Thanks to Tikipod for the review code

Title: Rock Boshers DX
System: Nintendo Switch (eShop)
Price: $6.99
Release Date: 12/01/2018

Story

In this retro-inspired action game, you take control of a stowaway on a trip to colonize the planet of Mars, only to wind up in a strange environment as a slave to a corrupt power! When zombies and other strange creatures begin to flood the tunnels, it seems there’s something more sinister afoot, and it’s up to you in order to break out, make your escape, and find out what’s going on.

Presentation

When booting up the game, Rock Boshers DX offers the player two different presentation styles to choose from, which is a pretty nice touch considering how most games tend to focus on only one. While the UI and overall feel of the game is similar between the two, 8-Bit Console offers a more detailed and colorful look compared to the very basic, ZX Spectrum inspired 8-Bit Computer look. Regardless of which style you choose, everything is still identifiable, and the music remains the same.

Gameplay

Rock Boshers DX is an overhead action game, where the main goal of each stage is clear the path to the elevator and make your escape from that floor of the cavern. The controls are very simple, with the left stick being used to move, and the right stick being used to aim and shoot your gun. By default, you shoot a slow moving bullet that takes care of most enemies, but you can gain different kinds of ammo and weapons over the course of the game, each of which can be swapped out with the shoulder buttons once you obtain them in a level.

While you traverse throughout the three different sectors of the caverns, you eventually come across new enemies and hazards. From dangerous turrets, invincible centipedes to weird rolling yellow things, this game quickly ramps up in difficulty and makes you stay on your toes, especially if you want to escape a stage with three treasures. You see, each stage has three treasures hidden within, with a tea cup, a hat, and a block of cheese for you to find in every single stage. The more you collect overall, the more minigames you can unlock for the Arcade Mode.

Arcade Mode is the side option this game has to offer, and it really consists of nothing else but score chasing challenge using the dual stick controls. They aren’t really worth writing home about honestly, although I did find it neat that in order to unlock one you simply have to wait for the 8-Bit Computer version to load naturally. (as in, wait over two minutes for the game to load instead of skipping the process)

Besides that and thirteen of the achievements from the other versions of the game being included here to unlock, there’s not much else to this game outside of clearing all three areas and besting your times in order to beat the par, along with getting the aforementioned treasures.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Rock Boshers DX is a fun little action game reminiscent of the old days of the ZX computers. Like Elena Temple, I really love when games like this pay tribute to something that hasn’t been done to death, and offering two different viewing modes for those who prefer something with a little more color was a smart idea. The unlockable arcade minigames are also fun distractions, and collecting all the treasures in each stage can get tricky, especially since the game ramps up in difficulty fast and you’ll need to plan very well in order to make it out with everything. For the pricetag of $7, Rock Boshers DX is a gem that shouldn’t get overlooked if you like simplistic action games such as this.

I give Rock Boshers DX a 7 out of 10.