I like a strange title for a game, Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge would be one such title, as it sounds like it explains what the game is about but you’re still not sure what that means. There’s been a lot of indie platforming titles coming out that hark back to a simpler era where all you did was jump and shoot, maybe pick up a few collectables and beat a boss at the end of a linear stage, again Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge is one such title. Lets see if Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge does bring back those nostalgic memories.
Starting off in a similar vein to the more recent rebooted Jumanji films, Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge starts off with your character finding a cartridge. When he begins to play it he and his girlfriend get sucked into a 8 bit world, you then have to save your girlfriend and get back into the real world. Sounds like standard stuff and it is in Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge. After a brief tutorial you are thrown onto a map, where you can choose where to start, unfortunately this choice is not without it’s issues. Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge doesn’t offer too much information, what would have been useful is that certain levels require certain skills to complete, but you don’t know that at the beginning although it’s entirely possible to complete the levels in the right order.
The different items you need include an arrow shooting gun where the arrows act like steps and a pogo stick which as you’ve guessed allows you to jump to higher areas. Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge has you jumping on platforms a lot which is more of a hindrance than it is fun, there doesn’t seem to be much room for error but it just doesn’t feel right when you jump. There are enemies that will try to stop you but luckily you have a gun. The issue with your gun is that it replicates that retro ability of just shooting in one direction. In a game where enemies may be smaller to you or hugging the ground this doesn’t make Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge more challenging, it just makes it more annoying to play. You have a health bar which decreases when you get hurt, there are lots of checkpoints so you’re never really in a position where you’re struggling to get through a level. Bosses are harder to beat but follow the usual attack patterns so you’ll breeze through these sections.
If you get the choice of levels right first time you could complete Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge within an hour, if you don’t then it’s more like two hours. Graphically Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge is all pixel art, i like pixel art and you can see some time and skill have been put into making Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge look like a game from a retro era. The music in Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge fits in with both what’s happening on screen and sounds like an eighties platformer. Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge struggles to be fun to play, when there are so many other titles vying for your attention, Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge just doesn’t have enough going for it to be recommended ahead of others.
Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge is a straightforward platformer from a 8-bit era. If you’re a die hard of old school platformers then you may find something of value from Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge, but even then it’s too short to leave an impression. The initial plot gives the impression there’s more to Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge but there isn’t much more than a few nostalgic stirring retro memories to play with.
REVIEW CODE: A complimentary Sony Playstation 4 code was provided to Bonus Stage for this review. Please send all review code enquiries to press@4gn.co.uk.
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Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge Review
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Gameplay - 5/10
5/10
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Graphics - 5/10
5/10
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Sound - 5/10
5/10
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Replay Value - 5/10
5/10
User Review
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Summary
Pixel Devil and the Broken Cartridge is a straightforward platformer from a 8-bit era. If you’re a die hard of old school platformers then you may find something of value here.