QCF: Towerfall

ideo Games have the unique ability of making you constantly hate your friends with what should be a fun time making digitized pictures move with one another. The appeal of getting your buds and pals on a couch together, huddled around the glow of a television has always skirted towards the edge of violence and fits of rage that ranged anywhere from thrown controllers to controller unplugging. And you know, the internet makes me miss those days. The days of swearing at Bomberman because Chad pulled a dick move, or sitting back and watching Lisa ruin Mario Party because she somehow took everyone’s stars in one foul dice roll with Bowser are nearly long gone now. The good news is that the indie scene keeps the labor of love that is "couch play" alive.

For the few who pine for the simpler times of communal gaming in the physical sense, and while most settle for the modern age of anonymity and long distance bromance, Matt Thorson managed to create a monster that may mark the renaissance of couch play again with Towerfall. If you bought an Ouya, and can’t focus on what game you should be playing, then let me make it easy for you: this game and definitive app justifies the little box.

Towerfall has an innate sense of charm that's reminiscent of older games that focus on narrow yet addictive play concepts, and then deceives you with the surreptitious amount of complexity it contains. As soon as the screen fades in, anywhere between two to four players hop into the stage and take the role of violent archers where the objective is to take shots at each other and survive the elements of items and stage hazards in dynamic that’s reminiscent of a more strategic and focused Smash Bros. The depth lies in the fact that you just can’t blindly twang your mini spears off of your bow until you manage to strike someone. No, you won’t get far in the tower charts that way. Instead, you have limited ammo of your arrows and work to make sure that each one counts, and with each character having the ability to invulnerably dodge for a split-second, you really have to prey on your target. Missed arrows aren’t a complete waste, though, as you can recover them from wherever they’re stuck. But then again, so can anyone else, and the tension on whether or not you shoot intensifies, alongside all of the fast moving shit in a round to add on to it. On top of arrows, your other primary mode of offense involves stomping on top of your foes. And with your dodge move capable of functioning as a pseudo double-jump, the mechanic is a fearful game changer that forces wary players to keep their distance, whether they’re plucking arrows or dive bombing their next move.

To clarify, the way I’m describing Towerfall makes it sound like a slow-paced game. However, that’s not the case at all, as the game is entirely capable of chaos and insanity. The significant distinction from the flagship Nintendo brawler is that the proficiency and odds of success don’t stem from you learning a character or using specific abilities over others. All characters are equal in their play style in each and every way, and it’s brilliant. The genius behind the charm of the formula of this indie fighter is that it places emphasis on pure skill first and foremost. The only way to survive while staying ahead of the competition is to take stock of the architecture of the arena you’re placed in, and the gradual competitive affinity you develop through repeated play. The stages do play a bigger role, though, and that’s what levels (no pun intended) the playing field for everyone who plays.

The chaos stays alive through the interchanging architecture of the stages between each round, and the subtle quirks in their design. For example, the pitfalls and hallways that litter the edge of the levels actually loop over from its mirrored counterpart à la Pac-Man, so shooting Arrows through them will net the same effect; it’s one of the more hilarious among the numerous ways to murder in Towerfall with the assistance of the environment. Each environment also has its own personality and play style thanks in part to the contextual events or items that can appear at any time to be activated from any player, which causes anything from lava coming from either side of the arena to time and space becoming completely warped, distorting physics, and timing for unlucky jerks in the room.

Items that appear throughout the tussles are a surprisingly enjoyable supplement to the skill-focused system of combat, as there are simple wild cards that randomly generate without the roulette of their appearance favoring a losing player or situation. Items range from a pair of wings to flap around the stage, to arrows that summon bramble bushes that impale everyone within a specific range. Each item still demands an attention to detail when it comes to using them instead of just being a victory granter.

The downside of Towerfall comes from its focus on party play since the solo play consists of nothing but a series of obstacle courses that awards medals for skill and speed. The real meat of the game is when you get hit with the same kind of embarrassment that getting pelted by your own green shell in Mario Kart would have handed when it comes in the form of the same arrow you unsuccessfully launched at your opponent getting shot right back into your face. The meta-achievements after each round and rich customization options will keep you coming back to more.

Between all the Mobile game-to-Ouya rehashes and emulators available at launch, it’s safe to say that Towerfall is definitely the killer app to buy an Ouya for.