Indie Ranger
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About Us
  • Review Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About Us
  • Review Guide
No Result
View All Result
Indie Ranger
No Result
View All Result
Home News

‘Blue Omen Operation’ is the ‘Paper Mario’ Successor You’ve Been Waiting For

Trevor Poole by Trevor Poole
June 25, 2019
in News, Preview
0
0
‘Blue Omen Operation’ is the ‘Paper Mario’ Successor You’ve Been Waiting For
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Classic games that put a fun spin on the RPG genre were the two original Paper Mario games, to which the series began to flounder as further games came out and tried to be something completely different or change the mechanics to freshen things up, rather than just expand upon a tried and true method that was already there. In this writer’s opinion, Paper Mario hasn’t been what it once was since the early 2000’s. This is where Blue Omen Operation, a Kickstarter game, comes in.

Developers BananaSoft recently put out a Kickstarter backer demo for their first game Blue Omen Operation (lovingly referred to as BOO by the developers). The purpose of this demo is different from the last. Whereas the first demo was a sort of mini-level to show potential backers what the game could be, this new backer only demo shows what the game is becoming. And I have to say, minus some incredibly tiny criticisms, this game is shaping up quite well. This is an incredibly short demo, so I’ll try to be brief with this hands-on preview.

The art style is improved from the game’s original demo, which is surprising because the original art was already fantastic and incredibly fitting for the tone presented, reminiscent of Akira Toriyama’s art style for his landmark Dragonball franchise

First and foremost, there is no exploration in the demo, as that was mostly covered in the original. Instead, this one is showcasing the refined combat primarily, and it has definitely been refined. Just as Paper Mario had a fun active and reactionary battle system where the player did more than just pick an ability and wait, Blue Omen Operation has the player trying to hit buttons at key moments to combo for higher damage.

For instance, Jiro (one of the two party members who I like to think of as Greaser Vegeta) has shapeshifting abilities. As long as the player presses Jiro’s button at the right time, his arm will transform with each punch, giving him one more hit (up to three) where his arm transforms and does more damage. Yagiko (a sort of cat-witch lady with a mischievous grin) on the other hand has different kinds of attacks, unleashing lightning down on her enemies with a targeted reticle that players need to hit at the right time to damage enemies. Both of them each have special attacks as well, which are essentially super versions of their regular attacks (but thankfully the game has the player do something different for each one of these).

The combat is great and is expanding on what Paper Mario once was, but this game is not shaping up into a one trick pony. The presentation is incredibly improved from what the original demo showcased (with a fun intro cut-scene starting the demo off that clearly took some work). The chiptune music the game presents is lively and upbeat, but well themed to the western-themed level the demo is set in. The art style is improved from the game’s original demo, which is surprising because the original art was already fantastic and incredibly fitting for the tone presented, reminiscent of Akira Toriyama’s art style for his landmark Dragonball franchise. Far and away the most impressive part of this demo is the little animations, which hold so much personality within every move whether it be taking damage, attacking, hitting a combo, etc. The animations are impressive, and that’s without seeing the great menu animation from the original demo which already felt so energetic.

I think Blue Omen Operation is shaping up incredibly well, and I can’t wait to see what else they want to show off as development moves forward. I look forward (and hope) that the writing and story hold just as much personality and surprises as the past two demos. Most of all, I look forward to just playing the finished game.

DISCLOSURE: The writer of the article donated to the Kickstarter for this game.
  • The Missing: J.J. Macfield and the Island of Memories Review: This Is One to Remember
  • Soul Thief Jumps It's Way In
  • Nintendo Switch Nindies January 2019 Lineup
  • The Eternal Castle [REMASTERED] Review: Rampant Edges, Bleeding Heart

Spread the word:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)

Related

ShareTweetShare
Previous Post

‘Pawarumi,’ a Tribute to the Arcade Shoot ’em Ups is Coming to Xbox One and Switch

Next Post

E3 ‘Griftlands’ Reboot is Now Sci-fi Deck-Building Action

Trevor Poole

Trevor Poole

Trevor Poole is a sophomore in college living in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has had a passion for films, gaming, books, and especially storytelling since as long as he can remember. The first games he ever owned were Pokémon Red and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. Some of his favorite games are The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Ocarina of Time, and Breath of the Wild, Silent Hill 1-3, Metal Gear Solid 1-5, and Red Dead Redemption 1 and 2. In his free time he can be found shouting at his cat Suki with his girlfriend to "Get down!" and writing short stories while whittling away at a horror novel.

Next Post
E3 ‘Griftlands’ Reboot is Now Sci-fi Deck-Building Action

E3 'Griftlands' Reboot is Now Sci-fi Deck-Building Action

‘Small Saga’ Making Big Waves On Kickstarter

'Small Saga' Making Big Waves On Kickstarter

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
‘No Players Online’ – All Major Secrets and How to Reach the Ending

‘No Players Online’ – All Major Secrets and How to Reach the Ending

November 18, 2019
‘Founders Fortune’ is a Game Worth a Fortune

‘Founders Fortune’ is a Game Worth a Fortune

July 20, 2019
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ Receives Final Booster Packs on Nintendo Switch

The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth+ Receives Final Booster Packs on Nintendo Switch

January 22, 2019
10 Mobile Games to Play Instead of Mafia City

10 Mobile Games to Play Instead of Mafia City

February 15, 2019
A First Look at HyperParasite: A Roguelike With An Infectious Twist

A First Look at HyperParasite: A Roguelike With An Infectious Twist

1
Skybound Games to Pick Up The Walking Dead After Telltale Closure

Skybound Games to Pick Up The Walking Dead After Telltale Closure

1
The Long Dark Is A True Survival Game Through And Through

The Long Dark Is A True Survival Game Through And Through

1
No Man’s Sky Underpins the Importance of Allowing a Game to Speak for Itself

No Man’s Sky Underpins the Importance of Allowing a Game to Speak for Itself

1
UnderMine Review

UnderMine Review

February 27, 2021
Scott Pilgrim Physical Edition Release

Scott Pilgrim Physical Edition Release

January 12, 2021
Keen – One Girl Army Review, another Darling in the making

Keen – One Girl Army Review, another Darling in the making

September 11, 2020
PlayStation Plus and Indie Games: A Match Made in Heaven?

PlayStation Plus and Indie Games: A Match Made in Heaven?

September 1, 2020

Recommended

UnderMine Review

UnderMine Review

Scott Pilgrim Physical Edition Release

Scott Pilgrim Physical Edition Release

January 12, 2021
Keen – One Girl Army Review, another Darling in the making

Keen – One Girl Army Review, another Darling in the making

September 11, 2020
PlayStation Plus and Indie Games: A Match Made in Heaven?

PlayStation Plus and Indie Games: A Match Made in Heaven?

September 1, 2020
Indie Ranger

© 2021 Indie Ranger - All Rights Reserved

Navigate Site

  • Submit an Article
  • Submit Your Game!
  • Contact
  • Steam Curator

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Reviews
  • News
  • Opinion
  • About Us
  • Review Guide

© 2021 Indie Ranger - All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.