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Review: Venture Kid – Mega Man homage is decent, but fails to wow

Brand new retro platform inspired by 80s and 90s platformers

Price: $0.99 / £0.79
Version: 1.0
Size:
21.3 MB
Developer:
FDG Mobile Games
Platform: 
iPhone & iPad

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Venture Kid presents some familiar stuff

Venture Kid presents some familiar stuff

If you’re looking for a quick retro platformer to wile away your commute, or a quick blast of retro fun then Venture Kid has plenty of initial appeal. Set up as something of a Mega Man tribute, the game follows the handheld classic in its approach to artwork, characterization and weaponry. It can also get super-difficult in a similar way that Mega Man could ramp up its difficulty, leaving you stuck trying to make the same jump, or beat the same boss over and over.

Run!

Run!

However, what Venture Kid lacks is the same charm. You play the character of ‘Andy’, who’s backstory is pretty much non-existent and appears to be just some kid that’s jumping around various different by-numbers worlds. From ice worlds, to Egyptian landscapes, to urban streets. It’s all pretty much lifted from the same 80s platform-making handbook, and while it can be fun at times, it’s not quite enough to make Venture Kid an instant iPhone classic.

There's a fair amount of variety

There’s a fair amount of variety

The controls are decent though, which makes a nice change for a platformer. The on-screen d-pad is large, visible, but not intrusive, and we rarely found ourselves missing a jump because our thumbs didn’t quite hit the button. The colors are bold too, and there are enough secret areas to keep you entertained. The difficulty, on the other hand, is just plain odd. From sailing along a level without hindrance for a long while to suddenly be met by some rock-hard monster, or to find the boss on level 1 a humongous challenge, and finding subsequent level bosses pretty wimpy. It lacks the feeling of natural progression, and ends up feeling more like a series of ordeals than a game you end up getting the hang of and improving your skill at.

The difficulty of the bosses can be inconsistent

The difficulty of the bosses can be inconsistent

Venture Kid isn’t a bad game, it’s fun for awhile and will entertain you for an afternoon or two if you like the style of these games, but ultimately there’s not enough to make it memorable.