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89

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

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8.3

Generally favorable reviews- based on 23 Ratings

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  • Summary: Spelunky is a unique platformer with randomized levels that offer a new and challenging experience each time you play! Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with monsters, traps, and treasure. Fully-destructible environments open up lots of strategies and make it a blast to master the game's many secrets. Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 12
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 12
  3. Negative: 0 out of 12
  1. Combining the depth and difficulty of a rogue-like with the thrill of a platformer, it's an elegant and endlessly replayable gem of a game that is perfectly suited to a portable format. Co-op multiplayer over WAN (no netplay – boo!) is especially rewarding.[November 2013, p83]
  2. Aug 28, 2013
    90
    Major improvements to the cooperative mode coupled with the Vita's portability make this the best version of the already excellent Spelunky.
  3. 90
    The Vita version of Spelunky turned out brilliantly and is probably the best port of the game you could pick up, especially if you plan on taking the game out on the road with friends.
  4. Sep 3, 2013
    90
    The portability and the improved cooperative mode make the Vita version of Spelunky absolutely perfect.
  5. Sep 16, 2013
    90
    The PS Vita execution is as wonderful a game as it has always been - despite some ramerate issues when certain events are triggered or areas entered - but is more at home given the way it plays and the fact it nags at you every moment you’re not playing it - which is reduced if you can take it with you wherever you go.
  6. Sep 6, 2013
    85
    Spelunky is a great title. Its astonishing gameplay, the beautiful graphic, the magnificent level design, make it an unmissable videogame. The only drawback is its intrinsic difficulty: not everyone might appreciate a game where you die often.
  7. Sep 3, 2013
    80
    If you’re fortunate enough to dig your way past the rock-solid opening hours, a never-ending supply of treasure eagerly awaits your discovery.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 5
  3. Negative: 1 out of 5
  1. Sep 2, 2013
    10
    In short If you like beautiful, addictive platform games with pixel-perfect controls that really test your abilities, this is well worth your time and money.

    I have quite a few games on the Vita, but not enough free time. From all the games I tried on the platform, this is the one that has impressed me the most as a whole (disclaimer I don't like FPS's RPG's ).

    Its concept is simple enter stage, find treasure girl, exit stage.

    What is impressive is the overall attention to detail, from the perfect controls and gameplay mechanics to the personality-rich, retro graphics. It is a game with real depth, that rewards you with new stages and surprises if you are willing to invest the time.

    Initially, I was worried that I would dislike the ever changing landscape, what with all stages being randomly generated on the go. I've come to find out, though, that this is one of the reasons the game feels so fresh each time you play it. If each stage was fixed then, having replayed it for the 50th time, boredom would eventually set in. With a dynamically changing stage, the challenge is constant (and welcome).

    As a paying customer, I would like to congratulate Blit Software for the excellent conversion. From what I've experienced so far, you really deserve all the praise you get.

    In closing if I could install just one game on my Vita, this would be it.
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  2. Sep 1, 2013
    10
    TLDR: This game is fun, not masochistic, just difficult, it demands trial and error but you won't be repeating the same level over and over, each level is randomly generated with you starting on the top and the exit near the bottom, all that stands between you is terra firma, Gold, Damsels, and things out to kill you.

    This game has a Demo, and I highly recommend it.
    Also, this game is NOT for those who don't appreciate death as a learning experience.

    People have called it Dark Souls, the Platformer, and it fits that bill with a bit of it's own flair,
    this game is truly difficult and gets immediately harder after you're out of the first World (Mines)

    If you're still reading, and the thought of an extreme, randomly generated platformer that is in no way unfair, excites you, give this a shot, as I said, please try the demo first, don't waste your money if you're not into it, it gives you the tutorial, some characters, and the first world to try, you will die lots and you will know it's your own fault, but that knowledge will make you want to try again.

    And that's the meme of this game, trying again. You will WANT to, getting to the end with hearts, money, and items feels good. The platforming is fun, I love destructible environments, there are lots of traps, sneaky enemies, and vases you cannot entirely trust ever (Pick them up and throw them, they may contain enemies)

    I wasn't into this game at first, I tried and I tried and I'd keep dying at the 3rd or before leaving the 4th, but you learn. The controls are tight, you don't feel like you were cheated by a death you weren't anticipating unless you didn't know that enemy would explode after you killed it.. :p

    It really grows on you, what I like most is that the game requires both Patience and Fast Reflexes which is a little odd, most games don't ask for both like this one, it really treats you like an Adult, it was not designed to hold your hand because it lets the game speak for itself.

    I also like that you can beat the game in around 30 minutes
    Good F***ing luck doing that though because in Spelunky, just like Dark Souls, this game's Tagline should be:

    "You Will Die."
    Expand
  3. Sep 10, 2013
    9
    Two levels are never the same in this randomly generated 2D Platformer. Wether you have to take down giant spiders with a well placed bomb or jetpack to the top of a crevice to retrieve a huge golden skull, Spelunky offers hundreds of these crazy scenarios. And through the randomisation it always leads to new experiences. New players might be put off by the high difficulty at first, but once you get better at the game the frustration fades because you see every death as a learning experience that can be avoided by putting your newly learned skills to the test. Great game with massive replayability that lends itself perfectly to the handheld platform Expand
  4. Sep 4, 2013
    9
    Spelunky is proof that 2D platformers can still be amazingly addictive. The randomly generated stages mean that you will never have the exact same experience twice. The items, enemies, mechanics, and controls all work together brilliantly to provide the most addictive platformer I've played in years. It is WELL worth the price of admission. I purchased the game on PS3 but with Cross Play I can see myself playing the Vita version even more. Transferring from PS3 to Vita and vice versa is seamless. There are no menus you need to navigate to sync. Saves are automatically sent to the cloud. I started gaming in the 80's so I've played my fair share of 2D platformers. Spelunky deserves a spot among the best of the best. Expand
  5. Sep 24, 2013
    4
    Seems a bit pricey for a game that some people have beaten in 4 minutes (see youtube speed runs) and the low rez PC version is free. Just four areas, and four levels to each area. Clearly the dev pulled off a neat trick by making sure that most people (including myself) would die a lot and play many levels many, many times.

    Seems a bit pointless me actually buying the game, as after a few hours I failed to beat the demo. Oh well. It's a challenge and it controls well and if you have the patience, and persistence, it could be just the game for you. Me, I don't think I'll ever beat the demo.
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