Developer: Mossmouth
Publisher: Self-Published
Platforms: Windows & Xbox 360
Release Date: December 21, 2008 (Win) & July 4, 2012 (XBLA)
Price: 1200 MSP (XBLA)
Where to get it: http://spelunkyworld.com/
You ever find a game you just can't get out of your head? A game so infectious that not only do you always want to play it, but you even think about it outside of playing it, like at dinner or in the car? Well, that game game for me, at least for the moment, is Spelunky. There's something magical about this game that I can't describe, but I guess I can give it a shot.
So, about three and a half years ago, Derek Yu made a freeware rougelike/platformer for PC inspired by games such as La-Mulana (recently remade for PC) and Spelunker. The basic idea is that you play as an adventurer in the vein of Indiana Jones who must explore a mysterious cave whose walls kept shifting. Each time you died (which is often), you'd find yourself in a new, randomly generated world. The game is very difficult, with it not being uncommon to die in the very first stage. Reaching each new level style became an achievement itself. However, it's difficulty was fair, where the difficulty ramped up with your growing skill level. Add in a unique visual style, great music, and endless replay value, and you had a hit on your hands, which is what it became.
However, it's hard to make money off a free game, so Mossmouth (Derek Yu's development company) remade the game from the ground up for Xbox Live Arcade. And when I say from the ground up, I mean it. Every single aspect of the original has been refined to perfection, from the music to the controls to the visuals. The game abandoned the retro-inspired visuals for some of the coolest and cutest artwork ever. It's hard to look at a single enemy or character in the game without smiling. The controls have also gotten an overhaul. The original didn't control perfect, but the XBLA version does. Never again will you blame anyone other than yourself for your death. The amount of precision of the control is astounding. The music of the original has also been scraped, as every track in the XBLA release is new. This trifecta of new has made the rerelease a near perfect game.
The new doesn't stop there, however. Also new to the game is a co-op mode and a deathmatch mode. The co-op is exactly what it sounds like. Up to four player can play together and try to make it though the caves of Olmec. Sometimes, your buddies can be a great help, and sometimes they will become the bane of your existence. An appropriate comparison would be New Super Mario Bros. Wii. Anyone who has played that game co-op know that friendships will either be strengthened or destroyed playing that game. The deathmatch mode is also a blast. What initially seems like a throwaway mode quickly becomes one of the most entertaining multiplayer games you've ever played. It's very Bomberman-esque, which is nothing but a good thing.
However, not everything is great about the XBLA release. The ability to mod the game has been sadly lost, but that's to be expected. Also missing is the level editor of the original. Another glaring flaw is the lack of online support. That's right, local-only. This may be a dealbreaker, but it isn't that big of a loss. This type of game is best enjoyed on the same couch anyway. In the end, these three flaws are only moderate strikes against it.
Spelunky is a game built entirely around discovery. The sheer thrill of the game is based around discovering new little things about it. You'll never feel better upon learning how to perfectly take out a shopkeeper or when you finally kick the Jungles ass and make it to the 3rd area. However, the greatest discovery of all is the game itself, because I doubt you'll find any game quite as entertaining and unique in a good little while for such a cheap price. At the very least, try the XBLA's demo or give the freeware release a spin. I mean, it won't kill ya. Well, the game will, but whatever.
