When I learned that the creator of The Tower of Druaga and Xevious was making a new game, I started paying attention. The Nintendo 3DS eShop lacks a good trial and error game and this is what I decided to sign up for. There is the remake of Another World, but I have been really searching for something fresh. 50 PINCH BARRAGE delivered almost exactly on what I wanted and it became something that ended up taking over my life!

The story is not the main focus of 50 PINCH BARRAGE, but the developers at Mobile & Game Studio packaged it quite well. You take on the role of a treasure hunter as he crash lands on a rather mysterious island. What follows from there is absolute madness, which won't stop until you beat the game. The presentation may look a bit simple, but I found it quite colorful and bright. The 3D effects add some layering to it and that makes it all pop out really well!

The controls in the game are quite simple to understand. You use the A/Y-button to jump, B/X-button to run and the D-Pad to move left and right. The decision to not include a Circle Pad option might be weird for some, but the quick movements required just felt better to me on the directional pad.

The controls make it sound like 50 PINCH BARRAGE is really straightforward, but it only is in some specific circumstances. The game consists of 50 quick fire stages that are all stringed together for a coherent package. Each of these stages gives you certain obstacles to defeat and they really test your reaction skills. From escaping gigantic boulders to avoiding snakes, the title knows how to stay intriguing throughout. It made me scream in agony too as 50 PINCH BARRAGE will throw death your way just to tell you where you stand. In the end, this made me stronger and I wanted to keep trying until the bitter end.

Even though the game is trial and error based, the title doesn't do too much to halt your progress. I had to naturally figure out the solutions in the stages, but considering the game doesn't run on a life system, you will jump back instantly to the start of the current stage. 50 PINCH BARRAGE also saves between rounds, which makes it extremely perfect for on the go. Every time you die, you can also look at your replay and see what you did wrong. This makes it easy to learn from your mistakes and carry on to the final goal!

While I adored the game, the only problem is that it is quite short. I laughed and screamed throughout and don't regret playing it for a second. Quickly after I was done, I found myself trying again and see if I could score the perfect run. Luckily, there are online leaderboards for people like myself and it kept me going for even a while longer. It makes 50 PINCH BARRAGE's running time still not lengthy, but at least, I enjoyed myself while it lasted.

50 PINCH BARRAGE is simply an awesome game that shouldn't be missed. With perfect controls and solid gameplay, I was overly happy with the 50 stages that were on offer. The presentation may be a bit simple and the title doesn't last you extremely long, but it all striked a correct note with me. The game felt as the most devious version of Pitfall ever and that is alright with me!