Published by EastAsiaSoft, Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast provides a ton of high-quality shooter gameplay for only five dollars.
This vertical shooter is specifically designed to grow with the player. Like a roguelite, each stage, enemy placement, and boss is randomized. Being honest, when I first started playing, this game made me angry because the initial loadout is underpowered. However, with each run, not only do you gain experience as a player, memorizing attack patterns and identifying danger, the player also collects gear icons. Gears are currency, used to unlock additional abilities to make your vehicle stronger. So my anger quickly turned into addiction, wanting to grind to max my stats and focus on reaching a top spot in the online leaderboard.
This vertical shooter is unique because it offers a few different ways to attack. One button is a straight-shooting machine gun. Another is more of a spread shot. While the third offensive ability is on a cooldown timer, clearing the screen of enemies that takes a second to detonate. It is a well-balanced combo, doubled down by the fact that each attack can be upgraded permanently over time.
When I first started playing, I was angry because my weapons were underpowered, and the enemies showed no mercy. Meaning, there were no invincibly frames after taking damage. Getting smoked just made me want to grind the unlockable enhancements even more. The payoff is very satisfying, making you feel like a monster flying through space once that experience has been gained.
Even though there are only a handful of enemy types and a half dozen bosses, I couldn’t get enough of this addictive gameplay. With each point of damage and death I took, I immediately started a new run, knowing I could do better because the last game over was my own stupid fault. Before I knew it, a few hours flew by and managed to land a spot in the Top 3 of the online leaderboard (I am playing this pre-release so my score will not be as impressive shortly).
Without spoiling too much here, just know that Tiny Pixels Vol. 1 – Ninpo Blast is a stupidly satisfying shooter. In fact, I had more fun playing this thoughtfully designed $5 shooter than recent AAA games. The best part? It only costs five bucks and all Achievements are unlockable; they just take a little time. EastAsiaSoft has once again released another high quality, well designed low-cost title. I am very much hoping a Vol. 2, 3, and more become available in the future.
SCORE: 9/10
Also Play: Feeble Light
Reminds Me Of: Z-Warp
Don’t Forget About: the Irem Collection Volume 1
By: Zachary Gasiorowski, Editor in Chief myGamer.com
Twitter: @ZackGaz
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