Review: Flora & Fang: Guardians of the Vampire Garden (Nintendo Switch)

Dracula’s a pumpkin farmer. I would not have guessed that. He’s also a somewhat negligent dad, which I would’ve guessed. Heading off on a trip, he tasks his kids with protecting the pumpkins from an endless onslaught of insects, basically setting them up to fail in Flora & Fang: Guardians of the Vampire Garden.

I’m not implying that the game fails; it’s actually quite fun. I’m implying that it’s difficult, but that’s par for the course at Flynn’s Arcade. Their published titles are usually reminiscent of ’80s arcade games, and Flora & Fang is no different. You’ll get a brief introduction, a few easy levels, then a difficulty ramp meant to rob you of your quarters. But unlike the classic arcade machines, Flora & Fang develops more like an ’80s take on tower defense.

Gameplay should be somewhat familiar (for me, it goes all the way back to Buzz Bombers on the Intellivision). The pumpkins you’re defending are spread across levels at the bottom of the screen. The insects intent on stealing them descend slowly from the top—for now, anyway. Flora and/or Fang (single and multiplayer are available) will hop from level to level to spray the bugs with insect repellent. Hit them a few times, and you can then jump into them to kill them. Doing so often shatters them into coins to collect, which you can use to purchase much-needed equipment upgrades.

Now, why Dracula thought Flora and Fang could handle all of this is beyond me, because this game is quite hard. It’s especially difficult in single-player mode, as there don’t seem to be any adjustments in enemy behavior if you’re on your own. There also don’t seem to be any adjustments to your rankings; my wife and I found it almost impossible to score above a C no matter how efficient we were, whereas I could obtain Ss when playing on my own. Is Dracula making Flora and Fang split their allowance?

But no matter; our only interest was in advancing to the next level, of which there are many. Too many, in fact, to restrict gameplay to simply attacking bugs with a bug sprayer. So, you’re also given the ability to move the pumpkins to safer areas. You’ll eventually be able to purchase and set traps—great for handling the crawling bugs.

There’s even the occasional mini-game to help you earn additional coins.

And, of course, you’ll engage in boss battles. These are quite challenging, but they offer a nice break from the arcade action / pseudo-tower defence of the main levels. All combined, Flora & Fang: Guardians of the Vampire Garden is a chore, but in a fun and frantic way that keeps you engaged, especially when playing as a duo (local co-op only).

All this is presented via the pixelated graphics and tight controls of early arcade games. Despite the restrictions of the era, the developers found ways to change up the formula to keep the visuals and gameplay interesting (and, in some cases, nostalgic).

Things are a bit dark, however. That’s appropriate for the spooky theme, but it causes everything to feel drab after a while.

Although Flora & Fang’s target audience is retro arcade gamers, it should also appeal to tower defense strategy fans. It doesn’t dig too deeply into this arena, but enough to allow the game to remain interesting throughout. ’80s arcade games were designed to drive you off through difficulty or repetition. Flora & Fang would rather you stick with it, and changes things up just enough throughout to make that possible. Just be sure to bring a friend along; work in the Vampire Garden feels less like a chore when you’re polluting it with CFCs together.