Released October 2019, Sky Racket is a video game developed by Brazilian indie game developer Double Dash Studios. Originally RacketBoy, the game development began in 2015 at a 72-hour game jam hosted by Game Jolt.
Sky Racket tries to honor the classic 16-bit arcades by combining two popular genres of the time: Shoot ’em up and Block Breaker, resulting in what they call the first “Shmup Breaker” ever created, it’s an experience that feels both unique and familiar.
Set across five worlds and just over a dozen stages, you play as either Racket Boy or Racket Girl (or both in two-player co-op) and fly across the stage smashing projectiles fired at you back at enemies and other obstacles.
Each of the five worlds have its own unique enemies, themes, and characteristics. Double Dash’s attention to detail really makes each world feel unique. The pixelated characters and enemy models make Sky Racket feel right in place among retro brick-breakers and shoot’em ups
The controls are simple, it doesn’t have much to learn: one to hit with the racket, another to roll, and an eventual third to use items.
During a stage, enemies will fly towards the player as the screen continuously scrolls. These enemies will shoot a number of projectiles at the player. You must use your racket to swing bullets back to destroy enemies and structures.
Something thing to note here is that not all projectiles can be fired back. There’s a bit of difficulty figuring out which projectiles can be used to fire back and which ones to be avoided.
The boss fights are particularly enjoyable and much more challenging and can sometimes get frustratingly difficult. BUT – there’s God Mode that prevents damage and the ability to start the fight with your buddy of choice if you get stuck.
SkyRacket is an enjoyable experience from beginning to end, and it feels like an great co-op game. However, the game is on the short side taking less than seven hours to complete.
Sky Racket is available now for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch for $14.99 or AED 55. It is currently on sale for $8 or AED 30 on Steam until 12 May.
