Quite a number of puzzle-platforming games are available on Nintendo systems. While this is great for the fans, picking a solid one to play is more difficult than it sounds. Lately though, this genre has been riding on a high for me with games like Box Boy: Another Box and 6180 the moon. Next up to the plate is REPLAY: VHS is not dead, which is published by Neko Entertainment. Do they have another hit in their hands, or is this just a forgettable experience?

In REPLAY, you take on the role of Harvey. He enjoys a solid VHS movie from time to time and decides to rent a bunch for his enjoyment. As he walks home, Harvey and the tapes get struck by lightning for absolutely no reason. Confused about what just happened, he finally makes it to his house. The tapes don't seem to function properly and Harvey gives his television a slam. After that, Harvey gets sucked into it and must play through various movie scene parodies to escape. The story isn't anything particularly great and the dialogue doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things. That is actually sort of a shame as the movies are puns on existing properties, which sets the stage for something grander.

Gameplay wise, REPLAY is actually a really solid adventure. You will have to move various characters to certain spots on the stage. The characters have to interact with certain objects on the map to continue onward and getting the timing for each one right is super tricky. How long do I stand on this button? Shall I remain still so that the next character can climb upwards? Is moving this crate now a good idea? REPLAY constantly plays with your expectations and thinking outside of the box is a requirement here.

The game is unrelenting when it wants to and this doesn't make the game suited for a more casual player. Across the 70+ levels, I struggled a ton and finding the right solution left me frustrated now and again. Later on, you will have to rewind certain characters multiple times to record two playthroughs to get it all perfectly executed. If you miss a single beat, you will have to process over, which can be a bit cumbersome. Luckily, REPLAY keeps you amused with a colorful retro look that is fun to look at. The whole screen is made to look like an old CRT TV, which adds a lovely touch to the proceedings.

REPLAY: VHS is not dead is quite a fine puzzle platformer. There are plenty of puzzles, the rewind mechanics are neat and the adventure is just a joy to behold. Don't expect an easy time though as this game will force you to play through sections multiple times to get it right. It demands a lot of thinking from the player and some creativity here goes a long way. Next to that, I didn't really care for the dialogue or its story. Instead of being silly, it feels kind of odd and out there. It is not bad mind you, but it leaves you wanting for a lot more.