Slime Salad

[James Paige]

This is a review of Tower of Heaven.

godsavant's Tower of Heaven is a well-presented stylish and funny side-scrolling platform-jumper.

The game's color-scheme, art style, and music style strongly emulate the visuals of games for the original non-color Nintendo Gameboy.

As you can see in the video of my first play session, the difficulty progresses from very easy to very hard pretty fast. The premise is that god periodically adds new rules that you must follow to make the game harder. The rules accumulate until the game becomes insanely hard.



In spite of my apparent frustration at the end of the video, I did keep playing afterwards. You should have seen my face when god said "Thou Shalt Not Walk Left" one second before a buzz-saw coming from the right mowed me down. And where was the exit door? To my left!

Nevertheless, I figured out how to pass that level, and a few others. Its probably not audible in the video, but at one point I mumbled to myself "well, at least the butterflies don't murder you!" ... but later on, you know what? THEY DO! (or maybe it is better to say that the god of the tower murders you using butterflies as a sweet fluttery deathweapon)

Finally I reached a level that was so hard that I spent more than an hour solid trying to beat it. I know it was possible. I came tantalizingly close once, but perhaps my reflexes just aren't as sharp as they were when I was a young whippersnapper, and I ended up throwing my hands up in disgust and turning it off.

I say disgust, and I meant it. I was really angry with godsavant for a few hours afterwards too, but later on, when I had cooled down a bit, I remembered only enjoying the game. As I said before, the presentation is great. The game is as satisfying to play as it is frustrating. Even getting mowed down by buzz-saws and vertical surfaces had a grisly charm to it.

I couldn't help but be reminded of another game that used to give me the same frustrated-yet-satisfied, angry-yet-forgiving feeling. Yes, thatt's right... The Battletoads Turbo-Tunnel!



I think Tower of Heaven is actually harder than the Turbo Tunnel... but on the other hand, Battletoads didn't let you save your progress, and Tower of Heaven does (unless there is a stage past the last one I reached where god says "Thou shalt not save thy game"!)

I highly recommend this game to anyone who thinks they are hardcore. I know it put me in my place. I can't say how soon (or even if) I am going to feel brave enough to tackle this tower again, but I am glad that I tried.

[Newbie Newtype]

I was surprised when I had seen this game put on Slime Salad. I had originally seen it while lurking Speed Demos Archives board and had played through it twice, the 2nd time attempting to find the two secrets, and in one sitting.

I have never been able to beat the turbo tunnel, so unless I'm better at gaming than I used to be, I would say that this game is easier than Battletoads. Infinite lives are the true difference since I never saved once while losing at Battletoads will end your game.

And there's no level that denies saving. In fact Spoiler:

it removes all of the laws on the last level.

[James Paige]

I guess the type of skill required is different for each. Tower of Heaven is more about accurate timing and general platformer-skill. The Battletoads Turbo Tunnel is more about memorization and/or fast reflexes.

[Mogri]

I did beat it, but that last area was really frustrating after the first ten tries.

Did you by any chance play the early version godsavant posted for the FYDG contest? That one was like ten times harder. I gave up on the third screen or so.

Great game, and I'm surprised it didn't do better in the contest.

[Pepsi Ranger]

The "Don't Go Left" puzzle was the hardest for me to figure out at first. The rest was just about reflex. I made it to the last level, but I didn't climb as high as I'd have liked before shutting it off. I did appreciate the animation, though.

You know, there aren't many achievements I can claim making in the NES days that would be considered impressive today, but after reading this review, and reading a TV Trope about Nintendo Hard from another OHRer's post on Castle Paradox (in the Indie Game thread), I'm convinced that I was a lot better at games when I was 15 than I am today. I actually did beat the Turbo Tunnel in those days. And Level 7 (the one with the jets). And every stinkin' level in that game. Yes, I even fought and pummeled the Dark Queen. And yes, I saw the ending. It had the lame NES ending we all grew up loving, because we didn't think games would ever have good endings. SPOILER: Pimple and the Princess fall out of the sky and the Dark Queen tornados off into space. That's all I remember about it.

But yeah, I spent every day for about a month and a half trying to beat it. It really is about memory and reflex and permanent eye damage. I had to buy glasses the following year because of Level 7 and those random fireballs. Great game. Hazardous to your health. Battletoads was the pinnacle of my high school gaming years.

On a related note, I couldn't finish Battletoads and Double Dragon. I made it almost to the end, but not almost enough. That game was tough.

[godsavant]

Thanks so much for the review! Tower of Heaven was entered mainly for a copy of Immortal Defense, so I can say I'm quite satisfied with the contest results and the great games that won.

[xvi revya]

QQ: Was this game made with the OHRRPGCE?

Will check it out soon.

[JSH357]

Looks like a Game Maker game.

[VampiDucki]

absolutely love it. cursed at it MANY times the first time through, but now trying to replay at faster and faster rates. still no secrets found yet tho... and so far can only best it at 4min 42sec...