The Legend of Dark Witch

 3DS
Metascore
tbd

No score yet - based on 3 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 3
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 3
  3. Negative: 0 out of 3
  1. Nintendo Life
    Oct 28, 2014
    70
    Despite its light and colourful exterior, The Legend of Dark Witch manages to be an entertaining platformer that can be difficult enough to hold the attention of even the more serious gamers out there.

User Reviews

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User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 17
  3. Negative: 3 out of 17
  1. MARUYAMA
    Apr 5, 2015
    4
    This game starts out as a fantastic mix of Gradius, Megaman and Wonder Boy, however after playing for some time its flaws end up revealingThis game starts out as a fantastic mix of Gradius, Megaman and Wonder Boy, however after playing for some time its flaws end up revealing themselves.
    Firstly, the gradius power up system ends up working against the player, making the simple act of moving at a bearable speed an annoying chore. you need to grind to get every single power up, and the game barely fills your gauge for each enemy killed so you'll have to spend a few minutes going back and forth at a place with respawning enemies and leveling up your skills to have some chance in the level.
    it might not seem like much, but you have to spend like 5 minutes grinding in a level that otherwise could be cleared in 4 or 5 minutes.
    later on you get a boss weapon that allows you to refill your gauge a bit every time you press the Y button away from the enemy, the quicker you press the faster your meter refills, if you're really fast you can get all abilities within a minute and a half, but you'll be tired as soon as you done and there's an entire level ahead.

    and every time you die, it resets all stats. it's especially bothersome on boss fights since you can't refill while you're dodging the attacks.
    the butterflies, called Tres, that refil the gauge are also money to buy permanent upgrades, the game barely provides any for each enemy killed, so it ends up becoming another grinding chore.

    the level designs are pretty bland and a lot of sections repeat often between levels, they're mostly straight lines with a few places in the middle zig zagging up or down.
    all levels open up in a weird crystal dimension that doesn't really make any sense, so you only get to see what the level really is like about halfway through.

    and that brings another point, the graphics of the game are really beautiful, a bit repetitive, but still beautiful to look at, so it's even more baffling that they decide to hide some of it with that crystal part.
    the game sprites and animations are really nice.

    the soundtrack is nothing special, I think through my entire playthrough with Zizou no track stood out or anythihng, they just do their job.

    Now, the most aggravating thing with the game, Zizou is supposedly a really powerful character, but even playing with her the game ends up becoming a grindfest, and when you beat the game with her you unlock a second scenario mode with another character, Riva.

    Riva is pathetic, her attack consists of either, a puny shot that barely reaches in front of her ( 1 sprite width to the front ), or a sword thrust attacks ( 2 swords come from the sides and thrust down ).
    both are really weak and really worthless, while playing with her even upping your speed, the power up that requires the least Tres, becomes unbearable.
    through an entire level I only managed to fill her Tres speed meter once, it doesn't help that she can barely hit enemies, and every time she ( or Zizou ) is hit she LOSES Tres, so the upgrade gauge goes down.

    to try to keep players engaged and to up the replay value the game has multiple endings, the best one requiring hidden powerups in levels to be found, and gathering all of them grants the player a shield powerup too.
    however this is a bit pointless since to stand a chance against some bosses and some of the stages you have to gather them all and end up seeing the best ending anyway.

    TL;DR
    game has beautiful aesthetic and decent music, but its challenge comes from handicapping the player and seeing how much grinding the player can endure before going insane. ( since it has to be done every single time the player dies )
    the gradius powerup system is what ruins this game, it quickly wears out its welcome and becomes a weigh keeping the players from progressing at a steady pace.
    Recommended only if you really like the pixel art on the screenshots.

    apparently playing with the second character is so tough that there's no footage of it or any of the second scenarios endings on youtube.    … Full Review »
  2. SilentlySlow
    Dec 26, 2014
    9
    This game is GREAT! It's beautiful, challenging, and most importantly, FUN, which are qualities all games should have. It's extremely similarThis game is GREAT! It's beautiful, challenging, and most importantly, FUN, which are qualities all games should have. It's extremely similar to Megaman, although it features an upgrade system that's pretty simple. 8 stages in total, and all packed with fun. There's also unlockables that you can buy with points you get by playing the game, or by betting them in a game of Poker. In addition, there's an extra character you can play as by beating the game. Almost everything about the Legend of Dark Witch is great!
    The only thing bad about Legend of Dark Witch is the story, which isn't really important, because games like this don't need a story. Without a story, this game would still be just as good.
    Overall, this game is just awesome and only loses points because it could have improved a bit on the story and translations...but in the end it's highly recommended! Plus, it comes at a low price of $3.99, which is pretty low for a title this impressive. I honestly feel as if I've gotten my money's worth and more from playing this gem of a game.    … Full Review »
  3. Motabor
    Oct 23, 2014
    9
    This game is very similar to classic NES Mega man. With a main method of attack and 6 other weapons collected by defeating bosses reallyThis game is very similar to classic NES Mega man. With a main method of attack and 6 other weapons collected by defeating bosses really brings together the whole Mega man feel. The only problem is the bottomless pits nearing the end of the game but it doesn't ruin the experience. Even on easy the game is still challenging which brings death, but instead of quitting it makes you want to defeat what killed you. The biggest bother however is after you get a certain weapon the bosses become pushovers.… Full Review »
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