Free-to-play game of the week: Maldita Castilla

Maldita Castilla
An arcade adventure of chivalry and horror.[divider]

We have seen our fair share of retro pixelated games, and realized that it is kind of hard for AAA retro games to exist. However this Halloween brings the charm of old school gaming back with an arcade-style action title called Maldita Castilla, developed by Locomalito. Gateways have opened up that allows evil to roam the lands of Tolomera and you along with a band of knights to banish the demons and close the gateway. Themed for medieval times filled with evil spooks and monsters this is one 2D side scrolling action game that you ought to try.

This game stands as an ode to the classic arcade era and the wonderful parts of the gaming’s cult during the eight and sixteen bit consoles. This title looks to honor the many classics that it inspires from as quoted on the game’s website which reads:

” It pays homage to classic arcade games from 1985-1987 like Ghost’n’Goblins ,Tiger Road, Black Tiger, Shinobi, Rygar, Karnov, Trojan and many others… taking influences from medieval paintings and places, and inspired by the best chivalry book ever: The Amadis of Gaul. “

Style:

The game manages to emulate the effect of an old arcade machine and the level of detail reflect in every aspect of the presentation from the first title screen to the menu. The end the choice of color palette and style has been handcrafted to bring back memories. Every character and enemy has personality and looks unique, with clear attacks and projectiles visible on screen with smooth animation suitable for those tough platforming sections. While it looks old school it does have improvements like modern controller response and runs super smooth on your grandpa’s computer.

Gameplay:

The game really immerses you once the action starts. The gameplay follows that of the classic Metroidvania style of side scrolling combat and platforming. The core mechanics are simple yet do not allow room for error, the combat and bullet dodging requires much dedication and skill. This is a game about reflexes and demands accuracy and dedication. With having to learn enemy patterns and be a master at timed jumping. All this means a painfully repeating levels and bosses till you get it right only for the satisfaction you get when you beat them. The game is pure, rough and not afraid to punish the player, a feat that most modern games seem to shy away from. The levels are well designed with much variety in the tasks you have to perform. There are secrets to be discovered, weapons and upgrades to be found and many well designed bosses to slay. The game offers several hours of gameplay with replay value for score hunters. You travel across the map and encounter many different enemy types and environmental hazards like climbing mountains as barrels are thrown at you.

Sound:

Gryzor87 composed the music emulating the Yamaha YM2203 sound chip, so that the game has real arcade sound.

The website reads the above statement for its sound and could not be more true. This composer emulates and captures the music and sounds of the old chips, that is classic and could not be more suitable for the game.

The gameplay and the style both add character and value to one another and is most definitely art. The game oozes polish and refinement ana is something that would gladly make me part with some cash, but you don’t have to cause its free, just be prepared for a night of cursing and screaming. Those who never got to try the old school games  can try this on and check what the fuzz was all about.[divider]

What’s ill:

Beautifully crafted visuals and sound effects.
Boss battles are fun.
Variety in gameplay.

What’s not:

Retro style is not for everyone.
Very high difficulty with a lot of error and repeat.

Links:

Download the game from here. P.S. There is also a donate button next to it.
You may also want to check his other famous games available here. I personally liked Hydorah.