There’s nothing inherently special about the platforming, so if it plans to lean heavily on visual nostalgia, it needs to do it well. Awesome Pea isn’t a bad game, but it’s probably best suited for players who want to re-embrace childhood after their Mom sold their Game Boy for $5 at a yard sale back in ’97. For everyone else, I’d suggest a pass on this one.

A precise, challenging, laser-focused platformer that lacks the joyful sense of movement, ingenuity and sheer generosity of its inspiration. Awesome Pea might emulate the look and feel of the Game Boy classics, but it lacks their soul.

Awesome Pea lacks any compelling hook or element that separates it from other platformers. Presentation-wise, it manages to emulate what you might see on the Game Boy, but it’s less interesting and fun than the majority of that console’s lineup. What I find a little baffling is that despite its brevity—my playthrough lasted less than an hour— Awesome Pea has a three-stage demo on the eShop, and that demo will tell you everything you need to know. Awesome Pea seems to go all in on nostalgia and loses its shirt in the process. If you absolutely must, go ahead and try the demo, but there are much better budget titles for your time and money.