Amazing Princess Sarah

Amazing Princess Sarah is a good retro platformer, of that there is no doubt. There's also plenty to do, although the nature of the implementation means that some will feel that it crosses the line into repetitiveness. It would have taken longer in development of course, but if the game had 30 levels in play as opposed to five levels repeated six times with slightly different character parameters, the developers would have been onto a surefire winner. As it stands though, Amazing Princess Sarah still has the ability to hook you and is enjoyable enough for the price.

67%Game Brain Score

gameplay, music

story, replayability

67% User Score Based on 148 reviews

Critic Score 60%Based on 1 reviews

Platforms

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About

"Amazing Princess Sarah" is a 2D side-scrolling action game featuring pixel art style. Princess Sarah must fight her way through various stages to defeat the evil dragon that has kidnapped her father. With tight controls and challenging gameplay, players will face numerous enemies and boss battles in this nostalgic platformer.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

67%

Audience ScoreBased on 148 reviews

gameplay16 positive mentions

grinding5 negative mentions

The game features a fun and unique mechanic of picking up and throwing enemies, which adds a strategic layer to combat.
The retro-style graphics and soundtrack evoke nostalgia for classic platformers, reminiscent of games like Super Mario Bros. 2 and Castlevania.
The game offers a variety of New Game+ modes that provide additional challenges and replayability after completing the main story.

The controls can feel clunky and unresponsive at times, leading to frustrating gameplay experiences.
The level design can be repetitive and some enemy placements feel cheap, making certain sections overly difficult.
Some players have reported technical issues, such as crashes and graphical glitches, particularly on AMD graphics cards.

gameplay
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
31%
63%
6%
The gameplay is centered around a unique mechanic of throwing defeated enemies, which adds a layer of strategy and engagement, though it can feel unpolished and tedious at times. While the visuals and music are praised, many players find the overall experience to be a mix of enjoyable and frustrating, with some mechanics feeling awkward and the level design conflicting with the core gameplay. Despite its challenges, the game offers replayability through new game plus modes, but the repetitive nature of enemies and controls can detract from the fun.
- “This is the game's primary mechanic and it works great because different downed enemies have different behaviors when thrown.”
- “It's a simple but fun mechanic which makes for a very engaging game that you can play casually in a few minutes per session or in big chunks of time.”
- “Additionally to a handful of levels ever increasing in difficulty, there are several new game plus modes that alter gameplay in interesting ways and change up the flow of the game.”
- “Gameplay itself is so-so and on the higher end of tedious: Sarah (the one you play as) is constantly being swarmed by enemies, who clip through walls, and have extended hit boxes.”
- “The gameplay seems to be designed around playing for a very small amount of time and then dying, and then repeating that about a thousand times.”
- “While the graphics are quite nice and remind me of the SNES days, and the music is really well done, the gameplay kind of brings itself to be rather lackluster, and the mechanics involved feel a little unpolished.”
music
39 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and atmospheric, particularly during boss battles, while others find it generic or lacking in memorability. Several users noted issues with music looping and the absence of tracks during certain game moments, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, while the soundtrack has its highlights, it often fails to leave a lasting impression.
- “The soundtrack and effects are quite decent, and sure do keep you pumped during your playthrough.”
- “The game is 16-bit graphics intentionally with a fantastic soundtrack and sound effects.”
- “The music in Amazing Princess Sarah is charming enough, with ambient tunes playing while you explore various environments, and the soundtrack kicks it up to more rockin' tunes when battling it out with a boss.”
- “The music is inoffensive but not particularly noteworthy (although I admit I played much of the game with the volume low while YouTube videos played in the background).”
- “The soundtrack is some awful generic guitar that, even though I love rock and metal, just gets so irritating after a short time that it makes it even harder to keep playing this game.”
- “The music is, unfortunately, also nothing to write home about and feels generic.”
graphics
31 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
39%
10%
The graphics of the game evoke a nostalgic 16-bit aesthetic, appealing to fans of retro visuals with colorful sprites and a charming art style. While many appreciate the simplicity and nostalgic feel, some critiques highlight a lack of detail and overused sprite designs, suggesting that the graphics, though enjoyable, do not stand out compared to other titles in the genre. Overall, the visuals are considered adequate for the game's purpose, though they may not impress those seeking more modern graphical fidelity.
- “I love the art style and the feel of the game.”
- “The game is 16-bit graphics intentionally with a fantastic soundtrack and sound effects.”
- “This is one of the hardest and most fun platformers I have ever played; the graphics are amazing for the 16/32-bit style it tries to replicate.”
- “The graphics are a mixed bag; the sprites are very colorful, but not very detailed most of the time.”
- “"Highly detailed pixel-art graphics" is just not really close to correct, as you can see from the screenshots, but graphics are fine.”
- “Here's why: terrible graphics and sound effects (even for an indie game), terrible misplacing of enemies and interactable objects, dumb leveling up system, disproportionality of enemy difficulty.”
story
13 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
23%
54%
23%
The story centers on a princess tasked with rescuing her father from demonic forces, but many reviews criticize it as minimal and poorly developed, often feeling tacked on or forgettable. While some players appreciate the moral themes and simple cutscenes, others find the narrative lacking depth and coherence, suggesting that gameplay takes precedence over storytelling. Overall, the story is seen as a secondary element in a game primarily focused on platforming challenges.
- “The story follows a princess who must save her father, the king, from demonic forces.”
- “Moral of the story: you never know what life has in store for you, and if I had given up when all odds were against me, I wouldn't be where I am today.”
- “This is an awesome game, the story so far is great.”
- “Controls are 'kind of' sluggish and the story is almost non-existent.”
- “The (forgettable) story is told without words through simple cutscenes.”
- “The game's story felt tacked on.”
replayability
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
60%
60%
The game offers notable replayability through its New Game Plus modes, which introduce mechanic changes and additional content that can enhance the experience. However, some players caution that the novelty may wear off over time, leading to potential boredom despite the extra modes available after completing the game.
- “The new game plus modes add depth and developer humor, rehashing the entire game with a few mechanic changes that create a great sense of replayability.”
- “There is some replayability to this game, as beating it the first time unlocks a new game plus (NG+) mode.”
- “There is lots of replay value in the new game plus modes.”
- “There is some replayability to this as when you beat it the first time around, you unlock a new game + (NG+) mode.”
- “Plus, there are extra game modes once you beat the game, so there's... I guess replayability.”
- “Lots of replay value in the new game+ modes.”
humor
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is characterized as silly and light-hearted, providing a comedic relief that helps players cope with frustrating level designs. While some aspects may feel repetitive, the overall tone elicits genuine laughter and enjoyment, making it a fun experience despite its challenges.
- “It's not evocative, it's not racy, it's not offensive, it's actually just silly and a bit comical, which is good because it keeps you laughing instead of raging at the terrible level design.”
- “The game itself is also quite humorous and got a couple of giggles out of me.”
- “It's a fun and funny little game.”
grinding
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, with poor controls and overwhelming enemy encounters contributing to a lackluster experience. While some appreciate that achievements primarily involve progressing through the game rather than excessive farming, the overall gameplay is still seen as monotonous and unengaging.
- “Gameplay itself is so-so and on the higher end of tedious: Sarah (the one you play as) is constantly being swarmed by enemies, who clip through walls and have extended hitboxes.”
- “I laughed so hard I almost forgot how tedious and unfun this was at this point.”
- “Poor controls, tedious levels, and bosses.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players express frustration with the emotional impact of gameplay mechanics, particularly regarding the feeling of helplessness when facing unfair challenges, such as being pushed back by water currents during jumps. This sense of vulnerability is heightened by the game's platforming elements, which can lead to cheap hits and deaths, creating a mix of emotional tension and annoyance.
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
150%
Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal, with a linear and short storyline that lacks meaningful progression or power-ups, overshadowed by outdated character designs and excessive fan service.
- “It's extremely linear and short, with no real power-ups or character development.”
- “The characters feel one-dimensional and lack meaningful growth throughout the game.”
- “There are minimal choices that affect character progression, making it feel stagnant.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
150%
50%
Overall, the game is generally stable and enjoyable, with fun boss battles and good music. However, there are some notable bugs, particularly with the knight's head animation in castle 5, which can detract from the experience.
- “The game runs smoothly without any glitches, making for a seamless experience.”
- “I appreciate how stable the gameplay is; I haven't encountered any crashes or major bugs.”
- “The controls are responsive and reliable, which adds to the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “The head animation from the knight in Castle 5 is buggy; it starts flying back even when the player is picking it up, and then it teleports back to the player. A second head drops down even after the boss is defeated if it is defeated while throwing the head.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere is enhanced by a mix of enjoyable tracks, with one song notably reminiscent of a well-known band, contributing to a varied and engaging auditory experience throughout the game.
- “The music in the game creates an immersive atmosphere that draws you in and enhances the overall experience.”
- “The sound design is exceptional, with each track perfectly complementing the game's mood and setting.”
- “The ambient sounds and music work together to create a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that lingers long after playing.”