Mega Man meets Shovel Knight in this new retro platformer "where almost anything goes," and Steam reviews are already glowing

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Fallen Leaf joins the growing trend of amazing throwback platformers

Screenshot from Fallen Leaf
(Image credit: Delta Shore Games)

Retro-inspired platformers have been making a massive comeback as of late, and Fallen Leaf only continues the trend.

Fallen Leaf came out earlier this month, on July 15, promising a "retro side-scrolling adventure focused on tight, action-packed level design set in a whimsical world where almost anything goes," per the main blurb. Magical, upgradeable gauntlets, towns full of colorful characters, a thumping chiptune soundtrack, and over 70 pixel art stages fill out the rest of the game's nostalgic aspirations.

Developer Delta Shore Games put together the trailer below that immediately made me think three things: Mega Man shooting, Shovel Knight's challenge, and, oh hell yes! Our titular Leaf, and some other unlock able characters, are all equipped with a slow-projectile weapon that instantly reminded me of Rockman's armgun, and the levels supposedly contain a trove of secrets, as well as modern sensibilities, à la Shovel Knight.

Steam user reviews are just as smitten as I am with the retro throwback, as it currently enjoys a 'Very Positive' rating with 95% of players giving it a thumbs up. There are less than a 100 reviews logged in, but that's an impressive ratio regardless.

"Fantastic homage to many 8-bit games with some great quality of life improvements that make things more fun," one user review writes. "This is a fantastically well designed platformer," another gushes. "A lot of games like this nail the retro aesthetic but fail to recapture the level design of older classics; thankfully Fallen Leaf does not fall into that trap!" Several players also mentioned that Fallen Leaf recalls some parts of Kirby Dreamland and Super Mario Bros 3, as well as the above mentioned Shovel Knight and Mega Man.

After making the best Mega Man-like in years and announcing a SRPG spin-off, indie platformer dev teases four more throwback projects in the works.

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.