[b]Playing the original Chip’s Challenge on my family’s old computer is one of my most cherished, childhood gaming memories…..[/b]but considering I probably wasn’t even [i]double-digits[/i] years old back then and was a stupid kid with a stupid kid brain, [i]I sincerely doubt I even got to like[/i] [b]level 20[/b] [i]on my own[/i] and I probably just spammed codes to see what the later levels looked like. Fast forward to over fifteen years later, my brother one day said [b]“Hey, remember Chips? I found it free on Steam!”[/b], to which I was like [b]omg bro [i]get off the computer right now I wanna play[/i] [/b] [spoiler](well, I probably was more polite than that).[/spoiler] And [i]yes[/i], [b]this ain’t nostalgia talking[/b]. After all this time, [b]Chip’s Challenge[/b] is still one of the best, most addicting puzzle games I’ve ever played. [i]And [b]the whole thing is[/b] [/i] [b]FREE!![/b] [spoiler]Get it right now, man!![/spoiler]
But you know what? If you first want to hear what the game is like before deciding if it’s worth your free time and hardware space [spoiler](despite the fact that this game is smaller than a single Call of Duty asset)[/spoiler] then [b]I can respect that![/b] So [i]with that, [b]here’s the beef.[/b] [/i] Average nerd Chip must collect computer chips. [b]Why?[/b] Because he wants to join this elite geeks squad and [b]he’s not cool enough.[/b] [spoiler]IDK I didn’t get this for the plot.[/spoiler] What plays out is a top-down, practically [i]grid-based[/i] puzzle game with a wide variety of challenges. Some levels are obstacle courses, relying heavily on fast reflexes. Others are pure puzzle, making you have to think out each individual move. And others [i]still[/i] are just [b]perseverance.[/b] … meaning there’s nothing particularly challenging about them aside from [i]how agonizingly long they are.[/i] So why don’t we check out some of the things you might encounter? Come on, they don’t bite!...except for the monster. [b]he definitely likes biting.[/b] There are about six or seven different enemy types, each one behaving [i]a little differently [/i]than the others. The [b]rubber ball[/b] bounces off of walls back and forth in a straight line, while the [b]ant[/b] moves directly around the level layout; for example. There are also certain elemental dangers involved, such as fire and water. There [i]are[/i] power ups to climb over those, such as flippers or heat resistant boots; OR you could push certain blocks to create a bridge. Other blocks act as something of a force-field, and you need to find a button to turn them on or off. Thief panels will steal all your power ups and collectibles, bear traps can trap you [spoiler](surprise)[/spoiler] or trap other enemies, and then [i]there are the keys.[/i] Many of the levels just have you go around looking for certain colors of keys. [b]So many keys.[/b] You got all that? [b]Good.[/b] Now, obviously, I didn’t go over every single enemy and trap in the game, but [i]there honestly isn’t a whole lot more than this[/i]; [b]which is where [i]the real beauty of the game is.[/i] [/b] [b]Chip’s Challenge[/b] just feels so [i]pure[/i]; having what it needs and [i]only[/i] what it needs, and then making the absolute most of it. [i]Every concept feels fresh[/i], not a single object feels like filler or unnecessary, [b]and every level feels wholly different from the other[/b]; which is crazy impressive once you realize that [b]there are over 140 levels in total.[/b] Of course, that’s not to say [i]that every level here is a winner.[/i] There are a pretty decent number of [b]lame losers[/b] here, many of them falling into that [b]perseverance[/b] trap I was talking about. [b]Level 33 [u]On the Rocks[/u] [/b] just puts you on an island with an infinite block generator and tells you [i]go fill up the ocean![/i] [b]find the exit! [i]have fun![/i] [/b] and it was just [i]so terribly long and boring[/i] [spoiler](it took me nearly an hour just to beat it).[/spoiler] [b]Level 61 [u]Rink[/u] [/b] is a giant maze on an ice rink, and if there are two things that should never be combined again, [b]it should be [i]“ice level” and “maze”[/i] [/b]; because [i]man, [b]that was torture.[/b] [/i] And [b]Level 94 [u]Now You See It[/u] [/b] is an invisible maze!…[spoiler]it’s awful![/spoiler] But this is supposed to be a positive review, right? So I don’t want to go just highlighting the bad levels (and there are A LOT more than that), and instead let’s talk about a GOOD LEVEL! [b]Level 70 [u]Nightmare[/u] [/b] is pretty much [i]every good thing[/i] about [b]Chips.[/b] It effortlessly weaves fast reflex gameplay along with its puzzle mechanics, it takes full advantage of basically [b]every enemy in the game[/b], and it just has [i]style[/i]; it makes you feel [i]cool[/i], like for that moment [b]you feel like an expert at the game or something.[/b] I don’t know, [i]it’s a good level.[/i] And while there are quite a few [i]duds[/i] around, the majority of [b]Chip’s[/b] 144 are [b]winners.[/b]
This is where I usually talk about the game’s production values, but [b]Chip’s Challenge[/b] is a direct copy of [b]a game from 1989[/b], so [i]is that even really necessary??…[b]it sure is.[/b] [/i] It may not have the fanciest graphics in town anymore [b](or like [i]ever[/i])[/b], but [b]Chip is [i]timeless.[/i] [/b] I actually never realized it until I got the Steam version, but I was playing on the Windows port all that time, which is much more simplified than the [i]“original”[/i] version, presumably because they were porting to inferior hardware. The original version has more detailed sprites, actual animation, and feels a lot more clean and smooth. And even though I grew up on the [b]“Win”[/b] version, [i]almost instantly[/i] I prefer the other; but the really cool thing about the Steam version is that [b]you can choose the best of either one![/b] You want the look of the original but the music of the port? [i]Go ahead![/i] [b]Mix and match![/b] Now I still haven’t mentioned what the game even looks like yet, which… [i]I just don’t have much to say, honestly. It looks good![/i] Very charming; good old school feel. I like how the original [b]monster[/b] enemy was just some random sentient dentures chomping around, and the Windows port changed that to [b]some freaky mutant demon frog [i]for some reason.[/i] [/b] And Chip sure does look like your typical nerd! [i]Look at those huge glasses![/i] HAA ha ha ha ha!!! [spoiler]...wait he kinda looks like me. I just dissed myself.[/spoiler] And then [b]there’s the death sound effect…[/b] [spoiler]BUMMER.[/spoiler] Not even joking, this voice line is about as iconic to me as something like [b]Mario collecting coins; [i]has lived rent free in my head for pretty much my whole life.[/i] [/b] I only have two real complaints here; one being that the neon green conveyor belt design and animation [i]is really hard on the eyes[/i], ESPECIALLY in levels like [b]22 [u]Forced Entry[/u] [/b], and the music for the Windows port [b]stinks[/b]. It’s just the two [i]most loud, annoying[/i], [b]and ear melting songs [i]you’ll ever wish you didn’t hear.[/i] [/b] The original’s piano covers of classic music are a lot easier on the ears. Overall, game hasn’t aged a day! [spoiler]Modern gaming wishes it could be this good![/spoiler]
[b]Chip’s Challenge[/b] might actually be the greatest free game available on Steam. For the cost of [i]only 93 megabytes of your computer[/i], you get nearly 150 levels of super fun and addictive puzzle madness; all with a presentation that feels like it hasn’t aged a day [i]despite being near[/i] [b]forty years old.[/b] So… [i]like… [b]what’s even stopping you from at least giving it a try, bud?[/b] [/i] [spoiler]Too busy maxing out your credit card for live service game cosmetics? eww gross.[/spoiler]
