Developer: Delayed Victory
Publisher: EastAsiaSoft
Platform: Switch (2), PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S
Tested on: Switch 2
Super Mining Mechs – Review
Once again, we dug around in our backlog to bring you a review of a game that slipped through the cracks when it debuted. Super Mining Mechs actually made its debut back in October of last year. It’s the sequel to 2024’s Mining Mechs, a game we somehow also missed. Who knows, maybe Super Mining Mechs pulls a Station to Station and gets us invested enough to check out its predecessor. Did we dig Super Mining Mechs, or should it have stayed buried in our backlog?
Story
What Super Mining Mechs’ story lacks in depth, it makes up for with a strong environmental message. The core premise is that Earth has run out of resources, forcing humanity to look elsewhere for raw materials. Players take on the role of a mech operator working for a mining company that has taken their operations off-world. Our protagonist is sent to extract valuable minerals and precious metals from dangerous alien planets. The story that unfolds comments on how wasteful and exploitative humanity has become. It is delivered through brief text blurbs and occasional dialogue. While Super Mining Mechs’ central themes are important, especially these days, the story itself is not a major focus, and mainly exists to give context to the gameplay loop of digging, upgrading, and perpetually moving on to new planets.
Graphics
In terms of visuals, Super Mining Mechs tries to balance the appeal of retro-inspired pixel art with at-a-glance readability. The result is clean and well presented, but comes across as functional, rather than fun. The basic character models, simple colour palette and no-frills animations don’t push any visual boundaries. It’s an approach that fits with the game’s chill, low-stakes gameplay. All the information you’d want is presented in a clean, logical manner. This less-is-more philosophy is also present in the game’s visual performance, which is smooth as butter.
Sound
Just like with its visuals and story, Super Mining Mechs’ audio feels utilitarian first and foremost. It’s as if it’s there because a game is expected to have some sort of sound, rather than the audio itself having had thought put into it. The game’s music is the worst offender here, being both repetitive and loud by default. One of the first things we did was go into the game’s settings to turn down the volume. The game’s sound effects fare better, adding heft and impact to the heavy machinery that you use when mining. That said, we wouldn’t exactly describe the droning sound of a jackhammer as pleasant to listen to. To our surprise, Super Mining Mechs also featured limited voice acting in story preambles. The performances are just ok, and while their presence is appreciated, voice acting never takes center stage in the soundscape. This is one of the rare instances where the resources spent on voice actors would’ve been better used elsewhere.
Gameplay
At its heart, Super Mining Mechs is a game about digging. You pilot a mech in a 2D side-scrolling environment, digging down, left and right (but never up) through dirt and rocks to uncover resources. Your mech only has limited storage, split between dirt and valuable materials. This means that you’ll need to return to the surface or underground hubs to dump dirt, sell or bank resources and take on new missions. Those missions unlock upgrades for your mechs, such as more storage, increased drill speed and new tools. In turn, this lets you dig deeper and more efficiently. Super Mining Mechs is deliberately slow-paced, with no real fail states, making this more of a chill game that doesn’t demand your full attention while you play. It’s the kind of game you boot up to have something in your hands while watching a YouTube deep dive or listening to a podcast.
Strategy is minimal and challenge is low, with progression being more about reducing tedium rather than overcoming difficulty. There is no time limit or fuel gauge to worry about and hazards you encounter mostly act as inconveniences. In theory, this kind of core loop can become meditative and even addictive. It tickles the same part of the brain as, say, shiny hunting does in Pokémon games. On the other hand, where a shiny hunt ultimately leads to the dopamine rush of eventually seeing those sparkles, Super Mining Mechs’ “dig, upgrade, dig deeper” loop doesn’t come with that same feeling of payoff. Instead, the gameplay comes across as shallow and ultimately repetitive.
That’s not to say that Super Mining Mechs is light on content. On the contrary, in fact. We rushed through levels and missions to finish the core story fairly quickly, but completionists could easily spend dozens upon dozens of hours digging. With several planets to take on, each with its own skill trees and multiple mission tiers, Super Mining Mechs allows continued play well beyond its ending. It’s just a shame that the core gameplay loop itself doesn’t evolve, and that the game can’t shake the mantle of repetitiveness.
Conclusion
More than anything, Super Mining Mechs feels like it ticks the boxes and dots the ‘I’s to meet the definition of a video game. As a showcase of developer Delayed Victory’s technical prowess, Super Mining Mechs does exactly what it needs to. What it’s missing, however, is a reason for players to care enough to actually play it. With that thought in mind, we can’t recommend picking this one up. It’s a game that does everything it sets out to do, but never gives you a reason to come back once you’ve put it down.
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