Castle Crashers
Posted By: Kevin on Sep 16 2008

Developer Behemoth is a newbie amongst game developers. With only 2 games under their belt, Behemoth has already displayed a knack for creating addictive 2D game play. Their first title, Alien Hominid, was a throwback to games such as Contra and Metal Slug. The game’s bright 2D graphics and simple character design masked the incredible difficulty.

Indie developers are not only the breeding ground for new ideas but also for retro goodness. The perfect spot for a small group such as Behemoth is a great piece of hardware, dedicated staff, and a long development cycle. That small bit of spit and polish is often the deathblow to a small company as it is crucial for their product. They have to look like they had 65 people working on their project. Luckily for the Behemoth, Castle Crashers is the essence of this methodology. A small number of people applying themselves until that game is gleaming with finesse is what the 360 has in Castle Crashers.

Castle Crashers is homage to the 2D brawlers of old. Up to 4 players can jump in ,either locally or through Xbox Live, to enjoy a romp in the best side scrolling beat em up since the stellar Guardian Heroes for the Sega Saturn. Players are initially allowed to choose from 4 characters; Red Guy, Blue Guy, Orange Guy, Green Guy. While everyone’s attack routine is basically the same, they differ in their spell usage. Combat is swift and satisfying with nearly every button on the controller being put through its paces. Gamers have access to a light and heavy attack which can be mixed up for a myriad of juggling combos. One of the things seasoned players will notice is that the air time for the characters can broken with very little effort. This leads to an almost climbing the ladder type juggle where you pound enemies into the side of the screen only to bounce them off the ground and start wailing away at a higher point.

Interspersed with your normal attacks is the ability to jump, block by pulling out a shield (a trait that may be lose during the frantic slashing of swords), and a simple spell system. Simply by holding the right trigger and pressing the heavy or item use button (determined by your magic level) the vicious knights of Castle Crashers can bring the elements themselves to bear against their foes. Spells are designed to be thrown in quickly so it is good to see the change from Guardian Heroes Street Fighter style input of commands to cast spells. The spells will have lasting effects on most enemies, the best being the freezing effect by the Blue Knight’s icicle crash.

Behemoth also wisely sidesteps the pitfall of most side scrollers by instituting an experience system. It is amazing what a little dash of RPG will add to the longevity of such a simple game. Strength, Magic, Defense, and Agility are the stats of choice in this Xbox Arcade classic. Players are free to put their own spin on what are essentially cloned copies of the same character. Add to this the wealth of weapons which give their own stat bonuses. I myself have found pleasure in maxing out the Blue Knight’s magic, equipping him with basically a wizard’s staff, and letting him deal death from the back row. I have seen friends max out Strength before even touching Defense. Castle Crashers indeed!

Graphically, there are little or no complaints to be found. Castle Crashers is a slap in the face to those that doubt the abilities of 2D on a high definition console. Every frame of animation, from the gritty combo attacks to the hilarious diarrhea exploding deer has been coaxed and cooed from the Xbox 360’s superb innards. Game play is fast and furious with rarely a moment of slowdown. The sound effects are also excellent, especially when there are 4 players with a host of enemies and all that can be heard is the clashing of blades and spurting of blood. The soundtrack bounces wistfully between epic sieges and the calming sounds of item shops. Everything in Castle Crashers comes together with a synergy that is only found in tight knit groups.

One area where Castle Crashers rises above Guardian Heroes, with little room for disagreement, is the co-op multiplayer. Up to 4 players may join in (only unique characters though, no playing 4 Orange Knights!) with any of their previous characters to battle through the lengthy story mission. Xbox 360 has the side scrolling equivalent of Smash Bros Brawl on their hands; a truly originally 4 player party game. Once players get a few different characters going it is a blast to mix up the playing field. This is Castle Crashers at its happiest; 4 gamers locked into the screen with the only communication being “That’s my gem!” or “Watch out for the hairball!” Co-op also benefits from a forgiving yet satisfying death system. The party is only wiped when all members die. Any dead knight can be brought back to life with some impromptu CPR.

Microsoft has really brought Xbox Arcade to the forefront of their online battle plan. Ending their Summer of Arcade with Castle Crashers was a great decision. Castle Crashers is unique in the fact that it is a courageous stab at bringing back an overplayed genre. It is a pick and play game that is still a GAME which is becoming rare in time of Uno and Wii Fit. Castle Crashers will befriend both cynical ex-gamer and new Halo-only players. Head to your nearest internet connection and get to crashing.