Review by Gamatroid
Freddy's daughter has been kidnapped by an evil dragon that lives on top of an abandoned castle.
The only possibility to rescue her is through a magic potion that only a mysterious wizard who lives in the forest can make, but to do so, he will need to get some very specific ingredients and these in turn must be mixed in a certain order using magical cauldrons that are spread throughout the kingdom.
FREDDY FARMER
- RELEASE DATE: 2/27/25
- MSRP: $4.99
- DEVELOPER: Catcade Games
- PUBLISHER: Flynns Arcade
- PLATFORMS: Switch, PC/Steam
- PLAYED ON: Switch
Freddy Farmer is an old-school single-screen style arcade platformer, with 16-bit looking graphics. It really captures the frantic nature of those classic arcade games well and has the titular Freddy collecting different ingredients around each stage in order to activate a magic cauldron and brew a potion. But be careful, because if Freddy collects all the ingredients, but does it in the wrong order, not only do you not get the associated bonus points for correctly doing so, Freddy won't brew the potion and clear the stage, even though you progress to the next stage.
You can keep track of all the correctly brewed potions (meaning you properly cleared the stage) on the world map. Interestingly you can access any area on the world map at any time, but each area gets increasingly more complicated and difficult to clear, so it makes sense to go in order. Should you lose all of your lives you can continue, but you start over at the beginning of an area, even if you've already cleared previous sections.
RETRO ROOTS
Freddy Farmer clearly takes inspiration from some of the single-screen arcade hits of the 80s, and it wears that inspiration proudly on its sleeve. While I haven't seen the developers say exactly which games inspired them, there are a few potential candidates that come to mind.
Burger Time
While Burger Time isn't exactly like Freddy Farmer, it does have the single screen layout, has a strong food-related theme, and doesn't let you directly attack enemies - all elements present in Freddy Farmer.
Donkey Kong
Donkey Kong also isn't exactly like Freddy Farmer, but it is one of the most influential single-screen arcade games of all time, and it involves jumping over enemies to score points. Very likely a strong influence for Freddy Famer.
REVIEW
Gameplay & Mechanics
Freddy Farmer's gameplay feels like an authentic old-school arcade game, with simple to pick up rules, tight controls, and variations on strategy required for each new stage. While Freddy Farmer isn't easy, it isn't as cheap as old school arcade games either, and has a good balance of difficulty and enjoyment. The fact you can select any stage on the map is also a bonus, since you don't feel restricted if you happen to get stuck on a particular stage (although the stages do tend to build in difficulty, so going to a later stage isn't recommended, but it's nice the game gives you the freedom to do so).
The visuals feel very authentic in the best way, like those old arcade games where the graphics were better than what you would typically find at home, but still very old school. Freddy Farmer strikes a great balance in this respect, and honestly looks really great for the aesthetic it is going for.
Audio & Music
Hot damn, the tunes in Freddy Farmer be jammin'; no joke. Not only do the music and sound effects feel authentic, but the tunes are very catchy and enhance the overall experience. Much better than the game probably needed, but much appreciated.
The story is...well do you really need a story with a game like this? It does have one though, and like the rest of the game, the "rescue the person from the demon" premise feels a lot like Ghouls and Ghosts in a good way that harkens back to the arcade games of yesterday. Nothing incredible, mind you, but one more piece of authenticity that makes Freddy Farmer feel like a classic arcade game.
Technical Performance
Honestly, even playing on Switch, Freddy Farmer plays flawlessly, although I can't imagine the tech running behind the scenes is anything the Switch would have issues handling. I haven't run into any issues while playing, and it seems to run smoothly whether docked or in handheld mode.
Innovation & Originality
Freddy's innovation lies in the unique way it has incorporated several classic arcade elements in a new way that creates a truly compelling experience. I love the way you have to collect the items in order, even though it can be frustrating sometimes. The added strategy this mechanic introduces makes it stand out from other games like it.
Value
Freddy Farmer is only $4.99 on Switch regularly, and I was able to get it on sale, even though it just recently released. Even at full price its a good value and will provide lots of arcade-style fun and action.
OVERALL SCORE: 9
Overall, my experience with Freddy Farmer was excellent. It perfectly captures the best vibes of the great 80s arcade classics, and introduces some new elements as well, all at a value price. Honestly no complaints, other than it can get really difficult in the later stages, but hey, would you really have it any other way. Looks great. Plays great. Music bangs. Stop reading and go play it already!
CRITIC'S CORNER
In looking at other critic reviews and user ratings, Freddy Farmer doesn't have a lot of ratings, but the ones it does have are a little lower than our rating, and Steam. Honestly, I thought a lot about its rating, and I think it deserves a 9, given what it's trying to do, and the price it delivers it at. If the game was priced a lot higher, then I might reconsider, but given where it's at, its a great experience for the value. In any case, everyone seems to agree that its worth checking out.
(EG's score compared to other publications - raw score quoted then followed by normalized score out of 10, if applicable)
- Electronic Gamers: 9/10
- Pure Nintendo: 8/10
- Video Chums: 4/5 (8/10)
- Steam: 96% positive (9.6/10)
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