Systems: Personal Computer
Assigning Herculean weight to the claims that Turbo Kid is based on a “cult” or “underground” movie would be inappropriate. An epic post-apocalyptic quasi-superhero film from 2015, co-produced by Canada and New Zealand, it followed ‘The Kid,’ a BMX-riding scavenger searching the wasteland who finds the remains of his real-life hero, Turbo Rider. With his armour and wrist-mounted laser gun, The Kid takes out and sets out to save his love interest, Apple, a robot, from a warlord who hoards water. The warlord is (somehow) portrayed by well-known character actor Michael Ironside.
It was a schlocky throwback to the kind of gory yet somehow camp ’80s video nastiness you’d find at the back of the rental store, the ones destined to be lampooned on Mystery Science Theater 3000. It had equal parts Power Rangers, Mad Max, and Hell Comes to Frogtown. You have never heard of it, and that’s the truth, so it’s all the more remarkable that this video game derivative has emerged nearly ten years later. But what’s really amazing is how very fantastic it is.
Although Turbo Kid’s true origins are ultra-cult, this game is deserving of a true box office hit.
Turbo Kid appears out of nowhere and is quickly a strong contender for one of the greatest Metroidvania games ever made. Imagine expansive 2D maps, sections that are inaccessible until you acquire special powers, and difficult boss fights to win in order to acquire special powers—all in the iconic Metroid or Castlevania style. Developer Outerminds adds a modern twist with an almost open-world approach that lets players pursue objectives in any order they like. The game is presented in a glorious 8-bit pixel-art style that evokes both the retro aesthetic of the film and its video game influences. Impressive ragdoll physics are used to astoundingly gruesome effect as you blast apart enemies with a variety of deadly weapons, sending their limbs and organs flying around the screen in explosions of red pixels.
Playing as The Kid, or Apple, in a “non-canon version of the adventure,” Turbo Kid is a flawlessly made platform adventure that looks to be a prequel to an impending film. The world itself is full of secrets and a joy to explore, from the run-down town of New Hope to a skatepark run by a drug-addled teen gang, or a twisted church where a self-appointed savior leads a “Revivalist” movement turning people into terrifying cyborgs. Each jump is precise down to the pixel, and each enemy has unique attack patterns to learn and counter.
But the most innovative thing is that The Kid’s trademark BMX is there. It’s an essential traversal mechanism in addition to being a quicker way to get through the levels. The Kid can’t jump over gaps, so you’ll need the bike’s momentum to get over them, while power-ups like spiked wheels let you climb vertical surfaces. Since the emphasis is on the bike, there are many minigames to find throughout the wasteland. You must win time trial races and stunt competitions to access all of the game’s features.
However, the bike is not without its shortcomings. It’s tricky, particularly in the beginning, and because some aspects of advancement depend on finishing those races or scored stunt challenges, it can feel unduly restrictive. If you find that part of the game difficult, you won’t get very far in it. There’s still a long way to go because, even when fully zoomed out, the map screen can’t begin to capture the size and complexity of Turbo Kid’s areas. The allure of discovering a previously unreachable area with a new ability drawing you back to earlier areas is what makes Metroidvanias so distinctive, but the sheer size of the game, along with the sparse distribution of warp points for rapid travel, makes trekking between areas feel like pointless padding.
Nevertheless, it barely detracts from an otherwise outstanding example of the genre. Its painstakingly created, period-perfect presentation is a complete joy to lose yourself in, both visually and musically (thanks to an amazing chiptune soundtrack). Although Turbo Kid’s true origins are ultra-cult, this game is deserving of a true box office hit.