ProtoCorgi

Genre: Shmup

Players: 1

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Review:

ProtoCorgi is a Shmup released on PC and Nintendo Switch in 2023. This Shmup seems inspired by franchises like Mega Man and Astro Boy, with players taking the role of a robotic dog on an interstellar quest to save his creator(s) from alien kidnappers.

One thing ProtoCorgi absolutely nails is its adorable presentation, which uses adorable and pretty well-animated pixel art visuals with an anime-style soundtrack. Naturally your pupper protagonist is endearing, but so too are many of the enemies you’ll be gunning down (don’t worry, I’m pretty sure they’re all robots).

While the presentation is charming, the gameplay is mostly pretty classic in its approach, with players able to snag a few different kinds of power-ups, each with its own different varieties. The game also gives players the option to either hold down the attack button to continuously fire their weapon, or tap it to shoot out the letters “B A R K”. This latter attack seems less-effective than simply holding down the attack button, but some level secrets can only be uncovered this way.

One other nice feature here is that as you progress through the game, you’ll unlock access to more options in the options menu, such as a greater number of lives and continues. In a way, this gives the game a very light Roguelike element, though not so much that I would call this game a Roguelike. There’s also an unlockable randomizer mode to play randomized levels, though I was unable to test this mode out in time for the review.

One feature here doesn’t quite work as well as one would hope, though. ProtoCorgi includes a custom stage builder mode, which would seem to have a lot of potential to expand the enjoyment of the game. Unfortunately, I found this mode to be needlessly confusing, and couldn’t figure out how to make it work properly. I suggest players looking to get this game focus on the main campaign instead.

Ultimately, ProtoCorgi doesn’t really revolutionize the Shmup genre in any way, but it is still a pretty solid game in that genre, with a delightfully adorable presentation. If you’re looking for some fun action with cute characters, I think you’ll enjoy ProtoCorgi.

tl;dr – ProtoCorgi is a Shmup where players take the role of a robotic dog on a quest to rescue his creator. This game’s pixel art presentation is absolutely adorable, and the gameplay is solid, albeit nothing truly exceptional. If you’re looking to expand your collection of Shmups with added cuteness, this is a good choice.

Grade: B

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This game has been nominated for one or more of eShopperReviews 2023 Game Awards:

Runner-Up: Best Arcade / Party Game

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