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Essays 24 October 2020, 22:29

author: Adrian Werner

Platformers – page 2. Best Free PC games without micropayments

Table of Contents

Maldita Castilla

IN A NUTSHELL
  1. Developer: Locomalito
  2. Genre: 2D platformer

Maldita Castilla is another praiseworthy game that made its way to this list. The game is a fan homage to old platformers, most notably Ghost’n’Goblins series.

The author is Spanish and settled his work in his own country during the Middle Ages while adding many elements from local beliefs. Local folklore is rarely seen in games, so Maldita Castilla offers a lot in terms of the atmosphere itself. The gameplay focuses on exploration and, above all, combat, and is characterized by a very serious difficulty level.

The game consists of six large maps with forty types of enemies and fourteen bosses. All of this was done in an audiovisual style that successfully mimics the arcade machine productions of the late 1980s. .

  1. Maldita Castilla – download game

N.2.0

IN A NUTSHELL
  1. Developer: Metanet Software
  2. Genre: 2D platformer

Another free platformer classic on the list is N.2.0 The game allows you to play as a small ninja warrior with impressive acrobatic skills, who must wade through a trap-filled map. There is no plot or even a great variety of locations. Instead, the whole thing focuses on pure gameplay that is fast and forces perfect precision.

The production gets murderously difficult after a few levels. Fortunately, the levels are small and each occupies a single screen. This makes it easier to deal with the frustration that regular character deaths undoubtedly cause. At the same time, even when we feel like smashing a keyboard against a wall, the rage goes away after a while and we sit down to try again. N.2.0 is a rare case of a game that can lead to pure fury, and at the same time is almost addictive, not only for masochists.

It is worth mentioning that N.2.0 has a large group of active fans who regularly create new missions for it, usually even harder than the original maps. So in practice you can play almost indefinitely.

  1. N.2.0 – play

Cave Story

IN A NUTSHELL
  1. Creator: Daisuke Amaya
  2. Genre: 2D platformer

Cave Story is another great classic in our review and a game that has become an inspiration to countless independent developers. The author, Daisuke "Pixel" Amaya, worked on this title for five long years, devoting most of his spare time to it – the enormity of his work can be seen here every step of the way.

The game is a classic two-dimensional platformer belonging to the Metroidvania category. So, while playing, we traverse huge maps with a partially open structure. Gameplay emphasizes exploration and combat conducted using a large arsenal of various firearms.

Cave Story is a long and elaborate title that surprises with interesting ideas about locations and challenges. It has the same magic that characterized the best 8 - and 16-bit platformers, and quietly beats the quality of most contemporary representations of the genre.

  1. Read more about Cave Story
  2. Cave Story – official site

Adrian Werner

Adrian Werner

A true veteran of the Gamepressure newsroom, writing continuously since 2009 and still not having enough. He caught the gaming bug thanks to playing on his friend's ZX Spectrum. Then he switched to his own Commodore 64, and after a short adventure with 16-bit consoles, he forever entrusted his heart to PC games. A fan of niche productions, especially adventure games, RPGs and games of the immersive sim genre, as well as a mod enthusiast. Apart from games, he devourers stories in every form - books, series, movies, and comics.

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