Review: 2-Bit Cowboy
Classic platforming in an unapologetically monochrome world
2-Bit Cowboy enters an age in which mobile devices are capable of incredible feats of graphical prowess. An age in which the iPhones we carry in our pockets rival the best computers from a decade ago. And, equally importantly, an age in which the difficulty of modern games has been reduced to the point where even the most casual of gamers can beat the latest AAA blockbuster without breaking a sweat.
2-Bit Cowboy doesnât care about any of this. 2-Bit Cowboy is a classical platformer of a bygone era. 2-Bit Cowboy will kill you for a mistimed jump. 2-Bit Cowboy will punish you with a hail of bullets for failing to approach an enemy at the right angle. And, oh yes, 2-Bit Cowboy is completely monochrome, with graphics assembled entirely from green-tinted shades of black, white, and gray.
And for anyone with a soft spot in their heart for what platforming games used to be, 2-Bit Cowboy is exactly what the doctor ordered. It is a chance to travel back in time to be a cowboy with a gun in the Wild West, and to be a kid with a Game Boy in the 1990s.
2-Bit Cowboy is refreshingly straightforward in its presentation. Your town has been overrun with a gang of criminals. You play a cowboy (or cowgirl) attempting to rid the town of these gang members and return the things theyâve stolen. After this story is presented via a short cutscene, itâs on to the game.
Gameplay itself has a great feel to it. While reminiscent of classic action-platformers from the Game Boy era, 2-Bit Cowboy doesnât specifically copy any of them, instead featuring its own mix of jumping and gunplay. Perhaps most interestingly, 2-Bit Cowboy features a wall slide mechanic. Pressing and holding against a wall allows you to slowly grind down the side of it, with the ability to jump or shoot in the opposite direction at any time. Itâs a welcome addition to the genre, and one I canât recall seeing in any actual platforming games from the era. Itâs not all platforming, however; 2-Bit Cowboy focuses just as much on gunplay.
While this game can be played as a straight platformer, rushing through each level and dodging enemies on your way to the finish line, that doesnât really provide the best experience. Each level in 2-Bit Cowboy contains an assortment of side quests: kill 5 bandits, collect 50 coins, rescue 7 sheep, and so on. While these quests are straightforward in design, they often require extremely precise shooting from precarious positions to succeed, as well as exploring additional side paths. Finishing every level with every objective complete, and unlocking the associated Game Center achievements, is exactly the challenge fans of retro platformers will love.
All of this would feel tiring in poorly designed levels, but thatâs not something to worry about here: the levels in 2-Bit Cowboy are clever, spacious, and challenging, with alternate routes and secret paths. Some areas are only reachable through riding on horseback, cow-back, or on top of a mine cart (an almost obligatory vehicle for platformers of the era).
Graphics are tricky to get right in a game like this. Too retro, and a lot of modern niceties are sacrificed. Not retro enough, and the intended atmosphere is lost. Iâm happy to say that 2-Bit Cowboy absolutely nails this balance.
2-Bit Cowboy completely evokes the feeling of the GameBoy-era platformer without entirely limiting itself to its shortcomings. To be clear, this game would not be possible on a true 8-Bit system. Multi-layered parallax background, variable pixel size, massive smooth-scrolling levels – these things were simply not possible in the games 2-Bit Cowboy recollects. And none of that matters, because the FEELING of those games is completely preserved here. The graphics here are reminiscent of the classic platformers of old in all the best ways, and updated in ways that feel completely natural.
Unfortunately, the sound design doesnât quite match the perfection of the visuals. The actual sound effects themselves arenât bad; the music is the biggest issue here. The entire soundtrack consists of one short western theme song, looping continuously. And aesthetically, the soundtrack feels too rich for the visuals. It feels more like something youâd hear from the DS than from the Game Boy.
All available MFi controllers are supported in-game. I was one of the beta testers for controller support, and it has come a long way since the first beta. Controller support still isnât perfect, however. Very occasionally, the d-pad will stop responding in mid-air. You can fix this by quickly releasing the d-pad, then pressing it again. Additionally, shooting your gun can occasionally feel âstickyâ. The game delays your shots, and this delay feels awkward when firing rapidly with a controller – sometimes a second bullet will automatically fire a few milliseconds after youâve released the shoot button, and sometimes it wonât fire until you press again. Luckily, these issues occur rarely, and should by no means be considered deal-breakers. Furthermore, these issues never occur with the touch controls, which are excellent.
At the end of the day, 2-Bit Cowboy manages to shine as a love letter to the classic action-platforming games of the past. That would fine enough on it’s own. But beyond being a simple nostalgia trip, 2-Bit Cowboy succeeds as a solid, fun, challenging action-platforming game in itâs own right – even if youâve never seen a Game Boy.
And if you do have a soft spot in your heart for the classic Game Boy, give 2-Bit Cowboy an immediate download. It brings back memories of the best parts of the era. At the very least, give the free version a shot. And if you like it, grab the full one – it’s worth the small asking price.
Update:
A free, ad-supported version of 2-Bit Cowboy is now available, and the review has been modified to reflect that