pixelBOT EXTREME! Review

pixelBOT EXTREME! is not a completely new game. It was released back in 2018 for PC. Now it is ported to Nintendo Switch. The game has always been underrated, even though it is one of the most interesting independent games. It is a side-scrolling shoot-’em-up that managed to have nice innovations with some colorful twists.

The game starts all simple. An uncomplicated pixelated logo and old sounds that we expect from the 16-bit era. The pixel art is a full reminiscent of classic 2D games. Everything image you see has fine details but, in general, the game is not considered the best among similar games from an artistic point of view. pixelBOT EXTREME! has three levels of difficulty. Easy and normal modes wholly change the gameplay. This game is similar to Flappy Bird in terms of the movement of the robot you control. That is, gravity always captures the movement of the game character and pulls it down, and you must always press the up button to be able to pass the various obstacles that appear in front of you.

This situation changes in easy mode. It means that gravity stops working and, you can smoothly control the game character without him moving automatically down. This makes it as if you are witnessing two different games when you experience the game on these modes. The obstacles that stand in your way are diverse. Some of them, like fires and blades, will kill you on the spot unless you have an active shield. Others, such as walls, only block your way, but the camera is constantly moving to the right, and if you get stuck between a barrier and the end of the frame, you fail.

The floor is lava itself and usually kills if gravity brings you down to the ground. Such things are genre standards and of course, may not be very exciting. But the tension in the game starts when colored blocks are placed in your way. Your robot can shoot bullets of different colors. Each color is defined on a Nintendo Switch face button. The color barriers are constantly changing and moving, and the more you progress in the levels, the more their variety and number increase. Of course, in the beginning, you may be confused about choosing the right firing Button, but when you remember them perfectly, you will be in tune with the fast rhythm of the game.

The game has another important challenge. That is to find and get special items to open the next levels for you. These items are usually placed in hard-to-reach places, and collecting them all requires more than one try. The last challenge is the bosses. Boss levels naturally have fewer obstacles, but these stubborn enemies are not exempt from the rule of shooting bullets with the right color. All these challenges make the game very exciting in normal mode and brutal in hard mode. In general, the gameplay tests your reactions and does not let you even blink! You may get tired of the game sometimes, but after some rest of your fingers, you will probably get back to it.

pixelBOT EXTREME! is one of those titles where you are proud of yourself when you reach the end of a level and eagerly move on to the next one. Due to its hardship, the game may disappoint you at times, but it does not become repetitive and boring, especially since it’s not lengthy. We easily recommend this exciting ten-dollar game to fans of indie shoot-’em-ups.

The review code was provided by the publisher