Nobody would have thought that the lack of a simple mechanism was enough to be the main feature of a game, but that is exactly the case with Astral Pixel’s newest platform work for genre enthusiasts: Super Magbot. This beautiful 2D title is a head to toe platform game that is challenging too. However, the main feature that distinguishes it from other representatives of the same genre is that you cannot jump. Exactly: it’s a platform game with no jumping ability.
The story accompanies the intrepid robot explorer Magbot on a journey through the cosmos to collect the Magnestar fragments scattered on different planets. Your duty is to go through many difficult levels to collect these fragments and stop such an ancient evil force, a terrible power hungry asteroid, so that it does not consume it and use its energy to get stronger. However, it is not easy to complete the levels and get the fragments as Magbot cannot jump but only uses its magnetic power to attract and repel certain surfaces, thus moving between the dangers that separate Magbot from its target .
The foundation of this platformer might seem a bit unusual, but it works surprisingly well, although it can get a little tricky at times. Aside from moving the magbot left and right, your job is to aim and use magnetic force to jump (if it is magnetically repelled) or to be attracted to magnetically charged blocks. With a basic understanding of magnetism, you need to use the red and blue charges of magnetic force to interact with the red and blue magnetic objects. You need to figure out how to benefit from the laws of attraction and repulsion in order to achieve your ultimate goal.
For example, the dynamics are as simple as using the red force on a blue block to attract Magbot, or using the red force on a red block to fend them off and shoot them down. The concept is simple, but it just gets more complicated as Magbot encounters new types of objects, including magnetized bubbles, falling platforms, and walls that can break. For each of them you have to use magnetic forces differently.
As I mentioned earlier, this can get a little tricky, especially when there are a multitude of different platforms to traverse. However, it is precisely for this reason that Super Magbot is considered a seasoned platformer. The levels are similar to Super Meat Boy and if you are fast they can be completed in 20 seconds. However, understanding the mechanism and perfecting the timing of each movement and using magnetism will result in some deaths, so don’t expect it to be easy even if the levels are short.
Astral Pixel did a good job of ensuring that the basic mechanics and gameplay of Super Magbot are head-to-toe entertaining, making the game endlessly addicting. The gameplay and difficulty level are designed and balanced so that you don’t have to improve magbot skills like other platform games. Only when you pass the levels and beat your time records and those of other players will you become completely addicted.
However, if you don’t particularly enjoy improving your times, you can also spend the time collecting collectibles from each level. Gathering them all in one world will unlock alternative versions of that planet. Basically, and going on with the Super Meat Boy comparison, this is the Dark World equivalent and offers many new challenges, for the most part more difficult to solve.
It would be ugly of me not to mention the art style and sound design of this game. Super Magbot offers a flashy 16-bit pixel art style for a retro feel, an approach that only comes second after the arcade-style animated chiptune soundtrack.
At a time when platformer is very common again and indie games with pixelated graphics are oversaturating the market, you may be overlooking this unique and challenging work by Astral Pixel. However, if you like games that make it difficult for you and you’re not afraid of dying a few times (well … many times), Super Magbot is an option to consider because of its simplicity of controls The game is peculiar mechanics and its fast pace make fun and want more.
