Mighty Goose | Xbox Review
Indie games have been on the rise for several years now. The ones that work best for me are those that scratch my nostalgia itch while simultaneously offering something fresh. Mighty Goose from MP2 Games and Blastmode Games succeeds in this admirably. Never in a million years did I expect to enjoy a mashup of Contra, Metal Slug, Mega Man X, and Untitled Goose Game, but here we are. It’s a game I never imagined I’d want, but it was a nice surprise I didn’t see coming.
Time to Kick the Tires and Light the Fires
I’ll be direct: this isn’t a game that you’re going to take seriously in terms of its story. You’re a super hero goose, for God’s sake, complete with epic hero landings. There’s a supreme bad guy named “Void King” that needs to be taken down. As Mighty Goose, you’ll travel from planet to planet taking out his minions and rescuing friendlies along the way. That’s really all you need to know about this narrative.
The beauty of this game lies in its simplicity. You run and gun in two dimension from left to right for the majority of your time with Mighty Goose. Along the way, you’ll find power-ups like a machine gun, shotgun, or even a rocket launcher. These upgrades are limited use, but I never really felt I was lacking in arms to find success. There was always a constant barrage of drops, including extra health, so you never really feel like you’re missing out.
Fans of similar games like Contra and Metal Slug will find this title equally satisfying in terms of gameplay. Taking out enemies feels just as good as it does in those games. This one just feels a bit more silly, in a good way. Mighty Goose never actually takes itself seriously, even though it pretends to do so. It’s clear the devs wanted to make a game that was stupidly fun to play. And that’s exactly what we’ve got.
Great Balls of Fire
Outside of the core gameplay are some other fun surprises. Exploring the environment often yields hidden power-ups. Sometime you’ll even find vehicles like a one-wheeled scooter or a walking tank. At times you’ll fly around the stage shooting enemy robots shmup-style. These gameplay moments never overstay their welcome, so it feels fresh each time while mixing things up just enough to keep it from feeling monotonous.
Additionally, you’ll have to opportunity to upgrade your goose in between stages. Instead of providing a skill tree, however, you’ll be given an energy meter. Each upgrade costs a certain amount of energy to use, so it becomes a push and pull of which upgrades I can afford at the moment. It also allows the player to choose a style that fits with their preference.
You’ll also have the ability to choose between different companions and secondary abilities. The companions follow you during missions, each with its own unique ability. One might keep you supplied with machine gun ammo, for instance. My favorite, however, was a useless character called “Regular Duck.” A more apt name doesn’t exist, as this character does literally nothing other than serve for a corny dad joke that I appreciated a great deal.
Mighty Goose Final Verdict
I knew I’d get a chuckle out of Mighty Goose, but I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. Sure, it’s a pretty simple game on paper. but so many aspects of it are bite-sized pieces of pure satisfaction. Will I ever play it again? Even though there’s a new game plus, I probably won’t touch it a second time. But there’s plenty of replayability for people who love it even more than I did, including skill ranks at the end of each mission. It’s a charming little title that harkens back to the days when we played games for their sheer enjoyment instead of their importance in the grand scheme of the industry. It’s not going to revolutionize anything, but it was a great, albeit short, experience that I hope a lot of people give a shot.
This review is based on an Xbox copy of Might Goose provided by Stride PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation, Nintendo Switch & PC.
Mighty Goose
$19.99
Pros
- Beautifully Simplistic
- Satisfying Gameplay
- Fun Upgrades
- Charming Sense of Humor
Cons
- Needs More Epic Bosses
- More Weapon Variety Would Be Nice
