Trophy | NES Homebrew Review

Homebrew retro games have experienced a slight surge in popularity as of late. Believe it or not, there are developers out there creating brand new games to play on classic consoles. Some are available through emulation, but most are available via a physical cartridge you actually play on your NES, SNES, Genesis, or other retro device. I recently had the opportunity to preview one such title called Trophy from developer Gradual Games and publisher The 6502 Collective. I’m happy to report that it is an absolute delight to play, and any fan of classics like Mega Man, DuckTales, or even Little Samson will be very happy.

Mega Man? You Have My Attention

Yes, Trophy definitely feels like its aptly-titled tagline, “a love letter to Mega Man.” There’s no doubt of the influence, especially since it comes across more as an homage than a copycat. Two scientists discover a robot-inhabited planet in the far reaches of space. One returns back to Earth with his robot companion to report on their findings. The other stays behind and slowly descends into madness. The first returns and melds with his companion to become “Trophy,” a half-human/half-machine to thwart his former friend’s evil plan.

Trophy’s design is admittedly cooler than Mega Man. Instead of firing projectiles from an arm cannon, he shoots from the palm of his hand like Iron Man. It’s one of several small additions that give this title its own distinct identity. In addition, his running animation has a level of detail not seen in many 8-bit titles. The late generation technology of the NES is obvious in every level, and I’m very impressed with the results.

The Doctor is Out

Trophy consists of eight themed stages that can be completed in any order, each with a final boss. A ninth and final level unlocks after you complete the first eight, and also includes a Dr. Wily-esque battle to put a bow on it. Each stage is uniquely designed, some playing with the jumping mechanics in familiar ways. The gameplay varies in difficulty throughout each stage. Most moments are standard and can be passed with ease. Others offer a very tricky challenge that only hardcore retro gamers will be able to pass on their first try. A couple spots in the final stage, in particular, are almost mean in design. But again, they’re completely doable. It’s a true test of the patience that we relied on as kids when we had nothing but time.

One of the best aspects of Trophy is its reliance on simplicity. Our hero doesn’t acquire new weapons from bosses, and has no companion to make platforming easier. He simply runs, jumps, and shoots; that’s it. But don’t let that make you think this game isn’t exciting. I truly appreciated being able to take my own path without worry of choosing the right order.

That’s also not to say that there aren’t upgrades available. Each level has a cleverly-hidden room that contains an item to extend your health bar or increase the size of your projectiles. They’re a ton of fun to find, and the upgrades help you without feeling like you’re cheating. Rest assured, the game is still tough as nails, even if you find them all. The weapon upgrade, in particular, isn’t permanent. If you lose a certain portion of your health, it reverts to your original pea shooter. I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that gave you this incentive to keep your health meter high.

Who’s the Boss?

As I mentioned above, each stage ends with a fight against a boss, and each one is much larger than those found in the Mega Man titles. Additionally, each fight works very differently than most I’ve played on the NES. My natural inclination has always been to fire as much as possible at the enemy’s weak point. I learned very quickly that this strategy simply won’t work. Each boss is a battle of attrition, requiring high levels of pattern memorization and patience. It brought me back to the days when I had nothing but time to master the techniques, and I loved every minute of it.

My only complaint here is the length of the “explosion” at the end of each boss battle. I may be getting impatient in my old age, but the animation and sound effect felt like it went on for several more seconds than needed. But this doesn’t hinder the game in any way and is only a minor annoyance.

Trophy Final Verdict

Simply put, if you’re a fan of classic NES games, this is a must-play. If Trophy had existed in the early days of that console, it would have easily been in my list of most memorable titles. The graphics are crisp, the gameplay is solid, and the boss fights are intense. It’s rare to find homebrew titles that are as satisfying to complete as this one. Do yourself a favor and consider backing this project on Kickstarter. You won’t be disappointed in the final product.

To hear me talk more about Trophy, be sure to check out Episode 288 of The Gaming Outsider Podcast, which will release later this week.

This review is based on a ROM version of the game played via emulator on Mac. It was provided to The Gaming Outsider by Sole Goose Productions for coverage purposes and will also be available on Steam and NES.