A Robot Named Fight!
Nintendo Switch

Reviewed by Brett

Publisher – Hitcents
Developer – Matt Bitner Games
Music – Matt Bitner
Category – Action, Adventure, Platformer, Metroidvania
Release Date – April 26, 2018

Do you have enough fight to beat the meat?

A Robot Named Fight! is one of best games never released on Super Nintendo.

It has just recently come out but would be right at home on snes and is up there with the greats.

Not only is does it utilize all of the things that make a great Metroidvania but also adds some modern additions that make it a fantastic experience.

One game that it quite obviously takes inspiration from is Super Metroid. This is no shock as it is one of Matt’s favorite games, as well as one of a great many peoples favorite games.

It also takes cues from series like Castlevania ( hence Metroidvania for those unfamiliar) and more modern games like Binding of Issac and Spelunky.

Story

Millennia of peace have passed since the mechanical gods ascended, leaving the lower order robots to cultivate the world. Something forgotten and terrible stirs amidst the stars, the MegaBeast. A pulsating, moon sized orb of flesh and countless eyes, mouths and reproductive organs, penetrates the stratosphere and spills its children into the world. It is up to you, a lone robot, t fight this unstoppable plague of meat.

You must delve beneath the earth to retrieve the lost artifacts of wartime so that you may become fight enough to face the MegaBeast. Should you fail, your carcass will be added to the mountains of metal already scraping the sky.

Gameplay

A Robot Named Fight! controls much like a classic action game. There are not a ton of actions, you basically jump and shoot your way through hordes of meat monstrosities. Controls however are super tight and any mistakes or damage taken are solely your own fault. You fight your way through procedurally generated levels on each playthrough, of which you will have many. On each new run you start with nothing but your basic blaster, but as you progress you can unlock many upgrades to your arsenal. Some weapon upgrades like the electric and explosive shot are used to unlock new areas like a traditional Metroidvania. Other items and enhancements can be gained from friendly robots in exchange for metal scraps and relics. Scraps will drop from enemies and relics can be found hidden in the walls, which are marked on the map and enhancements can be something super cool like a floating orb that mimics your shots.

There are also robot deities of sorts that can be sought out and if you give them the right amount of scraps and relics they will bestow upon you a gift in the form of some kind of add on or enhancement. How many you need to give them is unclear so your really gambling on what you try to give to them. If they are not pleased with your offering they take what you gave them anyway and you receive nothing, i once lost 50 scraps and 3 relics, so proceed with caution. I found it better to get things from the friendly robots as you know what your going to get but the rewards can be great. You can also unlock new items by completing achievements, these can be found or bought and used in your future playthroughs. For example in my last run i collected and was carrying fifty scrapes for which i unlocked hover boots to used in the future, i have not got a chance to use them yet but i cant wait to because they seem super useful.

A Robot Named Fight! is tough. Really Tough.

I have yet to finish the game but have spent around 30 hrs on it. My longest playthrough so far is an hour and a half, with an average of thirty minutes per playthrough. As hard as it is, it is a fair game. Many of the instances where i died it was my own stupid fault for falling into a spike pit with a poorly timed jump or taking on a room full of enemies head on. Simply navigating the map can be the end of you. You can die in a couple of seconds if your foolhardy, success it seems comes to those who are patient. For as quick as you can die you can also get your health back rather fast. each rooms enemies respawn after you leave, this is both a blessing and a curse as enemies drop health refills and scraps for bartering, of course you also have to endlessly fight rooms full of enemies. Then of course there are boss rooms that have a giant creature that can almost fill an entire room by itself. You will also die a lot on these. Once small relief you get comes in the form of a save room, except its a one time use restoration chamber, meaning that if you die you get brought back to that room with everything you have done still intact. However once you have used it, it breaks rendering it useless. You can find a handful of these scattered around the map. Use the wisely.

The map is split into different sections, each seemingly harder then the one you were in before it. Its possible to get multiple weapon unlocks and therefore go into harder areas first. There is a deep underground area that is almost perpetually pitch black and is lit up by weapon shots and any other light source that may be around. This area gets me every time. Its super difficult but as I said patience is important and I am determined to beat the meat.

Presentation

A Robot Named Fight! really does look like a beautiful snes game. Character and level designs are vivid with a great color palette and they are wonderful to look at, if you like looking at hideous meat monster, which i do, and with over 70 enemy designs and a proposed four billion unique runs, there is plenty to take in. Map presentation is clear to read and displays very well. The soundtrack is also absolutely fantastic, filled with rich bleeps and bloops that i simply cant get enough of. Get me a copy of this on vinyl immediately please!

Verdict

A Robot Named Fight! is a retro inspired masterpiece that deserves to be held in high esteem and remembered like the greats that inspired it. If you even have the slightest passing interest in Metroidvanias, action platformers or any of the games that inspired this one, buy it immediately.