Topic: The Adventures Of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition (Switch) Review

[Julia Gomez]

A retro gaming experience, now triple the fun!

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/review/52559/the-adventures-of-elena-temple-definitive-edition-switch-review

A new iteration of the retro-inspired platformer The Adventures Of Elena Temple adds two new dungeons for even more gameplay. While there are some missed opportunities, this Definitive Edition boasts a whopping 100-plus levels that are sure to please fans and newcomers alike.

Each dungeon will probably take the diligent gamer a couple of hours to beat. Collect coins and gems to advance to Elena’s ultimate prize in each dungeon. This game’s non-linearity makes you feel like you’re a lost explorer—and you must be careful not to get turned around! Each room has a puzzle to solve using your wits or your trusty gun, which only has a two bullet capacity. This forces creative problem solving. You might have to cleverly avoid a monster in order to save a bullet for a hard-to-reach switch. Luckily, you have unlimited lives. Although, for diehard players, a looming game-over screen might have been a fun mode of play to include for an extra challenge.  

The game’s maze is vast, but not complicated. Broken jars remain broken, so you can tell which rooms you’ve explored before. This makes it really easy to pick back up if you’re like me and can’t spend hours at a time grinding away, but it can also be really fun to sink some time into a nice, hearty session. The puzzles are challenging, and if you get stuck it is easy to move to a different room and come back later. Spikes, bats, snakes, and various booby traps stand between you and your goal. Although the game itself doesn’t have many hours of play, it packs a punch.

Part of the game’s charm is the ability to select the “console” they’d like to be playing. This acts like an overlay and affects the overall look of the game but doesn’t do anything for the way it plays. The music and sounds also stay the same, which seems like a missed opportunity. However, I liked switching between the consoles and think it’s a unique feature. It helps add to the immersive retro experience.  

I enjoyed my playthrough of The Adventures Of Elena Temple: Definitive Edition. While fans of the original release will appreciate the newly-added dungeons, newcomers, especially old-school platformer lovers, will find this edition well worth their time.