Amazing Princess Sarah
- August 18, 2014
- Haruneko Entertainment
- 1h median play time
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.
Get on Steam"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.
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Reviews
- Engaging gameplay with a unique mechanic of throwing defeated enemies, adding strategy to combat.
- Nostalgic retro graphics and music reminiscent of classic platformers, appealing to fans of the genre.
- Multiple New Game Plus modes provide replayability and varied challenges, keeping the experience fresh.
- Controls can feel sluggish and unresponsive, leading to frustrating gameplay moments.
- Level design often feels repetitive, with limited enemy variety and some cheap difficulty spikes.
- The game lacks a compelling story and character development, making it feel shallow despite its fun mechanics.
- gameplay44 mentions
- 34 % positive mentions
- 59 % neutral mentions
- 7 % negative mentions
The gameplay is a mixed bag, featuring an interesting core mechanic of throwing enemies and objects that adds a unique twist, but is often marred by awkward controls and repetitive enemy encounters. While some players appreciate the engaging visuals and music, many find the overall experience tedious and frustrating due to unpolished mechanics and a lack of variety. Despite its challenges, the game offers a sense of replayability through new game plus modes and a casual play style, appealing to those who enjoy a more punishing challenge.
“I like the throwing mechanic; it definitely made the game different.”
“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 that makes for a very engaging game that you can play casually in a few minutes per session or in big chunks of time.”
“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.”
“However, due to the same enemies appearing over and over, and there not really being any sort of mechanics besides 'throw foes, hit switches, jump on platforms', this game is pretty dull.”
“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.”
- music28 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players praising its charm and ability to enhance the atmosphere, while others find it generic or irritating, particularly due to issues like poor looping. Many appreciate the soundtrack's nostalgic quality reminiscent of classic 16-bit games, though some feel it lacks variety and can detract from immersion. Overall, while the music has its highlights, it is often overshadowed by gameplay and technical concerns.
“The soundtrack is excellent, easily up to SNES-par, but the sound effects are okay-but-not-great.”
“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.”
“Everything from the music to the gameplay is truly well done.”
“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).”
“Also terrible music looping (and terrible music).”
“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.”
- graphics22 mentions
- 59 % positive mentions
- 27 % neutral mentions
- 14 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game are generally appreciated for their nostalgic, retro style reminiscent of 16-bit and early 90s visuals, with colorful sprites and a charming aesthetic. However, some reviews note a lack of detail and re-used assets, leading to a mixed reception overall. While the visuals are deemed enjoyable and fitting for the game's theme, they are not the primary draw, with some players suggesting improvements could enhance the experience.
“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.”
“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.”
“The graphics are nothing special.”
- story10 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 30 % negative mentions
The game's story is generally perceived as minimal or poorly developed, with many reviewers noting it feels tacked on or lacking depth. While some players appreciate the moral themes and find enjoyment in the gameplay despite the weak narrative, others express frustration over the absence of a compelling storyline or character development. Overall, the focus seems to be more on gameplay mechanics than on delivering a meaningful story.
“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.”
“They could have put in some story and given the character something that makes them an actual character, but they felt making moving pixel tits more important.”
“Controls are 'kind of' sluggish and the story is almost non-existent.”
“The game's story felt tacked on.”
“There's not much of a story to speak of; the game is just pure clean (or maybe dirty) fun!”
- replayability5 mentions
- 60 % positive mentions
- -20 % neutral mentions
- 60 % negative mentions
The game offers notable replayability through its New Game Plus modes, which introduce new mechanics and humor, enhancing the experience for players. However, some users caution that while these modes provide additional content, they may also lead to boredom over time. Overall, players can expect a decent level of replay value, especially after completing the game initially.
“The new game plus modes add depth and humor, making for a great sense of replayability with just a few mechanic changes.”
“There is some replayability as when you beat it the first time, you unlock a new game plus (NG+) mode.”
“There's a lot 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.”
- humor5 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
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 at that 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.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
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 are primarily tied to game progression 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.”
- character development2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is criticized for being minimal and linear, with a lack of meaningful progression or power-ups, overshadowed by outdated character designs reminiscent of retro anime styles.
“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.”
- stability2 mentions
- 150 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
Overall, the game is generally stable and enjoyable, with fun boss battles and good music. However, there are 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.”
- emotional2 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted through its portrayal of vulnerability and helplessness, as players navigate challenging scenarios that evoke feelings of being trapped or exposed. The platforming mechanics enhance this experience, creating a sense of tension and urgency as players must carefully manage their movements in a dynamic environment.
- atmosphere1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere is enhanced by a mix of enjoyable tracks, with one notably reminiscent of a popular band's song, contributing to the overall immersive experience at different moments in 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 environment and adding depth to the atmosphere.”
“The atmospheric elements, from the ambient sounds to the haunting melodies, truly transport you into the game's world.”
