The idea of another hard-as-nails indie platformer with a great aesthetic and a retro soundtrack might sound like the kiss of death to a number of gamers who already have played Super Meat Boy, VVVVVV, Fez, and the plethora of titles in the style. Spelunky doesn’t differentiate itself that much from the pack in terms of content; what it has beyond the “unnamed” titles in the style is execution.
Spelunky’s premise is relatively simple. Each time you send your spelunker on an adventure, he begins with 4 hearts, 4 bombs, and 4 ropes. Using these items and whatever lies on the adventure path, the player explores each level for roughly two and a half minutes collecting as much treasure as possible before leaving the room and moving on to the next one. Along the way, Spelunky confronts monsters and enemies in the cave, idols dedicated to vengeful gods, shopkeepers who do not appreciate shoplifters, and damsels who can up the player’s life total when rescued. Each level is randomized each time you play; this results in a lack of ability to memorize levels to tear through them quickly. This also leads to an extremely high death toll, upon which your score is totaled, your progress is noted, and the levels prepare to reset and randomize once again. In a standard playthrough, there are 16 levels the player must complete to “win,” though there are bonus rooms that expand upon that number.
I have yet to complete Spelunky. The ability to progress is limited by completing each “world” of four levels, where a character named Tunnel Man asks for an item to build a shortcut to the next world. Some players will not enjoy the lack of progress they experience most of the time playing the game, as each death without a visit with Tunnel Man has nothing to show for it but your own experience. However, I really appreciate the roguelike element of the game; it lends not only to the game’s replayability, but the game’s retro sensation that evokes my favorite NES platformers. The game also offers a handful of alternate skins for your explorer, some of which must be unlocked through exploration.
Most players probably won’t ever “win” Spelunky. It’s certainly not a matter of playability; the controls are perfect, and I have yet to experience even a single bug. Spelunky simply predates on your most obsessive gambling tendencies and desire to simply blast through the game. It’s punishing, methodical, and it makes for brilliant playing. The amount of variety in enemies, level design, and power-ups recalls Super Mario Bros. 3, which is truly meant as high praise.
However, the game's multiplayer offerings are a form of pure madness that is incomparable to anything else. They don't add significant mileage to the game, and they will not be your preferred form of play, but they are silly and should definitely be seen.
It’s worth noting that Spelunky, outside of its mechanics, does not have the deeper narrative or incisive humor of most indie games. Spelunky is a pure experience, aiming to replicate the Indiana Jones-style adventure classic that never quite existed; the graphics are simple, though attractive, and the soundtrack is a bouncing jazz-fusion recalling the 90’s as well.
There’s really not a whole lot to say about this game other than it is either simply great or purely excellent, and you should really absolutely definitely play it either way.
This review stands for the XBLA version, which costs $15 or 1200 MSP. While the PC version is, in many ways, a different game, it is still an excellent game that can be played here for free.