by Vladimir Vega
◆ Following this year’s Superstar Chefs, Last Pumpkin, and Marshi N’Phoebe, developer Ola Zandelin <Donut 80> brings us yet another new charming platformer, this time dedicated to fans of legendary classics Rick Dangerous and Montezuma’s Revenge. What sets Donut 80 titles, as well as Traps N’ Gemstones itself, apart from other homebrews is a distinctive mix of mid-80s and early-90s C64 pixel-art visual styles, powered by a custom game engine the Swedish programmer developed himself. On the other hand, over the past few years we have seen multiple takes on that rehashed Indiana Jones theme like Sydney Hunter And The Sacred Tribe, Tony: Montezuma’s Gold, Spelunky64, etc. so TNG isn’t an exception either, which again doesn’t mean that the game itself won’t be fun to play.
So, the story goes that strange things are happening deep inside the ancient pyramid, and it’s up to you as a brave explorer to take on the role of a whip-wielding adventurer, visit crumbling rooms and halls, venture through dusty corridors hiding precious gems, and find hidden treasure chambers. Danger awaits you at every turn, including snakes, bats, mummies, and moving traps. During your adventure, you will climb various ladders, cross dangerous cliffs, and even swim in the water that flooded mysterious parts of the pyramid. To survive, you have dynamite boxes and ammo crates for your trusty gun at your disposal, and you should also be very careful where you step, as a single wrong move can lead you to instant death. Collect keys for new passages, smash jars with your whip in search of gold coins, and peek into every corner to find valuable artifacts and save the sacred birds.
The atmosphere in the game is fairly good, accompanied by fluid gameplay with responsive controls. At the very beginning, everything might seem a bit monotonous and simplified, but as you progress further, the dynamics will shift as the pace and action pick up. One of the interesting things regarding the controls is the infamous and crazy double-jump, which we don’t often see in games since it’s considered a pseudo “cheat” of sorts, having earned its popularity back in the day with titles like Super Ghouls N’ Ghosts and The Revenge Of Shinobi. As for the sound effects, they are quite good, vivid, and true to the spirit of old 8-bit titles. However, as a drawback, I would point out that the game has no background music, which can make it feel a bit sterile and unappealing.
◆ Traps N’ Gemstones is a nice way to unwind and one of those “all-ages friendly” games that isn’t overly difficult, can be played by everyone, and can be beaten in a single evening. You can download it in digital format <prg> completely free of charge from the publisher’s website:
◆ If you wish, you can also try the 16-bit pixel-art version in your web browser, which features visual improvements:
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