Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Upon learning that an updated version of the game would be releasing, I had to have it. And once I was allowed to talk to my friends about this game and my love/hate relationship with it, I found that many of them had all played Montezuma’s Revenge years ago! Prior to that conversation, everyone I had spoken to had never even heard of it. Imagine my shock. So, I set out to try my hand at this nostalgia filled title because I was not going to let it best me. And yet, it might have still won the battle between me versus the game. So let’s talk about it.
Graphics
Normally, the first aspect of a game I would cover is the overall gameplay. However, I wanted to first talk about the graphics and the audio for a very specific reason.The updated graphics are fantastic and beautiful in comparison to the original version (which one should be expecting for an anniversary title). The overall aesthetic is detailed and more clearly defined than it used to be, which ultimately helped in terms of gameplay. Any of the creatures that serve as obstacles to get past are clean with a level of detail that makes me appreciate the artists’ work. And I absolutely love the Aztec backdrop which creates the feeling of being inside of a forbidden tomb.
It should be said that there are aspects of the graphics that are not useful nor appealing. For starters, while it is easier to see many of the collectibles and doorways, there are still specific levels where it is harder to tell if there is an opening. Some of the torches are hard to distinguish which ones are hazardous and which are not.
Secondly, one creature in particular is my least favorite for a couple of reasons, like I’m not a fan of spiders. But more importantly, the image used for the spiders look much more like long fingers that are walking around the levels. When you see them walking from left to right, the creatures bother me on a base level. When they climb up and down ladders, they are less bothersome. Because of that one creature, my impression of the graphics drops down a bit.
With respect to the UI, I really appreciate the clarity of the score and the items that you’ve collected. Though, it should be noted that in the settings, there are no accessibility options. This is part of what makes it a little challenging to navigate. Another element of the UI that I appreciate is that it is quite clear what objects you’ve found. Plus, it has a compass to direct you to the next area - though getting to your destination can be a pain.
All of that said, there are certain objects that are not clear as to their function. I found this to be true in the original version as well. The number above the compass indicates the floor level you're on. The hats are how many lives you have. The keys are also self explanatory. What was never clear is what the daggers are for.
Audio
I don't have a ton to say in this section, but while I found the music to be well done, I also felt it to be too repetitive. However, what was more irritating than the music was the gentleman that taunts you throughout your gameplay. At first it's cute and cheeky, but it gets to be more aggravating than the levels themselves. That said, I do appreciate that the comments made to you as you progress are subtitled in English.Aside from that, the sounds used in the game are quite fitting and are sometimes fearsome because bats will fly towards you if you take too long on a level.
Gameplay/Controls
Now that we've got that stuff out of the way, let's talk about gameplay. The version I played has both the updated graphics and the director's cut which is really the original game - complete with old school graphics. The objective of Montezuma's Revenge is to get to the 9th floor. But even if you play it on the easiest difficulty level, it is no easy feat as there are 100+ areas to explore. Each time you enter another section, the level becomes more challenging with more obstacles and traps to amp up the difficulty.What you will notice is that each floor has similar looking levels with a few things changed about them. This reminds me a lot like Gauntlet in that way. Something that is also the same is the gameplay mechanics in that the only difference between the Director's Cut and the updated game is the graphics. For me, that is a shame because my biggest issue with Montezuma's Revenge is ultimately that the game still has terrible controls and response times. For example, the game lives by the old school philosophy of characters cannot jump. Even if you fall a very short distance, your character dies. If that aspect isn't something that bothers you, then perhaps knowing that the precise jumping needed in certain areas feels much more difficult than it should be because it doesn't register that you timed a jump at the right time. I may not be the most skilled platformer in the world, but I'm also not THAT bad. And honestly, the poor response time for the controls were enough to push me away from playing it more. I wish that this was something improved upon, instead of feeling like a carbon copy of the original - which is why I didn't really invest any time in playing the Director's Cut as well.
Montezuma's Revenge does have some neat level design and some features. In some of the level areas, you find a white diamond with a ghost inside of it. If you hit it, you will gain access to hidden gems in the ghost world. That feature alone is quite neat and reminds me a lot like turning platform blocks in to coins in the Mario games. What I don't love about the ghost diamonds is the lag experienced when you hit one. I'm uncertain if this was an issue only I had when playing, but when I picked up one of the diamonds, the game stopped all momentum and landed me directly on top of a snake. Not only did I lose a life, I also lost the ability to get some of those hidden gems.
A neat feature in the game is when you reach the bottom of a floor, you fight a boss by collecting a bunch of objects. As you collect more of them, the boss physically shrinks - an outcome that I wasn't expecting and one that made me chuckle. These bosses obviously get harder as you progress through the floors. Regardless, facing the boss was quite amusing to fight.
Pros and Cons
I think there are a few things that need to be mentioned about Montezuma's Revenge before buying the game. Some of the elements that I love about the game are fairly simplistic, like it has a ton of nostalgia factor for me. I used to spend HOURS failing at this game, because there was no continue button (that I can recall). If you died, you died. On that note, I'm glad that you can continue your gameplay in the 40th Anniversary version because all you sacrifice are some points to continue where you left off. This is a nice added feature to the game, in my opinion.Another positive point about the game is that the graphics are much cleaner and easier to distinguish hazards from background pieces. Although, there are points where it still isn't clear on where you can go.
I do enjoy the boss fights a lot more than some of the tedium of the levels leading up to them, particularly since some of those levels are fundamentally the same. You have to jump around collecting objects and then the boss will shrink a bit. Then you collect more objects and he shrinks again. To add to the challenge, you will also have to watch the ceiling for falling debris that can kill you.
Negatives:
Sadly, there are a couple of negatives with the game. The fact that going deeper down the floors only adds challenge with more creatures and other hazards, but the layout of the levels seem to be the same. And that is unfortunate. Secondly, as I mentioned before, hitting a ghost jewel caused my character to freeze and die to the enemy below the crystal. What's worse about this is there was no real way to avoid it either. Basically, it felt like this ghost crystal was meant to cause my death, which is a thought I'm not particularly impressed with.In terms of level design, there are rollers that you walk across. Some will travel against you, some will travel with you. Of the ones that travel against you, it is easy to navigate and jump where you need to. The ones that push you in the direction you want to go make you move much faster to a point where the jump button fails to respond. A very simple jump was more frustrating because of this lack of control. At times if you tapped your analog stick, the game would almost treat it like you had pushed it all the way over which caused many needless deaths.
Other minor frustrations like the repetition of the taunting and the music loops can be added here as well, but mostly my gripes with the game have to do with the controller responsiveness.
Final Thoughts
Montezuma's Revenge is a fantastic game that is nostalgia filled for many. Its graphics are cleaner and I love the addition of the subtitles and the ability to continue your game when you would otherwise have to restart entirely. That said, it does have some flaws mostly related to repetition and controls being less responsive than I'd like for a modern update to a classic. In the original version, I expect the flaws, in an updated version, I expect a little bit more. Sadly, the game misses the mark for me. However, don't get me wrong. I don't dislike the game at all. In fact, I loved this game so much as a kid that I will continue to try to beat it in this version. But for today's gamers, I don't think it does quite enough to keep people interested unless they played it 30+ years ago.Score: 8 out of 10
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