Skellboy – Review (Switch)
Skellboy is an action adventure RPG from UmaikiGames that will immediately remind you of the Paper Mario franchise. Skellboy shows off one feature that even Nintendo’s series of games doesn’t – and that’s body part swapping. This is the main feature in Skellboy and something that sets it apart from other games in the genre.
Early in my playthrough I was able to pick up an item and place it on my head or, even better, replacing my head. When I did this, I noticed that my available health went down. Different body parts can either add or take away health so choose your parts wisely. Changing your head, feet, and torso will also give you certain abilities that you can use on your journey.
Much like the Mario games, there is a princess. This time around she does the dumping and isn’t seen simply as a damsel in distress. The dumpee, the king’s magician, was so hurt by her actions that he calls on the evil spirits to awaken and wreak havoc on the land. Along with the evil, the magician inadvertently raises a hero as well. This is his story.
Skippy, as our hero is known, sets off to fight the evil that has take over the once peaceful kingdom and bring rest to the people that inhabit the land.
As the adventure begins, you’ll start off in the courtyard of the castle with nothing more than your bones and a cardboard sword. Don’t fret, you’ll soon upgrade your body and weapon in no time. As you defeat enemies and explore the world, you’ll add thicker skulls, helmets, armor, and even wigs that will change not only your physical appearance – but also your abilities.
Weapons come in all sorts of varieties. You’ll have a multitude of swords, clubs, axes, lances, and wands to choose from. Much like the wearables, your weapons each have their own amounts of damage and special abilities. Some weapons like the baguette will eventually crumble in your hand – so make sure that you have a backup ready to go. You’ll even be able to chuck a big pencil at your enemies. The weapon variety is as fascinating as it is hilarious, and you’ll want to try as many as you can.
The levels also have a ton of variety. You’ll start out making your way through the castle garden on your way to the swamp where you’ll meet your first boss. The swamp is a lot darker than some of the outside environments and this simple shift in light makes it feel like you’ve left the gardens and are now about to face something fierce. After loading up with energy you’ll head into the boss arena. There’s no going back once you head in so make sure you’re ready. There’s a true sense of accomplishment when you beat the bosses in the game, and it feels good to finally figure out their patterns and bring them down.
There are plenty of other places to explore as you make your way through the game. You’ll head back into the castle and explore the dungeons, cellar, and wine room before making your way back out to the farm as the story continues.
The controls work well for the most part. Every now and then I felt like there was a delay in a jump or I took some damage because my sword didn’t swing when I pushed attack. Other than that, they seem to be tight. You only have jump and attack controls to worry about other than general movement, so you’ll be comfortable with the controls in no time.
Recommendation: If you are a fan of the action role playing genre and are looking for something to tide you over, you could do a lot worse than Skellboy. With fun retro graphics and some interesting weapons and features you’re sure to enjoy your time with Skippy as he fights evil and tries to make the world safe for everyone again. Skellboy is available now on the Nintendo Switch.
Check out our Review Guide to see what we criteria we use to score games.
*Skellboy was given to the reviewer by the publishing company but this fact did not alter the reviewer’s opinion*
