As it’s the Game Boy’s 25th anniversary this year, French indie game developer Christophe Galati threw himself into making a Game Boy-style game as a tribute to the old handheld.
That game ended up being called Tasukete Tako-San: Save me Mr Tako, and last week, a demo was released so you can take a look at it if you wish. You can download the demo on IndieDB for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The plan is to also bring the game to Wii U when it’s done.
Tasukete Tako-san has is an action platformer with forced sidescrolling, so you’re in a constant battle against time while navigating dangerous semi-procedurally generated 2D environments.
The idea is to save as many people as you can while fighting against enemies and bosses with the aid of a number of different powers. As you play an octopus called Mr. Tako, those powers include spitting ink on enemies to paralyze them, at which point you can use them like a block to reach higher platforms.
Other abilities are found in chests in the form of 22 different hats. Wearing these hats has varied effects, such as increasing the amount of life you have, the amount of ink available, your speed, and jump height. Some hats give you a sword, a bow, and maybe bombs.
You’ll also find signs on the floor that, if you walk on them, increase the speed of the sidescrolling, which in turn increases your score. You can also spit ink on these signs to slow the sidescrolling speed down.
Taskueke Tako-san: Save me Mr Tako isn’t finished yet, but the Story mode is – this demo just gives you a slice of the action. Look out for further developments on the game’s IndieDB page.
