Review: Goodboy Galaxy (Switch) – A Brilliant GBA Throwback That Loves Taking Your Toys Away
Goodboy Galaxy is a polished Metroidvania starring Maxwell, a crash-landed spacefaring pup, and draws on the look and feel of Game Boy Advance games. Its exploration stands out because gates temporarily take away abilities such as the blaster, shield or jetpack, turning familiar routes into puzzles and making the game’s careful level design central to its appeal.
The game began as a project by homebrew developers and was funded through Kickstarter in 2021; the Switch version is more comfortable to play, especially in demanding boss fights and platforming sections. Its looping sci-fi maps are filled with quests, collectibles, minigames and eccentric characters, while permanent upgrades such as a drillhead and a Shrink Module open new routes. The review also notes that backtracking can lose momentum when it is unclear what to do next.
In short
- A GBA-style Metroidvania built around temporarily losing abilities.
- Dense maps mix puzzles, quests and varied minigames.
- Switch controls help with precise bosses and platforming.
Explained simply
Metroidvanias are action and exploration games built around interconnected areas. Players gain abilities that help them reach places they could not access before, then revisit earlier routes as the map opens up. The name combines two influential series: Metroid and Castlevania.
Goodboy Galaxy follows Maxwell, a dog exploring a science-fiction world after crash-landing in space. It was made by homebrew developers—small teams creating games outside major publishers—and received Kickstarter funding in 2021. Its retro style recalls games made for Nintendo’s Game Boy Advance.
The game’s exploration depends on abilities such as a blaster, shield and jetpack, alongside upgrades that open new paths. Understanding this background helps explain why the game’s changing access to those abilities, and the design of its looping maps, are central to its approach.