Gross. Slime-san is a game about a piece of slime.
Scheduled for release on April 7th through Steam, Fabraz and Headup Games are teaming up together to bring this gooey mess of fun titled Slime-san, a platformer in the same vein as Super Meat Boy and VVVVVV.
Luckily for those without a strong computer, Slime-san ran perfect on a low budget “bargain bin” Lenovo Flex 3-1130. The game is available for Windows, Mac OS and Linux. Also, a third-party Xbox 360 controller was used.
If lacking an external controller, go out and buy one, because this slimy game can get difficult. Using a conventional analog stick or directional pad and regular buttons will help give the player a chance.
Gamers familiar with Super Meat Boy and VVVVVV will understand the frustration (and fun) a game like this presents. Slime-san is a platformer with puzzle elements. The player must find the correct path to exit, but it will not be as easy as jumping on platforms and moving across the screen. Rather, there are obstacles and other tricky jumps the slime must encounter. To help, the slime has abilities such as morphing, sliding and dashing.
Morphing is also useful because the game goes at a slower, less chaotic pace. So use it often.
Going at a slower pace helps the player avoid unexpected deaths. In contrast, the pace is rapid without the morph speed. It is hard not to panic at the fast pace and mess up over and over again.
A red bar on the top left of the screen acts as a timer. When it runs out, lava comes and eventually takes over the entire playing area. So, the player must not only think critically, he or she needs to think FAST too.
Players especially need to stay on their toes for the boss fights. The first one is a challenge and took at least 20 tries to defeat. Yet, it felt very satisfying to finish the … snake (I assume) off once it actually happened.
Completing each level in general feels satisfying because of the progressively difficult gameplay.
The soundtrack helps the game stay fun as well. Those who played the previously two mentioned games (Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV) will see how Super-san fits right in. The initial theme for the first few levels is extremely catchy and in 8-bit style. Also, the outer walls of the screen almost look like they beat along with the song.
Good music is almost like an offset to the game’s challenging nature. Without the high quality music, the levels would not seem as interesting to go through. Perhaps, the game would then become just infuriating with no balance. If Slime-san shows up on iTunes, it belongs as a suggestion to anyone who bought the Scott Pilgrim 8-bit soundtracks.
As for the graphics, Fabraz hit the retro look that works in this kind of game. Blue and white are the dominant background colors. The slime is green of course, but he looks fine against the blue and white. Red obstacles are not hard to see either. One of the loading screens stated Slime-san uses “five colors,” but if so, the strategy works.
How about extra features? The game offers a few additional goodies, including an online leaderboard.
After defeating Slime-san, this mode should lengthen the replayability.
Additionally, players can explore the house and meet the slime’s familiy members. One of them happens to be named Eldest-san and talks in casual language, as seen in the below screenshot.
Nothing too interesting happens in the house, but exploring the place is not an unwelcome feature either.
Bottom line: Fabraz made an excellent retro puzzle platformer in Slime-san, and those who love this specific style and 8-bit look will eat up the game next month. If pressed to give an official score, it deserves a 9/10.
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