Unstrong Legacy

Genre: Metroidvania

Players: 1

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Review:

(Note: This game is included in the Origamihero Games 2D Platformer Collection, along with Smash Star and Treasure Hunter Man 2.)

Originally released as Unstrong on PC in 2021 before being repackaged as Unstrong Legacy in 2022 on Nintendo Switch, Unstrong Legacy follows its titular protagonist Glasses Unstrong, a self-professed evil genius who begins this story at the end of another story, being defeated by the hero with their floating mechanical base crashing down to the earth. As a result, you need to pick up the pieces, gather up Unstrong’s helper robots, and try to get your base operational again.

The story is amusing, and takes some interesting turns as you progress through the game. Meanwhile, the graphics are surprisingly decent for a $2 game, featuring some pretty nice pixel art visuals. This is backed by a synthesized soundtrack that ranges from forgettable to annoying. Overall, the presentation here is far from great, but it’s not terrible either.

When it comes to gameplay, this is a decent Metroidvania, albeit one with its fair share of flaws. It’s upgrades are spread a bit thin, and the platforming is lacking. However, for the most part, this is a pretty good entry into the genre, with some decent level design.

Oh, one warning though – early on, you will get the choice between Easy and Normal mode. Unless you’re a masochist or a challenge-seeker, stick to Easy mode, as Normal mode will see you dying in just a few hits, with the game annoyingly booting you back to the title screen rather than the last save point.

Ordinarily, even being a decent Metroidvania, Unstrong would hardly stand out on Nintendo Switch, among an absolute wealth of great Metroidvania games. However, with its teenie-tiny $2 price tag, this makes for a surprisingly enticing buy for players looking to add a Metroidvania to their collection.

tl;dr – Unstrong Legacy is a $2 budget-priced Metroidvania that’s actually pretty decent despite the budget price. It doesn’t do anything particularly unique or spectacular, and the platforming is sub-par, but otherwise what’s here is good, and definitely worth adding to your collection if you’re a fan of the genre.

Grade: B-

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