Ice Cream Surfer review

Ice Cream Surfer tells the story of the evil Broccoli who’s irritated by the fact that kids go bonkers for ice cream while steering away from vegetables. The evil vegetable has amassed an army of his fellow produce in order to destroy the Gourmet Universe and everything within it. It’s up to the Ice Cream Surfer and his four buddies to stop the broccoli’s evil plans.

Ice Cream Surfer is a typical 2D side-scrolling shmup, or shoot’em up, where your goal is to navigate around enemies and their projectiles coming from every which way to annihilate you. You need to use your quick reflexes to dodges them all the while firing at will. As with any other shumps, you’ll be able to pick up additional firepower to aid you on your journey and overcome the various enemies and end-level bosses.

In your quest to conquer the game’s levels, you’ll pick up perks that give players a step up on the enemies, but each of the playable characters also has a special attack that can get you out of a bind when in need. The game also features three difficulty levels if you’re so inclined to tackle a different challenge.

The game’s biggest flaw is linked to its presentation; flying enemies will more often than not fire small projectiles that can easily be lost within the level’s background generating otherwise preventable deaths. Some projectiles are also very small meaning that when trying to grab a gem, there could be a pellet nearby and end up dead.

The game features a colorful 2D palette that can be reminiscent of classic NES games. Each level is uniquely designed with its own background featuring a different color and design avoiding a certain visual repetition. It also features a decent enemy variety and bosses are as big and bonkers as you’d expect from a shmup. The soundtrack is a cutesy score matching the game’s visuals but is quite forgettable.

Sure if you have a spare $8 (US) hanging around, there are worst ways to spend it, but Ice Cream Surfer doesn’t really match the quality of other shmups currently available such as both Habroxia games or R-Type Final 2. Sure it has its charms and quirks and looks like a game for kids, but it also feels boring. There’s something missing.