Tres-Bashers is like if Luigi’s Mansion came out on Game Boy Color

Expert ghost-hunting players are fully aware of these facts Luigi’s MansionLaunched on the GameCube, and never seen a 2D version. However, what if that green buddy showed up on the Game Boy Color a while earlier? It might’ve looked a little something like Tres-Bashers.

Metroidvanias are everywhere in a single year. Tres-Bashers (like “trespassers” but with “bash”) is the most throw-back of the bunch. The graphics are in the ballpark of the Game Boy Color’s 160×144 resolution, which, when run natively on a modern monitor, looks about the size of a postage stamp. The sharp pixels look great when you increase the screen size to see the full glory of this crazy monster hunter.

The premise: You’re a mouse who also happens to hunt and destroy cryptids for profit. You are called to the local school because it is infested by ghosts, demons, and for some strange reason, cassowaries. From there it’s a matter of going room to room to clear out the critters.

You will need a bat and flashlight to help you navigate this adventure. The flashlight can be used to reveal the beasts, but unlike Luigi — who would carefully suck up ghosts with his vacuum — once a monster is revealed in Tres-BashersIt must be beaten with your bat till it dies.

There’s a tremendous satisfaction to be found when smacking in the face of a Jersey Devil, only to have it burst open and drop a bunch of coins or a useful key. You can find the controls here Tres-Bashers feel responsive and impactful, and every bat swing has a surprising heft to it, akin to Ness’s bat swing in Smash Bros.

There’s also the magic of exploring this school, which is open-ended and hiding upgrades that allow you to access new classrooms and hidden passageways. There’s even a Resident Evil 4You can find a vendor that is reminiscent of a street vendor and will offer you sweet enhancements to your hard-earned monster dollars.

In a year that’s packed with incredible, bigger-budget Metroidvanias like Metroid It is a terrible place, it’s cool to see something swoop in and take the genre in a totally different direction. If you’re looking for something appropriately themed for the days leading up to Halloween, this cute little adventure is well worth your time. Itch.io, Steam and other places can be found.