Genre: Action platformer
Developer: Minor Key Games
Publisher: Minor Key Games

Since the consumer of a work of fiction isn't, by definition, actually in the world of the work, the creator must find ways-- with his limited tool set-- of tricking the consumer's imagination into bridging the gap between reality and the fiction. The old adage "give an engineer a blank sheet of paper and he'll be lost" works in opposite with early video games, where the hardware restrictions were severe, in turn forcing developers to find clever ways to draw the player in. J. Kyle Pittman enforces Famicom-like restrictions on himself for this title, and does a positively masterful job of creating a world of implied awe through minimalism. The unbelievably cool CRT shader through which the game's visuals are rendered completes the picture.

Back in 2004, Daisuke Amaya released a superb "metroidvania" called "Cave Story." Amaya created the entire game by himself, right down to the sensational soundtrack, obtaining many plaudits in the process. J. Kyle Pittman accomplishes a similar feat here, having composed and created-- presumably with FamiTracker-- some melodic and atmospheric tunes that wouldn't be out of place in an actual era Famicom title. Sound effects sound like the PC speaker beeps out of a MegaZeux game, and fit the game's personality very well.

After a brief tutorial, Super Win the Game drops the player right onto a Zelda II-like overworld, and lets them head in any direction. There are towns to visit, caves to spelunk, bridges to cross, and-- later on-- even underwater sections in which to wade. The levels are filled with checkpoints, which are gold bells that activate with a pleasant chime, and which eliminate the pointless time expansion and frustration that a conventional lives system would have brought to bear.

Despite having the most pretentious name to ever grace a video game, Super Win the Game is a substance-filled NES-style adventure, with excellent gameplay and a tremendous aesthetic. Nothing about its design is pioneering, but it puts its pieces together in just such a way that, had it actually been an 80s era Famicom title, one can easily imagine now-adult players: "remember that crazy game with all of the little bells, where you could explore anywhere?"