Electronic Super Joy: Groove City

Game Info

{If robot strippers, laser-nipples, electronic music and a crime fighting Pope doesn’t interest you..then turn away now!}

 

I firmly believe I could have seriously ended my review with the disclaimer above as it describes exactly what you will experience.  Electronic Super Joy: Groove City is an extremely challenging side-scrolling platformer from Michael Todd Games and I am extremely shocked that this game passed Nintendo’s content guidelines.  This is actually somewhat of a sequel to the original game Electronic Super Joy that was released on Steam in 2013 and it features a caped silhouette, which is who you control to engage on a very unique quest.

You see, there is this giant robot stripper named JoJo that got angry one day because her laser-nipples were stolen by Dr. Swinger so she destroyed Groove City.  It is your task to retrieve her stolen laser-nipples with the help of Pope Boris the Super Sexy.  I know this story is extremely odd and sounds like I am making it up, but I am definitely not.  I would like to add for those of you who enjoy platformers, but not the adult themed content , you can turn on PG Mode in the options and it will tone down the content.  There are 13 main levels to the story quest and 2 secret levels that are extremely challenging.

The controls are very simple as when you first start the game it shows you left and right on the D-Pad will move you, “A” will make you jump and “X” can enter doors.  The main menu is interactive and you can move around the area to select options or look at achievements that are obtainable within the game.  Once you are ready to play the game just head towards the big neon sign saying “Quest for the Laser-Nipples” and enter the door to start your adventure!  Every level is a challenge within itself whether it be avoiding missiles, fast moving enemies or just gathering as many stars to boost your end-level score.  You will find yourself jumping across many gaps while avoiding many projectiles at times all while passing innocent characters that will say very odd things.  Some of the things that the NPCs say will give you a guidance of the story as it progresses and some will just be plain awkward.

There are checkpoints in every level in the shape of a white flag and if you have PG Mode turned off it it will make a very intense female moan.  Yeah, I said female moan and when you respawn at the checkpoints after dying different moans may ensue along with the occasional guy saying “OO-LA-LA”, which makes the game awkward at times.  Even though this game is off the wall and has so much odd humor to it, I found myself enjoying the challenge at hand and I had a few laughs at the content provided.  There are no online leaderboards to ESJ: Groove City and I think this game would’ve done well with one.  The Gamepad is used to just mimic what is on the TV and has no extra function aside from viewing the game on it.

Visually this game is a standard pixelized adventure with each level having a special color theme.  The extra splashes of color or effects are nice while hitting checkpoints or obtaining stars.  The music is written by EnV, which is outstanding and keeps you playing with the engaging beat of electronic sounds.  I will admit the music at first had me feeling as if I were in a Vandersex nightclub in Europe, but it is enjoyable to listen to nonetheless.

The Recommendation

If you like side-scrolling platformers with a challenge then I highly recommend this game.  Although, some players may not appreciate the dirty humor at times there is a PG Mode that can be turned on and it will censor the content.  Electronic Super Joy: Groove City is only $4.99 on the Wii U eShop and I feel it is a steal of a price for the fun and challenge you will experience.  I’m pretty sure you have already purchased it on the eShop before you finished my review simply because it probably peaked your curiosity.

(The video below is for the Steam release of ESJ: Groove City, but it gives you an idea of what is in store)