While I’ve absolutely enjoyed the variety and intensity of so many great games in this generation, I’ll admit that there are times when it’s nice to take a walk down memory lane, even if it’s only the illusion of a memory. For people like me who grew up playing classic games from the 8-bit and 16-bit eras there’s just something a bit sacred about classic action-adventures in the spirit of titles like The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. Granted, there have been very few indie games made in that mold that have gotten close to encompassing everything that made that particular game great, but it’s still refreshing to see some of the fundamentals still making for compelling play in modern games.

Divine Dynamo Flamefrit may not feel terribly ambitious with its scope, for the most part keeping things simple in terms of both its storytelling and limited variety, but it generally does manage to make the most of what it has to work with… and with a budget price I didn’t mind. While your moves are pretty limited, with a handy rolling dodge, a 3-hit combo that packs a punch, and a powerful charged move serving as a base, they serve you quite well. In particular, I think the fact that you’re allowed to use the grass to your advantage to get chained kills is quite handy and fun to use, and the fact that you’ll pick up some additional help over time keeps giving you new angles of attack to exploit as well.

What I was pleasantly surprised by was how things change pretty radically for big boss fights, shifting you to a first-person perspective taking control of your mech to spice things up a bit. While the combat in these stages may not be terribly complex, mostly focusing on knowing to block and then counter attacks with some patience, they’re still quite a bit of fun and not something I can recall having seen in competing games in the eShop. 

All things considered, for the price the game delivers a bit of a warm hug for fans of classic action-adventures, though in this case placing the emphasis more on the action side of the coin over things like puzzles. There are some hidden areas and things to find as you explore, and they can require some mild puzzle-solving, but there are definitely indie titles out there that have made that their emphasis and this isn’t anywhere close to that same class of depth or design. Still, if you’re on a budget and are looking for some solid nostalgic action-oriented vibes, this isn’t a revolution necessarily, but it makes for some good fun.