Dogurai

I love dogs. I also love old samurai movies. You might think that those two normally-unrelated interests don't have anything in common, but don't tell that to the creators of Dogurai, a retro-themed action game that turns a cute little pooch named Bones into the ultimate killing machine. It's a stylish 8-bit throwback that reminds me a lot of the Mega Man titles on the original Game Boy. And while it's true that I'm into every single thing I just mentioned, I promise that my undying love for dogs, samurais and Mega Man won't get in the way of me reviewing this debut release from Hungry Bear Games.

When I say that Bones the samurai dog a killing machine, what I actually mean is that his specialty is killing machines. It's a dystopian future where soldiers and police officers have been replaced by robots. And if that wasn't bad enough, these murderous machines have been specifically designed to take over the world. The only dog for this job is Bones, a retired samurai from the Special Forces that knows a thing or two about dismantling robot oppressors.

Although we use a sword instead of a blaster and never learn any new abilities from bosses, Dogurai feels like it was directly inspired by the early Mega Man sequels. This is a challenging platformer where we hack, slash and slide through eight long and surprisingly diverse stages. And although he may be a retired samurai, Bones still has the moves. He's able to double jump, slice bullets in half and even finish a battle in style by using a special combo. It's a shame he doesn't earn additional abilities, but I guess it's true what they say: You can't teach an old dog new tricks.

Where the game shines at is its level designs. This is one of those action games where you can choose the order of the stages, quickly jumping between the city skyscrapers, urban sewers, military bases and more. Each of these stages uses a different color, giving the different locations even more of a distinct personality. And what's really fun is that each of these stages has something unique to offer beyond the usual platforms and enemies. For example, there's a whole section where you ride a motorcycle through the scorching desert, something that is a radical departure from the usual sword fighting.

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What's holding me back from an even more emphatic recommendation is the frustrating difficulty spikes. For the most part, Dogurai isn't that much more challenging than the classic 8-bit games it's imitating, but there are a number of sections that will frustrate even the most patient players. I'm talking about cheap deaths and unfair jumps that feel like they were designed to be cruel. And then, almost as if it never happened, the game will suddenly go back to being just another challenging action game. You'll spend twenty minutes trying to clear a section filled with icy platforms and then go on to defeat the boss on your very first try. The difficulty is all over the place.

Although I wish it had a little more depth, Dogurai does an excellent job recreating the look and feel of those classic black & white Game Boy games. Bones is a likable hero with a fun set of moves and the ability to take on any challenge. And while the difficulty is all over the place and it would have been fun to learn some new skills, you'll be won over by the easy gameplay and diverse set of levels. Dogurai probably won't win Best in Show, but this 8-bit hero definitely deserves a bone.