- John Bush
Game Review #503: Random Heroes: Gold Edition (Nintendo Switch)
Reviewer: Robert Krause
Developer: Woblyware Oy
Publisher: Ratalaika Games
Category: Action, Arcade, Platformer
Release Date: 4.3.2020
Price: $4.99
Watch the Trailer
Buy Random Heroes: Gold Edition from the Nintendo eShop here.
Who can stop an alien invasion? Anyone!
When aliens invade earth you can count on one man! Benjamin "Freakin" Franklin and his water gun. Well, after you unlock him and the weapon. Random Heroes: Gold Edition will have you jumping, dodging, and blasting your way through 9 themed locations with 12 levels each, including a boss fight, while collecting coins from enemies. The platform shooter plays like most of the genre with your basic jump and shoot buttons. The controls are pretty tight, it didn't have any extreme jumps to make, and the heroes are light and floaty but you get used to it pretty quickly. Most of my deaths were running into new enemies with mechanics I hadn't seen yet, or me having a brain fart and mistiming a jump into spikes, bombs, aliens, etc.
As you progress through the game weapons will unlock to be bought in the shop with coins to help with your Damage and Speed. Completing level requirements will earn you up to three stars per level; one for completing a level without being hit, one for collecting all the coins on a level, and the last for killing all aliens on a level. The collection of stars will unlock new Heroes to use. There are 28 in total each with their own stats to add or subtract your Health, Damage, and Speed. Our boy Ben being a plus 4, 3, and 3. Not bad for a bald philosopher, politician, inventor, and possible sex addict. There are also areas hidden within the levels that you can go through to find hidden coins or crystal skulls. For each crystal skull you find it will add one bar to your permanent health meter. I was only able to come across one skull so they are pretty well hidden.
Audio & Visual
The game is inspired by the 16 bit classics and holds up pretty well to that standard. There are nice color schemes and different looks for each location. You come across new enemies throughout the playthrough so it's not the same thing over and over. The Heroes, bosses, and weapons are unique which is a plus. The soundtrack is good with upbeat tracks that reminded me of Double Dragon but they can get drowned out by constant weapon firing.
Wrap Up
This is a great game to pick up and play for an hour at a time. Completing one location and seeing what weapon you can buy or what hero has been unlocked during downtime was nice while working from home. For only $4.99 you can't beat it as it will probably give you a few hours of entertainment to complete everything.
Score: 7/10
Buy Random Heroes: Gold Edition from the Nintendo eShop here.
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*A game code was provided for review purposes.