Developer: Goldlocke Publisher: Goldlocke Release: 12/31/23 Genre: Action
SNES homebrew is in its infancy next to the Sega Genesis but slowly but surely it is getting there. With its custom hardware the possibilities are exciting but in the mean time we have to settle for the trickle of promising titles to come out. One of the best home brew titles is Dottie Flowers, a homage to Turrican that nails all of its design goals and is a solid action game that has the potential to be fantastic if the creator ever revisits the concept.
Dottie Flowers is a game born out of a love of Turrican. The Factor 5 developed action series left a large impression on developer Goldlocke and after meeting some of their staff at a fan convention he set about creating a game patterned after that beloved series. While that was the inspiration Dottie Flowers is a different experience although there are some similarities. The design ethos was gameplay first and to not frustrate the player. Both of these were met in my opinion and I could easily see this game garnering an audience if it were created in the 90s.
In the beginning Dottie has few options as a protagonist and is only able to jump on enemies. But in less than a minute she will earn her signature broom which is a rapid fire spread gun. From there new abilities and weapons dole out at an even clip and they stack. Eventually the Magic Broom 3000 will fire giant laser beams in addition to spread shots and drill through walls. The drill also doubles as a movement tool and an attack too aside from looking cool. Surprisingly the most powerful attack is simply whacking enemies and bosses with the broom as it hits multiple times consecutively. Speaking of movement the Broom Jet 3000 is almost identical to Yoshi’s floaty jump but looks cooler in my opinion. You earn all of these abilities relatively quickly which makes the game “feel” complete in short order.
The levels are quick and to the point as you move from one set piece to the next. In a way it reminds me of a less ambitious version of Gunstar Heroes. The Turrican influence is heavy, both in the way your weapons look and using the broom drill 3000, both to bust through tight passages and to cross gaps. Despite that now that I think about it Dottie Flowers is what a 16-bit version of Krion Conquest could probably be which is actually pretty cool in hindsight. The only thing holding the game back is that it is short. The bosses look menacing but have simple patterns and the levels are thoughtfully designed but over too fast. The game is practically begging to become a full experience.
Even though Dottie Flowers is short it is enjoyable while it lasts. It is a damn shame the game is not longer as they have something here. The pacing is near perfect and the game gives all of its mechanics time to shine. By exploring you can find a few power-ups like a life extension and further upgrades to your existing abilities. These are not mandatory of course but they do help immensely. The gem and combo system incentivize replaying levels to earn a gold medal and a shot at earning the best ending. If this game had more time to stretch its levels and expand on its goofy story and characters it would easily become a beloved favorite. However the game is short by design and I do not fault the creator for executing on his stated goal.
One of the primary design goals of Dottie Flowers was to not frustrate the player. At that they have succeeded. You have unlimited lives and you become an overpowered bad ass within minutes of starting the game. Unlike most action games you do not lose your weapon upgrades upon death either which makes the game even easier. Because of the near perfect pacing the difficulty “curve” if you can even call it that is smooth. While the platforming becomes a little challenging later it is nothing even the most novice gamer cannot handle. The boss gauntlet in the final level shows the game can be vicious if it wants but the goal was to let everyone enjoy the game and I respect that.
In Closing
Dottie Flowers is an excellent run and gun action game with good art and solid mechanics. Although a short affair you will enjoy it while it lasts thanks to its tight controls and nonstop action. I really hope Goldlocke makes another one; they knocked it out of the park with this one and it instantly feels nostalgic despite releasing in 2023. More of these please; I will never tire of them.
