At times incredibly challenging, yet never frustrating, that's the addictive nature of Sidescroller in a nutshell. It's one of the most memorable bite-sized games I've played in one of the best years videogames have seen in a while.
PixelJunk SideScroller is a title that I could sit and play it for hours if wasn't for the need to sleep and other necessities. The simplicity of the game's design and the ease of use controls make it an easy game for anyone to pick up and play. Though it's totally up to the player if they have the determination to make it through 13 levels of enemy filled levels and creative bosses. If that's not enough then there are Leaderboards to top and trophies to earn for those looking for more of a challenge. IF you haven't already started downloading PixelJunk SideScroller you should be. Fun starts with the drop of a few coins.
Classic side scrolling shooter gameplay with the usual Pixel Junk polish. Not every game they make is a masterpiece but every single one is worth your time and money. This latest effort once again puts terrific audio and video at the forefront. The gameplay doesn't break any ground, but it's fun and solid. I was shocked at how low IGN rated it. Are they jaded, biased, or just ignorant?
Pixeljunk Shooter is a classic space shooter game with a few tricks up it's sleeve. It engages you with great visual flair inspired by the earlier video games (the display screen even looks like an old tv) and a fantastic soundtrack by usual collaborators High Frequency Bandwidth. The gameplay consists of shooting down waves of enemies, while avoiding dangerous fluids like fire and acid, among other environmental hazards like lasers and spikes. At the end of each of the three acts you face a screen-filling boss, that requires you to recognize their attack patterns to overcome, said battles are one of the highlights of the game.
One of the coolest things about the game is seeing how recognizable enemies from Pixeljunk Shooter 2 are reintroduced to a different genre. You'll see a lot of familiar faces and scenarios (granted, in a different art style) and that will probably bring a smile to your face. However, if you're not familiar with the previous games, the references will go right over your head.
To summarize, Sidescroller is a pretty good space shooting game with a lovingly created art style, that is specially charming for people who love the Pixeljunk Shooter series. The only negative aspect about it is it's very short lenght, but i think people who enjoy the genre or the precursors of this game will feel they got their money worth.
With the exception of the high production values, I feel like I've played a lot of games like PixelJunk SideScroller before. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but it does feel like a departure for a studio that I normally look to for unusual and exciting innovations. For anyone looking to enjoy an old school shooter with a few surprise twists, Q-Games delivers the goods.
Based on an unlockable mini-game in PixelJunk Shooter 2, PixelJunk SideScroller is unfortunately not much more than a mini-game itself. While a perfectly competent arcade shooter, it nails the arcade experience perhaps too well.
Amazing game. The only thing I didn't like was the color scheme for Hard Mode. But other than that the gameplay, art design and music are all wonderful.
I have been playing, collecting, and appreciating Shooting games (SCHMUPS) since the original R-Type and Darius in the arcade (1980's). I only reference this to qualify my review, and score. I have played and own many shooters, including import only titles, arcade titles, and hard to find rare titles. PJ Sidescroller is a fantastic game, which harkins back to the days where people would line up in arcades to see and play the latest shooter. Shooters in the arcades and at home have a tendency to push graphical capabilities of the time, and shooter does so with its trademark Pixel Junk Style, incorporating physics, and a fantastic neo-retro look. Many games today
It's like the 80's made love to the 26th century and produced an arcade game. This game is such a labor of love to side-scrolling shoot-em-ups it's almost impossible to play this without a smile. It's challenging, inventive, and has has a sense of style beyond almost all other games on the market. It's the little touches like the slight burned in PJ logo while you play, the constant smooth 60fps action, and brilliant level design (OK that last point isn't so little) that push this game from a competent/good shooter to a great one. Bravo Pixeljunk team, you remain one of the most consistently great developers this gen. Needless to say I'm a fan.
PixelJunk Sidescroller is just a touch short but pure fun all the way through, and hard mode is very cool. I'm not sure IGN got that far... PixelJunk wins again.
I felt quite ripped off, it was fun for the tiny amount of time it lasted, but it certainly doesn't compare to the pixeljunk shooter titles.
If you do get this game don't play it on casual, even if you are dying constantly on normal thats because you are meant to die alot to make the game last a decent amount of time. I am currently going through the game again on normal and its more satisfying even though there is lots of cheap deaths and areas with too long between checkpoints.
Its a decent game but they are charging far too much for something so small and simple, wait for a sale and if you don't have pixeljunk shooter 1 and 2, definitely get them first.
SummaryQ-Games, developer of the award-winning PixelJunk series, returns this summer with a nostalgic take on the series with its new side-scrolling shooter, PixelJunk SideScroller. Based on the unlockable stage from PixelJunk Shooter 2, PixelJunk Sidescroller is a complex and dynamic fluid simulation system, which fills the game world with fl...