Digerati Indie Bundle: Ink & Hacky Zack

Genre: Compilation / Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Digerati Indie Bundle: Ink & Hacky Zack, released on Nintendo Switch in 2018, is a compilation of two challenging platformers separately released on the Nintendo Switch earlier that same year (and both also available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One).

Here’s what I thought of each of the games in this collection:

Game	Genre	# of Players	Grade
Ink	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	C+
tl;dr Ink is a challenging Platformer where players need to reveal the platforms by splashing colorful ink on them. This game is visually striking, and the premise is great, but the game doesn’t do enough with that premise. Also, the controls are a bit too loose for a game this difficult. Still, if you’re a fan of tougher Platformers, you may want to give this a look.
Hacky Zack	Platformer	1-2 Co-Op (Local)	C+
tl;dr Hacky Zack is a challenging Platformer about kicking a hacky sack to a goal. It’s a solid Platformer with simple mechanics that are well-done, but the challenge level is so high that only those looking for something super-difficult should bother with this game.

Of the two of these games, I personally like Ink just a bit more. It has a really nice presentation, and the gameplay is more accessible. However, Hacky Zack has better game progression that keeps the game from feeling stale and repetitive the way Ink can do at times, especially in earlier levels.

These two games actually make a lot of sense as a pairing, and not only because they’re from the same developer and the same publisher. Ink and Hacky Zack look visually very different, and their unique mechanics each make them quite distinct, but they’re both building on the same core gameplay of a challenging Platformer with double jumps and wall jumps.

Having said that, the core failing of both games in this package is that their difficulty limits their appeal – Ink has loose controls that become painful with the game constantly calling for precision jumping, and Hacky Zack makes players juggle different mechanics at the same time in a way that’s awkward and difficult to manage. Neither of these is outright bad, but I know many players are likely to be turned off by them.

Finally, there’s the question of value, and at $15 this bundle saves players $4 over the standard price of buying these two games separately, which isn’t bad. However, this bundle frequently goes on sale for just over $2, roughly the same price point each of these games goes for in these eShop sales (thanks to the de facto $2 minimum price tag current policies encourage), meaning that those snagging this package during the sale are getting two games for the price of one, which is pretty sweet.

In the end, I can’t quite recommend Digerati Indie Bundle: Ink & Hacky Zack to everyone – the high difficulty level is going to be enough to discourage most from enjoying this. However, if challenging Platformers are something you love, this pair of games is well worth a look, especially if you can get the game on sale.

tl;dr – Digerati Indie Bundle: Ink & Hacky Zack is a compilation of two challenging Platformers. Both games are very difficult, but if that’s your thing, this package is worth a look, especially if you get it on sale.

Grade: C+

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