Alexx Aplin
Alexx AplinI’m always keeping an eye on games that I come across (or that are shown to me) that remind me of previous gaming eras and experiences. Games like Shovel Knight evoked the previous generation of gaming yet found their own success and glory. Now, it seems another challenger is stepping up, evoking the N64 era yet surpassing it in some ways.
Developer Zockrates Laboratories has released its demo for Ruffy and the Riverside, an N64-inspired platformer that blends multiple inspirations. The game itself will be available not just on PC, but also on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and the Nintendo Switch family of consoles. Here is what the press release says about Ruffy and the Riverside’s demo and the game itself:
“The Steam demo offers a unique first look at the colorful world of Riverside and lets players collect stars by completing various challenges. Gamers who’ve been around long enough to live through the Nintendo 64 days will surely appreciate the wink to the good old days found in the demo’s level structure. Just jump right in and grab those stars!
Console-only players won’t have to wait too long to start swapping textures as well, because next to Steam and Epic Games, the full release for PlayStation 5, Xbox One & Series X|S and Nintendo Switch(es) will all arrive on your favorite platform soon!
In Ruffy and the Riverside, you wield the magic power of SWAP, using it to Copy & Paste textures within the game world. Turn ice into lava or waterfalls into vines as you ride hay bales, explore, fight, and solve puzzles throughout Riverside. Unleash your imagination in this quirky open-world action game that literally lets you change the world!
Join Ruffy on an exciting quest to stop the mischievous villain Groll from destroying the World Core and throwing Riverside into chaos. Along the way, you’ll travel to fantastic places with helpful friends like Pip the sassy bee, Sir Eddler the adventurous mole, and Silja the wise turtle. Meet a lively cast of characters, each with their own unique stories and dialogues, as the exciting adventure unfolds with unexpected surprises for Ruffy around every corner.
As Ruffy, the Chosen One, you’ll harness the magical power of SWAP, and use it to transform the game world. With SWAP you’ll change the sun into the moon or ice into lava while overcoming countless puzzles and effortlessly manipulating objects to your will. You can turn a stone into wood to create a boat or swap a wall into rubble to clear your path, and much more as you fight, jump, and ride hay bales throughout the adventure. The unique SWAP ability opens up endless possibilities, making every moment feel magical and full of surprises.”
There’s a lot more about Ruffy that you can discover over on the Steam page, so I don’t want to spoil everything here. However, Ruffy and the Riverside caught my eye based on its gameplay but also based on visual cues for inspiration from things such as Paper Mario. I’m very excited to see how Ruffy and the Riverside plays out.
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