For some reason it took me a while to get around to this game, but I'm glad I finally did, as it fully qualifies as what I'd consider a 'hidden gem'.
It's a trend among noteworthy indie games that sometimes the formula for success is to take the basic gamefeel or gameplay model of a retro game and turn it into an entire experience. The most notable example of this is probably Shovel Knight and Zelda 2/Ducktales, but in Eagle Island Twist the inspiration seems, to me, to be the egg-throwing mechanic from Yoshi's Island on SNES (or Super Mario World 2).
That's a fantastic foundation for a gameplay model, IMO, and the game does a lot to realize the possibilities of such a system while never overloading you with requirements. Combat can be as basic as walking up to an enemy and summoning your bird at it, but it can be as complex as multiple enemy chains with elemental reactions, all while hovering in mid-air thanks to your flying buddy's ability to smash into repeated enemies and keep you airborne in the process.
There are two main modes on offer, with the classic taking the form of a hub-world metroidvania with randomized dungeons. There's a badge system for said dungeons akin to Paper Mario, and you also gain currency during the dungons you can spend at occasional shops for upgrades. Each dungeon culminates in a boss fight (which so far are decent but not amazing) and an unlock of a new ability.
The second mode is a hand-curated/designed set of challenge levels that are sort of like a 'best of' trial. Some levels will have specific debuffs or sets of requirements to complete them, and you can redo levels for better ranks.
It's worth noting (IMO) that the 'ability unlock' part of this game seems densely layered. I was convinced after getting the four basic elemental attacks that there wouldn't be much more, but I've since unlocked the ability to swim, which has totally upended the navigation I was using for the five previous dungeons. In addition, from a quick glance at my ability slots in the menu, it seems like there is an upgrade for each elemental feather, and at least four more movement oriented upgrades to come. That is a LOT, almost to an overwhelming degree, though because it's partitioned in bite-sized chunks, it's far more inviting than it is intimidating.
The basic stuff on offer here is already great: the art is snappy and nostalgic, the soundtrack fits the mood of each area, the main game modes and gameplay loop are simple but expressive... so it's only more to the game's credit that there's a whole second optional mode, as well as a new way to play the main game once you've completed story mode.
It seems like there's a lot more content to enjoy here than I'll get through in a while, and for that reason, I'm extra sorry I waited so long to give this game a proper chance. I'd now happily recommend it to anyone interested in the simple side of action platformers, or metroidvanias, or even just retro games with unique mechanical twists.
