Battle Princess Madelyn Reviews
A good game that will please retro lovers but one that offers too few new things to a genre that is getting saturated.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The arcadey gameplay of Battle Princess Madelyn is a treat, but the game's weak story mode drags down the package.
Battle Princess Madelyn might not be a bad game; it just isn't special. All the difficulty stems from tricks, meaning the difficulty no longer exists once a player realizes it's all smoke and mirrors. With enemies, bosses and stages lasting longer than they really need to, it's an experience that doesn't invoke a desire to replay. At most alternate paths and hidden story bosses might, though even that is limited. So, unless you really want to play something like Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, Battle Princess Madelyn is simply too hollow to be fun.
WORTH CONSIDERING - I had such high hopes for Battle Princess Madelyn. The core concept works and if you’re just looking for another Ghouls ‘N Ghosts action game, play the arcade mode. The adventure mode is a mess with poor stage design and little to no direction on where or what to do next. Without a walkthrough most will never see the end.
For better and worse, Battle Princess Madelyn is an authentic retro experience.
We both liked playing Battle Princess Madelyn even though we thought that there was certainly room for improvement to the game.
With all this packaged together, the player is presented with a well-balanced package that gives gamers a taste of what it used to be like to be called a gamer but never pushing so hard as to cause a rage quit, tip over the arcade machine and demand your quarters back.
Battle Princess Madelyn is clearly an homage to Capcom titles about slaying ghouls, ghosts and goblins but presented in an endearing, story within a story fashion.
Although the existence of an Arcade Mode offers a more enjoyable experience and should please retrogamers, it is unfortunate that the length of the dungeons and the repetitiveness compromises the enjoyment of the ambitious story mode. Madelyn's adventure is problematic and needed more development time. The potential is there, it just needed a bit more of effort.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Battle Princess Madelyn is an old game made today. It inherits all the virtues and all the flaws of its origin era. In addition it mixes styes which is tiring. It often shows why we wish to play old games, but when they come, we hate them.
Review in Polish | Read full review
While not always clearly defined, Battle Princess Madelyn is still a damn decent excursion into the storied history of 16-bit platforming.
The game's love for Ghosts ‘N Goblins is obvious but its refusal to cater for anyone but hardcore fans results in a frustrating and tedious slog – especially in story mode.
Battle Princess Madelyn tries to deliver a new twist to the old Ghosts'n Goblins formula. Unfortunately, its broken level design forbids Causal Games hommage to reach the same heights as Arthur's adventure. With no clues on what to do or where to go, even players looking for a tough challenge will only consider the arcade mode worthy of interest, if they want to enjoy the game's gorgeous graphics and art direction.
Review in French | Read full review
If you love retro arcade action games, and more precisely, Ghost'n Goblins wannabes, you'll love Battle Princess Madelyn. Maybe the adventure mode it's a bit harsh, not for everybody's tastes and with a high difficulty level... but if the Capcom classic it's among your all time favorite games, here you'll find a worthy heir for Capcom's legacy.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Battle Princess Madelyn is never subtle about its inspirations but that’s ok. Because it really does capture the heart and soul of what made those games so great, a rare find in the ‘modern masterpiece’. It’s not perfect nor the best representation of a side-scroller or Metroidvania, but the clear passion of the developers, as well as the charm and style of the game continually win me over. Even when I’m constantly lost and effortlessly overrun.
Battle Princess Madelyn is a difficult game to recommend on a whim. Its design and mechanics calls to mind the classics of yesteryear, but there's a distinct lack of follow-through. The story mode isn't hurting for content, as it features a slew of worlds to explore, bosses to battle, and goodies to collect. Unfortunately, not all of it is arranged in a manner that is appropriately compelling. The arcade mode trims most of the fat, but it lacks the challenge and polish that defined the arcade era. Still, one has to appreciate the effort that went towards appealing to fans of action-adventure and arcade games. If they're willing to look past the issues present in both modes, they might enjoy themselves. It helps that the art direction and music are really charming.
As mentioned at the beginning of the review, the mode you choose to play will influence your impression of Battle Princess Madelyn. For arcade mode players, the game retains the spirit of Ghosts 'n Goblins, and while there are a few concessions to make the game seem a touch easier for newcomers, some of the design decisions suck away that enjoyment. For story mode players, those flaws are compounded by more design issues that make it a frustrating Metroidvania clone. In the end, the game's charm isn't enough to attract anyone but genre die-hards who are looking for a near-impossible challenge.
Battle Princess Madelyn has some lovely animated cut scenes to enjoy, the plot begins in a charming manner that brings to mind the Princess Bride, and its retro inspired pixelated graphics are on point. If only they were attached to fun and compelling gameplay, then Battle Princess Madelyn really could have been a contender to capture the crown of Ghost ‘n Goblins. As it stands, it's probably best to avoid this one and break out your SNES from storage instead.
This is no child's game and it is absolutely challenging, but there is no satisfaction at the end of an easy road. All achievements are due when they are worked for. There are more and more 8 bit games coming out and I have to admit, as much as I thought that I did not want to play titles like these when they started becoming popular, I am glad I did.
I am a veteran in the world of video games, I met the Atari 2600 at an early age, but it was not love at first sight. Then in the mid-eighties a game captivated me and changed my life, I met Ghost and Goblins for NES.
Review in Spanish | Read full review