In the most positive sense, it’s amazing what gets approved for release on the Switch. Raindrop Sprinters is an indie title that could well be a mobile phone game in everything except its aesthetic, which accurately resembles an early '80s arcade title.
You play a cat represented by a bobbing paw, tasked only with crossing a screen from one side to the other, on repeat, 40 times to finish the Standard game. During each brief transit, raindrops fall from a corrugated overhead roof, dripping randomly, with enough gaps to allow you to make your crossing unscathed. With one life only, it's simplistic, but there’s a core scoring game here that’s both utterly compelling and unapologetically brutal.
The raindrops rapidly pick up speed. Spend long enough on the first screen and the patter soon becomes a hell of a deluge. Lingering can have a scoring advantage, with each screen dropping a set number of stars at intermittent intervals. Most are yellow, and a few pink, netting a double bonus. But, with the tempo of the rainfall on a constant increase, dawdling for points makes things exponentially tougher. After a few minutes, it’s already thundering down, a torrential threat to kitty’s survival. Fulfilling hidden objectives such as catching all the stars, clearing a set number of screens, etc., grants badges, with seven unlocking “powerful skills”. The element that will really separate the scoreboards, though, is the last-second dodge. The closer a drop is to taking you out, the more score bonus you get, up to what appears to be a maximum of 500, signified by a burst of green bubbles appearing near your paw. Think about it almost like a parry; a cat playing chicken with droplets of doom.
It’s tough to clear 40 screens, but by hitting a button you engage a slow-motion mechanic that can save you in a clinch. Governed by a power gauge that, when reduced, will refill slightly with each screen cleared, the effect slows the rain and slightly boosts your speed. The gauge drains fast, however, requiring it to be used both tactically and sparingly. TATE mode is available for an extra level of arcade authenticity, and there are additional gameplay modes, too, including 'Endless' for pushing your limits, and 'Cats and Dogs' for instantaneous rain-related havoc. There’s also a Customise mode, allowing you to spend accrued points on protective bonuses to make the game easier or harder, depending on your skill level, and what appears to be a couple of other unlockable variations on the theme.
Raindrop Sprinters is as pure an arcade experience as one could wish for, its base simplicity underpinned by a deep scoring game that can be approached in a variety of ways, ultimately presenting a bottomless reflex-based affair that will wash out the impatient and reward the dedicated in a shower of euphoria. It’s not a game for everyone and will hold little appeal or longevity for the vast majority, but it does what it does well, and its construction is a little bit clever. When you reach that moment of dodging zen, where you’re weaving those drops against impossible odds, you run a real risk of just-one-more-go addiction.
Comments 28
Looks neat; will definitely pick this up!
I never thought that the day would come when my game would be reviewed by an overseas writer! What a happy day for me!
I agree with your review and I'm really glad you got my thoughts. I would be happy if a lot of people get hooked on it! Thank you so much!
This is a good review but I honestly think the trailer video should have been included - static screenshots barely do this justice and makes it look far simpler than it is, and the ones here don't really show lots of the nice touches and visual flare from the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzeIJ31YJb0&ab_channel=Play%2CDoujin%21
After watching this I'm very interested - it absolutely nails the aesthetic of a very early 80s arcade game that I would have randomly found in the arcade of one of the run down caravan sites my parents would take me to in the 90s... and then I'd get completely addicted to for the entire trip, trying to beat my high score, and then go home and eagerly try to recreate the experience by programing my own version for my ancient Commodore. And the little touches of bonus kitty animations are adorable 😻
@room_909 Congratulations! As a dev myself I know how amazing it feels when people start to play and enjoy your work. I'm very excited for you and you deserve success, this is a great project!
@samuelvictor Thank you, that's the highest compliment!
I loved Namco's games in the 80's, but since I couldn't afford a consumer console, I would occasionally play them in the game section of the toy store, and the rest of the time I would play them in my head.
This game is a game I made for myself as such a child. I am so glad that my dream came true and that everyone is having fun!
@room_909 No problem! Yes it was mostly Namco games that I would discover and enjoy the most - things from before my time that I'd never heard of that would end up being some of my favourite games ever, despite (or because of?) their simplicity. I can definitely feel the Namco influence from your game - its very believable as one from that period, completely nails the aesthetic and vibe - its impressive that you've done that, but with unique gameplay rather than as a clone.
I didn't have a console either - but I'm very lucky in that when I was little my dad wouldn't buy me videogames but instead he taught me how to program our Commodore and said if I wanted games I'd have to make my own! So when I found a simple Nacmo arcade game and got addicted to it on holiday, I'd make lots of notes on paper and try and memories everything, the sprites, music, levels... so that when I got home I could make my own version!
I FINALLY got my first console when I was 12, but by then I was fluent into how to make my own games and kept doing it as a hobby too.
Its so wonderful that this game is one that you imagined as a child and are now creating in real life and sharing with other people! I find that very moving and it must be a wonderful feeling. I will gladly buy and support your game, it looks like one I'll have a lot of fun coming back to to try and beat my high score!
I'm actually doing a similar thing in encorporating sevearl of my childhood games as mini-games in one of my bigger projects. But I don't want to make this about me, just to say that I feel we have a similar passion and ideas and I LOVE what you have done. Excellent trailer too, by the way. It really sold me on the game once I saw all the emelemts coming together.
[edit] Kudos for also including a TATE mode, that's fantastic. I may actually install this in my arcade cabinet dedicated to TATE games! For TV & console play, is there an option to turn off the border images in horizontal mode? If not please consider adding - they look very nice but many find black borders make concentration easier.
@samuelvictor My gosh, I'm the same way! Instead of my parents buying me video games, they bought me an MSX! I too memorized Namco games when I played them and enjoyed recreating the sprites and music at home. I also enjoyed drawing dots on graph paper! Now I am very grateful to my parents.
I wanted to be a game creator when I grew up. But by the time I was growing up, Playstation and Sega Saturn had become mainstream, and the dot-picture games I liked were no longer seen. I gave up on my dream then. Many things have happened since then, and with the support of many friends, I have been able to come this far. It took me about 20 years, but I finally did what I wanted to do!
I use DeepL to communicate, but I know exactly how you feel! Your comment really pays off, I'm glad I've worked so hard!
Glad you like the TATE mode too! To turn off the background, go to the settings screen and set Design to #4!
@room_909 well, that's certainly something that piqued my interest. Games that actually require a bit of effort and patience are special and so rare nowadays. I also like it when game developers actually take time to talk to the gamers, reminds me that we all share the same passion. My Japanese is not yet as good as I would have wanted it to be, but eShopで ゲ-ム の はじ
始む を お目出度う!
edit: I think it should have been 始まる, my bad
@room_909 It's interesting that you mention Namco as your inspiration. I've been playing Raindrop Sprinters this weekend and my thought while playing is that it would fit well into Namco's early 80s slate of arcade games. (The Arcade Archives version of Mappy is one of my most-played Switch games, so certainly this is a compliment!)
Overall, it's a great game and is exactly my thing! I look forward to seeing what you do next.
@Princess_Lilly Thank you for your comments in Japanese! I am very happy!
I like modern games, but I also like classic games. I believe that primitive games can give us simple and powerful fun. I hope to make more games like this in the future!
I know how much fun it is to talk to developers, because until recently I was just a video game fan myself!
僕のゲームで楽しんでくれて有難う!とても嬉しいです!
@room_909 That's amazing that we share such a similar story! And we have even more in common than you realise. I too programmed and made games for fun throughout the 80s and 90s as a child & teen but by the time I started to become semi-professional at it, everyone wanted 3D games, and as a solo developer the rate that technology was progressing made it very hard to compete and catch up with each new advancement in tech and customer expectations - and I really prefered to make pixel art based 2d games anyway. So I quit and moved into the music, animation and film industry. Nowadays I'm a movie producer.
During the lockdowns in 2020, while I couldn't work on my movies, I decided to start making games again, thinking that nowadays there is a market for pixel-art retro style experiences again, inspired by successful retro-inspired projects like Sonic Mania, Shovel Knight, Shantae and the Pirate's Curse, Stardew Valley... I'm having so much fun and finding a great community of people who enjoy similar titles to me.
My own games are more inspired by 16bit titles, but all of them include mini-games or bonus rounds based on early 80s Namco-style games, and once you've unlocked them, you can come back and replay many times to try and beat your high score.
I bought your game and played it for a little while to try it and I've got to say its excellent! I got to level 26 after a few tries but I can definitely see it becoming a game I regularly come back to for a few minutes regularly to try and beat my scores! I'm very glad that you included the ability to remove the border, thank you! Even Nintendo doesn't alway do this with their retro titles, and its very annoying when they don't, like with Nintendo Switch Online Famicom / SFC titles.
I'm afraid I don't speak much Japanese but the translation you're using seems excellent! あなたのビデオゲームが本当に大好きです、おめでとうございます! Nyaa! 😻
@World I remember you and thank you for purchasing my game! Mappy is a good and deep game, I played a lot of it too!
My game is also made with the same resolution, number of colors, and sound source (wave table synthesizer) as Mappy.
https://gadget.korg.com/kamata/index_en.php
I think the next game will be in the same style! Before that I will try my best to make a Steam version! Thank you!
I’ve played it every day since release and would give it a 10/10.
@samuelvictor That's really interesting, I had no idea that there were people abroad who had similar experiences! I love games that compete for scores, and apparently you do too!
After I gave up on my dream, I had a job creating websites and printed materials. I enjoyed that job, but thanks to a friend of mine who became famous as an indie game creator, my heart was ignited again. Do you know Daisuke Amaya, the creator of "Cave Story"? I am his classmate and test player for his game.
The Japanese indie game scene started to move around 2010, and I got to be a part of it. I was happy to meet many creators, such as NIGORO of "La-Mulana" and Ojiro Fumoto of "Downwell". They made me think that 2D games could still be competitive.
And now I'm amazed to search for your name...! Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule! Nyaa!
@Ironcore I remember you too, thanks for playing the game! Oh, really!? It's a great feeling to get a perfect score of 10!
@room_909 Of course I know Cave Story, its a great game! Thats amazing that your friend and classmate made it! I wasn't aware that there was a large indie game scene in Japan, I guess I think of Japanese games as being more the famous games from big companies that we hear of over here, and many of the smaller ones don't get translated or promoted.
I love Japanese games, movies, manga and anime, food... I sometimes do business in Tokyo and I love to visit for travels but its difficult to get Japanese media companies to trust or want to work with foreigners. I don't know if you're aware but in France where I live, manga is so popular that even the supermarkets and grocery stores have whole aisles dedicated to it!
I have a history with American animation including Disney and Don Bluth, and I've tried to get several Japanese+France, and Japanese+USA co-production anime series or OVA made, as well as have my games be translated and distributed in Japan, but its difficult to be taken seriously. Money is not the problem, its more like you have to win the trust or respect of the companies somehow, if that makes sense?
I think Westerners can accidentally seem rude or pushy because of cultural differences. I'm working hard to learn more about the culture, and I want to learn to speak the language. I often do promotional events at Disneyland Paris and the American Disney parks, I'd love to get good enough with basic Japanese to also do so in Tokyo. I've started to learn hiragana but I'm aware that's the easy part! I also watch lots of YouTubers who explain the differences between the cultures so Westerners don't seem so abrasive.
My business partner is learning Japanese and doing far better than me so far. She is one of the lead presenters of a long running English language Anime podcast which I help produce. She is also a voice actor and sometimes does English dubs for Japanese material like games, commercials and hopefully soon some anime.
Anyway its lovely to speak to you and see how much we have in common despite our great distance! I am sure you will be very sucessful with your game and any more projects that you put your mind to. 😻
@room_909 Wow! That's so cool!
(And what a neat tool! I love it!)
やっとroom_909さんのゲームを買いましたが、すぐにやってみる暇がないんです。暇だったらぜひやってみます!とにかく、初めてのゲームを作っておめでとうございます!
Finally bought your game @room_909, but I don't have the time to try it immediately. When I will have the time I'll absolutely give it a try! Anyway, congratulations on making your first game!
@room_909
Was a pleasure to do, and very much my field of interest. I’m still playing it now, it’s got its claws in. Big thanks goes to my editor, he was the one who discovered it and decided to have it written up. Looking forward to seeing what you do next!
@samuelvictor Thank you for liking Japan! As you probably know, Japan is a country with a rather strange and unique culture. I have the impression that most people think English is cool but can't speak it and are not good at communicating with foreigners. Well, I can't talk to foreigners without DeepL, either!
I know that people in France are interested in Japanese anime and manga, and that makes me very happy! I know that Japan Expo is held every year in France. A friend of mine has exhibited there. My friend exhibited not in anime or manga, but in traditional Japanese arts.
It is really hard to learn not only the language but also the culture. You are working very hard to make your dream come true, I respect you! It sounds like you have an excellent partner and I am sure that one day in the near future you will be active in Japan!
I have attended many game events such as the Tokyo Game Show where people from overseas also visit. All the foreigners I meet there love games, and even if they don't speak the same language, they all laugh and have fun together. I love such scenes!
I just made a game that I like, and it's great that it led to this talk! It was a real pleasure meeting you! Please feel free to talk to me again!
@JohnnyMind Thank you! You can easily start playing this game whenever you want! I hope you enjoy it, please send me your impressions if you like!
有難う!いつでも気軽に始められるゲームなので、好きなときに遊んでください!楽しんでもらえたら嬉しいです、よかったら感想も送ってください!
@Tom-Massey Thanks to your review, I was able to let many people know about my game again! I think rating a game is a difficult work, and yet you reviewed it with a great sense of humor! My sincere thanks for enjoying and understanding my game!
@room_909 Thank you so much again for your kind response. Yes I have been to the Japan Expo in France, that's amazing that your friend travelled to exhibit there. I certainly hope to visit the Tokyo game show when one or more of my games are ready to exhibit.
Also, I don't know if you are a fan of Star Wars but its a brand I'm involved with in many ways, and Lucasfilm run an official convention called Celebration. It will be held in Tokyo in 2025 and I'll be exhibiting there for my Star Wars book and signing autographcs and taking pictures (I was a minor actor in Rogue One).
I'll make sure to follow you on your website and twitter and see the progress of your career. I hope we can meet one day! 😀 All the very best of luck to you and your friends! 頑張ってください。! 応援しています !
@samuelvictor I was surprised to see your work in the IMDb article! You are doing wonderful activities.
I see that there will be a Star Wars event in Tokyo! I would love to go if the timing is right. I live in Kyoto, where Nintendo's headquarters is located. There is also an international gaming event called BitSummit in Kyoto, check it out!
I would love to meet and talk to you someday too! I followed your twitter too, take care of yourself and keep up the good work!
@room_909 You too, thank you! I'll check out BitSummit. I really want to visit Kyoto and check out the new Nintendo museum when it opens there next year, so going to the convention sounds like a good excuse!
@room_909 I’m not an advocate of ratings at all, personally, but they seem to appeal to most readerships. Don’t worry about the score, the words are the real guide. 😉
@Tom-Massey I understand your thoughts, that's okay! It doesn't change the fact that I am happy!
Really dig the look of this — in an era where so many people try to replicate the vibe of 8-16 bit aesthetics with cheap, off-the-shelf pixel art, it's refreshing to see one that so perfectly captures the look of arcade games from the mid-'80s — right down to the portrait aspect ratio.
@Andee I'm glad you realized that! I was wondering why, when making 8bit-like games, they didn't make them in the resolution of that era. I love 80's Namco arcade games like Mappy and Galaga. I have always admired 224x288 vertical monitors.
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