Atomik RunGunJumpGun is in the same breath as Celeste and Super Meat Boy as one of the best platform games in the Nintendo eShop. Atomik first appeared on Steam in 2016 (at least, under the name RunGunJumpGun) and allows you to control your mini-awarding spaceman through psychedelic levels full of deadly traps. On the Switch it contains a completely new Shield mode and 120 varied levels that swallow the necessary time once you are busy. But the Switch version delivers a definitive version and justifies this a second purchase for those who have already made acquaintance with the title.
Much of Atomik's appeal, like the aforementioned Super Meat Boy, lies in simplicity. You are propelled by an unknown force and only have two buttons to avoid the sharp points, rotating saws and targeting missiles that lie on your path. By pressing the L-button you can use your mini-gun to shoot yourself into the air and the R-button is used to switch off approaching traps and projectiles. Each level (depending on the difficulty level) will take you about 10-30 seconds to finish, but you will probably take longer to find a safe path. Fortunately for those who, like us, die 1334 times, it takes little time to get back to work after a failed attempt.
Your path is illuminated by green globes, atomiks, needed to visit the three alien planets. Atomiks are the only 'collectibles' in the game, can be found in difficult to reach places and require the necessary 'trial-and-error' to collect. This offers an extra challenge for more experienced players and raises re-playability, since it gives a goal in addition to getting from A to B. Unfortunately, gathering of it, apart from and better ranking, does not yield anything. It would have been great if your hard work, for example, had unlocked some bonus levels or even some concept art.
Atomik contains 120 levels that are divided over three worlds and it took us roughly four hours to complete it (we do not count the hundreds of atomiks we still miss). In some levels we had to avoid incoming fire from a spaceship and in another we are cautiously behind a saw that we have loosened earlier. There is so much on you to keep it varied. And although some levels share the same idea or motive, it never feels monotonous. Some of the water levels sometimes felt like a task to get through, as they use reverse control and this was difficult to get used to with the quick reaction they required.
Atomik's striking neon-color palette and pulsing electronic soundtrack brought us into a state of bliss. On the Switch, it looks great both in TV and handheld mode and during our four-hour "playthrough" (shots or jumps) we never encountered some technical problems. Some of the explosion sounds a bit messy, which after some time starts to sound tiring as dying is such a prominent part of the experience. We also had to adjust the controls a bit because the standard commands on L and R felt a bit unnatural and caused discomfort after short periods.
As we said before, the Switch version contains a brand new Shield mode. This ensures that the speed of movement decreases, giving the player much more time to respond to the upcoming obstacles. This is perfect for newcomers who feel intimidated by the tough difficulty. The Switch, of course, benefits from its portability and through the concise levels the game felt great to play on the go. A big disappointment and missed opportunity, however, is the lack of multiplayer, especially since the separate Joy-Con controllers had been perfect to race or fight against a friend. A multiplayer mode might have justified the second version of the Switch version and it certainly made the final version.
Conclusion
Atomik RunGunJumpGun is suitable for anyone looking for a cheap and challenging game. The simple gameplay with two buttons is enhanced thanks to the excellent level design and we fell in love with the strange presentation and accompanying soundtrack. However, it would have been nice to see a multiplayer mode or some form of reward for collecting all those atomiks. However, the game is competitively priced, it is easy to forget the shortcoming and fans of Celeste and Super Meat Boy we recommend this title.
The Plus and Minus points
✔ Value for your money
✔ Enormously challenging
✔ Gameplay is addictive and remains varied
✔ A great presentation
✖ Some sound effects somewhat messy
✖ The standard control on the Switch is uncomfortable
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