What would happen if you combined the fairytale worlds of 90’s RPGs with the frustratingly difficult platformers of the same era? That would bring you to 2024 in which Branium Games released their indie title, Aidan in Danger.
You take the role of Aidan, guardian of the last dragon, Drakor with nothing but a slingshot to protect you. You must traverse stages filled with obstacles, enemies and collectibles on your journey to save Drakor. Your basic moveset consists of run and shoot, with a roll and dash able to be unlocked later on.
Aidan in Danger holds many qualities of a 90’s platformer. From the moment you boot up the game, it’s almost as if you took a portal back to your SNES, with the MIDI music and pixel art setting the scene. Just like these aforementioned 90’s platformers, Aidan in Danger is deceivingly difficult. The first few levels aren’t too tough, but as you progress through the varied level environments, things may become rage-inducing.
Exploration plays a pivotal role in Aidan in Danger with each stage having three diamonds to collect (usually in golden chests). Whilst they are fun to find in every level, there’s no reward for collecting them all, and they don’t serve any purpose bar your satisfaction, making the collection of them aimless with no incentive. Furthermore, collecting coins only serves to add to your life counter, a system that feels extremely dated in 2024, although it adds to the retro aesthetic.
Some form of upgrades or a skill tree would aid the game to maintain its pacing, rather than unlocking your abilities and being left to complete it. Perhaps a double jump or weapon upgrades could make the bosses and level design more creative. Speaking of bosses, the big bads in Aidan in Danger have some serious vendettas against the protagonist. Bosses, such as the one found in secret level 31, will take a few tries as you adjust to their attack patterns.
One thing the game does get right is set pieces. A plethora stand out, but the one that shines above all is the Sonic 3 & Knuckles-inspired closing wall in level 9. Seeing these throwbacks to games I grew up with, along with a clear passion from the developers, meant moments like these made up for the flaws I encountered with Aidan in Danger. The soundtrack, made up of MIDI music, as well as pixel-art graphics, add to these little nostalgic throwbacks, being the driving force in Aidan in Danger’s personality and charm.
Another thing I appreciated about this title was its achievements. Many games add achievements that will send you through many playthroughs just for 15 Gamerscore, but Aidan in Danger implements achievements that can be acquired by playing normally, whilst also making them challenging. Despite these ‘achievements’, you never really feel like you’ve achieved anything once your couple of hours playthrough is abruptly finished, leaving you sitting there wondering “So what happens now?”. The game may be enjoyable and have passion put into it, but it lacks a purpose which is an integral part of any game.
One thing to bear in mind is that I’m probably not the target demographic for this game – that would be the younger gamers out there – however, when so many platformers in the past have been created for, and managed to maintain their excellence, such as Ori, it leaves you wondering why Aidan in Danger can’t do the same.
Aidan in Danger is a simple title that excels in many regards. Demonstrated through the perfect, nostalgic callbacks to a long-lost era, this is a love letter to gaming that every fan of retro or platformers will appreciate. Despite not serving a deeper or more interesting purpose, Aidan in Danger is a game you can put on to relax, whisked back to a time when things were more simple.
Or better yet, put it in front of your kids and watch them be wowed the same way you were when you opened up that copy of Super Mario or Sonic The Hedgehog.
A Slingshot and a Dream: Can You Save the World in Aidan in Danger? – https://www.thexboxhub.com/a-slingshot-and-a-dream-can-you-save-the-world-in-aidan-in-danger/
Purchase Aidan in Danger on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-gb/games/store/aidan-in-danger/9p0fbq9dc53l
An informative review pointing out the pros and cons of Aidan in danger.
As a veteran gamer, I know that gaming has transcended every generation and brought happiness and joy to people of all ages. I should buy this game for my son.