by David RodriguezKidbash: Super Legend has me all Kirbed up after playing it. Coming from Fat Raccoon Games, Authentic Remixes, and Niji Games, this is a cool take on action platforming roguelites, a combo you don’t see terribly often. Even more rare is influence from one of the Nintendo 64’s sleepier hits, Kirby 64: The Crystal Shards. It’s part of Acclaim’s comeback as a publisher as well, and frankly, this was a good pick for them!
You play as Kidbash, an amnesiac kid-turned-hero who’s jettisoned into O.D.D., a world struggling with an influx of monsters. Being the nice chap he is, he volunteers to help out (and also get in the good graces of Mandala Village and its denizens since some believe you could be a monster yourself). It’s a run-based roguelite so the gameplay loop will make or break the game for you: pick a weapon loadout, get out there and defeat cute monsters, earn rewards, die eventually, power up, repeat.
Kidbash is big on charm. It has a clay-like art style that’s apparent in every facet of the game, except the menus, which have their own colorful pop. There’s a toy-like simplicity to it, and yet it’s so vibrant, it betrays that very simplicity for the better. It is a lot like a Kirby game: simple on the surface, cute and unassuming at first, but packed with details and depth if you look for it.
That’s not where the comparisons end either. For every run, you’re given the option of picking two weapons to take out with you. You only start with two, a sword and a Mega Man-like arm cannon, and you can combine them into one attack called a Mix attack. For sword and arm cannon, it turns into a boomeranging buzzsaw that cuts through several enemies at once and returns for a second pass of damage. You have to have a solid amount of Mix meter to deploy it, but you get pretty generous helpings of it from dispatching enemies so don’t skimp on using it, it’s pretty fun to try out!
Each level segment is short, about three to five minutes of gameplay, as you make your way through platforming obstacles and arena areas where you must kill a number of foes before collecting a reward and moving on. The segments culminate in a larger reward, like a buff in the shape of a cartridge that can affect your attacks, your invulnerable dash, or how well you heal. Even with this preview’s limitations, there seems to be a solid amount of choices and therefore builds you can aspire to, constructing your own Kidbash brick by brick until he’s a true menace to the monsters. You can pick the type of reward you get before you catapult yourself to the next segment Hades style.
The writing is relatively inconsequential, certainly there to be a vehicle and provide motivation for the action and progression, but that’s about it. Many characters are self-aware, even breaking the fourth wall, and there’s references abound to other games like Castlevania and The Legend of Zelda. This style of writing isn’t for everyone, I know, but it wasn’t hackneyed enough to stop me from smirking occasionally. I’m sure things get deeper in the full game as you learn more about Mandala Village and its inhabitants, this offering didn’t do much beyond set the stage. Several typos need some tweaking as well, but there’s time. No pressure!
There was also a relatively big bug I encountered. On a run, I was softlocked after beating an arena of enemies and couldn’t progress. The reward never populated and collecting it is what triggers the door further into the level to open. It didn’t happen! I had to end my run through the menu and try again, which was a shame because it was the furthest I had been in the game up to that point. Let’s hope the devs iron that out soon and definitely before launching.
Kidbash: Super Legend is a fun time. I’ve already packed a couple hours into it, beat the first boss, and unlocked a third weapon to try out. With missions, weapon variants and upgrades, stat boosts, and other stuff planned for the full game, it’s shaping up to be a scrappy little platformer for the ’90s kid, made to be repeatable at its core. I say if the art style speaks to you, try it out! It’s the first thing that caught my eye and what makes playing it invigorating and whimsical.
Kidbash: Super Legend is slated for release on consoles and PC in early 2027. You can wishlist it now on Steam.
Kidbash: Super Legend
