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Let's Play

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"Forza Polpo" is not an Indie game I expected to stumble across... or rather, I'm kinda surprised it wasn't developed sooner - a game heavily inspired by Sony and Exact's "Jumping Flash!" and Nintendo's "Pilot Wings" series (JF!, in turn, inspired the "Vs." Jumping game along with Robo Pit, "Cyber Egg: Battle Champion"). Beyond the game's simple and rather depressing plot lies a game that still somehow possesses a cutesy exterior with verticality and shooting being front and center. While it was originally released by the Italian developer "Monte Gallo" back in 2021 (Early Access), the game would be officially released in 2023. Aesthetically, the game couldn't be more different from their next upcoming game, "Better Than Dead", if they tried, lol.

The story is that 99.9 percent of the world and its population have disappeared due to a mysterious explosion caused by Dr. Prometheus, the inventor of "Pink Energy" which was derived from antimatter. It was such a powerful source of energy that all devices powered-up by it became autonomous, possessing what Dr. Prometheus referred to as a "soul"... except for one incompatible little octopus robot named "Polpo Rev.2" from Polpo Courie Express. While generally deemed "obsolete", Polpo's antiquity afforded it one luxury... Pink Energy had exploded and imploded, destroying virtually everything, but the Polpo Courie Express was away from the epicenter and avoided eradication. From that moment on, all that has remained of the Earth are small fragments suspended in a void between the clouds. Months and seasons are no more. Everything seems to be frozen at the moment of the disaster now Polpo must venture forth and salvage what's left of the world as well as memories left behind in "Code Cubes" while being led by a mysterious female named Mey to learn about the meaning of life. All surviving machines powered by pure pink energy have gone rogue and serve as Polpo's enemies.

Polpo, while not properly compatible with Pink Energy, will get a temporary boost from it, but its energy is constantly being drained, so the player must move quickly as they can not venture very far from the landing dock or starting point for very long, at least ordinarily. Forza Polpo has two main ways to play: Simulation Mode (the preferred, original mode) and Arcade Mode (which removes the energy draining mechanic and alters certain variables, making it more in line with the original "Jumping Flash!" games). Simulation Mode adds a greater sense of urgency to the gameplay and serves as a greater challenge than the Arcade Mode, but the Arcade Mode increases damage and movement parameters to not make things too easy while easing you into the mechanics. With all that said, just what EXACTLY does "Jumping Flash!" and "Forza Polpo" play like?

The goal is to find several key items hidden across each level (in this case, Code Cubes) and return to the landing dock in one piece to clear the level. The player does this mainly by shooting and jumping, but it's not just any jumping that you'll do... you jump REALLY FREAKING HIGH, so those with a fear of heights need not apply. The player can do a triple jump as well as a super jump (with a power-up) and float in the air to descend slowly and move around dozens of feet in the air. The movement is more momentum-based and doesn't feel as precise as JF! and the levels aren't quite as inventive as JF! either, but the controls are fine within the context of this game and feel natural after some practice. You can also shoot thunberbolts, rockets, etc. and some weapons can only hurt certain enemies. Hidden on each level is also a "Crypto Pixel" which will adorn your bedroom / hub with little graphics of various in-game things. There are also a few boss battles every few zones too.

Graphically, the game mostly nails JF!'s look and feel, but the camera is more free and there is a blue-ish tint over the FoV... I get that they wanted to simulate the look of a cockpit and the blue light might be what one could experience inside of the machine, but it's more visually distracting than anything. There should be an option to disable it or remove it all together as it tones down what is an otherwise colorful game. The soundtrack is pretty nice and you can choose to play levels with or without music for the most part (there are music machines you can activate in most areas). Overall, it's not a bad first effort at all and an interesting homage to 90s gaming.

This is a video of the game in action. You can get it at:

https://store.steampowered.com/app/1187870/FORZA_POLPO/

Enjoy.

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