Rico is an old school jump'n'run game! Run across the levels, jump over obstacles, climb mountains, explore caves, swim through water Collect crystals throughout each level Avoid mines, acid pits and various deadly enemies along the way Find upgrades to get abilities like double jump Reach magic stones to activate checkpoints Find and use weapons to combat enemies Fly with a jetpack Face off against enemies in epic boss battles 4 difficulty levels to keep you challenged 4 different worlds 32 levels full of retro awesomeness If you like platformers, you'll love Rico!
While I haven't yet had time to beat it, what I have seen so far is a delightful little retro platformer.
The graphics feel polished and satisfying despite their simplistic style, the animations are well chosen and satisfying, the sound effects feel good, the controls are smooth and responsive, new mechanics keep getting introduced as you play along (and, unlike in Braid, you're actually given time to savor them), and the music is catchy.
The pause between reaching the end of the level and diamond-wiping to the next one could be reduced a bit and the music can get a bit repetitive, given that there are only two tracks, but those are both excusable, given that it's still in alpha. (Heck, aside from the lack of content, this feels more mature than a lot of beta releases I've played.)
I'll give it a 9.0 out of 10 for now and adjust my rating (if necessary) as I play through further. (I'm saving a 0.5 for more music and another 0.5 because so many really nice little retro games could be so much more with a level editor. For example, Alter Ego.)