SUPER Challenger Early Access

Combos are a quintessential part of video games, even if the concept is far less spread nowadays than it was back in the arcade era. While there are still games that resort to a combo system, most of them prefer a more realistic approach, especially when it comes to action and shooting sequences. Retro titles are more likely to use the concept, on the other hand.

SUPER Challenger is a retro 2D platformer with beat ‘em up elements, in which your goal is to deal as much damage as possible to all sorts of creatures that try to attack you. On top of that, there are all sorts of platforming challenges to overcome as well, some of which may require a bit of patience and a quick hand in order to achieve. Thus, the experience comes as close as possible to a classic game.

The story puts you in the role of Professor Challenger, who also happens to be the main character from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel, Lost World. He faces a pack of dinosaurs in this scenario, and he has very limited number of options at his disposal. Thus, fists are his main weapon, but thankfully you can perform a variety of combos to obtain special moves.

The combo system is pretty intricate, since it follows the number of consecutive hits you manage to land, whether the enemy was in midair at the moment of the hit, as well as a few other things. Thus, you can achieve impressive results if you concentrate a bit, but it’s also possible to do it with sheer luck, given the fact that the enemies behave pretty wildly sometimes.

As for the graphics, the retro style is perfect for the occasion, even if the artwork is not the most diverse out there. In fact, many of the levels look very similar, and it doesn’t really feel like you are advancing. On the other hand, this is an early access prototype, and the developers actually mention the fact that they are mainly testing the combo system and the gameplay mechanics.

In the end, it’s admirable to see original productions such as SUPER Challenger nowadays, even if it borrows most of  its elements from old video games. Hence, it’s certainly worthy of a try, especially if you are a fan of retro titles.