Game Review #448: Electronic Super Joy (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewer: Allan Jenks
Developer: Michael Todd Games
Publisher: Hard Copy Games
Category: Action, 2-D Platformer
Release Date: 11.28.2019
Price: $15.00
Buy Electronic Super Joy from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
Hold On to Your Butts!
I’ve mentioned before that I am a sort of video game masochist. I have no idea why I enjoy subjecting myself to some of the games I play, but here we are again. A while back, I reviewed kuso, a game that, at the time, was one of the most ridiculously difficult platformers I had ever played. It still is, but I have definitely come across a few more games that would give it a run for its money, and Electronic Super Joy from Michael Todd Games is one of them. This game is brutal, and on top of the difficulty, the game seems to take extreme pleasure from your failure to stay alive—seriously, if you are playing in public or around children, either wear headphones or turn on the PG mode or it will get awkward!
For starters, this is a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. The story involves losing your butt to a wizard—or Micro-Satan farting on your dog… it was all over the place, so I had some trouble following, if we’re being honest—so, if you’re looking for a story that tugs at your heartstrings or really makes you think, this is probably not the game you are looking for; but nevertheless, it is a good one! There’s also a mode where someone stole all of the pudding and you have to get it back. Mind-blowing stuff here.
Heed the Warning!
The basic premise is not really anything new, at least mechanically speaking, though beyond the basics, there are quite a few innovative additions. This is a platformer through and through, and it requires quite a bit of precision and quick thinking to make it out alive. In addition to your basic running, jumping, and slamming and dodging of enemies and projectiles, you will also have to deal with stage-specific mechanics, such as the stage flipping upside down—don’t worry, the controls reverse too, so it won’t be easy or anything—or the screen auto-scrolling just slow enough so that you can make it to the portal that teleports you to the other side of the stage with a pixel to spare if you hurry!
I never thought that not having an epileptic seizure long enough to finish the stage would be a mechanic I would face either, but sure enough, this game has that too! One of the early stages is filled with white strobe lights spinning in circles around a black background while you attempt to jump from platform to platform without losing your place. I was actually getting so disoriented by the stage that I thought for sure I was going to start foaming at the mouth, but luckily, I beat the stage fairly quickly and just never looked back. It felt like The End is Nigh took some molly and went to a rave to blow off steam.
Are We There Yet?
Now, there are checkpoints, but unlike kuso, where you can set a checkpoint whenever you want, Electronic Super Joy is a bit stingy with its checkpoint distribution, and I often found myself making it 90% of the way to the next checkpoint and dying, so often that I would usually end up just walking away and coming back to the game later, rather than subjecting myself to the same extended obstacle course again.
There are almost 50 levels in the classic mode, and several other modes with different physics variables, like low gravity or double jumps, or massive amounts of heat-seeking missiles chasing after you the whole time. I initially wanted to beat at least the classic mode before writing this review, but I came to realize that I wouldn’t have this review out before the Switch’s successor was announced by Nintendo if I did. There is plenty of material here to explore, and when you do actually beat a level, it is pretty satisfying, to say the least.
The Sights & The… Sounds…
Visually, Electronic Super Joy is simple, but complex—if that makes any sense? The graphics are old-school pixels with high contrast, but the movement trails, light shows in the background, and overall atmosphere are lit up like a Christmas tree. On a serious note though: if you are prone to epileptic seizures, even mildly, do not play this game. I mentioned earlier that one of the stages made me feel a bit off, and I was serious. I got very disoriented and actually started to worry. I was about 5 seconds away from shutting the game off from it. Luckily, the rest of the stages are not quite as bad, but it was still a bit concerning for me.
The soundtrack is very appropriate for the name, as it is armed to the teeth with EDM, trance, and dubstep tracks. The songs drive you through the stages at a great pace, and the energy level never drops off for a second. The sound effects are satisfying too, but I did mention earlier about the headphones. Each time you die and respawn at a checkpoint, a very excited lady—and sometimes an equally-excited gentleman with an extra low, Aqua-esque voice—moans out, “Ohhhh yeaaaaah!” in a very suggestive fashion. There is a PG mode that you can enable, however, which turns that feature off—rather than on… giggity.
Wrapping It Up
Electronic Super Joy is one of those games I love to hate. I can pick it up for a few minutes to kill some time, but when I get in the zone and on a roll, I can easily drop an hour or more into a single session with the game—provided my controller can survive the ordeal! The replay value is good, which is important, as you will be replaying the stages… a lot. If you are a glutton for punishment when it comes to your platforming, then you will absolutely want to check this one out.
Score: 8/10
Buy Electronic Super Joy from the Nintendo Switch eShop here.
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*A game code was provided for review purposes.