Battle Princess Madelyn

Beautiful visually and pleasing on the ears, Battle Princess Madelyn could have been much more. Unfortunately, it is bogged down by poor design choices and mechanics that need a more modern touch.

80%Game Brain Score

story, music

grinding, stability

80% User Score Based on 69 reviews

Critic Score 67%Based on 23 reviews

Platforms

Buy Nowfrom $19.99

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About

Battle Princess Madelyn is a gorgeous side-scrolling action-adventure game, inspired by the classics. Play as Princess Madelyn in her quest to save her kingdom from evil forces, with her ghostly canine companion, Fritzy. Fight enemies, bosses, and explore various levels with multiple routes and hidden secrets to uncover.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

+30

80%

Audience ScoreBased on 69 reviews

story10 positive mentions

grinding2 negative mentions

The game features beautiful pixel art and a fantastic soundtrack that enhances the overall experience.
Gameplay is tight and responsive, providing a nostalgic feel reminiscent of classic titles like Ghouls 'n Ghosts.
The developers are actively listening to community feedback and have made improvements, making it a promising title for fans of the genre.

Level design is often confusing, leading to aimless wandering and frustrating 'leaps of faith' that can result in instant deaths.
The game suffers from technical issues, including unresponsive controls and a lack of polish in certain mechanics.
There is a significant lack of direction in the story mode, making it easy to get lost and miss important objectives.

story
49 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
73%
6%
The game's story mode presents a classic hero's journey featuring Princess Madelyn on a quest to save her family and avenge her dog, infused with a nostalgic tone reminiscent of 80s and 90s fantasy. However, players have noted that the story mode can be confusing and poorly designed, with a lack of guidance and tracking for side missions, leading to a preference for the more straightforward arcade mode. Despite its flaws, the narrative is described as heartfelt and engaging, complemented by a beautiful soundtrack, making it a worthwhile experience for those who appreciate story-driven gameplay.
- “The story is heartfelt, the music is utterly beautiful, and the controls are pin sharp.”
- “There's a strong family theme and a dark-saccharine tone throughout the story mode in which NPCs often die, but always either return as a ghost or inhabit a new vessel, with the most prominent example being the heroine's own dog, whose ghost follows her everywhere and persistently makes himself useful.”
- “A straight playthrough of the wonderfully written story mode will take you a few hours on its own, even without scouring the levels for all of the hidden secrets and platforming challenges that are scattered throughout.”
- “The story is a by-the-numbers hero's journey about a warrior princess who has to save her family, kill the monsters plaguing her kingdom, and avenge the death of her dog.”
- “The inability to tweak volume is a bit of a pain - but nothing that adjusting the volume on my laptop itself can't fix, no way to tweak controls to suit my needs (which is being addressed, I hear) and no real sense of guidance in story mode - I get lost, forget what I was looking for repeatedly - which, a lot admittedly, is down to my terrible memory, but the game could really use a simple map and objective list/reminder.”
- “The story mode is completely different, with you starting off with only a spear, regular armor, and nothing else.”
music
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
46%
43%
11%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many reviewers praising the outstanding soundtrack that features both orchestral and chip-tune options, evoking nostalgia reminiscent of classic titles like "Undertale." While the audio quality is generally high, some players noted issues with sound effects lacking variety and volume control options, which detracted from the overall experience. Overall, the music is considered a highlight, enhancing the game's aesthetic and emotional impact.
- “The music is amazing in this game, reminds me of the good times I had listening to 'Undertale' music. Just for the soundtrack, you already must have this game.”
- “The soundtrack is also equally amazing and really takes you back to the era which the game mimics so well.”
- “There are two different soundtracks, orchestral and arcade, and it's impossible for me to recommend one over the other as both are very well made and a joy to listen to even outside of the game.”
- “Sound effects and story transitions feel incomplete; the way the soundtrack and attack sounds correlate feels off, as if the music plays louder than the attack sounds. The story and cut-scenes end suddenly and shift to the next place, making it feel unfinished.”
- “Sadly, the sound effects are very quiet (at least as far as I could tell on my system), and there’s no option to adjust the music and effects volumes independently.”
- “Other details, like the inability to change key mappings or separately adjust music and volume controls, make this feel just a tiny bit unpolished.”
graphics
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
37%
52%
11%
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with many praising the vibrant, crisp, and detailed pixel art reminiscent of the SNES era, showcasing a strong aesthetic appeal and well-designed characters. However, some players note technical flaws, such as confusing visual elements and unpolished mechanics that detract from the overall experience. While the visuals are often described as beautiful and nostalgic, issues with hit detection and level design can lead to frustration.
- “The graphics are bright and colorful, and it looks exactly like a SNES game.”
- “Gorgeous visuals - you can see the love that's been injected, pixel by pixel, in every scene, enemy, and boss encounter.”
- “Absolutely gorgeous 2D visuals, glorious orchestral soundtrack, and spot-on gameplay.”
- “Design overall is beautiful, very beautiful indeed, and the soundtrack is great as well, but with so many technical flaws about unpolished mechanics, random visual effects that pollute the screen, bad graphics, etc., this looks like it was the first game made by this developer.”
- “Some graphic elements are very confusing, which sometimes creates confusion about what elements the player can interact with and what is part of the background. For example, some ladders or platforms are part of the backdrop.”
- “I wanted to like this game; I really did. You see, I am a huge fan of Maldita Castilla, another Ghouls 'n Ghosts inspired game on Steam, and aesthetically this is just like that, full of perfect sprite work and art design. But under all that, the game itself is not great; its massive levels are easy to get lost in and really lack direction. I had no idea where I was meant to go in level 2.”
gameplay
26 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
42%
46%
12%
The gameplay of the game is a mixed bag, with some praising its tight controls, enjoyable mechanics, and retro-inspired design reminiscent of classics like Ghosts 'n Goblins, while others criticize its unpolished elements, technical flaws, and poorly implemented systems. Players appreciate the challenging yet fair platforming experience, but many express a desire for improvements in level design and clarity of mechanics. Overall, the game offers a visually appealing and engaging experience, albeit with notable issues that detract from its potential.
- “A great GNG clone with a wonderful art style and smooth gameplay.”
- “The controls are tight, and you're able to make precise jumps and movements to platform and avoid enemies and projectiles without any mechanical hiccups getting in the way.”
- “If you like tough but fair platforming, solid gameplay, and a fun story all while scratching that retro itch, this is the game for you.”
- “Everything (level design, gameplay mechanics, story, sounds, graphics) is badly designed in it.”
- “You can tell that whoever did the visuals had some love for the game, but the ones who came up with all the other elements of gameplay design wanted to finish it as soon as possible.”
- “This, coupled with the design of many stages, results in many instances of 'leap of faith' gameplay and tediously wearing down enemies beneath you because your projectiles vanish as soon as they reach the edge of the screen.”
grinding
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious, with levels often feeling like a slog and bosses presenting significant challenges. The design leads to frustrating 'leap of faith' moments and the limitation of projectiles disappearing off-screen contributes to a repetitive and wearisome experience of defeating enemies.
- “A bit of a slog; the levels can be tedious, and the bosses can be difficult to defeat.”
- “This, coupled with the design of many stages, results in many instances of 'leap of faith' gameplay and tediously wearing down enemies beneath you because your projectiles vanish as soon as they reach the edge of the screen.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Overall, the game's stability is generally good, with some users reporting minor bugs and animation glitches that can be distracting. While these issues have been addressed in updates, players still find occasional frustrations, particularly with navigation and progression.
- “Is a good game and really inspires onto classics, my only 2 issues would be the little bugs/animation glitches and also the way how the game pretty much is easily to not find what to do as I'm finding stuck myself on the second level. So far I am seeing this game to be played even more, but I have to say those 2 little issues kind of annoy me a bit.”
- “Some minor bugs and glitches which I think were already fixed.”
humor
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in BPM is well-received, with players appreciating its comedic elements and viewing it as a strong homage to the Ghosts 'n Goblins series.
- “BPM is a really funny game and a great homage to the G'n'G series.”
replayability
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
300%
Users highlight the game's strong replay value, indicating that it offers enough variety and engaging content to encourage multiple playthroughs. This aspect enhances the overall enjoyment and longevity of the game experience.
- “The game offers incredible replay value, with multiple endings and choices that significantly alter the story.”
- “Each playthrough feels fresh due to the diverse character builds and strategies you can explore.”
- “I love how the game encourages experimentation; every run can lead to a completely different experience.”
- “The game lacks significant replay value, making it feel like a one-time experience.”
- “Once you complete the main story, there’s little incentive to play again.”
- “The limited choices and outcomes mean that replaying the game feels redundant.”
emotional
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is praised for its heartfelt story and beautiful music, which together create a deeply emotional experience, complemented by precise controls that enhance player engagement.
- “The story is heartfelt, the music is utterly beautiful, and the controls are incredibly precise.”
atmosphere
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The atmosphere of the game is widely praised as exceptional, contributing significantly to the overall experience.
- “Just an all-around great atmosphere.”
- “The ambiance is incredibly immersive, drawing you into the game's world.”
- “Every detail contributes to a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere that keeps you engaged.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
While the reviews highlight the game's beautiful pixel art, character design, and overall aesthetic, they do not provide specific insights into the depth or progression of character development within the narrative.