Maldita
Castilla is the work of one man, a man who goes by the name of
Locomalito and is responsible for some truly great indie titles on
the PC. You may be aware of the fantastic horizontal shoot-em-up
Hydorah, or the retro first person shooter stylings of 8-bit Killer.
How about the ZX Spectrum inspired platforming action of Endless
Forms Most Beautiful, or Abbaye Des Morts? All of these games are
highly polished and extremely playable with unique character and
charm, so it was with some excitement that I awaited the arrival of
his latest game, described as a "traditional action game".
It is based heavily on Capcom's Ghosts 'N Goblins and its sequel,
Ghouls 'N Ghosts which graced arcades in the mid to late 80's. These
hard as nails platform Run & Gun (Or Run & Lance) games
featured a Knight named Arthur, tasked with battling a ludicrous
amount of demonic hell spawn over 8 large side scrolling stages. They
are cult classic titles, not only for their immense playability and
charm but also for their punishing difficulty level. Both games even
have the audacity to send you back to the beginning to replay the
whole game after you defeat the final boss, all in order to receive
the 'true' ending. As a result of this insane difficulty the Ghosts
'N Goblins series is a firm favourite among hardcore gamers, with
several sequels and spin-offs created in the proceeding years. Well
Locomalito's take on the series is finally here and I am pleased to
say it has been well worth waiting for.
From
the very moment you boot up the game you can tell you are about to
witness something special. From the fake ROM boot-up sequence of old
arcade Jamma boards and the screen created to look like a slightly
worse for wear arcade cabinet display (complete with phosphor burns),
to the jaunty music and short intro sequence. Once you have soaked in
the retro ambience and pressed start the story is set by the king
sending you and three other Knights of the realm off to fight against
the evil that has plagued the land of Castille. You immediately feel
as if you have been transported back to the glory days of arcades,
the visuals replicating the 80's coin-op look perfectly, with
wonderfully detailed sprites simply oozing charm. From the main
character to the bosses you encounter, every creature and item looks
authentic. The backgrounds are equally excellent, and full of tiny
details that make them come to life. The music by Gryzor87 suits the
game to a tee, with the jaunty tunes sounding as if they could have
been in the original Capcom titles. The sound effects are similarly
well suited and blend in well with the rest of the audio and
atmosphere. Overall the presentation simply can't be faulted.
Luckily
the gameplay matches the high standards set by the visuals and sound,
being an absolute joy to play. The controls are extremely tight, with
spot on jumping, and the ability to slightly control the protagonist
mid-leap making you feel completely in control of what is going on at
all times. He can fire in front of him as well as up, and also
beneath him when jumping, which leads to some frantic jumping and
firing when trying to hit some of the more sneaky aerial foes.
Speaking of foes, they are extremely plentiful and will keep your
trigger finger busy. Harpies, demons, zombies, spitting plants,
possessed armour and much much more await you. As well as the end of
level guardian that must be defeated to progress there are also mid
stage bosses, adding to the challenge. Fans will be pleased to know
that Maldita Castille is no walk in the park, with a high difficulty
level, especially in later stages. However, it never reaches the
dizzying heights of its sources of inspiration, and while the game is
a tough nut to crack, it never feels unfair or impossible. There are
no saves, but you have infinite continues with which to complete the
game. There may be a punishment for using too many though as upon
using my fourth continue I was told by a demon that it would come "at
the cost of my very soul". You also lose your score when you
continue, so this is an ample challenge for score chasers and those
who like to complete games in one credit. You are blessed with 3 hits
before you die, and chests can be found along the way that contain
bonus items, either for large score bonuses or a handy chunk of meat
to restore some life. There are also hard to reach chests containing
keys that open secret areas, giving the game a bit more of a sense of
exploration than the games it is influenced by.
Maldita
Castilla is exceptionally good fun and made with care and attention,
as well as the utmost respect for the games that inspired it. It is
also one of the best old school platformers around, and certainly one
of my favourite games of 2012, not just because it is addictive,
challenging, and enjoyable to play, but because it brings back so
many memories of playing games like these in dark, smoky arcades, the
audio clutter of multiple machines ringing in the air and the sense
of wonder of finding new games you had never seen before. A time when
arcades were filled with classic games and not just row upon row of
dance machines and prize grabbers. Games like this have the power to
take you back to a time and place that no longer exists, and for that
alone I thank Locomalito. It is another string to his bow, and I will
await his next release with even more excitement.
The
game is FREE and can be downloaded from the Locomalito website.
The
Good:
- Wonderful tribute to 80's arcade games
- Excellent visuals and sound
- Fun and challenging gameplay
- Completely free
The
Bad:
- It is fairly short
