[Review] Tiny Barbarian DX

Being 31, I’ve been playing video games since I had basic motor control. I remember the days of NES and SNES. I played to absolute crap out of games on those systems. While it’s nice to see how games have evolved with graphics that feel incredibly life-like…it has been refreshing to be taken back to my roots. Tiny Barbarian DX is definitely a game made for retro fans everywhere.

I have noticed a trend as of recent years; Retro games are making a comeback…and I’m not even mad. No, I’m more excited than anything. Tiny Barbarian DX is so incredibly reminiscent of the great 90’s games that us old folk got to enjoy; side scrolling, pixel graphic, MIDI music goodness. It brings about a great feeling of nostalgia and makes me want to dust off the ol’ NES.

What I have found incredible, though, is that this game was created by 2 people. This gives credit to the fact that you don’t have to be a gaming giant like Nintendo or Sega to develop great games. (In fact, we recently reviewed Yono and the Celestial Elephants which was created by a single person!)

The more I played through this challenging game, the more I became pleased with how simple and easily the controls responded to my touch. From a simple jump or sword slash, to some pretty cool battle combo’s, I never got frustrated with falling off cliffs when I totally pressed jump (Mario used to kill me with this!). To add a humorous aspect to the game, you can flex your muscles in a macho fashion to counter enemy attacks; the hilarity is always appreciated in a game.

The colors are brilliant and definitely give a true retro aesthetic for the game play, which is definitely something I was looking forward to. If you’re going to be a retro game, make me feel like I am sitting in front of my analog TV with my NES in hand. I was not let down!

Tiny Barbarian DX presents a great challenge on every screen and every level; from snakes, gorillas, eagles and even mummies trying to kill you on every turn (and watch out for those spikes!), to a challenging landscape…which will make you both frustrated (in a great retro-gaming kind of way) but will also keep you coming back. It’s refreshing to play a game that doesn’t feel like my 3 year old could beat it with his eyes closed.

As you progress through Tiny Barbarian DX, you will feel your blood pressure and heart rate increase as you ride different creatures and battle increasingly more difficult bosses. It is definitely not a monotonous or boring game. I found myself, once again, unable to put this gem down.