Going into this wacky title here, seeing as I did originally come across it myself quite a few years back when the late PC gaming critic legend himself, John 'TotalBiscuit' Bain, covered this game way back in 2013, no doubt having left quite the impression on me at the time but, due to largely being a dedicated console gamer at the time alongside not being a part of the Steam ecosystem in any shape or manner, I largely took it as a neat enough game to watch a couple of Let's Plays on at the time and called it a day, moving onto other games to both watch and play as it were.
Now just over a decade later, having caught up with more modern PC gaming standards and revisiting some of the older classic indies of it's own from the 2010's and before, Super Amazing Wagon Adventure now rests upon my eyes as a rather bizarre, yet wholly welcoming sight to behold in all it's primitive (and very much intentional!) 8-bit graphics that harkens back to an older era of gaming, waiting to be played and rediscover why it is I love all these indies that, although hardly hyperrealistic and not apt to appeal to the casual modern gamer, holds a place dear to my heart as far as gaming itself is concerned!
Although we are getting a little ahead of ourselves here, since what exactly is Super Amazing Wagon Adventure (more commonly known by it's acronym, 'SAWA') and why is it worth paying a visit in today's gaming world where so many fun games are at your fingertips here on Steam?
Well for starters, this is the type of game that very much does not take itself seriously (and neither should you!) as the basic premise involves guiding a trio of regular citizens keen on migrating from one side of the United States over to the other as colonialism grew ever more prominent in that time period, looking for a more prosperous life as it were.
...And that's about it as far as any 'deep' or 'complex' storytelling goes! Seeing as SAWA primarily focuses on a quick arcadey type of experience that demands the player have quick reflexes and be able to react to different combat situations on the fly, seeing how the pacing of the game is quite rapid as well as throwing you into random (and equally bizarre!) scenarios on your way to the prosperous lands, with much death to be potentially had amongst the many natural (as well as the occasional supernatural) threats that reside within pre-modern America!
To touch upon the gameplay more directly though, it is largely a scrolling-based 2D shooter type of game that occasionally delves into a more arena-focused type depending on the situation at hand, with the player starting off with a basic pistol that gets the job done but will struggle greatly against later threats without an upgrade to firepower. This can be achieved by either picking up newer guns (such as a Shotgun, Machine Gun, Crossbow and others alongside slightly less realistic firearms for the time period!) to boost your odds of success greatly, albeit being a short-term solution as these pick-up weapons have limited ammo and can not be collected as collecting a second firearm with limited ammo will replace the first one, resorting to the basic pistol again once that too runs out.
The other, more strategic solution, involves fur traders as this game also boasts a 'currency' of sorts involving the collection of various dead animal carcasses whereby you gain hides to trade in with the occasional fur trader for various benefits, be it extra health or those premium weapons with limited ammunition, however this doesn't occur if your party is very healthy and has sufficient hides to spend as an alternative offer will be made by the trader to give a slight, but permanent, upgrade to your starting pistol, be it a faster firing rate, bigger projectiles or a 'double-barrel' that essentially doubles the DPS of the gun, thus adding a tactical skill-based side to the game whereby succeeding well against the odds will grant those who continue to risk with extra abilities not handed over to those who struggle to avoid being hit.
Alongside the main 'campaign' of sorts, there exists two other game modes for players to enjoy, one being Survival that re-enacts specific scenarios seen in the game where you are ranked by three stars based on how long you can survive whilst the other is Shuffle that acts as an 'endurance mode' of sorts as the goal is simply to survive for as long as possible with the three randomly-generated party members you start the game mode with! (Note that the former is unlocked by beating said scenario in the main game first whilst the latter is only available for playing once you have beaten the entire main game once, surviving with at least a single party member)
Honestly, considering the price point of this game here, SAWA offers pretty decent value for those who can look past the basic graphics, seeing how a lot of passion and creativity has went into this fun indie here, although it isn't without it's flaws here, seeing how the gameplay is pretty barebones if you are looking for something more in-depth here as, although the challenge offered here helps to ensure that you keep coming back when combined with the wacky humour and multiple possibilities for each area of the game, the repeated 2D scrolling/arena shoot 'em up combat may get tiring after repeated playthroughs for some.
Other points of contention include the basic graphics which, again, are not for everyone and the game's fast pace not being suitable for those who prefer a more laidback or strategic type of gameplay alongside the two extra game modes surprisingly lacking in any hidden unlockables for getting all 3-star ranks or for surviving an insanely long amount of time, (have yet to confirm the latter on my end though, only having lasted a total of 21 days) even if it is just for those completionists who strive to 100% a game!
With all of that being said, Super Amazing Wagon Adventure is a neat indie filled with plenty of charm and comedic humour that hits in all the right spots, one that I can wholeheartedly recommend for anyone who is looking for a good old homage to retro gaming without taking itself too seriously!
TLDR Version:
• Great use of comedic humour that ensures that each adventure never fails to get a chuckle or laugh out of the player (+)
• SAWA offers a wide variety of content on offer and for a fairly cheap asking price (+)
• Nostalgic 8-bit graphics that hail back to the grandfather days of video gaming with the Atari 2600 and Magnavox amongst other old consoles (+)
• Multiple game modes on offer, one being the main adventure to ensure a party of three adventurers survive the long and harsh trail, whilst two others challenge the player with ranked time-based scenarios and an 'endurance' mode, for additional gameplay (+)
• Rapid-paced gameplay that keeps the action constantly going and engaging by ensuring the player is ready for anything from one screen transition to the next (+)
• SAWA's 8-bit graphics will no doubt put off some who simply are not interested in retro-focused games without any stylized and highly-polished visuals to make up for it (-)
• The gameplay can get rather repetitive if you are expecting more variety outside of 2D scroller/arena combat and the occasional vehicle evasion scenario (-)
• Constant action being thrown at the player can put off those who would rather think about their actions in their games or for those wanting a more relaxed experience (-)
• No hidden unlockables for those looking to spend more time with the game and to 100% it, even if purely cosmetic or hidden 'behind-the-scene' insights (-)
