UPDATE: As it turns out, Super Chibi Knight does have controller support. Turns out that the demo booth just had technical difficulties. Just so everybody isn’t confused.
You hear about a lot of unique ideas in the indie gaming scene, so much so that you can become easily jaded. However, when I heard about a game developed by a father and daughter team, my interest was piqued. When I found out said father had a hand in my favorite all time Flash game, Abobo’s Big Adventure, I was downright intrigued. Did I stay that way as I played through Super Chibi Knight?
Much like some of the other games I demoed at Prime, Super Chibi Knight hooked me with its unique visual style. In this case, the reason for that is that the daughter of the father-daughter team was the artist. Which explains why the game is so big, colorful and, dare I say, cute. Most impressive to me is that the art is very reminiscent of games like Castle Crashers, albeit with less gross out moments. The main character you play as in Super Chibi Knight looks like a green bean with arms and legs. As you start out, you are riding a giant winged hippo monster through the skies. This is a quick SHMUP section, which abruptly ends as you are blasted out of the sky into a small town. Here you learn the basics of combat, and quest about getting new items and abilities. Controls are all handled with the keyboard, with typical WASD style. Though this was fine at first, it became somewhat problematic when I got a dash move and was required to dash jump to areas. The timing needs to be precise, which for me would be far easier with an actual controller.
Regardless, the game’s not all platforming, there’s also combat to be had. As you travel around the world map, you may run into enemies, or be forced to enter a dungeon. Here, it shifts to 2D and you can slash through foes. Doing so nets you experience, which you can then use to level up your character. A nice feature is your character visually changes to reflect the new attributes, often gaining a new piece of armor or a flashier weapon. If combat is not your thing, there is also a surprising amount of story in the game, told through scrolls and static cutscenes. It boils down to an ancient evil resurfacing, and depending on how you play the game, your character will transform into either a Sorcerer or Beastmaster, granting you new abilities.
Overall, I was relatively pleased with Super Chibi Knight. It’s a fun idea that works pretty well, and I appreciate it for taking a risk. Frankly, all my complaints would be addressed with simple XBox 360 controller support. Then again, I’m not a hardcore PC gamer, and those may find no problem with the controls. For those of you interested in a lighter RPG experience, Super Chibi Knight looks set to impress. You can find the game now on Steam.
