Game Boy-inspired games are a common sight these days. There always seems to be someone developing a game inspired by Zelda: Link’s Awakening or using its gorgeous pixel graphics to style their game. One thing that mostly surprises me when I sit down to play one of these is how they manage to spin new and exciting ideas into the limited space Game Boy games live in. The best ones always make me imagine what it would have been like if it had been released in the 90s.
Sometimes covering games throws out the most unexpected surprises, and this was true in this case as I received a random message from one of the developers introducing me to Raider Kid and the Ruby Chest, which is a Metroidvania-style dungeon crawler. It’s an out-and-out Game Boy game and one of the best I’ve played in a very long time, so I was so glad they decided to get in touch.
Raider Kid started out as a student project in 2012, with solo developer Pedro Câmara aiming for a simple outlook on the game so they could concentrate more on the level design. Speaking with Pedro on the development of the game, he mentioned the limitations he was working with in regard to his student work:
“I had to go for the simplest story and art style I could to focus on level design. So I went with pixel art, which I’m very comfortable with; Game Boy resolution, which forces you to be very intentional and minimalistic with room design; a 15×13 grid of rooms for a compact, restricted canvas; and an Indiana Jones-like “open the chest” story, which gave the game a simple enough objective that I wouldn’t have to spend too much time worldbuilding. But also with this silly, childlike perspective that doesn’t take itself seriously.”
With some friends joining the project in 2018 and some strong ambition, the game was ported over to Unity, where they continued to work on the game’s art, text, and music, basically remaking the game with additional bosses, NPCs, and backstory.
The game itself centres around Alex, a young kid on a holiday with his parents. During a trip to see some ruins Alex gets bored of the monotonous tour guide and decides to wander off to find his own excitement. Eventually falling down a very long hole, he ends up on a quest to not only find his way back to his parents before they realise he’s missing but also to find all the hidden parts to a key that will open the Ruby Chest.
This is all presented in a multitude of differently themed connected areas that may be gated off until you have found the right object or skill. Anyone familiar with the game’s inspirations will know exactly what to expect. A snorkel so you can swim in water and a pickaxe so you can wall jump. Not the most original designs, but they don’t need to be, as they are so much fun to use.
Exploration is also delightful. Pedro and the team have succeeded in capturing the essence of excellent level design throughout the game. Areas connect to each other smoothly, and there are a ton of secret areas and items to find all over the place, with some in plain sight, teasing you until you have the power to reach them.
Surprisingly the game brings quite the punch with its difficulty. I was slightly taken aback with the damage inflicted on enemies, especially bosses, so I did start to struggle in places. Thankfully, you can find ancient doughnuts, and every two you gather will increase your health. If you’re still struggling, the game has a very handy damage slider in the options, so you can decrease the hit points enemies give or, if you’re feeling brave (or silly), increase them for a harder challenge.
Another area the game hits well is with its humour. There were many times I was left chuckling thanks to the snappy, playful writing and humorous scenes that played out during the game. I want to give examples, but I also want you to experience them yourself, so I’ll refrain, but let’s just say that the humour always felt natural, never forced, and fed into the quest Alex was on and the tour group very nicely.
Raider Kid also holds one of the more unique secret-finding tools I’ve come across. About halfway through this two-hour game, you’ll pick up a dowsing crystal, which you move around the map, and wait for it to start rocking wildly when it hovers over an area that contains a secret or chest you may have missed. It made for a fun little mini-game, though it was a little trial and error sometimes trying to find exactly where the next secret could be.
Accompanying all this is some of the best chunky, colourful pixel graphics you could ask for. The visuals do a great job of theming each zone beautifully without overfilling the screen, and I did appreciate each character model holding enough personality for you to warm to, especially Alex in his Indiana Jones-style outfit. The chiptune soundtrack was also a wonderful accompaniment to the visuals and gameplay, with catchy tunes that strongly enhanced my experience.
What I do admire about the game is that it is always progressing, always encouraging you to explore and rewards you for it. It makes the most of its short length to leave a favourable impact on you and the inspirations it came from. It welcomes all ranges of abilities thanks to the thoughtful inclusion of its difficulty sliders, and if nothing else, the inclusion of a switchable Game Boy colour screen frame should really seal the deal.
Saying this, there is one area I can see people struggling with, and that is its save system. It stays a little too close to the Game Boy ways with only being able to save at certain points, and so if you die, you’re more likely to have to redo areas or expect a small run back during boss attempts. No autosave feature here, which, with the tight budget the team must be in, is no surprise, but it’s still worth bearing in mind before you purchase the game.
