Retro Replay Review

Gameplay

Storm delivers a fast-paced, top-down dungeon crawler experience that immediately evokes memories of classic arcade titles. Players step into the boots of the titular hero, Storm, and navigate a series of identically sized rooms filled with monsters, traps, and scattered treasure. Combat is simple but satisfying: a basic sword swing or magical projectile dispatches foes, while strategic movement becomes crucial as enemy numbers swell.

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One of the game’s standout features is its seamless two-player simultaneous mode. Teaming up with a friend as either Storm or his Wizard ally adds depth to the action, encouraging coordination to clear rooms swiftly and maximize loot collection. The cooperative element elevates the challenge, transforming potentially repetitive gauntlet runs into dynamic interplay between offense and support roles.

Though the original Commodore 64 version offers a robust 100-room campaign, owners of the C16 edition will notice a reduction to 40 rooms due to hardware constraints. While this cuts down on exploration time, the core loop remains intact and still offers several hours of monster-slaying thrills. Regardless of platform, level layouts are thoughtfully designed to keep players guessing, mixing narrow corridors, open chambers, and secret alcoves.

Graphics

Visually, Storm strikes a pleasing balance between retro charm and clarity of action. Sprites are well-defined, with Storm and his Wizard sporting distinguishable color palettes that remain visible even in the heat of multi-enemy encounters. Monsters boast just enough variation in design—rats, skeletons, and sorcerous foes—to prevent the visuals from feeling stale.

The environment tileset is functional, using a limited palette to represent stone flooring, ornate laboratory doors, and mystical symbols. While some rooms may appear repetitive, subtle changes—like decorative pillars or wall-mounted torches—help break the monotony. Screen transitions between rooms are smooth, avoiding any jarring pauses in gameplay.

On the C16, color limitations occasionally lead to washed-out backgrounds and slightly choppier animations. Nevertheless, the core artistry endures, with sprite flicker kept to a minimum and a consistent frame rate that preserves the arcade feel. For gamers seeking pixel-perfect nostalgia, Storm’s visuals deliver a faithful homage to early dungeon crawlers.

Story

Storm’s narrative is straightforward yet motivating: the nefarious sorcerer Una Cum has kidnapped Storm’s beloved wife, Corrine, imprisoning her within a heavily guarded laboratory. This simple rescue plot propels the player through wave after wave of supernatural guards, giving every room the significance of another step closer to Corrine’s salvation.

Interspersed between levels, brief text scrolls reinforce the stakes without bogging down the pace. You learn of Una Cum’s twisted experiments and the Wizard companion’s arcane knowledge, which proves invaluable against ever-stronger monsters. While there are no branching dialogues or moral dilemmas, the clear objective keeps the drive unmistakable—and the emotional undercurrent of a hero fighting for love adds genuine purpose to the hack-and-slash action.

Though the storyline doesn’t evolve dramatically, it offers enough context to make each dungeon delve feel consequential. Discovering hidden passages or rescuing imprisoned sprites (who offer lore tidbits) adds touches of storytelling that reward exploration. The narrative may be light compared to modern RPGs, but it perfectly suits Storm’s arcade roots.

Overall Experience

Storm stands out as a compelling blend of nostalgic gameplay and cooperative fun. Its straightforward mechanics make it immediately approachable, while the room-by-room gauntlet design ensures a steady ramp-up in difficulty. Casual players can breeze through early levels, whereas veterans will find the later stages suitably demanding.

The inclusion of two-player simultaneous play is a major selling point, fostering teamwork and giving the game substantial replay value. Trading off roles—Storm as the melee brawler, Wizard as the ranged support—creates memorable tandem moments, especially when trapped in tighter rooms or besieged by larger monster hordes.

Despite some visual repetition and the pared-down C16 version, Storm’s charm and addictive loop shine through. For fans of arcade-style dungeon crawlers or those seeking a cooperative retro adventure, Storm offers a rewarding package. Its combination of quick action, cooperative gameplay, and a heartfelt rescue mission makes it a worthy addition to any classic game collection.

Retro Replay Score

6.5/10