‘Super Spy Raccoon’ taps into the retro style of gaming at its finest; when it was simplistic and fun. Developed by Slain Mascot LCC, this 2D platformer reeks of nostalgia, leaving a wanting of more.

Focusing on our titular Raccoon who lives a life of espionage, it is up to you to hunt down secret classified documents as you cross enemy lines without being seen. There is a loose, barely there narrative but I wish it was fleshed out more.

Maybe some cute little pixelated cutscenes or more scrolling dialogue between the characters would make them more interesting. I needed more of a driving force to keep returning as it is already a challenging game.

The gameplay is typical of an 80’s arcade; simple but challenging. Collecting files without being seen requires timing, wit and strategy. As you progress through each of the 5 single screen levels, climbing ladders allows you to platform from ledge to ledge to collect files under the noses of enemies such as running gorillas and suspicious owls.

You also can hide in bushes and waterfalls and jump in opposite directions from laser beams while avoiding being seen or lit up by searchlights or being hit by an Easter Island statue hurling projectile fireballs.

In each level is an invisibility potion but this causes a negative score reduction of 100 incentivising you to raw dog the run and aim for as high of a score as possible. Fortunately, if you die, you can keep retrying the level without collecting everything again, which is an absolute godsend.

Graphically, yes it is dated, but it is supposed to be. Reminiscent of 1981’s ‘Donkey Kong’, the simple environments are basic pixelated 8-bit graphics on a solid black background. These colours on solid black contrast well and you can always clearly see objectives. I wish there was a bit more level variety which comes with needing more levels to flesh out the story.

Unfortunately, the music does not add much to the game though and while I appreciate the overall retro tone of it all, I quickly turned it down to barely audible as it is quick droning and on a repetitive loop.

Super Spy Racoon is a game I appreciated and enjoyed albeit over a short amount of time due to the lack of many levels. If this developer can make this with so much love and care, I can’t wait to see what they have in the future with some backing behind them.

Written by: Stacey