Some games wear their influences on their sleeve; Timespinner has a full-body tattoo that reads “I ♥ Symphony of the Night” from the top of its head to the soles of its feet. That’s by no means a bad thing. Aspiring to one of the best 2D platformers ever made is a noble goal, and Timespinner comes closer to the mark than almost anything I’ve ever seen.
About five years ago, I invited some friends over to hang out. We got to talking about upcoming indie games we were interested in, and one of them mentioned a couple of Kickstarters he was following. I remember distinctly that night was the first time I heard about Shovel Knight,and the other game that made an impression on me was Timespinner. Both projects launched in the wake of Double Fine Adventure‘s unprecedented Kickstarter windfall, when the gold rush for indie developers was well and truly on.
Five years later, Shovel Knight has taken the world by storm, with his own amiibo and a supporting role in the new version of Smash Bros. And I kept checking in on Timespinner‘s Kickstarter page every couple of months, just to see how things were progressing. I’m not sure if Timespinner will see the same success as Shovel Knight, but I can say it’s definitely been worth waiting for.
Source: Destructoid Review: Timespinner