Quick Review: Super Chibi Knight

Cuteness + nostalgia + an update to a game I played long ago? Where do I sign?

The original was cute, for sure, but the new
one blows it out of the water.

Developed by PestoForce, published by them and Armor Games Studio, and released on June 24th, 2015, Super Chibi Knight is a sequel to a Flash game I used to play on Newgrounds, titled… well… Chibi Knight. Inspired by the system of The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, that game featured a regular RPG overworld view outside of battle, only to switch to a more platform-like view whenever combat happened. And all that, in an adorable style.

This is a much larger effort with a greater story, building upon the basics of the first Flash game to create an improved product. I’ve already stated before that I love to see the devs of games played for free on Newgrounds, Armor Games, or any other Flash gaming website, moving on to new projects as proper indie studios.

Just so darn adorable.

Sandworm, huh? I've seen bigger.

The events of the original “Chibi Knight” are long past, and the great evil Monocchio was defeated. General Tso, a disciple of that demon, seeks to restore the monster to its glory; and to stand unopposed, he blinded the wizards of the world, and then easily defeated the beast masters from the mountains. On Oukoku Island, a little girl’s destiny is about to begin. She wakes up, just a normal day, then goes to the library to learn her world’s story… and sets on a path to right every wrong, solve every villager’s problem, kill every boss threatening the land, and take down Tso.

There's even some good old dungeon-crawling!

Those familiar with the original game will find a first chapter that’s very close in tone and feel. Even then, we have more quests, dungeons and bosses from the beginning, and the game starts out deceptively easy. Things change by the second chapter, where you’re given two paths: You can set sail for an island where the wizards live, and they will teach you the spells necessary to defeat the new evil; or you can climb up the mountains and learn the way of the beast masters, granting you a collection of animals to ride into battle. As emphasized by the scrolls in the library, you cannot do both – therefore, you need to play through the game at least twice to see everything. The difficulty also picks up considerably from the second chapter onwards.

A new environment, a side-quest, an animal
to capture and an underwater breath meter.
So much new stuff!

What a sweet homage to this game's roots!

As a throwback to its roots, the game features references to both Newgrounds and Armor Games. It also offers the option to customize the character with any combo of armor and sword unlocked at any point. This game and the original don’t feature a proper level-up system; instead, the EXP you earn can be used to pay for upgrades to the character’s armor (HP), magic bar, and attack power. Each stat can be upgraded all the way to Level 10. What’s more, the character can find mentors around the map that will also give her new battle techniques.

The best part of this game? Nick Pesto, the main developer of the game, lists his daughter Bella (aged 8 at the time of the game’s release) as co-creator. Father and daughter working together, that’s so sweet.

Lots of bosses, too. Like this one, as
an example.

I greatly enjoyed this one, in part because of nostalgia, but also because of the adorable art style and the fun writing. It feels like a proper improvement over its predecessor, with far more content and a lot more work put on designs, environments, and content (especially regarding the number of quests). One issue I have with the game is that content can be pretty easy to miss, and some quests aren’t fully clear. Some characters will talk to you when you walk up to them, others when you press A near them (controls are A to interact and slash, S to jump, D to use spells or summon animals), so sometimes you’ll lose information by pressing A right after a message popped up.

Right, those really aren’t big issues. The rest of the game is so endearing and fun that said issues can be forgiven. It’s a very charming and kid-friendly title, so I can recommend it for children. It’s worth your time and money, at least I believe so.

Super Chibi Knight is available on Steam for 4.99$.