Mega Coin Squad Review

Adult Swim Games has an established track record of publishing quirky, off the wall indie games. These are often inspired by old 8-bit classics from past console generations and their newest release is no exception.  Mega Coin Squad is clearly inspired by Super Mario 3 and it makes no attempt at hiding this fact, emulating the look and feel of the NES classic while adding its own twist on the concept.

Mega Coin Squad gives you five characters to choose from, each with varying attributes in speed, acceleration, power and weight. Players are then presented to a world map visually reminiscent of Mario’s 8 and 16 bit days. However, the similarities in this regard are merely skin deep as this proves to be an on-rails experience where characters can neither choose paths or try their luck on previous levels.

Upon entering each level, you’re given a minimum amount of coins to collect in a specific time limit, which must then be delivered to a very eager giant pink, piggy bank.  All maps are extremely confined, most take only a few seconds to cross from one side to the other. Stages are littered with platforms, coins, enemies and traps, however these only last for a limited time before disappearing and being replaced by random assortment of the aforementioned items. These layout randomizations favor twitch gameplay and snap decisions over trial-and-error or memorization and help maintain the feeling of urgency that comes with collecting every coin in the allotted time.

Aiding players in their task are bombs which destroy blocks, platforms and enemies within range, turning them all into more coins to collect. Spread throughout each stage are weapon power-ups ranging from machine guns to mortars and rocket launchers, all of which perform admirably in delivering heavy doses of pixelated death and chaos. Finally, your own character possesses several abilities platforming and fighting abilities as well, including a Megaman X style wall jumping, fireballs very reminiscent of the classic hadouken and a Wario-like dash which can be used in any of the four cardinal directions to destroy block or enemies. Players who complete a level without losing lives, deliver all coins to the piggy bank in one go and still manage to beat the click receive crystal bonuses. These are then redeemed towards purchasing new weapons and power-ups or upgrading existing ones.

Don’t let all these abilities fool you into thinking Mega Coin Squad is an easy game, quite the contrary. Each hit will not only steal a life but also force your character to drop coins which must quickly be collected before disappearing. Losing all three returns you to the beginning of each world and robs characters of every upgrade earned up to that point. It also bears mentioning the lack of save points, Mega Coin Squad must be played and finished in one sitting.

Controls are fast and responsive, but I found the keyboard layout very unintuitive. Pressing the ‘up’ arrow to jump goes against every gaming instinct I have, made even by worse by the fact you can’t map your own keys. Needless to say, a controller is highly recommended.

Mega Coin Squad boasts several multiplayer modes which range from collecting the most coins to deathmatch and king of the hill, all of which can be enjoyed with up to four players. Unfortunately, this is restricted to local multiplayer, the complete absence of online modes greatly dampens one the game’s best features. While these modes are fun with friends chances are most never get to experience them with a full party.

Graphically, the game fully embraces its 8 and 16 bit origins and even parodies them. Everything is overly cutesy and colorful despite the constant rain of pixelated explosions and gunfire, in one level you even see a giant tree vomiting a rainbow. The soundtrack goes hand in hand with this theme, always maintaining an uplifting mood and throwing a few subtle nods to games of yesteryear.

Dismissing Mega Coin Squad as just another retro themed platformer would be a disservice to all the careful planning and dedication that went into creating it. The lack of online multiplayer is disappointing, but the single player campaign provides one of the best retro platforming experiences I’ve had in a long time. Players who bring in three friends with them will find one of the best party games in recent years. It provides a euphoric romp filled with enough gold and explosions to satisfy anyone’s need for pixelated destruction.

Mega Coin Squad was played on the PC with review code provided by the publisher.