"1001 Spikes" To Feature Character Homages To 8-Bit Heroes

"Castlevania," "Mario Bros.", "Ninja Gaiden" and others.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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1001 Spikes is definitely of a kind of en vogue design: the ultra-hardcore 8-bit-styled platformer. Apart from being punishing to the point of humor, it's quite worth your time if you're into that sort of thing (or Indiana Jones).

Since it's already an homage to the old-school Nintendo titles of yesteryear – namely Castlevania and similar games – it's only appropriate that the the four-player local co-op modes will feature tributes to the iconic characters of said great games. Apart from a Belmont-esque whip wielding character, you can apparently play as Mr. Video Game, who throws fireballs, sports a mustache and a familiar theme; an underwear-clad knight who loses his armor when he gets hit a la Ghouls N' Ghosts protagonist Arthur, a Ninja Gaiden-styled ninja and others.

While 1001 Spikes started out as a brutally difficult single-player-only affair on the Xbox Live Indie channel, the four-player modes in the game are arguably even better – picture the chaos of Rayman Origins mixed with the insane death-a-minute difficulty of Super Meat Boy. In practice it's hilarious, as players try to screw each other over to deplete as many of those 1,000 lives as possible, or just to survive, which is a big enough challenge on its own.

1001 Spikes hits Wii U, 3DS, PS4, Vita and Steam later this year.

Via Nintendo World Report 

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