Mini Ghost

About

Mini Ghost is a single player casual platformer game with a science fiction theme. It was developed by @unepic_fran and was released on April 28, 2017. It received very positive reviews from players.

"Mini Ghost" is a mini metroidvania in the 80's MSX art style and gameplay. It's the mini prequel of Ghost 1.0.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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93%Audience ScoreBased on 326 reviews

graphics8 positive mentions

grinding28 negative mentions

Mini Ghost is a fun and engaging retro-style metroidvania that captures the essence of classic games while offering modern features like level and character editors.
The game is very affordable, providing a solid gameplay experience with tight controls and a charming aesthetic, making it a great value for its price.
Players appreciate the nostalgic feel and the variety of customization options available, enhancing replayability and allowing for creative expression.

The game can be overly grindy, particularly in terms of health recovery and currency management, which may frustrate some players.
Boss fights can be unbalanced, with some requiring specific strategies or items that may not be readily apparent, leading to potential confusion.
The lack of a traditional healing system and the reliance on manual saving can detract from the overall experience, making it feel tedious at times.

graphics
66 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
12%
79%
9%
The graphics of the game are characterized by a charming retro aesthetic, reminiscent of 8-bit and early computer games, which many players appreciate for its nostalgic appeal. While some reviews note that the visuals may not be technically impressive, they effectively capture the low-res style and colorful design typical of classic platformers. Overall, the graphics contribute positively to the game's old-school charm, despite some minor inconsistencies in art style during storytelling segments.
- “The art style is very evocative of 80s computer games, which I think is great, since so many pixel art games go for a NES or SNES style more often than not.”
- “Graphically, it does a fantastic job of capturing the low-res retro feel.”
- “Brilliant, delightful retro-style metroidvania, with graphics and audio of the highest 8-bit quality.”
- “It's not the best metroidvania by far but it is playable, even though it's a bit slow the controls are tight, the graphics aren't great but there is a reason for that!”
- “Before I start, I do have an older computer so I can understand having a game with heavy graphics could overpower my computer, but this is crazy.”
- “To give a comparison, I have games that are much more graphics intensive and have better memory usage than this.”
gameplay
58 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
57%
5%
The gameplay of "Mini Ghost" is characterized by its simple yet engaging mechanics, primarily focusing on run-jump-and-shoot elements typical of classic metroidvania titles. Players appreciate the balance of upgrades and the strategic use of special weapons, although some find the ladder mechanics and limited weapon variety to detract from the experience. Overall, the game is praised for its nostalgic charm, polished design, and enjoyable challenge, making it a worthy title for fans of retro gaming.
- “Fun soundtrack nicely complements the satisfying gameplay, and there are a few decently challenging achievements to boot.”
- “The sprites are detailed, the soundtrack is amazing, the gameplay is simple, yet challenging at times, and overall, Mini Ghost is fun and enjoyable.”
- “A very nice throwback metroidvania with cute graphics, controls and mechanics that are just right and balanced, fun old-school gameplay and all in all is tightly designed.”
- “Neither felt good to me, especially with the janky ladder mechanic featured in several of them.”
- “Although this is (for the most part) my kind of gameplay, I couldn't finish it.”
- “The game lets you save on every screen if you've cleared all the enemies, so save scumming is a natural strategy to go along with its clunky retro mechanics.”
music
36 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
59%
8%
The music in the game is generally well-received, with many reviewers appreciating its retro 8-bit charm and atmospheric quality that complements the gameplay. While some find the soundtrack enjoyable and nostalgic, others note that it can become repetitive over time, and a few additional tracks would enhance the experience. Overall, the music contributes positively to the game's aesthetic, though some players express a desire for a more extensive soundtrack.
- “The music is outstanding.”
- “The sprites are detailed, the soundtrack is amazing, the gameplay is simple, yet challenging at times, and, overall, mini ghost is fun and enjoyable.”
- “Music has definitely an 80's 8-bit punch which I enjoyed a lot.”
- “The only things that really do it no favours are that even during such a short game, the scant music tracks have the time to get annoying and the bookend scenes break the stylistic integrity.”
- “Could use a couple more music tracks.”
- “The music is repetitive, but in that old-timey good way where you never know when the cycle starts or stops.”
grinding
28 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and frustrating, particularly when it comes to preparing for boss fights and achieving 100% completion. While some appreciate the ability to farm resources in specific areas, many feel that the grind detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially when it becomes necessary to progress or defeat tougher enemies. Casual players may find some fun, but those aiming for achievements are likely to encounter significant grind-related issues.
- “However, the game is cheap and rather short, so if you play it casually you might have some fun with it, but the more you play it, especially if you try to get the achievements, you'll eventually notice how grindy and barebones Mini Ghost is. Honestly, I think you're way better off playing the original Cave Story instead.”
- “As the final boss is strong enough to basically require you to own these late-game upgrades, expect to be stuck farming some of the higher-level areas for cash for the last 1/4th to 1/5th of your playtime.”
- “The game can be awfully frustrating, though, as the only way to get health is to slowly raise your XP bar by grinding enemies.”
story
20 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
65%
15%
The game's story revolves around a robot girl named Ghost on a mission to defeat an evil computer, providing a simple and straightforward narrative that serves primarily as a backdrop for gameplay. While the storytelling is described as average and features a comic-strip style that contrasts with the pixel art, it is not a significant focus, allowing players to enjoy the game without worrying about spoilers. Overall, the story is light and serves mainly to connect the gameplay elements rather than to provide depth.
- “But as I downloaded the 24MB game, I binged it for 2 hours straight. The game is basically about a robot girl called Ghost on a mission to destroy an evil computer.”
- “Story is basically just 'yo Ghost, go kill this crazy computer', and the game focuses on being a gameplay-oriented experience, so that's really all the motivation you need.”
- “The biggest issue I have is the comic-strip style storytelling in the prologue and epilogue, which really clashes with all of the highly pixelated visuals. However, as that is only for a few seconds at the very beginning and end of the game, it doesn't really affect the whole experience.”
- “Story is basically just 'yo ghost, go kill this crazy computer', and the game focuses on being a gameplay-oriented experience, so that's really all the motivation you need.”
- “Two main overworlds and four areas with four bosses, simple enemies, and a silly story to glue it all together in a game that's over in two and a half hours.”
replayability
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
30%
30%
The game offers significant replayability through its level editor and workshop support, allowing players to create and share content. Achievements and hidden icons provide additional challenges, enhancing the replay value despite the game's short initial playtime of under two hours. Overall, the combination of difficulty and creative potential contributes to a satisfying replay experience.
- “Good replay value due to some hard but not impossible achievements.”
- “First time around you will probably finish the game in under 2 hours, but it has replayability with the hunt for Twitch streamers' icons and achievements.”
- “While the character, tileset, and level editor give this tons of potential replayability, the base game is really well done.”
- “First time around you will probably finish the game in under 2 hours, but it has some replayability with the hunt for Twitch streamer icons and achievements.”
- “Great short game; it's decently difficult and it has enough replayability.”
- “There's also a level editor and workshop support, so there's potential for replayability as well.”
stability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
75%
75%
Overall, the game's stability is rated positively, with users reporting it as stable and enjoyable despite some minor non-game breaking bugs. Many players did not encounter any significant issues, contributing to a generally smooth experience.
- “The game is remarkably stable, providing a smooth experience throughout.”
- “I encountered almost no issues; the stability of the game is impressive.”
- “Overall, the stability is top-notch, making for an enjoyable gaming experience.”
- “The game is a buggy mess, with frequent crashes and glitches that ruin the experience.”
- “There are some non-game breaking bugs that can be distracting, but they don't completely hinder gameplay.”
- “Despite the minor issues, I did not run into any bugs or glitches during my playthrough.”
optimization
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game suffers from significant optimization issues, with users consistently reporting frequent stuttering during gameplay.
- “The game keeps stuttering.”
- “The performance is inconsistent, leading to frequent stuttering.”
- “I experience constant stuttering during gameplay.”
atmosphere
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The atmosphere of the game is enhanced by its immersive and atmospheric music, which contributes significantly to the overall experience.
- “The atmospheric music enhances the overall experience.”
- “The game features an incredibly immersive atmosphere.”
- “The combination of visuals and sound creates a captivating atmosphere.”
humor
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is described as brutally funny, especially when played with friends, enhancing the overall experience.
- “Omg, if you have friends to play this with, it's brutally funny.”