[h1]A game meant to bring back memories that is similar to Super Mario World on the SNES and it does this with relatively few gameplay and gimmick elements. [/h1]
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[th]Pros[/th]
[th]Cons[/th]
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[td]✔️A story very similar to that of Super Mario, except that instead of being a plumber, we are Santa Claus.[/td]
[td]❌ The whole thing could have benefited from some more paths, more hidden exits or more plot in general, as it ends after about 20-40 minutes.[/td]
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[td]✔️ Some vividly colored environments are populated by sharp sprites, and to make it even better, the whole game runs like a dream; fast, precise, and without any stuttering that could ruin a moment of your game.[/td]
[td]❌ The individual "power-ups" are rather shallow, as we have the Fire Flower counterpart from Super Mario (SNES) to throw rocks, but other than that we have no gimmicks to play with.[/td]
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[td]✔️The 20-minute game can also be played in a cooperative mode with 1 to 3 other people is a small, but welcome bonus.[/td]
[td]❌ There is no save or quick save option available. [/td]
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[td]✔️ The fact that the game is relatively simple to play makes it ideal for kids and families without any prior gaming knowledge.[/td]
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[h1] Additional Info: [/h1]
[table]
[tr]
[th]Content & Replay Value[/th]
[th]The Legend of Santa took me 20 minutes to complete. Unless you want to casually experience the game again in the future or speedrun it, I see no reason to replay the game once finished.[/th]
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[tr]
[td]Mode[/td]
[td]Singleplayer & 2-4 Shared/Split Screen Co-op (Remote Play Together)[/td]
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[td]Controller Recommended?[/td]
[td]Yes, but you can also use KB/M[/td]
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[td]Is it worth buying?[/td]
[td]Yes, in my opinion, the usual price of 1,99€ (3,99€ now after Early Access) is appropriate for this amount of content, even though I would recommend waiting for a discount.[/td]
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[/table]
[b]Acknowledgement[/b]
[quote]This game was provided for review purposes by the developers. Thank you![/quote]
[quote]Follow our Curator page, [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/32732116/] IndieGems[/url], to see more high-quality Indie reviews regularly.[/quote]
[h1] In-Depth [/h1]
[h3] Story, Gameplay & Basics [/h3]
In The Legend of Santa (TLoS) we are going to take a little sleigh ride with Santa Claus and his reindeer. After all, it has to be ready for take-off in order for children everywhere to receive their presents on schedule. But a wicked troll blasts us out of the sky just as the test drive is about to end. He went over the line and wants to ruin Christmas for everyone on Earth. It is up to us to bring the troll to his senses and save Christmas for everyone.
TLoS brings players to two worlds and twelve levels of great platforming that are reminiscent of Super Mario World (SNES) but simplified. There are only six levels total, one of which is a castle, before the final battle with the troll. The only difference is that we will be collecting chocolate cookies rather than the traditional yellow coins. We also lose part of our cloak when we are injured, so it's not uncommon for you to find yourself jumping through the levels wearing nothing but red boxer shorts. For instance, red blocks can give you a new coat, which means extra life, or Santa socks and hats, which give a power-up or simply chocolate cookies. The power-up allows you to throw stones as if you had collected the Fire Flower from Super Mario, and that's about it. TLoS also offers a 2-4 co-op player mode, in which players will be able to work together to complete this short and family-friendly adventure.
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3009359595
Similar to Super Mario World, you walk to a level to choose them in the Overworld. Once we reach a certain level, we are allowed to walk, leap, and even sprint. Additionally, there are other indications on the screen that show you how many cookies you have already gathered and how much time is remaining to finish the level. We get an extra life when 100 cookies are collected. We can activate a checkpoint about halfway through the level to pick up exactly where the checkpoint was reached, instead of having to do the entire level all over again. The game also features side-scrolling and underwater levels. The only problem is that if you quit at level three, close the game and start again, you have to start from level one, so you have to play the game in one go. This means that there are no save points or "save states". Considering the length of the game, this is not a big deal, but it's still "annoying".
[h3] My Specs [/h3]
[code]CPU: i9 9900k
GPU: RTX 2080 Ti
RAM: DDR4 32 GB RAM
OS: Win10
Resolution: 1440p @144hz
[/code]
[h3] Conclusion [/h3]
We are all hoping that Nintendo will release their IPs on Steam so that we can play with them one more time. We may all agree, based on experience, that this is probably never going to happen, but Indie developers are there to make it happen. To avoid the tedious teachings at school, you used to be able to play these types of games in class on the usual Flash Player websites, and now you can play them on Steam. Though it's not a masterpiece, it's extremely minimalistic, and it's unquestionably too short, the 20 minutes I spent playing it were nevertheless a lot of fun, especially because the platforming is accurate and not wonky at all. Just remember, it's very minimalistic and may be too minimalistic for some, but if that doesn't bother you, feel free to go ahead and try it out.
It would be my personal highlight if there were additional levels, more secret exits, more power-up alternatives, and more hours of overall playtime.
[h2] Final Verdict: 8/10 A typical gas station snack that turns out to be a surprisingly good one.🎅 [/h2]
