Evaluate: Ruffy and the Riverside (Nintendo Change)

Ruffy and the Riverside is a 3D platformer for the Nintendo Change. For those who like your retro gaming set squarely within the polygonal occasions of the late ‘90s, then this throwback will probably be proper up your alley.

The sport follows the adventures of Ruffy, a bear on a quest to save lots of his homeland from a darkish entity generally known as Groll. Alongside the best way, he meets many assorted characters, all of whom are brimming with character. There’s plenty of dialogue to get by way of initially, however the arrange is promising as Ruffy begins his journey by way of varied lands to chase Groll down, and save the world.

Graphically, Ruffy and the Riverside sports activities a retro 3D look harking back to the Nintendo 64 period. It is a comparatively uncommon model for brand new video games, so followers may have an absolute area day. It efficiently thrusts the participant again into the glory days of the ‘90s visually, whereas offering a number of new methods to maintain it feeling contemporary.

Regardless of the blocky, 3D look of the sport, Ruffy himself is 2D. It’s just a little like Paper Mario discovered himself in Mario 64’s world. It really works nicely sufficient, with cute designs. There’s a deliberate throwback to the video games of yesteryear that you just’ll both love or hate. I discovered Ruffy’s fixed arising and down throughout character interactions just a little distracting, personally, however it’s all in good enjoyable, and the builders have executed an awesome job recreating that old-school vibe. 

As with all platformer value its weight in salt, Ruffy wants a gimmick to set gameplay other than each different hero. And Ruffy delivers, sporting a particular energy that permits him to repeat the feel of surrounding objects and use it to vary different areas. It’s a copy-and-paste mechanic, actually. For instance, a waterfall could be reworked into lengthy, inexperienced vines, making the cliffside accessible. Metallic may turn out to be wooden. You get the thought. It’s a inventive option to play that opens the trail for loads of puzzles and collectibles.

The characters are attention-grabbing in a scruffy sort of method, although the enemies are just a little on the underwhelming aspect of their design. There’s a slight efficiency situation, too, with some framerate drops and basic sluggishness in sure sections of the sport. That is current when enjoying on the Change 2, additionally. It’s not a deal-breaker, however it’s not optimized in addition to it may very well be.

General, Ruffy and the Riverside is a retro-inspired 3D romp filled with colour and creativity. Its enchantment is especially in its retro model, although the texture-swapping capability is a singular idea that provides an attention-grabbing aptitude. It’s not going to enchantment to everybody, however the respectable story and satisfying gameplay make up for the slight efficiency points.