Concursion

As a hardcore gamer in the 80s and 90s you might remember spending hours upon hours, and coins upon coins, in a video arcade trying to beat the high score to your favorite games, but did you ever wonder what it would be like to have all of those classic titles mashed up into one epic side-scrolling adventure?

Well, Concursion brings that fantasy to life by giving you the ability to sprint and jump off the heads of your foes like Super Mario, transform into a ninja and cut down incoming enemies like Ninja Gaiden, hop into a fighter jet/spaceship and shoot down aerial invaders similar to the classic space game Defender and even run through maze-like terrain collecting orbs while avoiding patrolling goons as if you suddenly became Pac-man himself.

The developers of Concursion have managed to combine all of these classic features with such finesse it almost breathes life back into that classic arcade feel that modern video games have been lacking. Although these modern games may be lacking that classic feel, they most certainly do not need it. The video game world and industry has come a long way since the days of Pacman and Space Invaders, but it seems the developers of Concursion might be stuck in the past, or maybe they are just feeling nostalgic. Whichever it may be, it gives this game a certain charm, but with the exception of beautifully simple artwork, use of color, and line work, they are decades too late with the release of this title.  Although, considering that single exception, I could see Concursion doing very well on the Nintendo 3DS, but not so much on the PC.

Concursion is perfect for the casual gamer of any age. However, you need to have an Xbox controller in order for the game to be at all playable. Without a controller compatible with your PC you will find yourself at a loss with the functionality of the game mechanics and controls offered by your standard keyboard. Tiny issues such as the inability to sprint and jump at the same time become game changing factors in your ability to make the necessary quick decisions and maneuvers to dodge flying blowfish and jump over bottomless pits or rows of spikes. So, find yourself a controller compatible with your PC and the issue will immediately become nonexistent, but if you choose to brave the game equipped only with your standard keyboard you must release the sprint button right before you jump then expertly re-click the sprint key again while midair in order for your jump to be at all effective. Now, I know that this sounds like it is just a minor inconvenience and that it would hardly be any issue at all for a competent gamer, but it really does make the game quite difficult. So, if you do find yourself in possession of an Xbox controller I strongly suggest that you use it.

The story behind Concursion is the same old, tired, played out, cliché mission of rescuing the princess from some ridiculous looking monster while journeying through seemingly random scenarios and encountering foes so obviously out of place within the environment that if you stop to think about what it is that you are actually doing it all just feels so forced and pointless. For example, you will battle overweight fire breathing dinosaurs or lizards, alligators, ninjas, and floating sorcerers while evading floating rocks, exploding bubbles and running for dear life from what appear to be very quick indestructible flying puffer fish. Yes, all that madness is crammed into one level. After reading that out loud it actually sounds pretty darn entertaining.

Nonetheless, personally I would not recommend purchasing this game for the PC, although, if it did happen to become available for purchase on my 3DS I would pick it up in a heartbeat. Overall the game is very well done, but unfortunately just not for the right platform, but that is beside the point. Keeping in mind that an out-sourced controller is needed to play a game that is designed for a PC, I must deduct a few points from its overall score. As for originality, pretty much every aspect of the game has been done before. However, due to the fact that the game combines so many of the classically unique aspects of the old video arcade days into an aesthetically brilliant experience, it needs no redemption, and for that I applaud Concursion.

Raymon Kass, NoobFeed