Game Review: ‘Wink & the Broken Robot’ Is Retro Inspired and Very Inventive
Wink & the Broken Robot is a new 2D platforming Game Boy Color title that was developed by Max Oakland. In this game, you’ll play as the title character Wink and go on a vast journey to help recover parts for a broken robot. There are nine worlds with 28 stages total in-between, each filled with various enemies and mechanics you’ll need to master to achieve your goal. I have some minor nitpicks with this title, specifically regarding the design of some of the early stages and the soundtrack as a whole. Overall, the game is a unique and fun action-adventure experience that amazed me with its design and story.
This is perhaps one of the strangest games, let alone a Game Boy Color game, that I’ve played. As mentioned, there is a massive open world for you to explore; you’ll meet and speak to NPCs and even find some collectibles that’ll better flesh out the story. The game has stunning art direction, and while the game has a less than appealing soundtrack, overall it’s a well-rounded package.
Right now you can purchase Wink & the Broken Robot directly from Max Oakland’s Itch.io store, but the game is also planned for release, with no announced date, on Steam. If you do decide to purchase the game via Itch, you can download the ROM and play it on various systems, one being PC via emulators, or load it on a flash cart for Game Boy Color, Analogue Pocket, and other Game Boy Color compatible handhelds.
Wink & the Broken Robot’s storyline
The story of Wink & the Broken Robot is pretty standard when compared to other Game Boy Color games. When you start the game and explore the world, you’ll meet various NPCs scattered everywhere. Some NPCs will have silly jokes, while others will speak through non-sequiturs, making this world truly feel unique and bizarre. You’ll learn about their stories, their emotions, and their connection with Wink and others. Sometimes you will even be tasked with doing little sidequests to recover items and bring them back to the NPC that had given you the quest.
Almost immediately, as you dive into the starting stages, you will come face to face with the first boss. The aptly named Broken Robot will be the first boss you encounter, with the battle being a simple misunderstanding. The Broken Robot has had its parts stolen, and it is up to Wink to locate all of them as they have been scattered across the nine worlds. Each missing part is guarded by a boss. However, you must make your way through each stage leading up to the boss before you can duke it out and recover said parts.
Classic gameplay and style
The gameplay in Wink & the Broken Robot is typical of other traditional 2D platforming games that primarily focus on action and adventure. The best comparison I can think of in terms of structure is similar to how Kirby’s Dream Land 2 played on the original Nintendo Game Boy. There is an overworld that you’ll need to explore and locate the nine worlds.
Regardless of how you want to compare this game to titles of yesteryear, the simplicity of gameplay here handles extremely well. You’ll control Wink in two different modes, one being with a top-down view as you explore the massive overworld, with the other being side-scrolling action during the levels. There are also variations on how you can control Wink in both the overworld and in the individual levels, where you will sometimes be transformed into other objects.
When you are in a level, you’ll have an eye-laser attack that by default can be projected in the direction you are facing. There are several power-ups at your disposal you’ll find either during the normal course of gameplay or those that can be purchased in shops.
Some of the power-ups can give you rapid fire or the ability to shoot both forwards and behind at the same time. Be careful though, as you will have two regular pieces of health per life, but when you earn a power-up, it can be considered a third heart as long as you obtain and retain the power-up. If your health is running low, you will be able to use cans of peaches to replenish it.
Moving onto the boss battles, you’ll find some inventive and fair mechanics. Each time I lost a life during one of these fights, it was because of carelessness on my end. I truly appreciate that these confrontations felt unique and didn’t feel same-y when compared to other bosses I’ve seen in other Game Boy Color games. I was almost disappointed by how quick some of these battles went, and I wish there were more bosses like this to run into, but I understand size and a limited scope are important things to adhere to.
Art and music design
My favorite thing about Wink & the Broken Robot is the art direction because even though the first couple of stages may seem uninspired at first, it’s the later stages that really shine. I was worried about the look of the game, but once I made it to the third level in the second world, wow, I became impressed.
The creativity and imagination that was used for most of the levels is truly magnificent. I’ve played my fair share of Game Boy and Game Boy Color games, and I haven’t seen this much visual artistry in any game that came out for those two systems. There is nothing simple about the backgrounds, the foreground platforms, or use of shadows from any game that I have seen before using the limitations of the Game Boy Color. Kudos to Max Oakland for having an expressive imagination and putting it in this game!
While the inventiveness of the visuals is something to behold, I can’t exactly say the same thing about the music here. The only musical standout is the boss theme, while the rest of the soundtrack is bland and uninspired. This surprises me because after I finished the game and lamented the fact that this music does absolutely not work for me, I did some searching and found Mr. Oakland’s work on Bandcamp. His music is decently good, so it is a surprise to me as to why the music in Wink & the Broken Robot doesn’t meet the same standards.
I get it; making music for Game Boy Color games with more limited tools and channels is not the same as producing music with more elaborate means. I feel bad that I am saying so many negative things about the music in this game, as the rest of the full package has left a positive impression on me. Furthermore, I don’t want to discourage Mr. Oakland from continuing with creating music for the retro handheld device just because there was only one track I enjoyed. He certainly should not give up, and I believe in his ability to produce more enjoyable music.
Final thoughts on Wink & the Broken Robot
Wink & the Broken Robot is a game that I will not easily forget. The blend of tight gameplay and fantastical visuals are delightful for my game-centric mind. This title is so inspiring to me that I want to go out and try to find more games that match the style of game presented here.
I want to replay it just so I can experience it again while also trying to further explore every nook and cranny left untouched in my first playthrough. I am even considering trying to acquire a physical cartridge that can be ordered through Max Oakland’s web store. This physical release can be played directly on traditional hardware without the need of a third party compatible flash cart.
My rating for this game is 4/5
Aside from the soundtrack that leaves much to be desired, Wink & the Broken Robot is a game I can easily recommend. If you are looking for a game that feels both modern and retro, then you should check this out. The amount of levels, the ingenuity of enemy and boss behavior, and almost everything in between deserve recognition and praise.
I am a big believer that playing games such as this will impress gamers. While Wink & the Broken Robot has not yet been released on Steam, head over to Max Oakland’s Itch.io page, try out the demo first. Of course, if you feel so inclined to do so, the game can be purchased today.
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