Taken for a Quickie | Venture Kid

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Having begun life on Steam and iOS devices, FDG Entertainment’s Venture Kid made its console debut earlier this month on Nintendo Switch. Join us for another quickie as we take the retro-inspired platformer for a spin.

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by Liam
​Andrews

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@pass_controller

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Developer: FDG Entertainment, Snikkabo AS
Publisher: FDG Entertainment
Platforms: Switch, Steam, iOS
Players: 1

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Retro-inspired platformer on Switch? Go on...

​From the charming 8-bit visuals to the simplistic controls, Venture Kid is a game that harks back to the NES era, taking a hefty dose of inspiration from classic titles like the original Mega Man.

Whilst it may feel a bit basic by today’s standards, a catchy soundtrack and tight gameplay more than make up for the lack of frills as you try to help Andy on his way to victory.

Andy? Who’s Andy?

​He’s the titular Venture Kid, of course! At least, that’s what we gleaned from the rather short and confusing opening cinematic.

Don’t concern yourself too much with the story, all you need to know is bad guy done bad and you’re out to stop him with your radical platforming skills.

Fair enough. Who’s the big bad, though?

A bloke waiting for you in his space fortress, but you’ll need to beat eight other diverse levels and their bosses before the final showdown, which is no mean feat.

Both levels and boss fights start off relatively easy, but there are more than a few in the mix capable of inducing controller-chucking rage!

Eek! Sounds frustrating.

​Don’t worry too much, as after every victory you’re given a new toy to aid in your quest, and perks such as extra lives or additional hearts can be purchased at any point (except during boss fights) using orbs collected within levels.

Would you recommend it, then?

​Yeah. It’s pretty short, taking us just over two hours to reach the final level, but hidden collectables and additional Switch-exclusive modes (Survival and Boss Rush) offer some extra staying power.

Venture Kid is also cheap as chips at £8.99, and potentially even cheaper if you already own an FDG staple in Blossom Tales: The Sleeping King, Oceanhorn or Monster Boy and the Cursed Kingdom.