Intrepid Izzy is a platformer for the Nintendo Swap. Oh no, not one other platformer, you say? Let’s not soar to conclusions. Intrepid Izzy was developed by the one-man staff of Roel van Mastbergen. It began life in 2017 as a Kickstarter marketing campaign, quickly making its approach to consoles, with this Swap model the newest addition.
Certain, we’ve our fair proportion of platformers, however common Pure Nintendo readers will comprehend it’s my favourite style. This implies I’m at all times excited to attempt new entries whereas additionally sustaining excessive requirements. Fortunately, regardless of just a few flaws, Intrepid Izzy is a brilliant entry into the style.
There’s not quite a lot of story to lavatory down the gameplay. Our heroine, Izzy, stumbles throughout an evil genie earlier than falling right into a pit. Her journey begins virtually instantly, exploring varied worlds looking for the evil presence now threatening her world.
The degrees range from underground mines to a haunted forest. There’s additionally a cloud zone and a frozen space (referred to as the East Pole) to maintain issues feeling recent. The environments are pretty— stuffed with shade that pops off the display. It’s clear that Roel has taken nice care in crafting Izzy’s world. Aesthetically, it jogs my memory of Shantae’s adventures (and I’m a giant fan of that sequence) with hand-drawn sprites stuffed with persona.
The opposite clear comparability to Shantae is a sequence of costumes that grant Izzy powers. There are numerous enjoyable variations to gather, together with a miner outfit, squirrel onesie, and ninja apparel. Swapping between costumes is barely annoying, although; it’s important to traverse to your own home (in a base referred to as Awesometown) to get modified. I discovered this characteristic a bit of cumbersome and would favor to get modified on the spot by way of a button or menu choice. It makes experimenting with varied powers to find secrets and techniques much more work.
The enemies range all through the sport, with all kinds of monsters to defeat. The boss fights are one other spotlight, with some difficult encounters. A sword-wielding skeleton and a sea monster have been notably satisfying to beat. At different instances, you’re trapped in a room till you beat a sequence of widespread enemies. These are enjoyable for probably the most half, however develop into barely tedious once you’re backtracking by way of an space.
That is truly my important grievance of Intrepid Izzy; at instances, I wasn’t positive progress. This led to moments of frustration as I backtracked by way of earlier areas. I ultimately discovered my method, however the path could possibly be a lot clearer.
Alongside the best way, you gather cash and gems. Cash are used to buy life-giving gadgets from the shop or play arcade video games in Awesometown. These minigames are a enjoyable distraction from the primary quest, offering a brief and candy timeout wherein you attempt to beat your excessive rating.
In the meantime, gems present Izzy together with her particular powers. These purple collectibles refill a meter which depletes when utilizing Izzy’s skills. The moveset varies relying on the costume, together with a ball of vitality, a gust of wind, and even transformative powers.
There are few little interface points that could possibly be mounted. The in-game menu contains a useful map that’s not very user-friendly. You’ll be able to scroll round IF you press the A button first. This isn’t apparent or intuitive, and I solely found it by chance. You can also’t escape the menu by urgent B, a fairly normal characteristic. I’d be much less involved if the primary menu additionally lacked this characteristic, but it surely’s current there. This sadly creates an inconsistent consumer interface.
Total, Intrepid Izzy is a transparent labor of affection from the one-man developer. It appears nice and performs effectively, however has some minor flaws that cease it from being excellent. In the event you benefit from the likes of Shantae’s adventures, it is a good homage to that sequence.