Battle Princess Madelyn

From Casual Bit Games, Battle Princess Madelyn is another indie, 2D action-platformer that wears its influences on its sleeves, as clear as day. That said, it also brings its own ideas to the table, along with bits and pieces of other classic gaming realms. But sitting in the forefront is Capcom’s classic, rage-inducing Ghouls ‘N Ghosts, a game that doesn’t immediately come to mind as a fun thing to do with your kids. Yet here we are, with a game inspired by the lead developer having a conversation with his daughter. From a gameplay perspective, this does indeed feel like a modern Ghouls ‘N Gh...

I really do like Battle Princess Madelyn, and while I like the way the story mode feels, I'm more partial to the Arcade mode. This is simply because the story mode can be rather unforgiving and rage-inducing, but at the same time, it's also sweet and innocent. Battle Princess Madelyn feels like how a Metroidvania should feel, but it doesn't explain core mechanics all that well and leaves you to just play the game and either succeed or fail.

With all this packaged together, the player is presented with a well-balanced package that gives gamers a taste of what it used to be like to be called a gamer but never pushing so hard as to cause a rage quit, tip over the arcade machine and demand your quarters back.

Romanticizing the past is easy, but older games shouldn’t always be held up as examples to follow. The retro aesthetic has plenty of appeal, including a simplicity of concept and presentation that can be refreshing set against modern behemoths. But old-school styling and design can also add up to frustration, aimlessness, and exasperating difficulty. Battle Princess Madelyn nails the throwback vibe it’s shooting for, and in so doing, exhibits both the highs and lows of the games from which it draws inspiration. If someone told you this was a lost sequel to Ghouls ‘n Ghosts rediscovered after a...

Too much hand-holding in games can be a problem, but Battle Princess Madelyn goes in the opposite direction with its main Story mode and is just as annoying (if not more so) as a result. Thankfully, its alternative Arcade mode really does save the day, stripping away all the convoluted and confused exploration and leaving nothing but pure, unfiltered arcade action goodness. It’s just a shame its main mode – and perhaps the key reason the developer wants your £15.79 / $19.99 – is so frustratingly unhelpful and awkward to play. Still, fans of Capcom's Ghouls ‘n Ghosts will most definitely want t...

While I might not have got as much joy from Battle Princess Madelyn as others will, there’s no denying it holds a certain charm. For gamers who still enjoy the retro allure of games like Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, there’s a lot to like as you explore the swamps, caves and forests to attempt to unearth all the secrets. I probably won’t be rushing back into Battle Princess Madelyn‘s story mode any time soon, but if you’re up to the challenge of the game’s difficulty level, you’ll certainly get a kick out of its old-school animation and soundtrack.

Battle Princess Madelyn is an unabashed love letter to games of long ago. Drawing heavy influences from titles like Ghosts 'n Goblins and Castlevania, it does a good job of recreating a retro experience but how does this old-school style hold up in 2018?

Two princesses.