That was soooo fun!!
Took me a few tries on the first level, really nailed that NES difficulty on the first level! But tbh i didn't realize I had the magic burst ability until after I died a few times. Really interesting mechanic! It's not your typical full-screen bomb so you have to be really strategic with your timing. I really liked using it once I learned how!
After my first few Continues, I really focused in and was able to beat the game in one life. Dragon boss seemed to have a lot less health than the others. The final boss was tough!!! I was down to 2 heart and ran out of magic, and had to be super careful, that was really intense!!
This game totally nails the NES feel, and the MUSIC WAS INSANELY GOOD. Especially 1-1 was my favorite, but I loved how the vibe changed to fit each level's environment. Really great artwork and clever design choices that utilized palette and sprite swaps to create more content. I think that actually enhanced the NES feel, where asset size limitations would force the designers to leverage artwork into multiple uses if possible.
Only critiques I have are that a few things were a little hard to see. The hearts and magic drops would blend in a bit with the background, and same with the enemies in level 3, particularly the final boss. I would have liked a tiny bit more contrast to the butterfly enemies as well. Although... to be honest this kind of enhanced the NES feel too haha. I also loved the dialogue writing!
VERY GOOD JOB, this is the first game I've reviewed so it definitely sets the bar high! Great title thumbnail as well - it drew me right in. Fun patterns, difficult and satisfying, charming graphics, amazing music tracks. Amazing rendition of an NES bullet hell.
