Developer: Kunjee Studio
Publisher: Mega Cat Studios, 8 Bit Legit
Platform: NES, Switch
Tested on: Switch
Roniu’s Tale (Switch) – Review
It looks like 8 Bit Legit is on a roll by publishing great NES games on the Switch, first with Trophy and this time with Ronius’s Tale. Last year we first had our hands on the original NES release and now we get to experience how the Switch version feels. Again we try to find our way out of a mysterious dungeon where the floors disappear under our feet and monsters roam its hallways in this cute puzzle game.
Story
Roniu was never satisfied with life, he was unhappy. One day he noticed a light coming from behind the wall of his city. Roniu jumped over the wall but fell into a magic hole that led to a strange dungeon and then he saw a little ghost. The ghost told him she fell into the dungeon a long time ago and that she died there. Her only desire is to leave the dungeon, but she cannot. To escape the dungeon, Roniu needs to collect all of the orbs and room keys. Once he has all the orbs, Roniu will be granted a wish and he can then finally leave the dungeon. Counting on Roniu’s help, the ghost believes she will also leave the dungeon.
The little story empathizes with the fact that if you want to have a good ending then you must collect all the orbs in the levels to get that ending, yet it is in your hands what ending you’ll end up with.
Graphics
The game was originally made for the NES and has now been ported over to the Switch. The game looks generally the same and now comes with a border to look better on larger TVs. These borders are nice creations from 8 Bit Legit and come in different styles like the game’s background or an old-school television. During your adventures, you will explore eight different dungeons, and each location has its unique style and different color scheme. This makes each level look vastly different while still using the limited available assets to fit on an NES cartridge.
Sound
As the title is a direct port from the NES, it still sounds like an actual NES title. The music in the background is pleasant to listen to and it sounds just like you are playing it on the original hardware. For sound effects don’t expect anything out of the ordinary, as this is a simple NES puzzle game with only a few unique things going on.
Gameplay
Roniu’s Tale is a puzzle game where you must collect the orbs and keys in each level to make it out of the dungeon safely. It all begins when Roniu falls into a mysterious magical hole and ends up in a rather creepy-looking dungeon. Here he meets a ghost that cannot find her way out and together they embark on the journey to escape together. The setup to the puzzles is simple, as you’ll need to grab the key and optionally the orb, and leave through the unlocked door at the end of the level. The key is mandatory to continue but if you want to get a good ending then you must collect all optional orbs in certain levels to be able to make a wish and save your ghost friend. While perfectly achievable, it is understandable that when you are stuck in a tight spot you want to skip certain parts just to see the rest of the game. As you only have three lives to complete a dungeon, you must carefully plan your route. If you don’t make it, then you will receive a password when you die, so you can start on the first level of your current ‘chapter’ of the dungeon again.
There are two challenges that you will face on the many levels of Roniu’s Tale. You’ll quickly notice that tiles disappear from under your feet and many dangerous monsters will want to stop you in your tracks. Fortunately, you are not left to your own devices, as you received a few magical powers to beat the levels of the dungeon. You start with three fireballs that can be used to break walls or destroy enemies. After each new chapter of the dungeon, you will gain another skill that can be used once like jumping, creating a new tile, and ghosting through a wall. In total, you will have four powers, and you’ll have to make sure to only use them when absolutely necessary.
As the game has been ported over to a more modern system it runs very smoothly. One small issue we found when playing the game is that it is quite easy to overshoot your movement when playing with the joystick, so it is advised to use the D-pad if you don’t want to make any mistakes.
Conclusion
Roniu’s Tale was already a fun game on the NES, and now it has been perfectly ported to the Switch. The visuals and sounds remain true to the original, and with the nice 8 Bit Legit border spacing out the screen, everything just feels right. The gameplay is simple yet challenging from the very first level to the last one. While everything sounds perfect, there is one small issue when playing with a joystick as it is very easy to overshoot your movement which may cause an early demise. That being said, it’s only a tiny blemish on an otherwise great experience.
Roniu’s Tale (Switch) – Review,
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