The No.3

One of the things most people expect from futuristic robots is for them to look and act like human beings, which is a tad strange. The opposable thumbs may have helped us a bit in the race to the top of the food chain, but there are many things one could improve on human anatomy if given the chance. Hence, maybe humanoid robots should have wheels, claws, or even the power to levitate.

The No.3 is a retro platformer in which you play the role of a crappy-looking robot trying to survive a constant onslaught of vicious enemies, while also making his way to their leader, presumably. However, the robot in question has a few tricks up its sleeve, such as the fact that one of his arms can be extended and used as a deadly weapon.

Unfortunately, there is not much of a story going on, so you kind of have to imagine your own, or try to piece the clues together. It would appear that the action takes place in some kind of junkyard, given all the disposed trash lying around, but the theme is definitely sci-fi. There is a boss waiting for you at the end, so maybe your robot is after revenge.

Although the game is not necessarily difficult, it can be frustrating, especially if you lose patience and try to hurry things along. The main character moves very slowly, which means that you may not be able to dodge incoming attacks. This becomes that much more annoying when you have to deal with ranged foes, because it’s a real bother to move around their projectiles.

There are also some tricky platforming sections, although it’s more about timing than anything else. Moving platforms force you to step back and observe for a second, because your character’s slow movement makes it difficult to perform precise jumps. Thankfully, you should be able to adapt after a few minutes of gameplay, at least if you think it’s worthwhile.

In the end, The No.3 may not be game of the year material, but it still feels like a challenge. The levels are quite well designed, even if the actual backgrounds are awful and there’s no impulse to keep going.