Summary
Has any game developer benefited as much from the rise of indie gaming asWayForwardhas? Its success wasn’t overnight: the studio spent two decades establishing itself as a reliable developer whose licensed games stood above the pack. Even before the name was synonymous with ‘indie Metroidvania goodness,’ WayForward’s games carried a distinctive charm and appeal.
Once a third-party studio eking out a living making adaptations, WayForward became an indie darling in the early 2010s when itsShantaeand Mighty series became hits. Here are the ten best games the developer has made over its history. Expect great music, gorgeous character designs, and a good dose of humor.
The apple often falls far from the tree in WayForward’s case. Tasked with creating a successor to 1989’s River City Ransom, WayForward kept the beat ‘em up gameplay and completely reworked the art direction. The result is a game that’s recognizably WayForward.
River City Girls draws on diverse influences for its boss battles, from rhythm games to shoot ‘em ups. It feels like a game whose developer loves games. It’s a fun brawler with a kickass soundtrack and memorable side characters that introduced a new generation of fans to the Kunio-kun franchise.
The Mummy: Demastered is one of the rare cases wherethe video game adaptation is better than the movie. That isn’t saying much, considering the movie it’s based on is terrible, but don’t let that hold you back from enjoying this fun little romp of a game.
WayForward hadn’t lost its touch when it came to making licensed games. Instead of being a generic 3D action game, as most other developers would opt for, The Mummy: Demastered is an engaging Metroidvania with tight controls and breezy exploration. The synthwave soundtrack is a plus.
8Mighty Flip Champs
It’s a shame to think that Mighty Flip Champs has become a footnote in WayForward’s history, because this was the game that jump-started their rise to stardom. Released on a DSiWare service in 2009 and later on PlayStation Minis (remember those?), Mighty Flip Champs was a slow-paced, methodical puzzle game imbued that bubbled with personality. It also served as the first game in WayForward’sotherflagship series, the Mighty games.
The later games have been re-released, but Mighty Flip Champs hasn’t, and as both the DSiWare and PSP Minis services have shut down, you can no longer buy it. If you live near WayForward’s offices, please knock on the door and tell them Alta deserves better.
If there’s one complaint you can have about the Mighty Switch Force games, it’s that they’re rather short, clocking in at a couple of hours each. WayForward solved this problem by compiling four games, polishing them up, and releasing them on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch.
The gameplay is easy to wrap your head around but lends itself to some mind-bending puzzles later on. Add in the cute art design and a rocking soundtrack, and you’ve got a sizeable game that lends itself perfectly to quick gaming sessions.
6Double Dragon Neon
River City Girls wasn’t WayForward’s first rodeo at reviving a classic beat ‘em up. In 2012, they rebooted the Double Dragon series with this gem. What Double Dragon Neon lacks in visuals, with its pseudo-3D visuals being a bit of a miss, it makes up for in compelling gameplay. It’s not the most fluid beat ‘em up, but if you learn its mechanics, you’ll be rewarded.
Double Dragon Neon also leans heavily on its in-jokes, references to other games, and caricature portrayal of the 80s. It makes for a good time, especially with a friend.
WayForward’s climb to the top is best epitomized in this remake of a Game Boy Advance classic. You know you’ve made it when Nintendo trusts you to do a beloved IP justice.
Advance Wars 1+2: Re-Boot Camp is a two-for-one package of Intelligent Systems’ GBA entries, with a remixed soundtrack and updated visuals. The gameplay is tense and gratifying, the animations are sleek, and there’s a custom map maker for you to get your money’s worth. If you like Fire Emblem and want a new challenge, look no further.
WayForward’s first true breakout hit, Shantae: Risky’s Revenge was a sequel to a Game Boy Color title the studio had made nearly a decade prior. This enjoyable platformer featured improved mechanics and much better gameplay than the original.
Shantae: Risky’s Revenge is the quintessential WayForward title. It’s fun, it’s rewarding, and it has amazing character design. When it debuted, it was unusually expensive for a DSiWare title, but for the thousands of gamers whose first foray into Metroidvanias was through Risky’s Revenge, it was worth the price of admission.
3Contra 4
Contra 4 plays like a greatest-hits collection of the first three games, and it’s perfectly fine that way. The controls are robust, the visuals are crisp, and the game makes clever use of the Nintendo DS’s two screens.
This was a much-needed comeback for the Contra series, and it played well on a handheld. Once you’re done with the arcade mode, you are offered a challenge mode to keep running, gunning, and blasting aliens to bits. Maybe someday Konami will remember WayForward’s phone number, because these guys know how to handle a beloved title and revive a dormant series.
What separates a good remake from a great one is whether it surpasses the original. This game does it in spades. DuckTales: Remastered is much more than a simple visual update. It givesthe NES classica fresh coat of paint and brings the cartoon’s voice actors out of retirement for an encore performance. A few new features round out the package to make this the best way to play DuckTales.
WayForward imbued this game with nods to the TV series that the NES game couldn’t have due to hardware limitations. There are new locations intended to familiarize players with the gameplay. And if you’re a veteran, or just love chiptune, rejoice: the music can be reverted to that of the NES original.
The only curse we can find here is that WayForward can’t stop making typos. In the original 3DS release, the opening dialogue misspelled ‘seize,’ and in the PC port a few years later, they let you ‘eit’ the game instead of exit it.
That’s how far we have to dig to nitpick, because Shantae and the Pirate’s Curse is a perfect Metroidvania. It’s got great boss fights, rewarding exploration, and stellar artwork, all set to Jake Kaufman’s masterful compositions. It’s consistently engaging and has a world demanding to be explored. This is WayForward’s finest moment.
