Arcade Fuzz – Switch

Once in a while you just need a good mini game. The guys at QUByte Interactive are giving us two for the price of one. Currently on sale for under a dollar do not expect much from Arcade Fuzz. But this is aimed at those needing a quick blast of retro goodness and a good challenge. The two games on show are both twitch gameplay types testing all your hand eye coordination skills.

The first game on Arcade Fuzz is the fast-paced floating platformer, TTV3. Imagine Super Meat Boy but without the platforms. Your little 8-bit character has been thrust into a world of constant danger with sharp cogs and never ending moving walls. The idea is devilishly simple but agonisingly infuriating in that good video game way. You float about avoiding every danger with the goal to escape out of one side of the screen. Take a hit and it is back to the start.

You earn one point for each screen you successfully navigate and the game keeps track of your best performance. The game does move at an astonishing rate, you do not have time to think. You will spend only a couple of seconds in each screen and they are completely random so no two plays will be the same. The controls are tight but with each screen you start in the middle which seems odd if you have exited from a different direction. 

The basic graphics and two colour tone make it easy to see all the traps and obstacles. Any further colour and it may have been too difficult distinguishing obstacles. At first it seems impossible but after a while you start to clear more screens than the last attempt. This is a classic one more try game that anyone can pick up and enjoy. It is very simple and lacks depth but is  the perfect little game for a bus ride or to kill some time.

Warpzone Drifter is another simple game that requires good hand eye coordination.  The top down driving requires you to switch lights on to progress. Each single screen level has three and you simply drive over them. The catch is your vehicle is always at full speed as there is no brake or accelerator. If you clip too many obstacles or fly off the screen the game ends. Devilishly simple but very hard to master, this one will test all your arcade skills.

The presentation is very simple with minimalist colours and vector graphic inspired visuals. They do the job well but a little more detail it may have helped the game. The controls are tight yet loose at the same time. They purposefully make your vehicle skid all over the screen which creates the challenge of hitting the lights.  There was the odd occasion where the car suddenly felt out of control but it did not spoil anything.

As you progress through each stage more obstacles in the shape of waving tentacles are added. They really do get in the way and you must think fast to avoid them. Hit them enough times and it is game over but they usually aid in getting you pushed off the screen more often than not. This is one tough game to crack. The pressure piles on even more as you only have two minutes to complete each level.

For the price Arcade Fuzz will give you exactly what it promises. A quick thrill of arcade action reminiscent of the early 80’s. It is like throwing a quarter into a cab and dying after one minute.  For less than a dollar you really cannot o wrong with this one. If you enjoy simple and quick games with a hard challenge this is for you. Those looking for a story or more in depth mechanics should skip this.