NanoApostle

NanoApostle is a boss rush game with some lovely pixel graphics and an anime style. As an uploaded consciousness attached to a nanomachine entity designed for killing called Kuro, you'll need to master and augment your skills to escape this bizarre cybernetic prison. You'll be thrown into boss battles, victory over which will move the story forward an reveal the state of the world outside of your cyber kennel. 

To be fair, I didn't instantly click with NanoApostle. Not because the game wasn't any good, it was just a case of me having a bad night and  not meshing with the controls. I decided to set the game aside and try again later, a decision which made all the difference, as on my return I got into the flow and started having fun with it. Quite a lot of fun actually.

Anita is a talented protagonist and she has many skills to master. Your standard light attacks will build up energy for more powerful attacks, which include shots, a grappling hook and additional weapons, a shield for parrying attacks and a dash that renders you temporarily invincible. You'll need to master everything to duck, dodge, dive, dip and attack in what becomes a rhythmic and visceral dance of pixelated death. Much like Mullet Mad Jack, the game becomes a flow of destruction with yourself in the centre of the melee. While the game lacks the graphical flair of the corridor shooter, the fun is there all the same. 

Once you’ve made it through the introduction you’ll find yourself in a hub environment that allows you to take on challenges such as corridor rushes and clearing swarms of enemies to sharpen your movement and attack skills, all of which you'll need for the boss fights to come. Clearing these earns points you can exchange for upgrades, so it’s well worth taking time out to complete as many as you can, both for the points and the pattern practice for learning how to take down the game's bosses.

The swarm clearing levels are fiendishly hard - even early on, you’ll be met with enemies that provide invincibility for the drones, laser cannons that limit your movement by firing in unison across the playing area and bots that dive across the screen to attack you. It’s fast, hectic and enormous fun.

The corridor runs have you outracing a number of lasers while you dash across a path that you’ll need to navigate quickly - one wrong turn and it’ll be curtains.

Back in the hub you’ll also find the next story level to tackle, which takes the form of a boss. Master the attack patterns, discover the weaknesses and have at it - it’s tough but fair and you’ll likely be grinding to build your skills and progress.

The storyline is rather heartbreaking and puts me in mind of the anime She: The Ultimate Weapon, so prepared for a bit of a downbeat atmosphere bookending the action. The characters, or which there are really only three, are endearing enough that I found myself genuinely caring about how things would pan out for them, even without any voice acting.

The pared-down presentation does nothing to harm the game's appeal. The dark stages are lit up all the more by the many neon effects sparking around you as you tussle with the enemy, and the game does a great job in making you think about how to engage each enemy to make those sparks fly. Attacks are clearly signposted (once you learn them) by the excellent animation employed throughout, and in this the simplicity of design becomes vital as it adds a level of clarity that's absolutely essential to a game that requires you to have split-second reaction times. 

So a tough game then, making it feel pretty old-school. It won't hold you by the hand nor hold back when it's throwing challenges at you. I admit my level of skill made the game a touch frustrating at times, but every death was down to mis-timing or muddled fingers on my part, never an unfair shot or an unexplained glitch. You'll need some solid skills to master this, so consider yourself fairly warned. On the flipside, every victory feels well-earned and satisfying.

The only downside to the experience was playing on the Steam Deck, where it ran beautifully but the text was almost unreadable. An update down the line to fix this would be much appreciated.

It's not a long game, but I can see it being a lot of fun to return to, as battles are just so much fun, the David and Goliath pixelated combat providing enormously alluring and perfect for a quick blast whenever you find yourself at a loose end.