In Defense of Xeodrifter

Jools Watsham is one of the most underrated faces in independent video game development.

Co-founder and former employee of Renegade Kid and current founder of Atooi Games, Jools has created a number of quality DS and 3DS titles that have found their way to other platforms. In particular, his most recognizable Mutant Mudds and its Super Challenge sequel happen to be two of my favorite platformers of all time. However, Watsham has been vocal in highlighting disappointing sales figures for a number of his more recent releases like Chicken Wiggle, a basic, yet absurdly polished platformer with a built-in level designer for 3DS, as well as the Mutant Mudds Collection, recently released for Switch. Before either of these, however, the then-still-existent Renegade Kid published a small Metroidvania on the 3DS called Xeodrifter, the subject of this article.

In short, Xeodrifter's own stubby captain takes players on a brief, but enjoyable ride that is comprised of brutal survival hallways and an ever-evolving boss battle that demand precision from a slippery player avatar. It also just so happens to be backed by a wonderful weapon customization system- dare I say one of the best I've seen out of a Metroidvania- encouraging exploration of its claustrophobic planetary system to its fullest extent. If you don't own Xeodrifter on one of your systems, and would like a pocket-sized Metroid to take with you where ever you should go, please give this game a try as its February 15th Switch release draws near.

If you have played Mutant Mudds- which you should, by the way- you'll find that the mysterious player avatar of Xeodrifter moves quite differently from Max. His (her?) vertical jump is far higher, and his air control and momentum is much more versatile. He (she? Okay, I'll stop.) can also hold down his fire button for a specific reason, which we'll cover in a bit. However, this character does inherit one key trait of Mutant Mudd's level design in the form of foreground/background shifting, albeit as a button input rather than in scripted cases. This adds literal and figurative depth to the world Watsham painstakingly created in the early stages of the game's five-month development period. It challenges players to observe their environment in ways similar to other Metroid-like titles, yet also pay attention to the details hidden in the background, as well. The way this ability- known as phase shifting- is utilized in several platforming challenges is genuinely clever, but its usefulness in combat cannot be understated, either.

And speaking of combat, Xeodrifter is a game about ranged engagements, and the hostile alien life present on each planet requires its own delicate touch. There's a decent amount of variety here, with the indigenous species featuring predictable movement patterns that seek to impede the player's progress. You know, like Metroid. The more aggressive enemy types feature their own attack patterns and, in the most intense circumstances, focused position tracking that is unfamiliar and dangerous. You know, like Metroid. Jokes aside, while the game is a small-sized Metroid title, it is by no means a walk in the park, as each world only possesses auto-save points before boss encounters and a save station within the player avatar's own ship. Careful navigation is required for the optimal playthrough, which turns into a game of understanding and aggression on the player's own part as they push deeper into each environment.

Xeodrifter makes the most of its setting by emphasizing specific impediments on certain planets, which vary greatly in aesthetic and are backed by minimalist, chirpy tunes. There is a sense of increasingly foreboding threat in Xeodrifter's OST, a subtle detail that a player may fail to notice during their initial playthrough. However, each of the four planets, though freely accessible from the game's start, possess their own unique theme (sequenced on the OST through a number of []s) that implies their level of safety. While visual aesthetics and enemy types are also strong enough hints, that the music acts as an extension of this concept shows some fine understanding of game design on Watsham and his team's part.

While Xeodrifter never reaches SA-X levels of terror with its main antagonist, that this single, mysterious boss reappears over the course of the game to challenge the player, each time with additional health and combat tricks, is a great way of paralleling the player's own progression and understanding of a constantly-changing enemy encounter. The player is empowered by the idea that, yes, they can defeat this foe even as it also becomes stronger and learns new moves. Phase shifting throughout the combat arena and tackling each iteration of a new ability is a key draw of Xeodrifter.  Though some may bemoan the lack of boss variety, the twist on the escalating challenge means that the player never has a chance to truly feel overpowered, even as they receive some heavy firepower in the late-game.

Weaponry itself is an ever-evolving element in Xeodrifter, and though a player may not unlock each of the weapon and health upgrades in their run, these valuable items are the main reward for further exploration. The utility of health points is immediately evident, however the application of weapon points is something the player must learn to appreciate on their own. While churning points into your rapid-fire and bullet-speed functions may seem like the most optimal build, each enemy in Xeodrifter can be subverted through combinations of its weapon system. Spread fire, wave patterns, and bullet size can be altered in minute ways in order to create shots that will defeat specific types of enemies efficiently. Not only that, but Watsham includes the ability to create and queue up three separate presets of combinations that can be easily swapped on the weapons screen, which sports some suitably groovy scifi aesthetics, itself. This system benefits from the 3DS' dual screen the most, as each point can be added or subtracted and sets can be exchanged on the fly with touch inputs, negating the need to pause the game and break the flow of action. These features are unfortunately absent in all versions on systems lacking a dual screen -and the Wii U, rather surprisingly (Ah, well. Not all ports are created equally)- requiring the player to access them from a pause screen instead. But queuing up presets is the most immediate function available, the closest inputs from the player's initial position on the pause screen, a telling sign that once again, Watsham understands the momentum and urgency required for the run-and-gun gameplay to keep flowing.

Xeodrifter lacks in only one area that is something of a staple in regards to Metroidvanias, and that is the potential for speed running via sequence-breaking. A short title by nature, its exploratory abilities are all required in order to complete the game's critical path, and there are no functions like bomb or wall jumping that allow players to lop off seconds from their playthough. It is only via the weapon customization system itself that players could hope to form a viable speed running effort- the knowledge of specific weapon points perhaps allowing them to efficiently create the most efficient weapon builds in order to speedily overcome the boss encounters, whose attack patterns are predictable, but randomized. Even so, Watsham's efforts- and success- in creating a tiny Metroidvania will only leave you wanting more. What other locales, abilities, and boss encounters could be discovered with a longer development time and more freedom? Could there be sequence-breaking mechanics in a Super Xeodrifter, a game with improvements and enhancements that mimic the progression of the series it lovingly emulates?

Sequels such as those rarely come about if their first installment disappoints financially, however. It is a shame, because Watsham is a man passionate enough to write love letters to retro games that absolutely nail their aesthetics, progression, and challenge- Atooi's preexisting library alone is more than enough evidence of this. There is enough great game design to fill an article three-times the size of this one in appreciation of Mutant Mudds and its sequel, and the unique nature and versatility of Chicken Wiggle can be seen from the content of its level designer community.  While the studio has a number of titles incoming on Switch and other systems, Treasurenauts in particular looks to be another retro-styled, cooperative romp that takes lessons from Watsham's previous work. My hope is that, with the release of Xeodrifter on Switch later this month and titles like Soccer Slammers and Treasurenauts further down the line, the fantastic and unique takes that Watsham offers a variety of genres can be enjoyed by a broader audience. Xeodrifter is merely one, pocket-sized glimpse at the potential Atooi possesses, and I encourage you to give it a shot.

Do you have fond experiences with Atooi's games? Are there any other underrated indie games out there on the market? What's your opinion of Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night? Feel free to share below.