Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com

Radio Squid Review (Nintendo Switch)

Game: Radio Squid
Genre: Action, Music, Rhythm
System: Nintendo Switch (also on Xbox One, PS4, and Steam)
Developers|Publishers: Pixelsteriyaki| Ratalakia Games
Price: AUD $6.39|USD $4.99| CAD $5.03|EU € 3,99|UK £3.99
Age Rating: EU 3+|US Everyone
Release date: 19th June 2020

Review code used, with many thanks to Ratalaika Games.

Getting Off On the Wrong Tentacle

Despite its name and Nintendo genre category, the retro visuals inspired Radio Squid doesn’t feel like a rhythm game. Nor does the Squid sing, announce, or play tunes either. However, Radio Squid does sport a lovely chiptune soundtrack one can jam to in the Sound Test. Another neato option is adjusting all of the in-game’s color palette option (mine has purple because I love purple).

From the get-go, Radio Squid pulls the player in with a mixture of humor and charm at the beginning. However, this doesn’t flow through the remainder of the game’s minimalist approach to storytelling. Such a shame really.

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com
Ooh, pretty colors.

A Kraken in the Gameplay

First off, strangely Radio Squid reminds me of my gaming sessions with Bomberman Hero for the Nintendo 64. I’ve never played another title in the franchise. Bomberman throws, drop, or kicks bombs at enemies that explode on contact. As the player progresses, Bomberman can amplify the number of his bombs and the explosion radius. So, if the player accidentally tosses one against a wall or lobs too many bombs consecutively with Bomberman close by, the explosions will not only damage nearby enemies but himself as well. It is quite vexing to lose a life or a boss battle due to this happening.

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com

Likewise, in Radio Squid, dodging projectiles that the Squid predominantly mostly fires a la the Siren’s song curse, along with a variety of aquatic enemies, is pretty much the same. I saw no discernible differences between playing Radio Squid in handheld, tabletop, or TV modes. The game’s underwater setting means the Squid launches projectiles in four directions: up, down, left, and right. Projectiles bounce off walls, coral reef, and certain enemies (bosses all have a reflect move). Dependent on that specific area’s design, projectiles wrap-around in that direction the Squid fired then harmfully boomerang back.

Get used to this: the majority of your failures will occur in this very fashion. Being hit by one projectile and not reacting in time to protect the Squid from more incoming woe is the worst though. Perhaps the player just loses composure and flounders about prior to ramming into an enemy on a wall that’s shooting at the Squid instead. Considering the Squid’s health is eight hits in total makes losing almost half pretty devastating.

Bomberman usually can locate a suit that gives him fire immunity. The Squid is lucky if a Bubble Barrier ever appears. Health regeneration stuff is equally as rare. Plus it barely heals.

Slippery Controls

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com
Musical Notes, the catalyst of aggravation.

Radio Squid has four different selectable control schemes that are fresh take on a the classic twin-stick shooter set-up. Guided Shot 2 uses the gamepad’s or Pro Controller’s sticks for attacking and movement. Bi-Directional shoots projectiles both left with right or up with down simultaneously. Wild Shot randomly fires projectiles either up, down, left, or right making avoiding them plus taking out enemies exceedingly more difficult. Guided Shot, my default that took hours of adjustments, lets the Squid pick one direction to fire via a stick or A, B, X, and Y Buttons. Oddly, the Squid pauses for moments before firing again which is not remotely ideal for the end of the world’s boss battles. All of the firing directions, except for Wild Shot, can be switched on the fly.

To combat all of the Squid’s projectiles and those enemies onscreen, there is a counter. Kinda. Use the Squid’s Bombs: they demolish coral reefs and transform projectiles into Coins. It works against Bosses too, but your starting usage number is 5. Musical Notes replenish 1 per touch.

Currency As Lives Conundrum

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com
Absolutely. Agonizing.

Coins serves as the game’s currency and lives system. Holding onto 50 Coins that enemies drop and opening sunken treasure chests allows the Squid access to upgrades ranging from the earlier mentioned Bubble Barrier to a maybe permanent health damage boost combo. I have no clue what most of them do because I’ve never successfully finished a stage with 50 Coins or more.

For example, say the Squid possesses 50 Coins. Until boxing lobster boss wallops him. The cost of a revival is a steep 34 Coins. To further put this into an exasperating perspective, each reached Save Point rewards the player with 20 Coins. On occasion an enemy drops a jewel/diamond worth 10 Coins whilst the rest value at 1 Coin each.

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com
A Bubble Barrier at a boss with a huge amount of Coins? Never a situation I was in.

Additionally, one time I had 100 Coins throughout the rooms. The mysteries of the 50 Coins Upgrades were within my grasp! Alas right before the boss the worst outcome happened.

I died.

That death by my projectiles ricocheting off of the boss stripped away 64 Coins. Out of my accrued 100. That’s a bit ridiculous.

In another instance I wish I could have utilized a non-existent save state option on, I got to the Clam boss with what I exactly needed. With victory ensured my Squid suddenly perished…At the same time as the boss did. This untimely demise forced me to relinquish the majority of my Coins to continue robbing me of a chance to become enhanced in the process.

Glaring at the Squid Lost screen and not giving a glance to the upgrades I couldn’t obtain yet again, I saved my game. Took a deep breath. Then played Cuphead to cool off.

Radio Squid LadiesGamers.com
Always there. *Sighs* Not within reach.

Furthermore, I’ve played and restarted the first area three times now. Through multiple Nintendo Switch accounts. Players can’t go back to previous levels otherwise courtesy of one save file per account. I wanted to see if completing 1-4 with 50 Coins early in would make a tremendous difference or not. I’ve still not yet accomplished this.

Dive In or Stay Ashore?

Watching online playthroughs made me realize that other players were equivalently struggling. Admittedly, this made me feel a little less bad about my own failings. Seeing those players reinforced the two cores issues I have with Radio Squid. Coins as currency and lives combined with unforgiving gameplay that harshly penalizes the player for failing and lacking swiftier reflexes don’t form an experience worth investing in.

All in all, I don’t think Radio Squid is truly an adorable lost cephalopod. There’s evident potential for fun here. Albeit with some significant tweaks to how the game plays and is overall constructed. If Radio Squid altered the item drop rate, made Upgrades available more often, and didn’t punish the player ludicrously severely for dying, this game could be something special.

Final Verdict: I don’t like it

 

 

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