I don’t fully comprehend what a Squidlit is, but my desire to protect it is strong.
“Squidlit” was released in 2018 by Squidlit Ink. on Steam and itch.io. It was later ported to the Nintendo Switch in 2020.
“Squidlit” was made to be the closest Game Boy game recreation on the market, using the same methods as back in the day to be as authentic as possible.
Controls
“Squidlit’s” gameplay is simple but addicting. As a Squidlit, the player can move around, jump, and perform a double jump.
When the double jump is performed, the Squidlit flips their body and drops ink below from them that damages enemies. If the player presses jump after the Squidlit finishes their flip, they can ink again while still in mid-air.
There’re also three muffins as Squidlit’s health bar, making up six hit points. The player can also press down to uwu.
And no, I’m not explaining what uwu means.
The controls are tight and responsive, making for fun gameplay. It’s satisfying to run by enemies and defeat them along the way, using the double jump to just barely reach a ledge, or continuously inking multiple enemies without touching the ground.
The level design compliments these abilities beautifully as well.
The game is also good at teaching the player the controls by presenting the controls on the start screen and requiring the player to double jump on where it says start to begin the game. It’s clever.
Authenticity
Entering the game, you’ll realize that the game has many vibrant colours like…
Green. And… Dark green?
Well, this is supposed to replicate Gameboy games, so the limitation of colour is to be expected. In terms of authenticity, it looks great. In fact, the game tries to be as authentic as possible to replicate Game Boy, even down to its sound.
The sound design is great as everything has a good smack to it. As for the music, it’s okay. The only track that stood out to me was the first level theme, Blipston. The music does fit the areas it's played in, it’s just not memorable.
The game also captures the same hardware limitations of a Game Boy game, for better or for worse.
On one hand, it is very authentic that the game only lasts about 20 to 40 minutes, but on the other hand: THE GAME ONLY LASTS 20 TO 40 MINUTES! Thankfully, there is replayability in achievements, such as beating the game without eating a muffin.
Another authentic element is that the player cannot save. Granted, the game is so short it’s not too big of a problem, but a password system would’ve worked, since Game Boy games had password systems.
One thing the game is not authentic with is its difficulty. It’s very forgiving and gives infinite lives for the player. Bosses are also a breeze.
The easy gameplay makes Squidlit" relaxing, but it would’ve been nice if multiple difficulties were present. It does make it easier to appreciate the cuteness though.
Adorableness
The character designs, the dialogue, the jokes, the animations, so much of it is just so cute. Even the main antagonist is adorable, and he’s trying to conquer the world.
The story is simple but does have one or two clever bits. For example, it’s explained why there are muffins all over the place, one of the Squidlits launch a bunch of them for the player to find. Most games don't explain why there are collectibles.
Throughout the game, the player can also talk to NPCs to get some background and additional cuteness. The player can even do two quests for progression, although they boil down to defeating x number of enemies.
Overall (B+)
“Squidlit” is good. “Squidlit” controls wonderfully, the gameplay is addicting, the level design is great, the game succeeds in being very authentic, it’s relaxing, and adorable.
However, it’s too easy, lacks difficulty settings, no save feature, very short, and the music is okay.
For $2.29, it isn’t too expensive and if you try to get all the achievements, it’s well worth the price. At 75%, the game drops below a dollar and is practically a steal. But legal!
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