Moons of Darsalon is a kind of uncommon platformers that immediately captivated me. Whether or not they be extra about puzzle fixing, adventuring, or arcade motion, platformers are likely to contain a gradual construct into what they’re about. Moons of Darsalon begins with its foot on the gasoline and doesn’t let up.
The premise is that groups of darsanauts (thus named as a result of they’re exploring the moons of the planet Darsalon, one assumes; as if we’d have moonstranauts or marstranauts) have develop into misplaced of their missions. As is the best way, you’re a lone Buck Rogers-esque pilot despatched out to rescue all of them. This entails touchdown in harsh environments, finding all the lacking darsanauts, and main them to the protection of their bunkers.
The issue is that the darsanauts are fairly silly. They will’t discover the most effective route from level A to level B with out express directions. They don’t acknowledge hazard. They’re afraid of the darkish and gained’t transfer when the lights exit. As such, you’ll want to steer with express directions, conserving them protected all of the whereas.
At first, this isn’t too laborious. Darsanauts are simple to seek out as you discover a moon’s floor, and so they’ll typically tag alongside behind you till one thing (darkness, a chasm, your instructions) makes them cease. When that occurs, you’ll want to determine the right way to allow them to progress. If it’s darkness, shine your flashlight. If it’s a chasm, push a field or rock for them to leap all the way down to. If it’s your command, that’s possible since you made them cease at a selected level to set off an environmental puzzle mechanism or to maintain them out of hurt’s method whilst you blast an enemy.
Instructions are simply assigned through the D-pad to each darsanaut in vary: comply with, keep, transfer left, transfer proper. The issue (which is critical, in fact, in an effort to have a recreation) is that they’ll maintain following that command even when frequent sense says in any other case. Welcome to our AI future, youngsters.
So, whilst you’re trying to destroy the enemies, open paths, and clear up the puzzles that lie earlier than you, any variety of darsanauts behind you want fixed babysitting in an effort to keep alive. The gameplay is hectic, it’s nerve-wracking, and it’s tons of enjoyable.
It’s additionally fairly laborious, relying upon your objectives. I used to be capable of nearly all the time push by way of a degree on the primary attempt, even late within the recreation. Doing so whereas finishing the bonus goals is one other story. Retaining all the darsanauts alive? Troublesome. Taking completely no injury? Even more durable. Finishing the extent inside the designated time restrict? Nicely nigh not possible. And whenever you begin to unlock jetpacks and moonbuggies, issues go fully off the rails.
Fortunately, until you or all the darsanauts die, you’re not punished for any of your failings. So, you’re free to take on a regular basis you need to determine issues out or simply drive/fly round these bonkers moons.
And sure, they’re bonkers. The extent designs in Moons of Darsalon are visually fascinating and conceptually intelligent, making every a surprise to discover even when the motion doesn’t actually provide you with an opportunity to soak up all of it. The graphics are retro, certain, however they’re additionally fairly dense and full of life, and might be altered to attain the antiquated show of your selecting.
This denseness does, sadly, create a platforming drawback. Ledges and partitions are sometimes laborious to discern, making timed jumps and grabs troublesome to tug off. The controls are additionally a bit gradual and unwieldy (seemingly purposefully based mostly on the sport’s meta jokes about improvement choices). For essentially the most half, this isn’t an issue. However whenever you’re wrestling with enemies, darsanauts, and confined environments at one time, you don’t need to even be wrestling together with your Pleasure-Con.
Additionally the dense however pixelated graphics typically making it laborious to discern the gameplay objects from the background when enjoying in handheld mode. Stage completion is loads simpler on the large display of your TV.
However these are my solely complaints. All the pieces else in Moons of Darsalon works to close perfection. It’s constantly enjoyable and continuously humorous. The retro strategy is completely executed each visually and aurally. And have I discussed the music but? The eShop will let you know it’s “based mostly on MOS 6581 (SID) chip from 1982.” I don’t know what that’s, however that gained’t cease me from arguing, “You haven’t heard Ravel’s Bolero till you’ve heard it based mostly on MOS 6581 (SID) chip from 1982,” on the subsequent Cleveland Orchestra fundraiser*. Additionally, 8-bit speech synthesis hasn’t sounded this good for the reason that Intellivoice final instructed me, “That was oooooon taaaargit.”
So, yeah, I vastly loved Moons of Darsalon, as would any puzzle/platform fan with a humorousness and penchant for retro design and gameplay. It helps in case you’re additionally a sci-fi buff, as there’s loads in right here to spark nostalgia. The sport might be irritating at occasions, and that may possible stop me from ever attempting to 100% the goals. However the first time by way of was a blast, and it’s nearly as a lot enjoyable to observe others attempt it for the primary time. Moons of Darsalon is my first nice Change recreation of 2025.
* Full disclosure – I’ve by no means been to a Cleveland Orchestra fundraiser.
