Blazing Rangers, the newly-developed NES/Famicom game from developer Karu_gamo and publisher First Press Games, is the latest in a long-running trend: old-school physical releases of brand-new titles that are built explicitly to feel of that time. We’ve spent some time with a preview build of the game, and it does well in delivering on its promise of nostalgia.
In Blazing Rangers, you control one of two firefighters, Popo and Mimi, and use a fire hose to put out fires and rescue children. Action plays out in a single screen each level, and fire grows and returns soon after you extinguish it. You manage your hose length too, though you do have a lesser ability to pump water without it. Usually, this means deciding when to drop the hose and make a run for it to grab kids. Occasionally it means saving yourself after the fire makes you drop the hose anyway. It’s a small restriction, but one with large gameplay implications.
Solo developer Karu_gamo is mostly known for his work making games for Yuzo Koshiro’s Ancient. (Notably 3DS action-tower-defense gem Gotta Protectors.) This isn’t his first NES effort, though! The free Amazon’s Running Diet was a retro take on a very modern genre: the endless runner. That affinity and experience shows through in Blazing Rangers. There’s a distinct feel for the gameplay loop. There’s a knowledge of what works in level design. There are… honestly some really familiar character designs, too. Karu_gamo has a style and it’s present here in abundance.
Blazing Rangers’ focus on co-op and limited early-Famicom aesthetic give it a feel that has distinct peers. It’s right there with Bubble Bobble, Mario Bros. and Ice Climber. There’s a cozy feel to these games. You work together and figure out simple levels, but you also frantically try to do whatever you can as fast as you’re able.
It’s also very much faithful to the “NES Hard” approach. Back in the console’s heyday, developers tuned games to be especially difficult so it would take players longer to finish. (It’s how we got games like the original Ninja Gaiden.) Even in the first 16 levels available in our preview build, we hit the wall a few times and had to be meticulous in our approach. There’s also the game’s “B Mode.” It preserves the timer across levels, and forces you to think quickly and act even faster. In addition, there’s some random generation going on here and there, so you can’t just memorize every stage.
Co-op makes things easier, for sure. And it’s probably the way to play it! But if you’re looking for a game that feels like those old games you love, this difficulty is an important part of the formula. Also important to the retro experience is the music, and Blazing Rangers has that covered. Chiptune wizard Hydden provides some fun, high-energy tracks for the game, and it adds just the right amount of tension and hype.
Blazing Rangers is available for preorder in lots of different configurations and special packages from First Press Games. It’s scheduled to ship in Summer 2021.
