Relive the golden age of video games with this fun platformer adventure inspired by the great classics of ZX Spectrum. We let ourselves be carried away by nostalgia to tell you in this analysis of Lumo why it is worth exploring the labyrinthine castle from which we must escape in this title that has just been released on Nintendo Switch.
Relive the golden age of video games with this fun platformer adventure inspired by the great classics of ZX Spectrum. We let ourselves be carried away by nostalgia to tell you in this analysis of Lumo why it is worth exploring the labyrinthine castle from which we must escape in this title that has just been released on Nintendo Switch.
A little over a year has passed since I had the opportunity to play Lumo for the first time , a platform video game that pays tribute to great classics of the mythical ZX Spectrum such as Head Over Heels or Knight Lore , and the truth is that I will face again the more than 400 rooms that make up the labyrinthine castle to which it transports us, this time on Nintendo Switch, has made me remember fondly an adventure that, yes, has its flaws and does not quite bring out its full potential, but that knows how to amuse with its challenging dungeons and the countless nods to the great legacy that this 8-bit machine left us in the eighties. Nostalgia, in the end, pulls a lot; but it is also a question of quality.
Losing yourself behind the castle walls to which Lumo takes us means returning to the past, to a different time, for some better, in which video games distilled a special aroma that this video game has managed to recover with great success. Enjoying its action is like going back to the good old days, but with the appearance of a current gameand some news that feel great. It has merit. If something stands out about this adventure is its ability to surprise you again and again with the most disparate challenges. There are puzzles, there are traps, there are enemies to flee from and of course, a lot of classic-flavored platforms that thanks to the special features of the Nintendo hybrid console, you can enjoy from the comfort of your living room or on the street, taking Portable Mode match. Apart from this, it goes without saying, the video game does not include any extras or new options.
Lumo: Launch on Nintendo Switch
One tribute after anotherThose who comb gray hair will immediately feel at home. Lumo is an old school video game in the broadest sense of the term. The challenges he proposes, and how he poses them, are the best representation of the time he remembers; But far from feeling stale or old-fashioned, you accept it as a breath of fresh air. Games like this are not made anymore, we said it before in the analysis, and it is a great point in favor. It’s not the only one.
There aren’t as many as we would have liked, but Lumo’s puzzles are clever and fun to overcome. Some like this will make things difficult for you.
The design of the castle or, rather, how all its rooms are related to each other with hidden passages, falls into the void that are not such, or winding stairs on the way to the unknown is fantastic, because you feel it as a perfectly knitted whole. Not at the level of a metroidvania , nor was it the intention, in the sense that you cannot retrace your steps, but enough to make exploration a key piece in the development of the game. Each room is a world, both for the challenges that we find in them and for the many secrets they keep. Sometimes simple collectibles , other essential items to continue the adventure, and there are even well-hidden passageways that lead to six mini-games.that break with the playable style of Lumo. One last.
The puzzles also have their importance in the adventure, although obviously the platform challenges rule here, which are of all kinds. From the tests that will make us feel like Tarzan jumping from rope to rope, to those that will lead us to escape from flames, spears and other similar traps; the wanderings on unstable surfaces that will crumble in our wake, and even races on ice, lakes of acid or whatever deadly element that comes to mind. Veteran Gareth Noyce , solely responsible for the video game and also creator of great works such as Fable 2 or Crackdown 2, nothing has been left in the inkwell. If it appeared in the classics of yesteryear, you will also see it in Lumo… multiplied by two! Now technology allows creating more convoluted and complex challenges.
Variety with a retro flavor. In Lumo, as soon as you avoid deadly traps, solve puzzles, run for your life or pilot a classic-style spaceship.
The result is a great adventure that draws on the great works of Jon Ritman and Bernie Drummond; that has something from the mythical The legend of Zelda, also from Knight Lore, the great Head Over Heels, or the memorable Batman from ZX Spectrum to name just a few. The creative freedom that its author has enjoyed is also reflected in tributes and references to other works of the time such as Donkey Kong, Pac-Man, Jeff Minter’s games and even films like Ghostbusters. All this represented with great taste, fitting perfectly into the action of Lumo, which is also shown as a fun video game , which exudes a sense of humor through all its pores.
The puzzles also have their importance in the adventure, although obviously the platform challenges rule hereThe experience could not be better … or yes, because not everything is perfect. His commitment to the isometric view so typical of that time, and especially the impossibility of freely handling the camera [it admits slight movements], makes it more difficult than necessary to fully enjoy some platform challenges, as it offers a perspective not very suitable for precisely calculate the position of the surfaces where we must land. It’s frustrating, why fool us, because many times you will lose your life foolishly trying to reach a rope that was not where you thought it was. If you enjoy Adventure Mode , nothing happens either; annoying, of course, but since there are unlimited lives the problem ends there. Very different are the sensations with the Classic Mode, which does limit our lives, eliminates the map, and prevents us from recording the game. Everything as in 1985!
Our hero can use his magic staff to shoot flashes of light that will scare some enemies, and also reveal secret areas.
The design of the puzzles also strikes me as somewhat simple. It is clear that the protagonism is the platform and the exploration, but some more puzzles, and somewhat more complex challenges, would have been great for this video game that at least will take about five hours to complete. More if you try to find all its secrets, which is not easy! It is a pity that the protagonist’s special abilities have not been taken much advantage of, who basically limits himself to jumping and little else. His magic staff allows him to detect hidden areas and drive away some monsters, which is fine, but more tests of the style are missing; that delve into these particularities of the action.
Unlike other titles that bet on the retro, it is obvious, Lumo opts for a current graphic appearance , with a good artistic design for the enemies, also inspired by the games of the time, and a remarkable variety of locations. More than we imagined after starting the adventure. Obviously we are not talking about a technological prodigy, but it is a charming video game. It is a pity that the same cannot be said of the music, which is not very inspired, nor of the plot, which has a merely testimonial role. Come on, it all comes down to being trapped inside a video game and you must escape from there. It is bad? No, because in the end what matters is how much fun you have, and at this point, Lumo is a video game that is loved.
“Okay”
Lumo
A true love letter dedicated to the golden age of video games. This would be the best summary to talk about Lumo, a fun puzzle and platform adventure that successfully recovers the spirit of those classics that were born under the protection of machines like the ZX Spectrum. Its essence is the same, but successfully brought to the new times, so that new generations also enjoy this way of understanding video games. It has a special charm that is only overshadowed by some problems with the camera and the simplicity of its puzzles.
- It has the soul of the great classics of the ZX Spectrum era.
- Many rooms to explore and a wide variety of challenges.
- There are secrets everywhere. Researching has its rewards.
- The camera is sometimes a problem in the platform phases.
- A few more puzzles, and more complex tests, would have won him a lot.
