Straight outta the gate, I have to clarify this:

I recommend this game only if you get it on sale. Yup. It's one of those games.

The Legend of Dark Witch is a mash-up of two very different gameplay ideas: the platforming action of Mega Man and the ability gauge of Gradius. Does this marriage work? Ehhh...

If you've never played either of those games, it boils down to this: you run, you shoot enemies, you gain new weapons to shoot more enemies. As you defeat enemies, you gain energy that fills a gauge. When it fills to a specific point, you can spend that energy to unlock upgrades like faster movement speed, stronger weapons, better jumping, etc.

But there are the problems with TLoDW. The story is generic and kinda dumb. Level design is woefully simple. The music is forgettable. Enemy variety is weak. While the stages are incredibly short, the bosses are unnecessarily difficult, which is strange, because most do nothing but stand in one spot and shoot at you. Difficulty spikes in odd places much too frequently.

TLoDW has some good ideas, but none of them are executed particularly well. But all this being said, it wasn't the worst Mega Man clone I've ever played. It's better than Mighty No. 9 if that means anything. I wouldn't rush out to buy this full price, but if you find it on a good sale and you want something short and bright to pass some time then go for it. Just don't expect too much..

Straight outta the gate, I have to clarify this: I recommend this game only if you get it on sale. Yup. It's one of those games. The Legend of Dark Witch is a mash-up of two very different gameplay ideas: the platforming action of Mega Man and the ability gauge of Gradius. Does this marriage work? Ehhh... If you've never played either of those games, it boils down to this: you run, you shoot enemies, you gain new weapons to shoot more enemies. As you defeat enemies, you gain energy that fills a gauge. When it fills to a specific point, you can spend that energy to unlock upgrades like faster movement speed, stronger weapons, better jumping, etc. But there are the problems with TLoDW. The story is generic and kinda dumb. Level design is woefully simple. The music is forgettable. Enemy variety is weak. While the stages are incredibly short, the bosses are unnecessarily difficult, which is strange, because most do nothing but stand in one spot and shoot at you. Difficulty spikes in odd places much too frequently. TLoDW has some good ideas, but none of them are executed particularly well. But all this being said, it wasn't the worst Mega Man clone I've ever played. It's better than Mighty No. 9 if that means anything. I wouldn't rush out to buy this full price, but if you find it on a good sale and you want something short and bright to pass some time then go for it. Just don't expect too much..