The Maid_san's Caving Adventure - メイドさん洞窟探検 - Reviews

First

now when I hope to play it, it always tell me "no file has been disignated". So are there some methods to solve the problem?

Game is unplayable if you do not stricltly have W7. If you have an OS of 8 and above, you're out of luck. It is beyond silly, even for an XBLIG.

I wanted to like this game, especially because Maid-san reminds me of Watanbe Akio's style, but unreasonably strict scoring and major mechanic hiccups really bring down the experience of the game. Maid-san's [b][i]ADVENTURE[/i][/b] takes place in a cave, but don't let the title fool you, you're penalized for exploration. If you want anything above a 0 score, you have to make efficient usage of your steps, jumps, and squats, so that your score doesn't get deducted by however many times you took a step, jumped, or squatted. This might sound simple, but with slippery walking, moments where you're forced to jump over the lip of a ledge next to a trap floor, or have to jump your way out of water (you can't just hit the surface and jump out, you actually have to make the peak of your jump break the surface so you can get out), and the awfully long wait it takes for the Benar (enemies) to go through their patrol and turn around so you can avoid being spotted, it becomes much more of an unbearable chore than a challenge. Also, I nearly forgot, you take damage while you're underwater. You don't have an air gauge, you just take damage. On top of that, there's a Sneeze gauge that fills up whenever you're in water (not just under), and when that gauge fills, Maid-san takes her time to sneeze. Can you guess what sneezing does? That's right, it deducts from your score. So does taking damage! It also alerts enemies to your position, and there's maybe 1 body of water where you can swim through without sneezing. If you can stand not having even a decent score throughout the entire game, this could be a bit of fun. Although, the most interesting mechanic of the game (squatting) goes to waste if you don't mind getting found out by the Benar, as that's its only use. You can just run past enemies and go on with the level if you really want to; the Benar are so slow to react that they really don't pose a threat unless you're running into some traps or Mandrakes (short area denial with their screams when you get close enough). It's a shame that you either have to play for a score or play for the platforming, as doing anything in between is just not rewarding or even rewarded. The game is cheap, but even then, I can't really bring myself to recommend it.

Like my review of The Houchi Play, don't let my Steam play time fool you. I spent a great deal of time playing Maid San back on XBox 360 Indie Games. Maid san's Caving Adventure feels like a lost Turbo Grafx 16 game to me. Back when platformer titles were king and game developers were still trying to figure out different ways to approach the subject. Maid San has two strengths available to her; the ability to jump really high and the power to cower in fear. She does so traversing a series of caves, as the title might lead you to believe, while collecting stars and avoiding the Benar - a subterranian humanoid race with a penchant for wooden clubs and cigarettes. Avoid the Benar when you can, and tremble before them when you can't. Collect stars and clear the stage as fast and efficiently as you can (scoring is based on a myriad of factors including the number of steps and jumps you've performed). In that regard, there is a optimal playthrough for each level. All told the sprite graphics are very well done and serve their purpose nicely. For $2 you really can't go wrong. Its a fun, pleasant, retro game with some unique mechanics.

Awesome sprite animation (compared to other 2D in it's price range), the game is harder than it looks and sometimes require some patience, pretty much getting 0 score in most levels. What is a maid doing in a cave is still beyond me. Menues and level select could look better, also minor dissatisfaction with HUD.