KITSUNE’S CURSE

Author: Juan J Martinez Released: 2020

Like any good heroic tale, the main protagonist isn’t without flaw, and at the end of the last chapter in 2014’s Golden Tale, we were with a cliffhanger on his fate. Kitsune’s Curse returns to this mystical land, where our ninja hero has magically transformed into a fox-like being. The Golden Tail talisman has yet again been stolen, and the evil cult that has it intends to unleash its power on the world. Only by retrieving it back can the world be saved, and the curse is broken.

In this flip-screen adventure, Kitsune makes his way to the Yiga Clan’s layer to retrieve the talisman. He must avoid the many hazards along the way: jumping over spiked pits, evading venomous forest creatures and stealthily sneaking past clan members. Kitsune is a bit of a pacifist, you see — he doesn’t even carry a weapon.

All he can do is turn invisible for the briefest of moments, and it propels him a few feet along. This is beneficial for accessing those high to reach platforms or dashing past any hazards. And it is on this that the game’s core mechanic is centric; it becomes a precision leaping platformer where you utilise his special jump on every single screen. No matter the obstacle, his little puff of ‘smoke’ will have its use.