“Super Amazing Wagon Adventure” defies an accurate description. Sure, you could label it as an 8-bit 2D shooter…but I prefer to think of it as what would happen if a hyperactive Robin Williams directed a movie based off of the video game, “Oregon Trail.” “Super Amazing Wagon Adventure” certainly nods at the aforementioned game from time to time, but it clearly has a personality all its own. Before I get into specifics, I’d like to thank Andrew from Sparsevector for providing me with a free review copy.
Super Amazing Wagon Adventure (PC)
The main menu allows the player to start a new game, try survival and shuffle modes, and adjust game options. There are a few different games to choose from in survival mode, but they must be unlocked first by completing various parts of the main game. Shuffle mode is a mix of random scenes that the player will face, sort of like free play / party mode on “Scene It?” DVD games. The player will be able to unlock this mode by defeating the main game, which is very challenging to do. The options menu allows the player to toggle full screen, adjust screen resolution, remap keybinds, and change various sound and graphics settings.
Options Menu
Starting a new game allows the player to create three party members along with the ability to customize their name, gender, and portrait. After that is accomplished, the player will be able to choose one of the various wagons available to them. All but one is locked from the start and must be unlocked by playing the main game. The interface is a mixed bag…along the top you’ll see icons of your party members along with hearts next to each of them, indicating their life points. Next to your party status is your ammo count and the number of furs you have in your inventory. I don’t mind the layout, except that this information bar takes up almost an eighth of the screen…I chalked this up to the absurd / silly nature of the game and moved on with a chuckle.
Party Selection Screen
The game’s mechanics are fairly easy to grasp in that you’ll be thrust from scene to scene, fighting off various things on foot or while traveling in your wagon. Sometimes you’ll face a horde of buffalo and other times you’ll have to fight off bandits or zombies. The number of varying scenarios is vast and I’m sure if I were to look up the word, “random” in the dictionary, there’d be a picture of this game right beside it. If any of these enemies manage to hit a party member or the wagon, then a unit of health (heart) is lost accordingly. Lose all three party members and the game is over. Your starting primary weapon is slow and has unlimited ammo, though you can pick up more powerful weapons and health kits along the way.
Historically accurate.
“Super Amazing Wagon Adventure” is a game that doesn’t take itself seriously, something I wholeheartedly applaud. I found myself laughing out loud on a regular basis, mainly at how absurd the situations became. I can’t imagine how I’d react as a kid in school playing “Oregon Trail” if I were given the option to launch the wagon into the air in an attempt to get past a river. I’m sure there’d be a note or two going home if my teachers discovered that I had taken a rocket launcher to a pack of wild bears. Would I recommend this game to others? That depends. Do you have a sense of humor and like 8-bit style shooters? If the answer is yes, then I can easily recommend it at its current price tag of $2.99 (as of 1/21/13).
Final Verdict: 7/10
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You can learn more about and purchase “Super Amazing Wagon Adventure” by visiting the following websites:
http://www.sparsevector.com/wagon-adventure/
http://www.desura.com/games/super-amazing-wagon-adventure/
You can help bring the game to Steam by voting for it on its Greenlight page, here:
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=94482719
You can check out gameplay videos here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWfCgM3o77A
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