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Review – Mushroom Crusher Extreme (Early Access)

mushroom coop
Review – Mushroom Crusher Extreme (Early Access)
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Platforms: Windows PC, Mac, Linux, Steam

Game Name: Mushroom Crusher Extreme

Publisher: Team Jolly Roger

Developer: Mushroom Party

Genre: Action

Release Date: October 6th, 2016

Mushroom Crusher Extreme from Mushroom Party:

There’s nothing quite like being so maddened by giant Shrooms and obese rolling squirrels. Mushroom Crusher Extreme takes a retro-style environment and tosses Zenon, the playable mage, into the battle of a lifetime. Enemies constantly respawn, and the only tool to eliminate them is an array of elemental magic. Sure, overall it appears to be a piece of cake, but the actuality of it is simply nightmarish.

Blasting Caps

Developed by Mushroom Party, Mushroom Crusher Extreme is all about the action – well, that and destroying the homicidal Shrooms and other unsuspected fiends. Hardly did I encounter a moment that allowed me to collect my sanity. As an enemy is defeated, they typically drop health or spores. Spores are the currency of Mushroom Crusher Extreme and can be used to unlock powerful magic. Considering Zenon can only have four spells equipped, it’s important to mix and match to best suit his next conquest.

mushroom gameplay

Each stage has a short timer that counts down as the ordinary mage hops from square to square. Scattered amongst the tiled arena are hourglasses which will add varied seconds once destroyed – if you manage to clear the vicious Shrooms that block your path to victory. He can also leap from island to island, but it does get confusing when you find yourself trapped and attempting to jump from an un-jumpable surface. Especially when what appears to be a Reaper Shroom has you cornered. Yikes.

Shroom With A View

Mushroom Crusher Extreme presents a colorful environment with old-school gameplay. For example, Zenon moves from block to block in the directional fashion – up, down, left or right. He also can only shoot an enemy with – for example – a fireball only if he is facing it directly. This can become frustrating, especially when all you want to do is prosper, but the mage has a hard time deciding where he should look. To be frank, the gameplay can be very unforgiving for beginners. Truly, I’m embarrassed of my numerous attempts on a beginning stage. Luckily, starting out, Zenon only has to score a rank of a C or higher to progress onward and unlock more stages. This revelation made my heart less bitter and a tad more hopeful.

mushroom accomplish

Practice makes perfect. Even if I happened to be forced to replay a stage a hundred times, my skills as a Shroom destroyer were sharpened. I was more aware of my surroundings. Not to mention the discovery of enemy weaknesses was incredibly uplifting. A tutorial given as soon as Zenon falls into the heart of battle presents elemental weaknesses. If used correctly, a victorious outcome is a lot easier to attain.

If the challenge got to be too much, though, teaming up local co-op style is available. Finally, someone else could feel my agony. To be honest, it was more riveting to conquer the brutal Shrooms with someone else and fist-bump after every triumph. Or, you know, rage together and scream obscenities at inevitable failures. Hello darkness, my old friend.

mushroom coop

Try to Have Some Fun, Guy

The challenging aspects that mold Mushroom Crusher Extreme are infuriating for a reason, and quite frankly, I actually began to enjoy myself. The gameplay practically forces players to better themselves in order to progress onward. That said, having a general grasp of its mechanics will result in a more satisfying experience rather than a trying one. Yes, there are moments where Zenon is dealt a crappy hand and is forced to surrender to the immoral fungi, but restarting a stage is always an option. In that case, a deep breath typically helps soothe the pain.

Well, at least momentarily.

Mushroom Crusher Extreme is available via Steam.

[xrr rating=”3/5″]

Watch the official trailer for Mushroom Crusher Extreme below: