Bonesaw is a retro game. There's no getting around this simple fact. All of the controls are oriented towards playing a retro game, the graphics look 8-bit, and the gameplay brings to mind memories of the SNES. However, Pulver has done more than imitate those that came before in crafting Bonesaw over the course of a full year. So let's delve into what makes this game just so nostalgic-yet-unique.

The basic plot of the game is that you are a member of the Clarkson University Golden Knights hockey team. While you are out grabbing some barbeque for your teammates, a referee comes and banishes your entire team to an interdimensional penalty box in space, sealing them away forever. He also severely injures your coach in the process. Upon getting back from your food excursion, you set out on a quest to save your teammates so you can play the next hockey game.

The basic gameplay revolves around moving across a world map similar to Super Mario 3 or Super Mario World. As you complete each level, the next level(s) open up, letting you continue on your path of vengeance. Wach level is comprised of platforms, ground, and all the goodies you normally see in any good platforming game. There's also a reasonable amount of enemies to fight, and trust me, you will definitely fight a lot.

Fighting is the lifeblood of Bonesaw, and thankfully, Pulver has crafted an incredibly smooth combat system. In this sense, Bonesaw is almost like a purely 2D brawler, instead of the normal 2.5D seen in games like Castle Crashers. It's very simple as well, which makes it easy to learn for beginners. Attacking while standing still causes the player to do a one-two punch and then a rising uppercut that sends the enemy skyward. Attacking while running does a jump kick which knocks back the enemy by a good bit while retaining momentum. Attacking while jumping causes the player to spin around in a circle, hitting enemies and knocking them upwards and backwards. Combat is also enhanced by a special ability called Bonesaw. It can only be summoned once you have killed enough enemies, and is kept between stages as well. Upon triggering Bonesaw, enemies on the screen are killed and the player gets the Bonesaw, an incredibly powerful melee weapon that can kill almost any enemy effortlessly. It also attacks through walls, letting you access some of the secret areas in the game to get the various collectibles.

On top of the normal fighting and questing, there's puzzles and collectibles. Puzzles consist little more than knowing which switch connects to which door, which is fine for a game like this. The collectibles are also rather simple, as they are just 3 coins scattered throughout each level. In order to find each coin the player must usually search for hidden doors and solve harder puzzles than normal. It's not much beyond the main story, but given the already incredible difficulty of the game, finding all the secrets takes quite a while

As mentioned already, Bonesaw is incredibly hard. It requires good timing, knowledge of enemy AI patterns, and a little bit of luck on top of all that skill in order to beat each level. Enemies will chase you down and beat the snot out of you. There's also no way to defend yourself except by moving and jumping around in a concentrated effort to dodge. Enemies also deal significant amounts of damage to the player, leading to many deaths throughout the course of the game. The game is very forgiving in allowing you to save and restart, though, which makes each death feel less like complete failure and more like a strategy proven incorrect.

Bonesaw is incredibly well animated, has some of the best 8-bit artwork I've ever seen, and the music is absolutely phenomenal. All of the characters and enemies have distinct outlines and coloring that make them stand out from the background, which is a must for a game so heavy on action. Movements are smooth and easy to follow, even in the midst of combat. And the sound is always spot on, whether you are punching an enemy in the face or simply listening to the catchy chiptunes in the background.

If there is one thing I really have to complain about in Bonesaw, it's how the game constantly feels like one big inside joke that the player is never meant to get. It's not a ruining experience, as the game is already hilariously weird in the first place, but it can give across a vague sense of unease, like you are actually playing a game meant for someone else. You just happened to stumble into their house and began to play. Some of the puzzles are also incredibly frustrating. Bouncing a ball to a slot through a narrow corridor while cannons shoot bombs at me? That's just not fair!

Bonesaw is a game that evokes all the best feelings of old games rolled into one. It is relentlessly hard without being depressingly so, has incredibly art design and direction, and gives across that same sort of "what the hell?" feeling that the big NES games did back in the day. You can download Bonesaw for PC off of the official website. At the moment there are no other platforms it is available on. If you enjoyed the soundtrack, it is freely available through the musician's website.

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