some sort of slight homage to this popular movie. My only criticism is that looking back on this game now, the music and dialogue seem a little muffled in comparison to the sound effects. However, this is only a minor observation, and does not dampen the games enjoyment.

Overall, Smash TV is a hugely memorable game. The game has a very high difficulty, which was probably done to not only give some sort of challenge to more experienced gamers, but I guess to encourage them to keep pumping coins into the arcade machine. Smash TV is much more enjoyable when played with a second player, as competing against another player for the highest winnings seems, at least to myself, more fulfilling than shooting through it solo. Smash TV is definitely a classic that I still like to play through. With a wingman, that is. 

Retro Review: Aladdin

Anyone who knows me well enough will know that I have a love of Disney films. Aladdin has been my favourite ever since it's theatrical release in 1993, and you can imagine my delight at receiving this as my first ever personally owned SNES game at 6 years old (the rest were my Dad's at this time). 


Developed and published by Capcom, this Super Nintendo version is completely different from Sega Genesis version released at the same time. Whilst the Genesis version focuses on combat swordplay, the SNES version is much more focused on typical platforming elements. Fighting a string of guards with a scimitar has been avoided here. Instead, players can collect apples to throw at guards, and repeatedly jump on their heads to defeat them. 

The game closely follows the events and settings seen in the Disney film, but like most game adaptations, the occasional change has been adopted to the story, in order to flesh out the game with more levels. In Aladdin, this is a welcome addition, as the non-familiar levels (such as the surreal world which acts as the Genie's "Friend Like Me" segment in the film) are incredibly fun. Occasionally, the jumping is a little tricky to master, and the Genie's level will cause some temporary frustration while you get to grips with it, but in general, the game play offered by Capcom is solid. 


One great addition to the game was the bonus mini-games that could be unlocked at times. If the player manages to catch a golden scarab, or collect all the diamonds on a particular stage, they will be transported to a mini-game involving the Genie and a wheel. Spin the wheel and you will be granted whatever it falls on (eg. an extra life, more apples, etc). Sometimes the title screen will change depending on how much you have collected throughout the levels. 

The boss battles are well thought out, with the final battle against Jafar (especially the section with him in his snake form) is well animated, and makes for riveting play. The sound is also worth noting. Capcom have faithfully re-created two of the songs from the film- A Friend Like Me and A Whole New World, as well as adding in a 16-bit score that fits well with the feel of the film. 


Unfortunately like most games, Aladdin does carry a few flaws, but thankfully these are small. Firstly, the game is very short, and can be completed in a few hours. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad thing, I've completed this game several times now and still yearn for more at the end of it. 

Another problem I had is that the game can be incredibly challenging and unforgiving at times. Even on the easiest difficulty, the game still has it's sticking moments. But what are these moments exactly? Well, it all boils down to the jumping. I do like a bit of a challenge at times, but not timing a jump correctly once again does get a little frustrating. Many jump sequences can be avoided by finding and using the parachute. Sadly if you mess up, the parachute does not appear again when you re-spawn after death though, which leaves you struggling to cover sections which are perfect for hovering over with a parachute. 


Overall, Capcom have really managed to capture the spirit of Disney's excellent Aladdin, the graphics definitely look well-polished for it's time, and the game play on offer is incredibly fun. It's unfortunate that the game can be way too difficult at times, but there is enough on offer here to continue playing the game. As for a simple way of summing up Aladdin? Short, but definitely sweet.

Retro Review: Mario Paint

Released in 1992 on the SNES, Mario Paint was the first Nintendo title to use the SNES mouse peripheral. 

What makes Mario Paint so memorable is the wide variety of mini-games on offer. These include a colouring book style section where players can choose from a number of Mario themed pictures and colour them however they wish. Another features a stamp maker, where players can create their own pixel-by-pixel stamps to use during the drawing sections of Mario Paint.


Mario Paint also allowed players to create their own brief looping animations, which could be set to music. The mini-game that I recall playing the most is the fly-swatting game called Coffee Break. It is a fast-paced action game that sees the player taking the role of a gloved hand holding a flyswatter. Using the mouse, players must swat the flies on the screen with the flyswatter for three levels until they reach the boss. Beat the boss, and you go straight back to level one again, and can continually play this game in a loop until you've tired of it. 


I have fond memories of creating songs on the Mario Paint Composer section of the game. I remember thinking I'd created some great little numbers, but being 5 years old at the time, it is highly unlikely that this was the case. Those wishing to recreate the masterpieces they mixed up back in 1992 may do so by downloading the Mario Paint Composer by UFun Games. Time and patience is needed if you actually want to make something even half decent though. You've been warned!

Not only were the mini-games full of click-able sections, the title screen was too. Click each letter in the "Mario Paint" logo, and you'll experience a brief animation that ranges from changing the title music, Yoshi sprinting past, Mario shrinking to his "before mushroom" form, and more. If you have quick enough reflexes, you can even click the falling star which whizzes past the screen. If you do this, a long and rather fun animation appears (I'm not going to spoil it for those who are intrigued enough to try it themselves). I remember the satisfaction of finally managing to do this!


Overall, Mario Paint is a great addition to the ever-expanding Mario series. Whilst there may not be much to it, the mini-games are light-hearted fun. Also, Mario Paint paved the way for future games of this nature, such as the WarioWare series. 

Retro Review: Donkey Kong Country

Donkey Kong had only previously been known as the damsel-kidnapping ape in the 1981 video game of the same name. However, 1994 marked the release of Donkey Kong Country, a game which allowed this hulking ape to take on the protagonist role.


Released by Rare on the Super Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country allowed gamers to play through 40 side-scrolling platforming levels. Like many retro games, the premise was a simple one-navigate Donkey Kong through each level so that he can finally take back his stolen banana hoard from the Kremlings.

Side-scrollers can sometimes fall victim to repetitive game play, where players can find themselves repeatedly fighting the same styles of enemies, and nothing more. Thankfully, Donkey Kong Country avoids this issue by including a variety of objectives, such as mine-cart riding (my personal highlight), swinging from vines, launching Donkey Kong from barrels, swimming, riding on a host of crazy looking animals, and much more. These activities are only further enhanced by the welcome addition of multi-player functions, so you and a friend can work together to make it through each level. Players get to choose between playing Donkey Kong or his nephew, Diddy Kong. Both have different abilities, so it is up to you which you prefer, but personally, I have always felt that Donkey Kong was the stronger of the two, so defeating enemies was a lesser challenge than with the more weaker, but agile, Diddy.


What makes Donkey Kong Country so memorable, even in today's standards is the graphics adopted within the game. Back in 1994, Rare adopted some rather revolutionary pre-rendered 3D graphics, which resulted in an impressive and memorable look which had not been seen on the SNes previously. Coupled with a catchy and crisp soundtrack, it is evident that a lot of time and effort went into making this game. 

As for the negative points, in all honesty, there are not many. My only concerns is that the game can get rather challenging, especially if played on the single player mode. However, rope in a player who you know deals well with a tough challenge for the multi-player mode, and you should be able to sail through the game with less struggling points.


So, after all these years, is it still worth trying out Donkey Kong Country? My answer to that would be a solid yes. The game is full of exciting and well-designed levels that are enhanced when played with another player in one of the multi-player modes. The graphics for it's time definitely helped to make Donkey Kong Country stand out above the rest, and for this, I feel that it is worthy to be checked out. Donkey Kong Country Returns has since been released on the Nintendo Wii, but I suggest giving the original a go first before  launching yourself into this re-vamped version.



Donkey Kong had only previously been known as the damsel-kidnapping ape in the 1981 video game of the same name. However, 1994 marked the release of Donkey Kong Country, a game which allowed this hulking ape to take on the protagonist role.


Released by Rare on the Super Nintendo, Donkey Kong Country allowed gamers to play through 40 side-scrolling platforming levels. Like many retro games, the premise was a simple one-navigate Donkey Kong through each level so that he can finally take back his stolen banana hoard from the Kremlings.

Side-scrollers can sometimes fall victim to repetitive game play, where players can find themselves repeatedly fighting the same styles of enemies, and nothing more. Thankfully, Donkey Kong Country avoids this issue by including a variety of objectives, such as mine-cart riding (my personal highlight), swinging from vines, launching Donkey Kong from barrels, swimming, riding on a host of crazy looking animals, and much more. These activities are only further enhanced by the welcome addition of multi-player functions, so you and a friend can work together to make it through each level. Players get to choose between playing Donkey Kong or his nephew, Diddy Kong. Both have different abilities, so it is up to you which you prefer, but personally, I have always felt that Donkey Kong was the stronger of the two, so defeating enemies was a lesser challenge than with the more weaker, but agile, Diddy.


What makes Donkey Kong Country so memorable, even in today's standards is the graphics adopted within the game. Back in 1994, Rare adopted some rather revolutionary pre-rendered 3D graphics, which resulted in an impressive and memorable look which had not been seen on the SNes previously. Coupled with a catchy and crisp soundtrack, it is evident that a lot of time and effort went into making this game. 

As for the negative points, in all honesty, there are not many. My only concerns is that the game can get rather challenging, especially if played on the single player mode. However, rope in a player who you know deals well with a tough challenge for the multi-player mode, and you should be able to sail through the game with less struggling points.


So, after all these years, is it still worth trying out Donkey Kong Country? My answer to that would be a solid yes. The game is full of exciting and well-designed levels that are enhanced when played with another player in one of the multi-player modes. The graphics for it's time definitely helped to make Donkey Kong Country stand out above the rest, and for this, I feel that it is worthy to be checked out. Donkey Kong Country Returns has since been released on the Nintendo Wii, but I suggest giving the original a go first before  launching yourself into this re-vamped version.

The Best of Mario Paint Composer

I have fond memories of playing Mario Paint when I was a child, but I never had the patience to actually make any recognisable songs on the music composer mini-game. However, it looks like there are plenty of people out there who have got that patience. 


I've trawled YouTube to find a few that impressed me the most, which you will see below. If you wish to become a Mario Paint virtuoso yourself, then feel free to download the Mario Paint Composer. Enjoy!

Above: Gerudo Valley-It's a favourite with the vast majority of Zelda fans, and this YouTuber has done this theme justice. 

Above: Beach Boys-I Get Around-This Beach Boys hit is a pretty happy song on it's own, but add in the silly sound effects from Mario Paint, and it's hard not to listen to it without smiling (especially for me when the cat sound is played!). 

Above: Lipps Inc-Funky Town-The abundance of cats definitely makes this song. Be prepared to chuckle!

Above: Foo Fighters-The Pretender-I had to include a song from my favourite band, Foo Fighters. Thankfully there were a few which sounded pretty much like the Foo's, but this one was the most impressive. Two pieces playing at once. It must have taken ages to make this!

Above: Evolution of Video Games Epic Medley-This video combines a total of 22 themes from popular games from the past to the present. Largely devoted to Nintendo games, this video presents a range of excellent covers, such as the Kirby theme for instance. Give it a listen, it's epic. 

Above: Nyan Cat-If you're familiar with internet memes, then you should be aware of Nyan Cat by now. This Mario Paint version sounds so much like it. Oh, and of course the cats are fitting. Enjoy, meme lovers. 

Above: Queen-Don't Stop Me Now-It's hard to dislike this Queen song, and thankfully this YouTuber has managed to re-create it, Mario style. Great!

Have you created a Mario Paint song, or do you know of any that should have made it into the list? Leave your comments below!

Retro Review: Aladdin (SNES)

Anyone who knows me well enough will know that I have a love of Disney films. Aladdin has been my favourite ever since it's theatrical release in 1993, and you can imagine my delight at receiving this as my first ever personally owned SNES game at 6 years old (the rest were my Dad's at this time). 


Developed and published by Capcom, this Super Nintendo version is completely different from Sega Genesis version released at the same time. Whilst the Genesis version focuses on combat swordplay, the SNES version is much more focused on typical platforming elements. Fighting a string of guards with a scimitar has been avoided here. Instead, players can collect apples to throw at guards, and repeatedly jump on their heads to defeat them. 

The game closely follows the events and settings seen in the Disney film, but like most game adaptations, the occasional change has been adopted to the story, in order to flesh out the game with more levels. In Aladdin, this is a welcome addition, as the non-familiar levels (such as the surreal world which acts as the Genie's "Friend Like Me" segment in the film) are incredibly fun. Occasionally, the jumping is a little tricky to master, and the Genie's level will cause some temporary frustration while you get to grips with it, but in general, the game play offered by Capcom is solid. 


One great addition to the game was the bonus mini-games that could be unlocked at times. If the player manages to catch a golden scarab, or collect all the diamonds on a particular stage, they will be transported to a mini-game involving the Genie and a wheel. Spin the wheel and you will be granted whatever it falls on (eg. an extra life, more apples, etc). Sometimes the title screen will change depending on how much you have collected throughout the levels. 

The boss battles are well thought out, with the final battle against Jafar (especially the section with him in his snake form) is well animated, and makes for riveting play. The sound is also worth noting. Capcom have faithfully re-created two of the songs from the film- A Friend Like Me and A Whole New World, as well as adding in a 16-bit score that fits well with the feel of the film. 


Unfortunately like most games, Aladdin does carry a few flaws, but thankfully these are small. Firstly, the game is very short, and can be completed in a few hours. Whilst this is not necessarily a bad thing, I've completed this game several times now and still yearn for more at the end of it. 

Another problem I had is that the game can be incredibly challenging and unforgiving at times. Even on the easiest difficulty, the game still has it's sticking moments. But what are these moments exactly? Well, it all boils down to the jumping. I do like a bit of a challenge at times, but not timing a jump correctly once again does get a little frustrating. Many jump sequences can be avoided by finding and using the parachute. Sadly if you mess up, the parachute does not appear again when you re-spawn after death though, which leaves you struggling to cover sections which are perfect for hovering over with a parachute. 


Overall, Capcom have really managed to capture the spirit of Disney's excellent Aladdin, the graphics definitely look well-polished for it's time, and the game play on offer is incredibly fun. It's unfortunate that the game can be way too difficult at times, but there is enough on offer here to continue playing the game. As for a simple way of summing up Aladdin? Short, but definitely sweet.

Review: Celestial Mechanica

I was recently contacted by Roger Hicks to try out a game (and listen to it's soundtrack) which he had worked on, entitled Celestial Mechanica for the PC. Created by indie developers Roger Hicks (one of the creators of rComplex) and Paul Veer (animator of Super Crate Box), Celestial Mechanica combines action, puzzle, exploration into one short, but sweet game.


The first thing I noticed about Celestial Mechanica was the cute pixel graphics which carry a nostalgic retro feel. I was instantly reminded of old platformers on consoles such as the SNes when I first loaded this up. For me, I found that these cute little pixel characters were what made me want to continue playing the game until the end. The game reminds me of a Metroid-style platformer, so fans of this particular type of game play should have an indication of what the game is like already. 

As for the game play, in short it looks straight forward, but unfortunately, it isn't always the case. In fact, Celestial Mechanica can be horribly frustrating at times. The difficulty definitely heightens as you progress through the game, due to the increase in enemies and environmental hazards. At least Celestial Mechanica is forgiving to the player in one aspect. Players are giving an unlimited amount of lives. When you do die, spawn points are normally quite close, but sometimes they involve completing that frustratingly hard labyrinthine that you have only just traversed after repeatedly dying in the process of completing it. However, this does not spoil the game as a whole. In fact, once you have completed those sticking points, it actually makes for a satisfying and rather fun game. 

A great aspect is that the controls are relatively easy to pick up. Combine this with the endless lives and a generous amount of power-ups does make the elements of frustration feel worth it Celestial Mechanica. The game is unfortunately rather short, and can be completed in around 2 hours. Personally I enjoyed this game, and would have liked to have become involved in it a little longer than this, but only if the levels of frustration were toned down a little. 

Summary
Overall, Celestial Mechanica is an enjoyable, but somewhat frustrating platformer. You'll die a lot, probably curse a little too, but the pay-off at the end is as much rewarding as it is satisfying. The retro look and feel of the game creates a fun, nostalgic and cute atmosphere which I had no problems playing through, and the retro music fits in nicely with the action also. You can purchase the game for the low price of £3.06 (or $5.00), and complete it within 2 hours. Not bad, I say. 


Still undecided? Watch the trailer below-it may help.