Game: Halloween Forever
Genre: Action, Platformer
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Steam, PS4 & PS Vita)
Developer|Publisher: Imaginary Monsters | Vitei Backroom
Age Rating: EU 7+ | US Everyone
Price: US $9.99 | UK £7.99 | EU €9,99
Release Date: February 12th, 2021
Review code provided with many thanks to Vitei
Retro Horror
Halloween Forever is a simple 8-bit platformer with a distinctive horror flavour to it. You play as a little pumpkin man on a quest to stop the evil sorcerer who has plunged the land into an endless night of Halloween. It looks and feels like a game from the old retro days, particularly the NES. The game takes no time at all to jump into the action. You start the game at the main menu and jump straight into the first level, there’s no wasting time with a long story and it keeps things very simple. In fact, the only time you see a cutscene is when you finish the game or get a game over.
Save the Land From the Horrors of Halloween
The gameplay is one of a simple retro platformer. Your goal is to reach the end of each of the five-game worlds. You have five health points allowing you to make some errors as you traverse the levels. These can be replenished by collecting hearts that are dropped by defeating enemies. Each world contains two platform sections filled with various Halloween themed baddies; like chainsaw-wielding maniacs, bats and… frogs? Well, there is a nice variety, as well as plenty of spike pits to avoid which can, unfortunately, end you in one hit. The levels are large and there are multiple paths through each, giving you plenty of incentive to replay the game to find all the secrets. At the end of each of the platform sections is a big boss battle which often requires some simple pattern recognition to conquer.
Retro Challenge
To add to the challenge Halloween Forever gives you only two lives to start with to complete the five world experience. Each level does have a few checkpoints but this is a game you’re going to be starting from the beginning quite a bit until you master it. Just like the old days, you will need to learn from your mistakes to travel a little bit further. It’s not impossible or overly frustrating but it won’t suit everyone. The developers have included some accessibility options if you really struggle, including a 99 life mode which is more than enough to help you finish the game or if you just want to learn the route and the level layouts. It’s odd that you can’t just choose the number of lives as 99 feels a bit like overkill for an easy mode.
Shoot Candy Corn
The controls are simple, tight and responsive. Pumpkin man can jump and double jump, the latter being particularly helpful if you’re taking those risky leaps of faith. The only niggle I had here was that getting off ladders felt a bit odd but this is a mild nitpick. The stand out move is the ability to shoot candy corn from your mouth which is used to take down enemies and bosses. There is no limit to your use of this move so you can just mash away at the attack button to use it. It’s as silly as it sounds but I couldn’t help but be on board with it. The game also runs well in both handheld and TV modes.
8-Bit Graphics
The graphics are 8-bit, despite the game being based on the Halloween theme, there is a nice variety of levels, environments and bosses to encounter. The graphics have a light-hearted feel to them making this a title suitable for all audiences. The only gore I seemed to encounter was pixelated blood splatter and a severed head on one of the bosses, but this seems played for laughs. The world of Halloween feels silly but fun.
The soundtrack was a bit of a mixed bag for me. It of course goes for a distinct retro NES feel, but a lot of the score felt grindy on the ears and not particularly memorable or enjoyable. The sound effects of jumping and shooting your candy corn were well suited to the retro feel adding to the light-hearted feel of the game.
Short and Sweet
Five worlds do make Halloween Forever a very short game but I have to say this design is very refreshing in this day and age in gaming. I was absolutely left wanting more but the game does add some extra incentive to replay. There are multiple characters to unlock (such as pumpkin Santa) each of which plays differently, therefore running through the levels again feels slightly different. Additionally, there are ‘runes’ to collect which unlock a secret ending. I see Halloween Forever being a game I will pick up when I just want something quick to play or when I fancy something with a retro feel.
Not Just for Halloween
Halloween Forever is a retro treat on Switch. It reminds me of the days when developers came up with wacky but original ideas and somehow made them work on the hardware. But while Halloween Forever has the originality and retro charm it also brings retro warts; like one-hit kill spikes and sending you back to the start of the game when your two lives are spent.
If you love your retro titles this one comes highly recommended. Halloween Forever is a game that can be enjoyed all year round and not just for Halloween.
Final Verdict: I Like it a lot
