“HD Remakes” are becoming more and more common. I’ve already written about the ICO/Shadow of the Colossus HD Collection but just as common are revamped games released through digital distribution channels. These are not always just new textures and reworked resolutions. Sometimes it is a complete remake, as is the case of Spelunker HD.
And while Spelunker HD is certainly a remake, it is still quite reverent of its source material and is unabashedly old school in its design and execution. A lot of games I talk about on this blog have a love/hate dichotomy. This is taken more towards the extreme with Spelunker HD which retains the infamous flavour of the original release.
Spelunker’s infamy is not necessarily in its difficulty. The difficulty is manageable to say the least. The game was challenging, but it’s doable. What throws most people for a loop, however, are the controls and the gameplay in general.
If I could use a word to describe Spelunker’s gameplay it would be ‘precise.’ Another apt word would be ‘strict.’ These games are not unfair by any stretch of the imagination, but they may well be demanding. One of the hallmarks of Spelunker was the drop height required for the Spelunker to die. It’s minimal – walking off the edge or moving beyond a rope without jumping, or jumping down too far will kill the Spelunker. This can turn away newcomers who may just be browsing for a game to play.
The game also runs on a timer. Your timer is an oxygen supply which you can refill using items found throughout the caves. However, if this supply runs dry you will suffocate. Oh yes – you have a portable fan with which to deter ghosts but using it will deplete your oxygen meter more quickly.
These factors and more unfortunately deter new players from a brilliant gaming experience. If you’re planning to simply try Spelunker – please – give it some more time than the first death. It’s a game of precision but also one of intuition and bravado, and it’s so very much worth a look.
How does Spelunker HD improve upon or add to the formula? It is much more expansive. At 100 individual stages across 10 Areas, it is a longer game with cohesive themes that make it uniquely Spelunker. New threats are introduced but never overstay their welcome. Each area has its own flavour and while some elements become a common thread going forward, there are also many hazards that are unique to their Area of origin. So Spelunker HD takes the Spelunker experience and expands upon it.
Spelunker HD adds online and multiplayer functions to the game allowing a group to solve the caves together. I’ve yet to touch upon this mode, but I’m looking forward to getting into it soon!
Spelunker HD also features the option to switch between Classic and Remake graphics. The game is the same though the aesthetic is different. The Classic graphics have much more charm, but the Remake graphics certainly have their own flavour. I can’t speak for advantages and disadvantages as to which to use, I’ve only cleared this game once as of this writing, but for a casual player it’ll be simply cosmetic. The only difference I’ve noticed is that bombable walls are much more obvious in the Remake version.
You can also see the general area of effect of your fan in the Remake version. Again, you use this fan against ghosts. When the music changes, a ghost has arrived in the level. This seems to happen at semi-regular intervals. Ghosts will disappear if you blow them away (some take more than one gust), if you finish the level, or if you die. Ghosts are sort of an X-factor in that they can appear out of nowhere to ruin your day, but they also require their own individual strategies to deal with depending on your available oxygen and the layout of the level.
Strategy even comes in the form of waiting to pick certain items up. Certain items mark your respawn point so it can be best to pick one up closer to the traps you are currently trying to surmount. Or it might just be more economical to pick up that oxygen on your return trip instead, so you won’t be deprived of it later.
Spelunker has some other tools at his disposal, namely his bombs and flares. Bombs produce a large explosion that can destroy certain walls, certain rocks, and temporarily kill or deter certain enemies. They can also kill Spelunker if he is in the blast radius. His flares shoot straight up and usually cause flying enemies to disengage temporarily, allowing Spelunker to pass undeterred. However, they need enough height to activate and the falling flare can ALSO kill Spelunker. So he needs to be precise in how he uses these tools. A guy just can’t catch a break sometimes!
Spelunker HD is both goal-oriented and point-driven. Each level has a goal but each level also has hidden goodies. Each level has a picture fragment, and you can collect 200 of these between single and multiplayer to form an entire mural. Each level also has hidden treasures hidden in walls. It’s important to crack these open when you see them so you can rock mad points. Points will eventually translate into extra lives and with a game this precise you may find yourself dieing by miscalculation here and there.
I think Spelunker appeals to people because he is so frail in comparison to other platforming heroes. He’s the underdog. He’s the kind of guy you want to see through to the end. But it’s also absurd in a medium where superhuman falling-immune knees are what is considered the norm. There’ a certain degree of dark comedy here. It also appeals simply because it’s so precise. It’s the easy to learn difficult to master shtick that was so prevalent when the original was released. And make no mistake – quirky or not this game IS easy to learn, you just need to give it a few minutes. Once you find your bearing you will see that this game is very intuitive.
Yes, this is not for everyone. But obviously Spelunker has an audience when it’s had a release on the Wii VC and this remake on the PSN. And I’m so glad that it did get this treatment because it’s definitely one of the best PSN games available.
Highly recommended if you like oldschool precision gaming. It’s a game that can make you driven – reaching new depths and finding new treasures. It’s the kind of game where progress feels good and your deaths will generally be all on you. Besides, sometimes a guy just wants to descend deep into the Earth with awesome music playing in the background and this is the perfect outlet!
I really do love Spelunker.
There are some pretty great fanworks out there, search youtube, it’s awesome.
Also, the Spelunker anime is pretty hilarious, even though it is kinda low quality.
Spelunker is one of the two NES games that I actually own, believe it or not, and I play it with an arcade cabinet that I built out of cardboard boxes. I haven’t even gotten past the third checkpoint in that.
Anyway, that’s it for now, see you later!
That’s pretty cool, building a cabinet for it. Using standard NES controllers or an NES Advantage?
I’ve seen a couple of clips from the anime and I guess I should watch it eventually. I’ll look into some supplementary stuff for sure going forward.
I really like the option of being able to switch between classic and remake.
I’ve tried it on the NES for maybe a minute a few years ago, so I can’t really say I’ve played it. It does look like fun and could be addicting, though!
Well, you know I eat this sort of shit up anyways ;).
Been playing the NES game myself lately and it’s pretty difficult but I can see my progress. When you can see that you’re making progress in something, there’s usually incentive to keep playing. BUT I can definitely see where this game would turn folks off because it doesn’t really give much wiggle room at times.