JackQuest is the best new platformer for Android [Game of the Week]

I'm a sucker for a really well made retro platformer, so you know that JackQuest: Tale of the Sword drew my interest as soon as I viewed the trailer. A Metroidvania platformer, it's the first game released by the development team at NX Games and is currently available ahead of its full release on the Google Play Store.

Like most Metroidvania games the story is sort of secondary to the fun action of the game itself, but there is still a basic narrative plot here to propel your hero onward. You play Jack as he slays cave monsters after a portal-summoning orc named Korg who has snatched his beautiful love, Nara.

Early on, you discover an oversized blade that has sentience and claims that his essence has been captured in the sword, so you and your new weapon friend get to hack and slash your way past enemies and bosses as you try to take down Korg. The sword will occasionally chime in with little comments as you progress.

The game notes say that the game supports 8BidDo Gamepads but I stuck with the on-screen controls and had no problems. Touchscreen controls can be hit or miss but I found the setup here to be quite comfortable and responsive. You collect coins as you kill enemies which can be spent on new weapons magical accessories, consumables, and new skills. Other times, you unlock a new skill or accessory after beating a box, which in turn lets you access new areas of the cave. I've only just scratched the surface of the game but I can already tell, based on the strength of the gameplay, the inclusion of environmental puzzles, and some of the subtle hints in the dialogue I've picked up on, that it's going to be a pretty fun game to play and certainly worth recommending to the AC community.

The game was previously released on Steam and is available on Android for about $5. It's still a work in progress and labeled as an unreleased game on the Google Play Store, but if you love playing platformers on mobile it's worth supporting your indie developers making the types of games you adore.

Download: JackQuest: The Tale of the Sword ($4.99)