Project Below (2023)

It’s a fun game that looks and sounds great and will be doable for people who have tons of experience with these kinds of games and lots of patience.

The latest in the wave of throwback NES-styled titles, Project Blue brings a very retro challenge to the table

Project Blue is really a game aimed at fans of the genre and enthusiasts of NES platformers. You don't get any help and the game can be frustratingly challenging. Visually, this is a game that really looks like a retro title. The makers do not push the hardware to its limits and do not do anything innovative that makes the game immediately visually striking. This is a positive point, because it conveys the Mega Man vibe very well. The first few minutes or images say it all, it's a NES platformer that does everything perfectly as they would have done in the eighties. It is a game that you can also purchase as a NES cartridge and this is the ultimate way to experience this game. The Nintendo Switch version is a nice alternative for players who cannot easily get the NES console from the attic.

Then again, if you are the sort that looks for more depth in a game that’s apparent from the beginning, you’ll simply won’t find it in Project Blue. That would easily count as a negative for any other game, but due to how that’s obviously not what the folks behind this were going for with it, it gets a pass from me. It is what it is, and if you’re the sort that can accept the imposed limitation and enjoy it for what it’s going for, there’s quality time to be had here.

Solid action platforming fun, but definitely would have been a bit of a softer blow if it had some sort of password feature, and for the price, you are supporting a fun NES indie with a solid port, but I still wish there were at least more bonuses or QOL stuff for the asking price.