Annalynn is a 2D platformer made in the style of arcade games from the early '80s. Collect the coins, grab the bonus foods, and turn the tables with blinding rubies! Think you've got what it takes to go for the high score?
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Traditional Arcade styled kinda remix of classic Pac-Man as a platformer.
I don't think Annalynn's formula works all that well in comparison, my main issue being with the snakes (ghost equivalent). They can very often be off-screen so it's hard to track them and they have really erratic behavior, sometimes instantly turning around when you're following them to kill you but most frustrating being going through doors and popping up just on top of you. It really makes the game a lot more frustrating that it needed to be and not what I'd expect from an arcade game that shouldn't have any incentive to empty your wallet with cheap deaths.
I don't think Annalynn's formula works all that well in comparison, my main issue being with the snakes (ghost equivalent). They can very often be off-screen so it's hard to track them and they have really erratic behavior, sometimes instantly turning around when you're following them to kill you but most frustrating being going through doors and popping up just on top of you. It really makes the game a lot more frustrating that it needed to be and not what I'd expect from an arcade game that shouldn't have any incentive to empty your wallet with cheap deaths.
Probably one of the smoothest and most fun indie games I've played in a good while; it's like a synthetic blend of Pac-Man and platforming. It explores a bunch of unique concepts while retaining the classic Namco arcade feel to the point where it genuinely feels like something that'd come out of Namco themselves. High recommend if you're looking for a Namco-inspired experience!
Annalynn has got to be one of my favorite games to come out this decade; possibly ever. However, when I last reviewed this game on my friend’s Discord server, I feel like I didn’t really do the game justice. I mean, I barely even described what I liked about the game. So, on a whim, I decided to reinstall Annalynn on my Switch, not only so that I could finally 1CC the game, but also to give myself a chance to re-review the game.
Annalynn is a game that’s meant to pay homage to 80s 8-bit arcade games, and as someone who’s a huge fan of games like Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga, I can confirm that Annalynn nails these games’ style perfectly, both in terms of art-style and gameplay. But even without being inspired by Namco games, Annalynn’s level design is still incredibly well designed. The game starts out simple enough, with you just needing to collect all of the coins in each level while avoiding the snakes that try to attack you, but as the game goes on it starts adding setpieces to the levels that really help them stand out and are used incredibly well. And while the game is really difficult (ESPECIALLY if you’re going for a 1CC), it’s also fair. If you die at any point, it’s still your own fault, and the game heavily incentivizes you to learn how to better route its levels and use the stage gimmicks, which makes 1CC-ing the game SO damn satisfying once you finally pull it off.
Annalynn is overall a really fun game that does challenge insanely well, but it’s also got a ton of love poured into it. The references to other arcade games made at the time like the ropes from Donkey Kong Jr. show that the dev team had a lot of appreciation for these kinds of games. There’s also a lot of really cool little details to the gameplay that you wouldn’t notice unless you really think about it. Like, Annalynn allows you the ability to perfect all of the levels by hitting all of the snakes, getting the bonus, and not dying, which grants you 10,000 extra points and is a great incentive for replayability. Well, if you Perfect the first round, you’re guaranteed an Extra life, and by perfecting the first 3 rounds, you’re guaranteed another. Like, it’s not mind-blowing, but things like these are really neat and show that a ton of thought and care went into this game.
Speaking of replayability, for a $5 game, there’s a really surprising amount of content. For beating the game, you get a random mode which puts all the levels in random order and gives you access to power-ups and minecart levels. You also get a set amount of achievements to clear, even in the Switch version, and these are also satisfying to go after. There are also palette swaps to give Annalynn as well, earned in a similar way to beating the achievements. The point is, there’s a lot of incentive to come back to this game if the fantastic gameplay already isn’t enough. And for only $5? I gotta say that’s a great deal.
In case you couldn’t tell, I absolutely adore nearly everything about Annalynn. In fact, I think it’s a 10/10 game. Yes, I’m serious. Now, it’s not PERFECT, I mean, no game is. But any reason I’d have to criticize the game would be so minor that it’s really not even worth going over in the grand scheme of things. At that point, I’d just be doing a ton of nitpicking. And for what Annalynn’s trying to go for, being a simple, fun, challenging yet rewarding platformer harking back to 80s arcade games, I think it does so with flying colors. I don’t think Annalynn’s a 10/10 game because it’s the pinnacle of gaming. I think Annalynn’s a 10/10 because if you love Namco-style arcade games, or even platformers in general, I legitimately think you’re missing out if you decide not to play this. So overall, I couldn’t recommend Annalynn enough. Definitely check it out, even if only for a little bit.
Annalynn is a game that’s meant to pay homage to 80s 8-bit arcade games, and as someone who’s a huge fan of games like Pac-Man, Dig-Dug, and Galaga, I can confirm that Annalynn nails these games’ style perfectly, both in terms of art-style and gameplay. But even without being inspired by Namco games, Annalynn’s level design is still incredibly well designed. The game starts out simple enough, with you just needing to collect all of the coins in each level while avoiding the snakes that try to attack you, but as the game goes on it starts adding setpieces to the levels that really help them stand out and are used incredibly well. And while the game is really difficult (ESPECIALLY if you’re going for a 1CC), it’s also fair. If you die at any point, it’s still your own fault, and the game heavily incentivizes you to learn how to better route its levels and use the stage gimmicks, which makes 1CC-ing the game SO damn satisfying once you finally pull it off.
Annalynn is overall a really fun game that does challenge insanely well, but it’s also got a ton of love poured into it. The references to other arcade games made at the time like the ropes from Donkey Kong Jr. show that the dev team had a lot of appreciation for these kinds of games. There’s also a lot of really cool little details to the gameplay that you wouldn’t notice unless you really think about it. Like, Annalynn allows you the ability to perfect all of the levels by hitting all of the snakes, getting the bonus, and not dying, which grants you 10,000 extra points and is a great incentive for replayability. Well, if you Perfect the first round, you’re guaranteed an Extra life, and by perfecting the first 3 rounds, you’re guaranteed another. Like, it’s not mind-blowing, but things like these are really neat and show that a ton of thought and care went into this game.
Speaking of replayability, for a $5 game, there’s a really surprising amount of content. For beating the game, you get a random mode which puts all the levels in random order and gives you access to power-ups and minecart levels. You also get a set amount of achievements to clear, even in the Switch version, and these are also satisfying to go after. There are also palette swaps to give Annalynn as well, earned in a similar way to beating the achievements. The point is, there’s a lot of incentive to come back to this game if the fantastic gameplay already isn’t enough. And for only $5? I gotta say that’s a great deal.
In case you couldn’t tell, I absolutely adore nearly everything about Annalynn. In fact, I think it’s a 10/10 game. Yes, I’m serious. Now, it’s not PERFECT, I mean, no game is. But any reason I’d have to criticize the game would be so minor that it’s really not even worth going over in the grand scheme of things. At that point, I’d just be doing a ton of nitpicking. And for what Annalynn’s trying to go for, being a simple, fun, challenging yet rewarding platformer harking back to 80s arcade games, I think it does so with flying colors. I don’t think Annalynn’s a 10/10 game because it’s the pinnacle of gaming. I think Annalynn’s a 10/10 because if you love Namco-style arcade games, or even platformers in general, I legitimately think you’re missing out if you decide not to play this. So overall, I couldn’t recommend Annalynn enough. Definitely check it out, even if only for a little bit.
So the snakes are attracted to miners? Chris Hansen?
I can't believe the Cobrats from Super Mario Bros. 2 got their own game.
I wasn't expecting much from this, knowing that it's an inexpensive arcade-style game with pixelated art.
It's great. Annalynn is a great game. The amount of love poured into the creation of this thing is obvious, and it handles the idea of "what if Pac-Man was a platforming game" incredibly well.
It's also really dang hard. However, when you run out of lives you're given the option to continue playing at the cost of cutting your score in half.
Really good stuff, incredibly pleasant surprise.
Funny snakes.
It's great. Annalynn is a great game. The amount of love poured into the creation of this thing is obvious, and it handles the idea of "what if Pac-Man was a platforming game" incredibly well.
It's also really dang hard. However, when you run out of lives you're given the option to continue playing at the cost of cutting your score in half.
Really good stuff, incredibly pleasant surprise.
Funny snakes.