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NYAN-TECH (Xbox LIVE Indie Games)
I love platformers. I love them A LOT. Whether you’re talking about Super Mario Bros., Braid or Super Meat Boy, I’ve always loved the simple challenge of jumping from one platform to another one. This is why NYAN-TECH grabbed my attention right away when I navigated through the Xbox LIVE Indie Games channel.
Like a said, NYAN-TECH is quite a simple platformer at its core: you must jump from one platform to another, grab a key and go through a door to proceed to the next level. Where things get interesting though is that some levels’ structures are associated with buttons of your controller. Pressing the assigned button will either make the platform appear or vanish. The first levels keep things simple but the latter levels will definitely put your skills to the test as you have to press multiple buttons simultaneously while using the left thumbstick and jumping.
Also, you will have to take the Time meter into consideration. This meter isn’t your regular time meter though: the number on it will only deplete when you are moving. For most of the game’s levels, this Time meter won’t be a big concern since you are given more than enough Time. However, some levels will make things complicated and even frustrating. Luckily, the game has just enough challenge for regular gamers while not being too hard for casual players.
NYAN-TECH’s visuals won’t necessarily blow you away. The game resembles many 8-bit era games, which fits with the simple gameplay it has. As for the audio side of things, the music isn’t mind-blowing either, but it supports the game really well by offering you a puzzle game type of music.
Overall, NYAN-TECH provides some good challenges and brings something fresh to the old platforming formula. While the game is a little short, its price tag should be low enough for any player to afford it (80 Microsoft points/1$). If you’re looking for an original experience, don’t hesitate adding NYAN-TECH to your download queue; you will appreciate every minute of it.
NYAN-TECH is available on the Xbox LIVE Indies Games channel for the Xbox 360 for 80 Microsoft Points (1$).
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Positives:
- The gameplay is simple yet original
- Challenges are hard enough for regular gamers and not too hard for casual gamers
- The low price of the game (80 Microsoft Points)
Negatives:
- The time limit can make some hard levels frustrating
- Not enough levels
Gameplay: 9
Visuals: 8
Audio: 8
Lasting appeal: 4
Innovation: 8
Final Score: 8
Game experience at time of redaction: Game cleared without on all difficulties.
Redacted on: February 24th 2011
Uploaded on: February 24th 2011