Hey all, I’m back with a side-scrolling platformer from 2008 for this week’s Retro Game Friday. It’s Spelunky.

Gameplay: This was one of the first roguelites, which is probably why I didn’t mind the gameplay too much. It involves procedurally generated levels, which the player explores to gather loot in the form of treasure or other items. You can even rescue damsels in distress to recover health, though that wouldn’t help if you hit an instant kill trap. Still, it was fun to whip around caves while exploring them like some Indiana Jones games. There was even a damsel mode where you could rescue spelunkers, but otherwise it was the same gameplay.

A version of the game, made by developer Mossmouth, is even available on the Steam platform. The screenshots for this gamer blog come from that version of the game. Since this title is such a classic, there are now also versions for Nintendo Switch, Switch 2, PlayStation, and Xbox. So, finding a copy that you can play should not be too difficult.

Art: The art has aged pretty well, which given that it’s mostly made in 2D with sprites isn’t a surprise.

Music: I don’t remember much of the in-game music because I played it while listening to books. I was able to do that given Spelunky was relatively repetitive, so I could do more than one thing at the same time.

Overall: A very good title, and people should definitely give it a try.

For those who like: Roguelites, Exploration, Adventure, and Action.

Not for those who don’t like: Any of the above.