game: Brave Izzy
Genre: Action, Arcade, Platformer, Adventure
system: Nintendo Switch (also Steam (Windows), Xbox, PS4, Dreamcast)
Developer|Publisher: Old man team | Ratalika game
Age category: EU 7 | Everyone
price: US $10.99 | UK Ā£9.99 | EUR 10,99
Release date: December 2, 2022
Check out the code provided thanks to Pr Hound.
Dreamcast to Switch
Brave Izzy is a 2D platformer that mixes exploration adventures with a bit of fighting-style brawling. The game has a unique retro feel to it’s design, with unusual level designs and gameplay surprises. After playing it, I wasn’t surprised to find out that this was released physically on the Dreamcast. Sega is now long away from the console wars, but still the indie developer continues to show his love for the system.
Fortunately, some of these games are still built into modern systems today. Brave Izzy It feels like it was pulled from the 90’s, but still feels very familiar on the Nintendo Switch. If you’re looking for a solid adventure game that doesn’t take itself too seriously, consider this gem.
little surprise
Brave Izzy It has the overall feel of an adventure game with a large open map to explore with lots of collectibles and unlockables to discover. It feels like its own separate level, featured in sonic series. The overall goal of the game is to seek out his four hidden gems around the world.
As you progress, you’ll unlock new costumes and use your abilities to access new areas of the world. These costumes include flying squirrels that glide across the map and miners that throw dynamite to explode rocks blocking their way.Discovering these new outfits is fun, but if you want to switch to another one, you’ll have to go home and jump into your wardrobe to change.Even with the help of the warp portals that dot the level, this backtracking can get pretty boring if you don’t know what the future areas will be.
Searching for orbs can get a little tedious, but if the game is focused more on levels and less on exploration, it’s a very fun retro ride with a good balance of platforming and combat, and not too brutal. Games often surprise you with little quirks, like the retro games you can play in your town’s arcade. Even in the main part of the game, you can experience fun moments such as riding a minecart. They are short but memorable.
Long story short, like a retro game, you’ll have less than 5 hours to complete this one. This increases when you’re trying to find all the hidden little secrets and collectibles. It’s a short to point ride that feels right.
punch up
Unlike most 2D platforms, Brave Izzy It incorporates the atmosphere of a brawler into its combat. Izzy can one-two punch enemies until they literally explode into a vegetable-style explosion. This is pretty satisfying. Jump kicks, uppercuts, and special moves are also available if the special bar is fully filled.
Combat is kind of fun and addictive, but there are some issues. Izzy only has a limited number of hearts instead of his bar of actual health. At first, since he only has 3 hearts (unless he collects 4 shards to unlock new hearts throughout the game), his single hit from an enemy is pretty devastating, I’ve learned to play more cautiously than taking chances. Reaching a checkpoint does not restore health, but restarts with full health if you die. This seems a little strange.
Combat can be pretty brutal, especially boss fights with ridiculously large health bars. Overall difficulty is probably on the medium side. There are no options to tweak this. Casual players may find the boss fights a little confusing, but learning the patterns should get you through.There are regular checkpoints throughout the game to keep frustration at bay.
Your progress through each level can be tracked on the map. This map also hints at what’s next, but it doesn’t quite show where everything is. Accessing the map is rather cumbersome. You have to pause the game, select the map option, then select the map itself and pan to see the area you need to explore. This would have been much easier to track with a single button.
retro feeling
The game’s plot is very simple. Izzy finds a treasure chest in the temple and unleashes an evil genie. It’s up to Izzie to hunt down this evil man and save the world. It’s quick and to the point, and puts you directly into the gameplay.Izzy chats with various NPCs in short text-based dialogue segments throughout the game. The game doesn’t hesitate to crack weird jokes and make fun of the different situations you find yourself in. If you’re looking for something to make you smile, you’re sure to find something here to flip your eyebrows.
The graphics are detailed hand-drawn sprites with super-smooth animations. The level design is pretty complicated. It feels like the developers threw various random themes into the selection hat and picked from there. The areas don’t match or blend together, but looking at this with a retro lens I get the feeling that’s what the devs were aiming for here. when it enters the body to restore itself to a state of perfect health. The upbeat soundtrack that accompanies the game lends itself well to the randomness on display.
It’s a Hit
for me, Brave Izzy It’s a nice retro title. Not all the mechanics hit the mark perfectly, but it still manages to pull off an adventurous and immersive experience. Exploration can get a little boring with tedious backtracking, and brawler combat can feel tricky in places. It’s compensated for by surprises. The Intrepid Izzy is well worth your time if you like retro and down-to-earth adventure..
Final Verdict: Like
