Got a little free time and a PC? Do yourself a favor and download Racket Boy, a new free game from a Brazilian team that delivers all of the arcade-style action you’ve been craving.
Like the best video games, Racket Boy is simple to learn, but complex to master. You fly the titular tennis racket-toting hero around side-scrolling stages, smashing through blocks and enemies as you go. There’s only one problem: you don’t have any offensive weapons of your own. The only way to strike down your foes is by returning their own fire with your powerful racket.
It’s a unique take on the shoot-em-up genre that will have you hooked after your first go, and best of all, it’s free. Here’s a funny fake-80s TV commercial they made to promote it, which should give you a good look at what you’re in for.
The team built the game in a scant 72 hours for a competition, but the reception has been so strong they’re running a crowdfunding campaign to turn it into a bigger, more robust experience with brutal bosses, power-ups, leaderboards and a procedurally generated Endless Mode so you can smash balls forever. Sound good? Pledge support at their Indiegogo page.
Get your balls in the game! Donate to the Sean Kimerling Foundation to win the battle against testicular cancer.