Kero Blaster

Kero Blaster

released on May 11, 2014

Kero Blaster

released on May 11, 2014

Kero Blaster is a platform video game created by Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya. It was released in 2014 for PC and iOS and is the first major project of Pixel since Cave Story in 2004. The game lays a heavy emphasis on shooting and got positive reviews on both platforms. A short, free demo titled Pink Hour has been available since a month before the full game's release. In Kero Blaster, the player controls a frog working for Cat & Frog, a teleporter company. Armed with a peashooter, he has to clean the teleporters of strange black monsters. The player has to work their way through a series of linear stages, by means of running, gunning and jumping. USGamer described the gameplay as "akin to ... Contra or old-school, pre-Symphony of the Night Castlevanias." Furthermore, the game is controlled by changing direction, jumping, firing your weapon and changing your weapon. Holding down the fire button continues to fire in the direction you were facing when you started shooting.


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Successor (or not) to Cave Story, Kero Blaster goes against what one might expect from a sequel: the storytelling simplifies, transitioning from a semi-open metroidvania format to a linear game, and the lifespan is half as short. Yet, this shift isn't truly a subtraction but a refinement. Kero Blaster is much more enjoyable to play than Cave Story: the physics, the gameplay, the progression, the enemies, the weapons, etc... all come together in an organic and thoughtful manner. Instead of indulging in the grandiosity of levels and storytelling, it seems Daisuke Amaya worked on his game like a miniature.

Many somewhat pompous terms from me for a game that's essentially fun from start to finish. I'm really a fan of the difficulty progression: if you're stuck in a tough passage, you keep accumulating gold coins which grant access to extra lives and other upgrades. Even in defeat, you make progress.

A great "small" game to absolutely experience.

Neat little run-n-gun, with a bit more focus on the platforming compared to other run-n-gun games. All the weapons are fun to use, and the game makes great use of all of them. It’s got a very charming style, and a nice, simple story with a well-communicated point. The unlockable hard mode that dramatically redesigns every level in the game is genius. It feels more like an expansion or a sequel than a simple change in difficulty. However, the real star here is the level design. Daisuke Amaya freed himself of level design duties, leaving that responsibility to Kiyoko Kanekawa, and it shows. It’s simple, but everything that should be conveyed to the player in a game like this, is done masterfully.

One of my favourite games I’ve played in the last couple years. I believe it’s quite cheap as well, so give it a shot.

Kero Blaster is a short and sweet experience that carries the passion of Japanese indie games. Each gun in the game has different uses and feels fun to use. This also works with the different stages you go through as some guns are better in other areas. The story is also interesting enough to make you want to keep going, but most of the meat is in the gameplay. The game was pretty fun to go through and I say it's a worthwhile experience.

The gameplay was meh and I didn't like the presentation as much as Cave Story's. A real letdown.