Super Magbot is the first game by two brothers from Barcelona. Astral Pixel is the name of the company behind this odd platformer. They wanted to use their love for 16-bit era games as a basis to make Super Magbot. The style is spot on but the gameplay feels much more evolved in comparison to the Super Nintendo games I played.
Defend Magnetia
In Super Magbot the evil Magsteroid is attacking the planet of Magnetia. The special features of the planet seem to attract other species for nefarious reasons. It’s your job as Super Magbot to defend your planet and restore the powers of Magnetia. The planet evolves around magnetic powers and apparently, Super Magbot is the only one capable of using both polarities of magnets. These features make him the only possible salvation. The superpower allows Super Magbot to get around the challenging levels in ways never before experienced in a platformer. Apparently, Super Magbot has one flaw and that is lacking the ability to jump. Platformers tend to be heavily based on jumping mechanics but this one is quite different.
Instead of jumping, you’ll use the power of attraction and repulsion. Using two types of magnetic beams, both positive and negative, is the only way to get around. Each level features red and blue platforms representing magnets with a certain polarity. Red means positive while blue means negative polarity. Using the matching beam will pull magbot towards the magnet. Using the opposite beam will make you bounce away from the platform. This idea gets used throughout the game. It might sound simple on paper but once you need to perform a multitude of well-aimed beams in a row you’ll know this is not a game for the casual gamer. The small levels all look simple but getting from start to finish gets harder and harder with each new level. The game features about 100 levels and the difficultly seemed to ramp up quite fast. I’m looking forward to what the speedrunning community will do with this game.
Fast-paced aiming
The game requires fast-paced aiming to align every shot from your magnetic beam in the right place. When multiple magnets need to be combined the action becomes quite frantic. Aiming the beam at the right part of the magnet and making sure you use the right polarity went haywire more than once during my playthrough. The levels mostly consist of just one screen and dying means a quick reset making it all about mastering a level through trial and error. At times I found it hard to get the angles right with the use of the joysticks on my Nintendo Switch. This game is also available on PC. I can’t compare gameplay but I guess the use of the mouse or directional buttons might be a bit less harsh. Maybe it could also be a case of me just needing to “git gud”.
Plenty of challenges
As mentioned before, Super Magbot features about 100 levels. To get to the next level you need to get to the endpoint. For those seeking even more challenge, there are collectibles in the form of star fragments from Magnetia to collect. If you happen to fail over and over again like yours truly, an assistance mode can be found in the menus to make things a bit easier. Having checkpoints in the levels was the main one I used. Beyond the “getting from start to finish” levels there are also some boss battles to really test what you’ve learned. The game introduces new elements from time to time to keep things interesting. With four different worlds to traverse, you’ll have plenty of challenges to conquer.
Conclusion
Super Magbot delivers an original take on the platformer genre. The game is catered to those who seek a challenge and might alienate anyone with a more casual approach to their gaming. The assistance mode can be a big help for those less nimble-fingered.
