pemsa

About

Pemsa is a cart runner for the famous PICO-8 fantasy console. We've included the classic games developed for this console, including Celeste, Slipways & Hug Arena.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

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

91%

Audience ScoreBased on 68 reviews

stability3 negative mentions

The game is a free collection of enjoyable PICO-8 games, providing great value for players looking for retro experiences.
Many of the included games are addictive and well-designed, with some standout titles like Celeste and Dank Tomb receiving particular praise.
The small download size and the ability to run custom carts enhance the overall experience, making it accessible and fun for players.

The graphics and overall aesthetic are criticized as being low-quality and reminiscent of poorly executed retro art.
Several games in the collection are outdated or buggy, leading to frustration and a lack of polish in the overall experience.
The controls can be cumbersome, particularly with menu navigation, and some games may not function properly, detracting from the enjoyment.

graphics
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
The graphics in the game have received mixed reviews, with some users criticizing the pixel art as "godawful" and reminiscent of lazy designs, while others appreciate the charm of the retro style, particularly in the standout game "Dank Tomb." Although the visuals may not appeal to everyone, they are considered decent for the pico-8 platform, despite some issues like flickering colors that could be distracting. Overall, the graphics are seen as a divisive aspect, with some players valuing gameplay over visual quality.
- “A collection of some great games, its art style reminds me of arcade games. For 6 MB, it's 100% worth it because it's a very well-made game.”
- “Dank Tomb: definitely the best game of the entire collection. This game could be an entire game just on its own. Graphically, it looks very good, even when compared to non Pico-8 games. It takes at least an hour to beat on a first playthrough, if not more, since I haven't beaten the game yet.”
- “The graphics are fairly good for Pico-8.”
- “This feature is really godawful, lazy pixel crap 'art' instead of real graphics.”
- “It's hard to say if this was because the developer didn't have the skill to create 3D visuals, or couldn't afford to hire someone who does, but it also doesn't matter.”
- “Games like Terraria and Stardew Valley succeeded despite the bad graphics, not because of them.”
stability
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The stability of the game collection is notably poor, with users reporting significant bugs, particularly on the Steam Deck. One game, Gar's Den, is especially problematic, freezing shortly after launch and affecting the entire collection. Overall, while the games are free and require minimal storage, the instability detracts from the experience.
- “Nice collection of Pico-8 games, but it’s a bit buggy on the Steam Deck.”
- “Pretty buggy, but otherwise costs no money and takes up very little storage.”
- “Gar's Den: This game is so bad, you can't even play it. I'm serious, after a few seconds of literally just booting the game up, an error message appears and freezes the game. Even worse, this affects the entire collection too!”
music
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
67%
100%
The music in the game is highly praised for its quality, often regarded as the best aspect of the collection, featuring a retro 8-bit style that complements the pixel art. However, it is noted that the soundtrack is limited, as the same tracks are recycled across all levels and the main menu.
- “It's a collection of Atari-looking games (most likely 8-bit Pico games), great retro pixel art, and proper good music. Fun different games, it doesn't have achievements but it's free.”
- “The music is really good, maybe even the best music in this whole collection. However, this is the only music in the game because it's all recycled for every level and the main menu.”
- “The music feels disjointed and doesn't match the game's theme.”
- “I found the soundtrack to be repetitive and uninspired.”
- “The audio quality is poor, making it hard to enjoy the music.”
optimization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The game's optimization has been criticized, with users reporting issues related to controls and overall performance, leading to a frustrating experience.
- “Sadly, I was struggling a lot with the controls and performance of the game.”
- “The optimization is severely lacking, leading to frequent frame drops and stuttering.”
- “I found the game to be poorly optimized, making it nearly unplayable on my system.”
gameplay
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The gameplay has been criticized for its repetitiveness and lack of engaging mechanics, with controls that are deemed adequate but insufficient to maintain interest beyond a short playtime.
- “I also just don't like the gameplay itself; it gets repetitive. The controls are alright: rotate the map with left and right, and make the ball fall faster with Z, X, and C. But that's not enough to save it when the gameplay becomes boring after 10 minutes.”
story
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
The story of the game is perceived as unclear and disjointed, with players noting a lack of coherent plot progression, primarily involving repetitive actions like kicking worms and encountering enemies with electric shields.
- “I have no idea what the plot of this game is. You just go around kicking worms, then you pick up a pistol, and suddenly you're facing guys with electric shields and guns.”
- “The story is completely disjointed and lacks any real coherence. It feels like a series of random events rather than a cohesive narrative.”
- “I found the storyline to be incredibly shallow and unengaging. There was no emotional investment or character development to keep me interested.”