I've been holding on for too long to report this one, but now it seems to be the right time. Tobu Tobu Girl is a wonderful thing. Developed by the nice folks at Tangram Games (who previously brought us the equally libre titles Mr. Rescue and Duck Marines), this arcade platformer is very likely the first Game Boy title to be developed in a 100% libre environment, and that goes for both code and assets.
Originally released in 2017, the game was published as a Game Boy rom made available gratis, and it also got a limited physical cartridge release after a successful Kickstarter campaign.
Now, following yet another Kickstarter, the developers are back with a deluxe version, boasting Gameboy Color and Super Gameboy support, and a previously unincluded survival mode. A new batch of physical copies for the deluxe version are also already available for preorder, and the new rom will be once again distributed gratis to the public sometime in July.
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| The game's pixel art is simple, yet charming. |
As for the game itself, do not be eluded by its cute appearance: Tobu Tobu Girl is not for the faint of heart! The game requires quick thinking and lightning fast reflexes. Players missing a single landing spot will meet immediate failure and taken back to the beginning of the level.
Quality-wise the game's controls are sharp, responsive and intuitive. The graphics are simple, but crafted with love, and the chiptune soundtrack, created by Potato-tan, is delightfully fitting.
So for now, while waiting for the deluxe release, you can still download and enjoy the regular Game Boy version here. As expected, you need a Game Boy emulator to play it. Don't forget to leave a word of appreciation to the creators for loving and supporting Free Software!
Code license: MIT
Assets License: CC-BY 4.0