PixlBit

Lately I’ve been working on reviewing a lot of downloadable indie Wii U games lately.  I’ve got four on my list right now, with a good possibility of more to come later.  The Wii U has been doing a pretty good job of having a sizable list of indie games in their eShop roster lately.  They’ve been a godsend since it’s getting harder and harder to review mainstream titles recently.  And it got me to thinking about my favorite indie video game characters.  So here’s a blog about that.  Enjoy! 

5. The Maw

I know that Twisted Pixel isn’t really considered an indie company anymore, since they were bought by Microsoft.  But when they made The Maw, they were still an indie company.  In fact, The Maw won an indie award at PAX the first year it was shown.  Speaking of Twisted Pixel, are they even still around anymore?  I haven’t gotten a press release from them in over a year, my press contact email there bounced back like they don’t work there anymore, and they didn’t even have a booth at PAX Prime last year.  It makes me wonder if Microsoft dissolved them or something.  That would be a shame, since I liked every game Twisted Pixel made and I thought it was neat that they were based in Austin, TX, where I went to college.

Anyway, The Maw is a 3-D platformer that is like a combination of Banjo-Kazooie and Katamari Damacy.  You play as a little boy alien who is captured by bad guys.  On the ship you befriend another prisoner, a little one-eyed purple blob.  Together, you escape the alien ship and crash on an unknown planet and must escape guards to find your way home.  The little boy alien leads the purple critter named Maw around on an electric leash, or he can call him if The Maw strays too far.  The Maw can eat creatures to grow bigger, like the ball in Katamari Damacy, and some enemies can give him special abilities when eaten, like Kirby.  The game doesn’t have the best graphics in the world, as it looks like an early Dreamcast or PS2 game.  But it’s still lots of fun.  If you can still download it on the 360, I’d recommend it since there aren’t very many colorful kid-friendly (you can’t really die in the game) 3-D platformers anymore.  Twisted Pixel had so many great characters; you could make a whole kart racing game with them all!

4. Pip

Pip is a single red pixel and stars in the recent downloadable Wii U, PC, and iOS game Adventures of Pip.  Hm, a single red pixel, huh?  I wonder if he’s the red pixel from the Twisted Pixel logo?  If they really did go under, I guess he had to find other work!  Ha ha!  Anyway, Pip’s game is a 2-D platformer, and when you defeat certain enemies, Pip can change into 8 and 16-bit versions of himself, each with different skills and abilities.  The game was made by ex-WayForward employees, and while it’s not “this year’s Shovel Knight” like I thought it would be, it is still fun game with very solid play control.  I also really enjoyed following this game with the developers via meetings for nearly two years at PAX conventions.  It reminded me of the days I used to do that at The Dallas Morning News with bigger games, like Pac-Man World.

3. Commander Video

Commander Video stars in the Bit.Trip series of games.  Sometimes he’s just a single bar, but sometimes they give him more character (like arms and legs) depending on the game.  The Bit.Trip games represent the best in retro styled gameplay and visuals paired with a thumping music style rhythm challenge.  They’re also pretty hard, but still fun.  I’ve been fortunate enough to review most of the games.  You can also buy a collection of these games on the Wii and DS.  In a way, Commander Video kind of represents modern indie games, and he even got his own guest trophy in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U!

2. Shovel Knight

Shovel Knight is just a really good game!  Some reviewers even named it their Game of the Year in 2014.  While I wouldn’t go that far, I will say it is one of the best retro themed indie games out there.  With a mix of Mega Man, Castlevania, and DuckTales gameplay, the developers just really hit the mark, and pairing a knight with a shovel makes for some fun ideas.  And boy is the music REALLY good!  I liked it so much I bought the CD soundtrack! 

Shovel Knight has even made appearances in other games, like the indie Wii U title Armillo.  He’ll also appear in the upcoming Wii U obstacle course game Runbow, along with a bunch of other indie game characters like Commander Video and the two main good guys from Guacamelee.  Speaking of which, while the characters from Guacamelee didn’t make my list, the game is very good.  I do like the player two character in the special edition version of the game, as she’s a female fighter named Tostada.

Honorable Mention: Jazz Jackrabbit

Before we get to my number one favorite indie game character, I wanted to give a shoutout to a forgotten game hero from the past.  Back before we had indie games, there was something called Shareware.  What is shareware, you ask?  Well, back in the late 80’s and early 90’s, when PC game shelves had to compete with the rising popularity of consoles, it became harder and harder for PC game developers to get their games out there.  The Internet wasn’t as widely used as it is now, so what they would do is give out free demos of their games on a disk.  If you liked them, you could order them directly by phone (the games usually had a phone number you could call), or you can purchase them from a shareware catalog.  I played many a video pinball and Arkanoid/Breakout clone via shareware back in the day, and I think that’s how Wolfenstein got started, too (speaking of which, did you know that Commander Keen, another Shareware hero, is the descendant of the good guy from Wolfenstein?

But I think my favorite shareware game and character was Jazz Jackrabbit.  Definitely a product of the 90’s, Jazz was a green intergalactic rabbit hero not named Bucky O’Hare.  His first game was like a cross between Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog.  While I don’t think the game has aged very well, I still have fond memories of playing it.  Jazz Jackrabbit 2 got a physical release in stores, and played more like Sonic the Hedgehog mixed with Earthworm Jim.  That one featured two playable characters (Jazz and his brother Spaz), and a level editor!  There was a 3-D Jazz game planned, but never released.  There is also a little known Jazz Jackrabbit 3 game on the GBA that plays like a mix of Earthworm Jim and the SNES Duck Dodgers game, but it’s not near as good as the other ones.  I wouldn’t mind a downloadable collection of the Jazz Jackrabbit games, how about you?

OK now we’ll get to my number one favorite indie game character…

1. Shantae

I know the Shantae games are made by WayForward, who isn’t really considered an indie company now.  BUT, the newest Shantae game, Half-Genie Hero, got its start via a kickstarter.  And any game that needs a kickstarter is an indie game in my book (except for Shenmue 3, that’s just bonkers).  Plus it’s my blog and I can do what I want.  Shantae games are a good example of the kinds of games I really like to play, and the main character is cute and fun and stuff.  I’ve been a fan of the games since the first one on the Game Boy Color (yes I do still have my original cartridge and yes I do know how much it’s worth).  These 2-D platformers have a “Metroidvania” style to them, and they play a lot like the Monster World titles.  In fact, don’t believe what the developers say about not ever playing Monster World 4 before making Shantae, the games are just too similar for me to buy that.  At any rate, you can play most of the titles by downloading them now, so I’d recommend trying them.  I can’t wait for the next Shantae game in the series: Half-Genie Hero!

Conclusions

And that’s all for now!  In the comments section, let me know what you think of my list, and tell me who YOUR favorite indie game characters are!  I have a feeling I may be adding more to the list later on, like the cast of Freedom Planet or Yooka-Laylee.  Later!  --Cary