For the past couple of days I’ve been completely hung up on Spelunky, a free, independently made platformer that Derek Yu, its creator, describes as being “a combination of Nethack and La Mulana.” I get the feeling, however, that most people to whom that comparison means anything have already joined me in becoming addicted.
The comparison basically means:- The game takes place in an Indiana Jonesy atmosphere, with a pixelated, retro aesthetic.
- The game is really, really, really hard.
- The game’s levels are randomly generated.
- I might be a total lost cause socially because of how impressed I am with it.
You have to get from somewhere near the top of the screen to somewhere near the bottom. Almost everything can kill you. You can collect money and buy cool climbing gloves or a bow and arrow or pay to kiss a girl, which awards you health. You can steal a golden idol and get chased around by a boulder. I’ve died almost a hundred times and haven’t made it more than halfway through the game.
This is probably the best video game experience I’ve had since beating my father at Super Smash Brothers so badly that he called me a bastard.