Q-YO Blaster
- January 15, 2018
- TeamBlackHatRobot
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Get on itch.io Store"Q-YO Blaster" is a horizontal shoot 'em up game with a miniature world setting, featuring 10 stages of detailed 2D pixel art, local co-op, and various weapons, perks, and powers. Confront a variety of enemies, including challenging bosses, across different difficulty levels and CRT mode. Enjoy the rudeness and quirky characters in this unique shoot 'em up experience.
Nintendo Switch
PC
Playstation 4
Windows
Xbox One
PlayStation
Xbox
Reviews
- The game features stunning pixel art and smooth animations, reminiscent of high-quality retro games.
- It's accessible for newcomers to bullet hell games, allowing players to continue from where they died without restarting the entire stage.
- The variety of characters and abilities adds depth to the gameplay, making it enjoyable for fans of the genre.
- The story is nonsensical and poorly translated, which detracts from the overall experience.
- The game is relatively short, with main stages taking around 40 minutes to complete, which may leave some players wanting more content.
- Multiplayer functionality is lacking, as it does not support two players as advertised, limiting cooperative play options.
- graphics56 mentions
- 43 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive high praise for their vibrant and unique art style, reminiscent of classic titles like *Cuphead* and *Metal Slug*, featuring hand-drawn levels and colorful pixel animations. While many players appreciate the aesthetic and detailed scenery, some note that certain character designs can appear amateurish, and there are calls for a cleaner modern version of the retro graphics. Overall, the visuals are considered a standout feature, contributing significantly to the game's appeal despite some mixed opinions on execution.
“This game has one of the best aesthetic styles I've seen in any medium.”
“Gorgeous retro presentation and graphics.”
“A vivid and bold art style that pays homage to classics like Metal Slug and more modern games like Cuphead.”
“Although the graphics are intentionally 16-bit retro, I would really like a cleaner modern version.”
“There is also some filtering to pixelate the graphics, but for me it detracted a bit.”
“It is decidedly more amateurish than Cuphead in the graphics department for sure, but the creativity of the designs and overall feeling throughout was very enjoyable and the two are very different despite some surface similarities.”
- gameplay46 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 52 % neutral mentions
- 17 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Q-Yo Blaster" receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying its mechanics and overall fun factor, while others criticize its balance and certain design choices, such as the need to tap the fire button. The core mechanics, including a unique bullet transformation feature, are generally appreciated, but issues like hitbox inconsistencies and a lack of character customization are noted. Overall, while the game has enjoyable elements, it may not appeal to everyone, and some players suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing.
“The playability is very good and the game mechanics are well thought out and intuitive.”
“I actually really enjoy this game, from the art style to the gameplay itself, it's all very much enjoyable.”
“For a simple arcade shooter, Q-Yo Blaster has some amazing animation and awesome gameplay.”
“I do like the overall art style, but the story makes no sense at all, the characters feel completely random and out of place, and the gameplay itself just isn't that fun.”
“I personally don't like the gameplay.”
“I think it's short gameplay combined with a few minor issues such as hit and miss hitboxes and a lost in translation story; it might be a hold off till a sale if it is at full price.”
- story38 mentions
- 11 % positive mentions
- 79 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The story of the game is widely criticized for its incoherence and poor English translation, leaving many players confused and uninterested. While some find the absurdity and silliness of the narrative amusing, the overall presentation is deemed lacking, with characters feeling random and out of place. Despite the story's shortcomings, the game's vibrant pixel art and engaging gameplay elements are appreciated, though many suggest it may be better enjoyed on sale rather than at full price.
“The story is silly and fun, and the enemies and stages are weird (you're an intergalactic group of tiny androids, or something, led by a hamster that is chasing a meteor of doom being used by an insect army).”
“The story makes no sense (it feels like a parody) but the art is great and there is a large selection of characters.”
“Beautiful little horizontal scrolling arcade-style shmup, which costs very little money, is very short, and with a story that makes no sense (but probably wasn't meant to).”
“I do like the overall art style, but the story makes no sense at all. The characters feel completely random and out of place, and the gameplay itself just isn't that fun.”
“I was disappointed by the poor story presentation; it is too short for the price.”
“Another really bad thing is the English translation - I honestly could barely understand anything going on in the story.”
- music38 mentions
- 58 % positive mentions
- 34 % neutral mentions
- 8 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many praising its catchy and intense soundtrack that enhances the gameplay experience, particularly during boss fights. While some players find the music nostalgic and fitting for the retro aesthetic, others feel it lacks memorability after completing the game. Overall, the soundtrack is generally considered enjoyable and complements the game's vibrant graphics, though it may not stand out in the long term.
“Q-yo is a fun bullet-hell with a variety of characters to play, cool retro styling and a very addictive soundtrack.”
“The enemies are just as crazy, the backgrounds are detailed and good looking and the music is pretty damn awesome.”
“The soundtrack is really good as well with music that gets you pumped up and ready to tear up the skies.”
“Reason for that is once the game is cleared, it's very hard to remember the music from the game.”
“All I know is during the boss fights, the music is intense, but that's it.”
“For some reason, they don't sell the OST on Steam, but you can get it off the composer's Bandcamp.”
- humor12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in Parodous is characterized by its bizarre and often unintentionally funny translations, reminiscent of classic internet memes like "all your base are belong to us." While some may find the humor offensive, it contributes to a lighthearted atmosphere that keeps players entertained, even if the story is unclear and nonsensical. Overall, the game's quirky charm and pixel art complement its comedic elements, making for a uniquely amusing experience.
“A great shmup with awesome pixel art and animation, and hilariously bad translation.”
“I'm talking 'all your base are belong to us' bad. My favorites so far are 'help us because the war has begun' and 'Mr. Cheeks: to kill bugs!' There is an attempt at a story, but I have no idea what it is and I don't even care; I'm too busy laughing.”
“The game was translated from Spanish, I think, but the translation is fairly average, which ends up adding to the bizarre atmosphere of the game and makes what should probably be serious cutscenes pretty funny ('all your base are belong to us'-like).”
- replayability6 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 33 % negative mentions
Replayability is limited due to the presence of many characters that are either underwhelming or too similar, and while there are unlockable weapons and play modes, they do not significantly enhance the experience. Some characters, like the zombie-dog-head, stand out as more enjoyable, but overall, the variety does not strongly encourage repeated playthroughs.
“Some characters are much more enjoyable to play than others; I strongly recommend the zombie-dog-head for its unique gameplay.”
“The variety of characters adds a layer of depth, but some feel too similar, which can affect overall replayability.”
“Unlocking different weapons and play modes offers some replay value, but it doesn't significantly enhance the experience.”
“Soundtrack and graphics are nice, there are a lot of characters but many of them are either terrible or functionally identical to others, and unlocking other weapons and play modes doesn't add that much to the replayability.”
“Some of them are a lot more playable than others (I strongly recommend the zombie-dog-head).”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 50 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is characterized by a bizarre and humorous tone, largely enhanced by its average translation from Spanish, which transforms serious cutscenes into unintentionally comedic moments reminiscent of internet memes.
“The game was translated from Spanish, I think, but the translation is fairly average, which ends up adding to the bizarre atmosphere of the game and makes what should probably be serious cutscenes pretty funny ('all your base are belong to us'-like).”
