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Battle Princess Madelyn review

From the moment I took a long look at the Kickstarter, Battle Princess Madelyn has piqued my interest. A 2D side-scroller, with plenty of nods to Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, we play as Madelyn as she unapologetically tramples her way to questing victory!

Everything about Battle Princess Madelyn is capitivatingly adorable, inside the game and outside it. Looking outside, Madelyn herself is based on the real life Creative Director Christopher Obritsch’s daughter: Madelyn, who accompanied with her (passed–RIP Fritzy) pup used to enjoy her dad playing the first level of Ghouls ‘n Ghosts. What better way to get your kid into the game, than actually PUT them in the game?

Watch the Battle Princess Madelyn launch date trailer below:

As I was a fan of the Kickstarter, I had played the demo several times looking forward to its release. In the demo, you were given a somewhat linear stage with a giant armoured skeleton at the end to defeat. Just a window into the game–the minute I started to play it over again in its finished state, I realised how very different it was from that first taste. Suddenly the world was expansive and hints of picking up side quests littered the villages you pass through. Even initially, you can tell the freedom to explore is very much there and only nudges you at your own pace.

If you’re not a Ghouls’n Ghosts type platformer aficionado, Battle Princess Madelyn is going to have a bit of a learning curve. Mostly in reflexes, Madelyn’s starting spear is enough to stop the majority of baddies in their tracks. You’ll also utilise your faithful resurrected sidekick, Fritzy, to solve puzzles and gain powers along the way to progress.

The levels are unique and well done, with my favourite part being the bosses that lurk around them. Usually massive in size, these towering giants bring back memories of defeating similarly impossible-looking monsters sitting in front of my Super Nintendo. The atmosphere and feeling captured really solidify the retro nature of Battle Princess Madelyn, and it is so well defined, that I’m not even sure you would be able to tell at a glance if it was released yesterday or thirty years ago!

View some Battle Princess Madelyn screenshots in our gallery:

It’s got a bit of a challenge to it, but fun and forgiving enough for anyone to have a go at it. Madelyn’s armour will explode off in one hit, revealing her PJs underneath (for an extra nod to Ghouls ‘n Ghosts), and you’ll get your fair share in resurrections once that’s gone. Checkpoints aren’t really embedded in frustration either, as the game will not start you out too far from where you’ve fallen.

I waited a long time for Battle Princess Madelyn, and I’m proud to say that Casual Bit Games has delivered beautifully. If you’ve always loved Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, but never have been able to get past its rock solid difficulty, this might be your time to shine! Aside from it being such a gracious mirror to the classic, Battle Princess Madelyn has plenty of twists and turns in the gameplay that will really keep you engrossed from start to finish!

Battle Princess Madelyn was reviewed using a digital code supplied by the publisher. The game is available to buy now on Steam, the Microsoft Store or the Nintendo eShop.

Publisher: Hound Picked Games Developer: Hound Picked Games Release date: December 6th, 2018 Reviewed on: PC/Steam Also Available On: Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch

Sara Boardman
Sara Boardman
By day, Sara is a video game fanatic, playing since her fingers could work a controller, keyboard and mouse. By night, she's a cartoonist who likes to draw silly pictures of her whippet, Phil.

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