Onion Assault

Onion Assault is a 2D platformer that pays homage to classic 8-bit games, particularly Super Mario Bros. 2. Developed by Swedish creator Bertil Hörberg, the game features 16 levels where players navigate through various challenges using onions, enemies, and bombs to defeat the evil Croquetto Army. The game is known for its challenging gameplay, unique boss fights, and a nostalgic yet refined platforming experience. It was released on January 26, 2023, for Windows and Nintendo Switch.

Onion Assault: Review

Introduction

In an era dominated by sprawling open-world epics and live-service behemoths, Onion Assault emerges as a defiant throwback to the simplicity of 8-bit platformers. Developed by Sweden’s Hörberg Productions—the studio behind Gunman Clive and Mechstermination Force—this 2023 indie title wears its Super Mario Bros. 2 inspiration on its sleeve, offering a brisk, vegetable-chucking romp through the whimsical kingdom of Onionia. But does this nostalgia-driven homage justify its place alongside modern indie darlings, or does it crumble under the weight of its own retro aspirations? This review dissects every layer of Onion Assault, from its development roots to its divisive legacy.

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Development History & Context

Bertil Hörberg, the one-man powerhouse behind Hörberg Productions, carved a niche with tightly designed, retro-flavored games. Onion Assault marks a stylistic pivot from the Mega Man-esque Gunman Clive to a Super Mario Bros. 2 (SMB2) love letter—a bold choice given SMB2’s historically mixed reputation. Released on January 26, 2023, for Nintendo Switch and Windows, the game arrived amid a renaissance of retro platformers like Celeste and Shovel Knight, yet Hörberg opted for uncompromising fidelity to the NES era’s quirks, warts and all.

Built on a custom 3D engine with a 2.5D perspective, Onion Assault wrestled with balancing modernity and antiquity. Hörberg’s design philosophy prioritized “old-school gameplay inspired by 8-bit classics” (Steam description), but this commitment came at a cost: the game’s physics and controls divided critics, echoing debates about whether “authentic” retro feels should override modern polish.

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Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

The plot is delightfully absurd: shirtless onion farmer Pelle Lök and his apron-clad mother, Mama Lök, battle the fascist Croquetto Empire to save their vegetable homeland. Dialogue is minimal, with narrative beats conveyed through exaggerated animations—a tank-sized onion mech piloted by a mustachioed general screams Saturday-morning-cartoon villainy.

Beneath the silliness lies a thematic homage to underdog stories. Like SMB2’s Subcon, Onionia is a realm teetering on collapse, and the Lök duo’s struggle mirrors Mario’s quest to topple Wart. The game’s refusal to take itself seriously aligns with its source material’s offbeat charm, though some critics lamented the lack of deeper character development or world-building (Pure Nintendo).

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Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Onion Assault’s core loop channels SMB2’s object-throwing mechanics with mixed results:
– Strengths: The boss battles shine, demanding creative use of environmental hazards. One standout fight involves hurling cannonballs at a mech’s weak points, while another tasks players with dismantling a tank by lobbing its own missiles back.
– Weaknesses: Controls drew ire for imprecision. Jumping atop enemies—a staple of the genre—often feels “hazardous, not precise” (Nintendo Life), and projectile aiming lacks the snappy feedback of contemporaries like Donkey Kong Country.
– Progression: With 16 levels and hidden coins (unrewarded beyond completionist bragging rights), the game leans on repeat playthroughs. However, uneven difficulty spikes—early levels sometimes outshine late-game challenges—undercut momentum (NintendoWorldReport).

The UI is minimalist, evoking NES-era simplicity, though some players craved more frequent checkpoints to offset cheap deaths.

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World-Building, Art & Sound

Visually, Onion Assault is a vibrant hybrid of Gunman Clive’s sketched aesthetic and SMB2’s surrealism. Onionia bursts with candy-colored landscapes: treetop villages sway in the breeze, while enemy designs—like bowler-hatted goons—channel Cuphead-esque whimsy. Yet asset repetition, particularly in background elements, occasionally breaks immersion (Destructoid).

Sound design is a double-edged sword. The chiptune soundtrack bops with bouncy melodies, but critics noted its brevity: “Only two tracks loop endlessly” (Fintendo). Enemy squelches and onion plucks satisfy, but the audio lacks the layered polish of Hörberg’s earlier works.

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Reception & Legacy

Onion Assault garnered a lukewarm 69% average from critics (MobyGames). Praise centered on its nostalgic charm:
– Emerald Corp (100%): “A true tribute to the past, refined for modern sensibilities.”
– Hey Poor Player (80%): “A polished, well-crafted gem for retro enthusiasts.”

Yet detractors highlighted flaws:
– Thumb Culture (40%): “Lacks depth, even for its price.”
– Fintendo (40%): “Controls are rage-inducing.”

Commercially, the game found a niche audience, bolstered by its $7.99 price point. While it hasn’t achieved the cult status of Shovel Knight, its influence is evident in indie circles, inspiring titles like Cat & Onion (2024) to experiment with SMB2’s underutilized mechanics.

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Conclusion

Onion Assault is a flawed but earnest ode to a divisive classic. Its vibrant art, inventive bosses, and absurdist humor will delight SMB2 diehards, while its finicky controls and uneven pacing may frustrate newcomers. Hörberg Productions’ gamble to resurrect a maligned subgenre deserves applause, even if the execution isn’t immaculate.

In the pantheon of indie platformers, Onion Assault isn’t a timeless classic—it’s a curious artifact, a reminder that even the quirkiest corners of gaming history deserve reappraisal. For $8, it’s a spirited weekend distraction, best enjoyed with a side of nostalgic grace.

Final Verdict: A bittersweet tribute to retro gaming’s oddball legacy—worth sampling, but not a main course.