Five minutes with the new indie, retro inspired platformer Dr.Green and you're more than aware what makes up it's DNA. It's built from all of your favorite memories in games like Mario, Ghouls and Ghosts and Mega Man, yeah..a lot of Mega Man. Though it never reaches the levels a game like Shovel Knight did last year, it is still a fun and great looking platformer that pays tribute to an era where games like this ruled and created lasting memories. It might not do anything that new, but maybe that's the point with games like these.

"...things stay mostly on the casual side here."

You play as the titular Dr.Green, an orphan who grew up in the forrest after his father abandons him. When modern technology and machinery threaten his way of life, Dr.Green sets out to put a stop to it by any means necessary. Yes, it's a game with a message, a strong one against deforestation, but Dr.Green manages to tell it's tale without getting too preachy throughout. There were a few moments where I groaned, knowing where the story was going, especially with it being too on the nose but things stay mostly on the casual side here.

If you've ever played any of the classic Mega Man games, you'll feel right at home with Dr.Green. Run, jump and shoot your way across eight different stages, each ending with a boss and it's own set of challenges. Each stage brings you closer on your journey from the forrest into the city and back again. As you'd expect in a game like this, the difficulty starts to ramp up as you encounter different enemies further into the game. I never really felt like I was in deeper than I thought I could get out of, especially once I learned my enemies attack patterns, but there were some tricky moments, especially in the middle and second half of the game.

The real challenge of Dr.Green lies in its punishing lives mechanic. You'll start the game with three lives and gain another one for each completed stage but when you lose them all, they're gone. Managing each of these lives becomes critical later on in the game when the difficulty ramps up. Plus, Dr.Green does not have a save feature…like, at all, and if you lose up all of your lives, it's back to the start of the game. It's a risky move, and it's sure to turn some people off, especially the ones who didn't play through unsavable games, but it's an authentic feature that few games are willing to try.

"...have a more colorful and brighter approach than most..."

Lately a lot of games have done the whole 8-bit tribute art style but Dr.Green's visuals have a more colorful and brighter approach than most and a lot of that is thanks to the work of developer and accomplished pile artist Johan Aronson. Much of Dr.Green feels like a unique combination of HD visuals and retro styled development similar to last year's great Shovel Knight. It might not reach the heights that Yacht Club Games phenomenal throwback did, but it comes close visually.

Dr.Green does a great job playing the part of your favorite 8-bit platformer that you forgot you loved but ultimately falls short of reaching the same level as a game like Shovel Knight or Super Meat Boy. It's got some great ideas, looks fantastic and plays well enough, but it never reaches the levels it aspires to because it fails to take enough risks. Still, in terms of retro inspired platforms, Dr.Green is a cut above most, but not all.