Sky Racket

Genre: Shmup / Arcade Brick Breaker

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Sky Racket is a family-friendly game that is a unique blend of Shmup and Arcade-style Brick Breaker that has you flying around Shmup-style levels, but instead of shooting enemies, you attack them by using a tennis racket to hit back balls of energy shot at you, judging trajectory much in the same way that Brick Breaker games like Breakout and Alleyway have you doing. This game was released on PC in 2019 and brought to the Nintendo Switch in 2020.

The presentation in Sky Racket is wonderful, using some really expressive and well-animated pixel art graphics that have a style that seems like it’s a cross between Astro Boy and Steven Universe. Everything is so colorful and appealing, right from the start it brought a smile to my face, and this was only made better by the game’s wonderful, catchy chiptune soundtrack that gives this game a nostalgic old-school feel.

When it comes to the gameplay, the unique blend of genres really makes this game feel unique, having you move around and dodge enemy fire in the same way that you do in a Shmup, but having you strategize about taking shots like you do in Brick Breaker games. Thankfully, players are not penalized for missing a ball here (though the missed opportunity may result in missing a shot at a higher score), and it’s more important to dodge enemy fire and keep players safe. Or, when players become more skilled, they can focus on juggling enemies to improve their score.

What’s more, I really feel the need to emphasize that this is a game that absolutely shines in co-op. Not only do you get that feeling of having backup that co-op Shmups have, but having someone else to help cover the screen or catch missed shots really helps to drive home the feeling that you’re working as a team. However, I will note that playing the game in co-op does make it significantly easier.

In the complaints department, there are a few complaints I have here that keep this game from being quite as good as it had the potential to be. Firstly, the game makes it a little too easy to miss a shot, as players not only need to time their swings with the racket, but must also make sure it’s within the fairly close range. Meanwhile, the sprawled stance of your character while they’re flying around makes it difficult to dodge enemy fire. Players do have a faster evasive rolling position they can take by holding B, but it’s hard to move in this way with any precision. Either way, you’ll take a few hits at times that won’t feel earned. Finally, the pastel colors that the game uses for much of its art, while super-appealing, also occasionally make projectiles and enemies blend into the backgrounds, which can cause you to run face-first into one every now and then.

In the end, Sky Racket has a few issues that can make for occasional frustration, but otherwise this game is an absolute joy to play, and even better if you can do so with a friend. The unique blending of genres is done really well, and the delightful art style and catchy music mark this as a wonderful addition to the Nintendo Switch library that should appeal to all ages, with a great arcadey feel that fans of both Shmups and Brick Breakers will want to give a try.

tl;dr – Sky Racket is a family-friendly game that combines the Shmup and Brick Breaker genres into one fun, cohesive style of gameplay with a fantastic, colorful, expressive art style and some absolutely superb co-op play. There are a few frustrating flaws that may result in you taking a few unearned hits on occasion, but otherwise this game is a joy to play, especially if you have a friend to play it with.

Grade: B+

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2020 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Game for Kids and Casual Players

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