Overview – developed by Pie for Breakfast and Mega Cat Studios, with publishing handled by 8-Bit Legit, Kudzu is a nonlinear adventure, replacing swords and sorcery with gardening tools. Take on the invasive Kudzu plants that infest the world, while uncovering the secrets surrounding the disappearance of your mentor. This title is available on the Game Boy as a physical cartridge and digitally for the Nintendo Switch, with a link to each version of the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank 8-Bit Legit for providing the copy of Kudzu that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. Please note I will only be covering the core mechanics of the game, this is to prevent spoiling secrets or surprises for players.
Story – Experience the story of Max, the apprentice gardener, who discovers that his mentor, Zoen, has mysteriously wandered into the nearby kudzu field. Dangerous creatures await including snakes, bugs, angry flowers, and numerous other hazards! Use your gardening skills to clear your path, fight the twisted creatures lurking in the kudzu, and solve treacherous puzzles. But be warned, danger and mysteries lurk behind the vines, can you rescue Zoen and unravel the secrets of Kudzu?
Gameplay – Kudzu is a non-linear adventure, set in a world being overtaken by the mysterious Kudzu plant. Players must travel the game world, exploring different areas in a style similar to The Legend of Zelda, fighting monsters, collecting treasures and completing story quests. Starting off in the home village, the player will explore the area and talk to residents before heading out into the greater world. This is where the game hits its stride.
After completing the opening of the game, the player will unlock their first tool, gaining access to the machete. This is the most important tool that players will use, as it is the primary form of attack and is used to cut through the Kudzu plants. The reach is a little short but it is effective against most enemies, defeating them in one or two strikes, often knocking them back when contact is made. It can also be used to solve different environmental puzzles and open the path forward.
Outside of the village are several areas, which have dungeon style layouts, made up of rooms that are all connected together. This system can be difficult to navigate, but there is a character that will sell the players maps of each area. Maps can be bought in exchange for mushrooms, which can be found in chests and by defeating enemies around the dungeons. There are also items that can be purchased from vendors with the shrooms, giving players more tools in their arsenal.
Progression in the dungeons occurs in a few ways, with different roadblocks that will appear in the path of the player. There are monster gates that are opened when all enemies in the area are defeated. There is also switch gates that players get opened up in various ways, including through puzzles involving Kudzu plants. Last we have key gates, which must opened by collecting special keys by fulfilling different requirements like finding a missing page from a book.
At set points in each of the dungeons, the player will encounter boss battles that pit the player against challenging foes. These battles can be tense, with the potential for players to be defeated very quickly. Luckily, there is a healing system in place where players can consume jelly collected during the adventure to heal damage taken in battle. However, the player can only carry a limited amount of Kudzu jars, but more of them can be obtained by completing special requirements.
When a boss has been defeated, the player will be able to push the story forward, uncovering more of the mysteries that the Kudzu holds. When defeating some bosses, the player may be obtain new tools which can be used to solve puzzles and reach previously inaccessible areas. The tools will be added to the player inventory, being permanently equipped for later use. There are more items and special objects to discover, but I will leave those as a surprise.
The last thing to mention is the save system for this game. Throughout the game world, there are radio stations that the player can access allowing them to save the game. When the player dies and gets a game over, they will be sent back to the last save they made. This can be a setback for the player, but to compensate for this the player is able to rest at these stations, recovering all of their lost health before setting out again into the adventure.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to move onto the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – as this is a Game Boy game, there is a very simple 4 button system using the same style layout as the native hardware. The controls work fairly well for the majority of the game, however there are some issues that the game can experience during play. During intense moments in the game, there is the chance for inputs for attacks to be missed, along with lag that occurs during the menu screen when trying to use the Kudzu Jelly. These can be a frustration during play.
Difficulty – there is a moderate level of difficulty to the game, which is reminiscent of the games that inspired it. The dungeon crawling aspect of the game can increase the difficulty if under prepared, as there is the chance to be caught be enemies when low on health. However, the ability to fully heal at save points and enemies not respawning immediately when leaving an area makes this a little easier. But, even with these mechanics, the game is still very tough.
Presentation – as a Game Boy game, Kudzu uses the monochrome green palette that is synonymous with the system. This is augmented by sprite work that is accurate to the period it is based on, but there is a downside to this as there is slowdown that occurs due to the limits of Game Boy programming. The slowdown can interfere with the gameplay, which is a frustration during play. The sound for this game utilizes all the GB soundchip capabilities and the soundtrack is very well made.
Final Thoughts – I quite enjoy the games that this was inspired by, so I was quite excited to try Kudzu out. When I started I felt that the game was a bit of a mixed bag, but after putting the time in everything fell into place. The dungeon crawling aspects of the game were fun yet challenging, with boss battles that were challenging but not overly difficult. The only issue I had during play was the minor slowdown, but that is a limitation of the hardware the game was made for.
This is one of those rare games that appears which takes elements of its inspirations, giving the experience a familiar feel, but it still manages to feel unique. There is also the bonus of having a full color manual, accessible through the in game menus. All of the elements come together to make a game that feels nostalgic while being brand new. It does have some flaws, but the game is pretty solid so I am happy to recommend this game to those who enjoy classic GB adventures.
In the end, I give Kudzu a final score of 4/5. This is a pretty solid and fun adventure that makes the most of the capabilities of the Game Boy hardware, taking inspiration from classic adventures while feeling fresh and unique. There are a few minor issues but the overall package is worth the entry price. If you want to check this game out for yourself, a link to each version of the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
Link to Physical Game Boy version (HERE)
W.Kohaku Media 