From the moment I saw pre-release gameplay of My Friend Pedro earlier in the year the game had my attention. It looked a lot like Hong Kong Massacre, which I reviewed highly. The difference here is that the game is a 2D and side-scroller instead of the more traditional top down perspective you expect in a shooter like this. You can tell that the game is heavily influenced by the likes of Max Payne and Hotline Miami, both of which are known for their frantic bullet time moments.
This is game that you can pick up and have fun with immediately, but when you spend extended time with it you unlock a whole new layer of fluidity that takes the game to another level. Put the work in and you will be ricocheting bullets off frying pans and other inanimate objects for big points bonuses in no time. Bullet-time, wall running, rolling and spinning through bullets are all part of your arsenal as you weave your way through levels in a sort of death ballet. Unfortunately high scores is where most of the replayability in My Friend Pedro comes from. The story lasts only a couple of hours and while slightly amusing is far from a selling point. The just is that you wake up in a basement where a talking banana (Pedro) talks you into doing some pretty bad things.
My Friend Pedro can feel like as much of a rhythm game as a shooter. Timing is everything and you will be working towards a no wasted motion run to maximise those points. Trophies would add another level to this but as things stand Nintendo inexplicably refuse to add such a meta game to their system. The game does also have a home on Steam, so I would assume achievements are build in on that platform. My Friend Pedro is like the best parts of an action film all shoved into a game. Sure, it can feel a little shallow at times with the lack of modes and a story but there is no denying the fun I had while playing it. At £17.99, a snip compared to most overpriced titles found in the Nintendo eShop, I wholeheartedly recommend picking this game up!
-VDZE
Reviewed on Nintendo Switch. Also available on PC.
