Over the years games have become a complicated affair with button combos, triggers, analog joysticks and a plethora of accessories. Nitrome's Onekey takes gamers back to a simpler time in which all you needed to play a game was the push of one key — catch the naming scheme there?
Over the years games have become a complicated affair with button combos, triggers, analog joysticks and a plethora of accessories.Nitrome's Onekey takes gamers back to a simpler time in which all you needed to play a game was the push of one key — catch the naming scheme there?
Following games like Lemmings and Loco Roco, Onekey has the player control the environment not the character itself. As your character marches on straight ahead across the screen you manipulate the maze-like environment to get him to the end of the level. By mashing on the space bar at the right time you can cause springs to launch the little guy on screen into the air, lift trap doors in his way or destroy enemies threatening his existence.
Throw in the fact that players are tasked with collecting gems for extra points and the game becomes part side-scroller, part puzzle game. And like any puzzle game, new traps, aids and enemies are introduced in each level increasing the difficulty.
Graphically the game is not as simple as it's controls. Well-animated and fun-looking, the visuals go for little flair but keeps things appealing to the eye. The Aztec-styled levels provide an entertaining backdrop and allow for some cool looking traps and pitfalls. The animation of your hero wobbling along is quite funny to watch. A fun thing to do is let the little guy walk back and forth in a confined area just to watch him hobble around.
Unfortunately the music didn't stick to the same formula as the graphics. The same elevator-ish background music follows you throughout the levels. Luckily you can mute the game music and play your own. (There's nothing like avoiding spike pits while listening to the Glee soundtrack.) The sound effects for the game are done well, including a good and proper “boing” when your character is launched in the air by springs.
As for story, there is none. Why your voodoo-face-painted-bone-through-nose hero is risking life and limb trudging through trapped filled dungeons is left to the player's imagination.
Simple controls, well-done graphics and thought out level design makes Onekey a fun game to play, plain and simple.
