Annalyn Review

A Brand New Arcade Classic-An Annalynn Review

Annalynn is the absolute closest you can get to an original old school arcade cabinet in the modern age. Its simple yet straight forward presentation and controls culminate into a bite sized and enjoyable arcade game. 

Faithful  To The Extreme

I was immediately drawn to just how faithful Annalynn was to those old coin guzzling arcade games. It's set in a vertical aspect ratio, and even has art to fill up the leftover space on a widescreen monitor similar to what you would see on an arcade cabinet. 

In terms of gameplay it's extremely close to Pac-man, just in a 2D side scrolling perspective. You'll evade 4 enemy snakes with different chase patterns and personalities, and by evading and jumping through 15 different floors you'll meet a boss at the end. Hell, you even have a form of power pellets that turn the snakes blue so you can boot them off for points. It's very simple, but it works to the game's charm and furthers the respect Annalynn has for old school games. 
The only thing inherently different in Annalynn from something you'd find in the arcade is the infinite continue system, which will half your score in exchange for another three lives. This merely promotes a much more casual playthrough, with a plethora of optional challenges added after you beat the game for the first time. 
Make no mistake, you WILL die many times in that first playthrough. The snakes are very tricky, and will use doors to climb up to higher levels to ambush you. When I mention the arcade games of old it's for good reason, as Annalynn is exactly as difficult as they were-albeit a little more forgiving in it's lives system. 

The varied level designs and traps of each level will see vast adjustments to your gameplay each time. Take one of the lava stages for example, in which pillars of lava will shoot up after walking over a specific block, forcing you to keep moving forward and preventing retreat for a few precious seconds. Hazards like this shape the gameplay around your decisions, and are a major contributor to the quality of Annalynn. 

Verdict

Annalynn feels like an arcade game ripped straight from the era. With vast attention to what made those games special, it's a must buy for any fan of those games, even if it's in a bite sized package. Honestly, for how little it sells for, you be stumped to try and find better value. 

8.5/10-Small Yet Special







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