2026-06-06: Kero Blaster
Brief text review / spoilers for the game "Kero Blaster" ahead.
I've had Kero Blaster sitting in my Steam library for a little while - I'm sure I bought it on sale at some point and just forgot about it. I love Cave Story very much, so I'm not sure why I didn't immediately give Pixel's next game a go as soon as possible. Whatever the reason, I finally cracked it open the other night.
While it's runtime is brief, I don't want to describe it as "all too short" or anything like that, because Kero Blaster is the perfect length for what a game like itself needs to be. Upon starting, you'll be done in around 2 - 3 hours, and that's assuming you stop to grind for coins for any real length of time. It ends exactly when you think it's going to end - it doesn't fake you out with a secret bigger bad that requires another 5 levels or anything like that, it just builds up a boss fight against a character you meet in the first act, and it works.
It's been a really long time since I've played a game as mechanically sound as Kero Blaster. While at times, The Frog can feel a bit sluggish or slippery, I never really felt like movement was a game design issue. It was a me issue. I'd occasionally misplace a jump, or have to awkwardly redo a platforming section because I neglected to remember that the Jetpack isn't very good, but the screens are so short, and the penalty for death so forgiving that it never really made me that upset. Everything just works, really well. Your blasters feel incredibly fun to use - if anything, they make you feel a bit too strong at times. It's a game where you walk down corridors shooting enemies. Castlevania 1, but you don't have to think too hard. I like that.
I think more than anything, Kero Blaster served as a great showcase of what a small solo dev project can be. You can take a few years, and make a Video Game. That's great! Daisuke Amaya is a fantastically talented man - the art is all great, and the music is even better. This game got me to think about what I want out of my own game, and how I could go about getting there. I know that's a bit vague, but so are my thoughts on this topic. I don't know!
I highly recommend Kero Blaster.
