La-Mulana is known for terminating folks. The game is a lot of fun, but it’s so daunting at times that some fans are afraid to play the game through a second time. The team at Nigoro (La-Mulana‘s developers) seem aware of this. They’re working to make the WiiWare build of the game less punishing, while making the game more believable and detailed in the process.
For instance, in the PC build of the games, spikes will damage you no matter where you hit them. That’s great for making a game hard, but it also works to make things feel artificial. In the WiiWare port, spikes will only do damage if you hit the spiky tops. You just walk through them from the sides. Little details like that make the game’s pixel-based world feel much more real. These kinds of touches make Castlevania Rondo of Blood and Symphony of the Night such special experiences, and La-Mulana feels the same way.
Don’t worry retro-fans, the game will still be plenty tough. When asked why they make their games so hard, the guys at Nigoro say that “Difficulty is the key to fun” and that games should “taunt in a way that excites and encourages the player.”
So that’s why my friends keep calling me a derp-derp. They’re trying to get me excited!
