Long ago, before the likes of Mario and Sonic ruled the platforming charts, there was Montezuma’s Revenge. The game arrived in 1983 for personal computers and welcomed players with a nostalgic presentation and tough difficulty setting. Now, over 40 years later, we have an anniversary edition that celebrates its legacy. Old-school players will likely be thrilled. But the rest? Well, that’s an interesting question.
You’ll venture across 100 levels, dealing with somewhat challenging gameplay (even platforming is tricky) and dangerous enemies that can end your life. You’ll also get a fresh new coat of paint with 3D style visuals, which actually aren’t bad when it comes to meshing with the gameplay.
Still, the frustration mounts. If you hated the original game, you’ll hate this one; and aside from different protagonists, there’s no real “boost” involved in terms of something new. Plus, the audio just misses the mark, between bad voiceover and music that grates on the nerves.
Montezuma’s Revenge may be welcome to players who remember the original. However, its unforgiving approach may leave some feeling like it’s a party they could miss.
Enter Montezuma’s Revenge
With some older platformers (who remembers Hard Hat Mack?), the gameplay speaks volumes. It’s mainly about finding a style that works for the theme at hand. Montezuma’s Revenge had this back in 1983, as very few games approached adventure like this one did.
You control Pedro as he makes his way through room after room, finding artifacts and avoiding certain death from enemies and traps. It’s much harder than you think, so you’ll need to step carefully.
The good news is that the game retains a similar gameplay approach to the original Robert Jaeger release. But if it didn’t suit you then, well, sorry, it won’t now. The game is still relentless and requires precision in some places, or you pretty much bite the dust.
That’s not to say the game is faulty. But some will see the lack of certain options frustrating. It would’ve been nice to have a hint system for newcomers. Then again, maybe that’s what the developers wanted to avoid in the first place – keeping the game strictly old-school.
There is a nice nostalgic approach here, and the ability to choose between male and female protagonists isn’t bad. Plus the $15 price point isn’t too heavy on the wallet.
Be warned, though. Once you pursue Montezuma’s Revenge, it’s not long before it comes back for you.
How Does Montezuma’s Revenge’s Presentation Hold Up?
There’s an upside and downside to the way Montezuma’s Revenge comes across.
The positive is that the visuals feature a 3D style approach, while retaining the 2D nature of the original game. It surprisingly works, and even adds a level of charm on the level of old-school PC games. It looks really cool, though some enemies come across better than others. Modern-looking rolling skulls just aren’t the same. Alas, I didn’t see an option to switch back to older visuals, which would’ve been a sweet touch.
On the downside…sigh. The audio. It’s just not very good. The music is forgettably composed and really doesn’t offer anything in terms of a sense of adventure. Worse yet, the voiceovers by the boss are annoying. Like…it’s bad enough you can barely get to him, but he comes across like that. I’ve heard used car dealers that are far more menacing.
Bottom line, come for the visuals, but mute the sound and crank your own music instead. Maybe something in the Indiana Jones variety?
Montezuma’s Revenge Strikes Again
There’s a lot I could recommend in Montezuma’s Revenge: The 40th Anniversary Edition. The visuals are nicely done for modernized technique; and the gameplay is definitely a handful for old-school players. But then you have the terrible audio options and the lack of any sort of options for modern players. At least the price point is salvageable.
Is it for you? Well, it depends. If you don’t mind something that eats away at you, dig in to Montezuma’s Revenge. Otherwise, steer clear.
GAMERHUB RATING: 2.5 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS
Thanks to EastAsiaSoft for the review code! Montezuma’s Revenge: The 40th Anniversary Edition is available now for Nintendo Switch, Xbox, PlayStation and PC/Steam!
Need more adventure in your life? Check out our review of Indiana Jones and the Great Circle!
