The HTML5 support for Wii U is far from an underused feature available to developers, but few games as good as Elliot Quest seem to rise from the Nintendo Web Framework. Ansimuz Games' title, which was ported to the eShop by PlayEveryWare, is a charming old-school sidescroller which looks back to the days of the NES for inspiration. While drawing creativity from the joy provided from these older titles, especially Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, Elliot Quest draws perhaps a but too much from the good old days and brings along some of the more annoying tendencies as well.

Drawing from older titles isn't necessarily a bad thing, and when the titles chosen include Kid Icarus, Metroid and Zelda, you know you're in for a real treat. Controlling Elliot, who begins with the most basic abilities as any true protagonist would, you set off to explore the world. This exploration and its accompanying story are slowly revealed over the course of the adventure, leaving players hints and clues as they progress.


Elliot doesn't begin with many tools at his disposal, he can only run, jump and shoot arrows. These arrows are more realistic than those Pit shoots in the classic Kid Icarus though, as they follow a predetermined arc towards the ground. Given the amount of platforms and multiple levels of each level, this adds an interesting mechanic to the gameplay, especially when you can level up individual elements of arrows like flying distance or strength.

Accompanying the bow and arrows are unlockable items and weapons, which unlock new portions of the world Metroid-style. While one of the most important concepts, exploring and looking for new areas to access is a bit of a pain due to the overworld. Items usually unlock a handful of levels, but you might need to take some detours to find exactly where you should go next. In a modern setting, perhaps a small hint or clue would have made this less frustrating, but it does stay true to the original Metroid formula of exploration.


Elliot Quest takes full advantage of the gamepad, and has different menus for item display and leveling up your arrows as well as Elliot. Off-screen play is also an option, though without immediate access to the inventory it can be found on the pause screen. Throughout this adventure is a simple 8-Bit soundtrack accompanying the similarly drawn visuals, both of which serve their purpose of evoking nostalgia. In addition upon release there was a significant amount of slowdown, which has for the most part been patched out, so there shouldn't be much of an issue there.

Modern titles inspired by classic games are a dime a dozen nowadays, but few manage to capture the experience in a unique way like Elliot Quest does. While inspired by classic titles, this one has a unique personality among a sea of imposters, a trait which makes Elliot Quest a blast to play. Exploring may still be stuck in the rut of trial and error, but overall Elliot Quest manages to make classic gaming feel fun with a few touches of modern game design.


Review Copy provided by: PlayEveryWare