Zyphoid Reviews

Metroid Prime but good

"So bad it's good" often doesn't apply to games because of the time investment required. However this game defies that due to its hilariously broken gameplay, frequent typos and its pure amateur spirit.

Zyphoid is a game deeply inspired by the Metroid series, combining the 3D gameplay of Metroid Prime with the specimen hunting of Metroid 2. The game is open-ended and poorly signposted in a way that encourages exploration and experimentation, and the game's controls and mechanics continually subvert player expectations in delightful ways. Zyphoid is a charming game, and once you have completed it and understand how it works, there's a really fun speedgame to be found in it. If you are a connoisseur of earnest, unpolished gaming experiences, I can't recommend this enough. I had to decompile the game and dig through the source to solve how to beat the last boss. I love it.

Zyphoid is one of those "so bad it's good" games, but not just for comedic value. Compared to the dev's only other non-FTP game, Sword of the Black Stone, there is a very real sense of improvement between them. The gameplay is a lot more solid, the music is bearable, and the gameplay loop can be really enjoyable. It's an interesting mixture of Metroid 2 and Prime, where it's in a first-person view, but you still have to hunt down all of the Zyphoids with more areas being unlocked as you eliminate them. That's not to say there isn't a fair share of jank. Some of the implementations of major features still makes me cringe, where the double jump just offsets the player's position rather than resetting the jump, and the way the weapons work. The bosses are serviceable, albeit a little bit repetitive. The only major issue I have with them is the Zyphoid Queen, which I cannot for the life of me get past. During her third phase, she has what's essentially in instant death ray that always kills my run. It's incredibly frustrating. If anyone has a way to get past the fight or at least avoid the blast, it would be greatly appreciated. But up until that point it's a very interesting game. There are a few things you can do in gameplay you'll need to pick up on to get through, but besides that it's definitely a game worth checking out if you're into this kind of stuff.

N J Fox is by far my favorite outsider artist, their games have a very specific aesthetic and this is by far their most ambitious. I love these games because of their flaws and ambition, and I hope to see another N J game come out at some point.