In this in-depth exploration of Turbo Kid, you’ll find yourself flung headfirst into a pixelated post-apocalypse where BMX bikes are your best friends and blood is just another splash of colour. Inspired by the cult film, this Metroidvania marvel doesn’t just lean into nostalgia, it turbo-charges it. From machete-swinging mayhem to sick bike stunts that unlock secrets, Turbo Kid is a gory, gear-grinding romp through a wasteland teeming with oddballs, upgrades, and over-the-top charm. Whether you’re speedrunning or savouring every cassette track, this game dares you to ride hard or die hilariously.

Turbo Kid Review Pros

• Decent pixel art graphics.
• 2.2GB Download size.
• Video settings – limit frame rate (30fps), brightness slider, freeze frame, menu glow, menu noise, and menu curve. 
• Gameplay settings – vibration, crouch toggle, aim toggle, spiked wheels toggle, and landing assist (all/fall only/none).
• You can remap the controls. 
• Accessibility options – attack strength, defence, more health, add cartridge slots, more health drops, and more scrap drops.
• 3 save slots.
• Based on the film of the same name. 
• Two playable characters – Turbo Kid and Apple.
• Old computer OS boot-up loading screens.
• Action platformer gameplay.
• Opening and ongoing tutorial video pop-ups.
• Eight-way shooting.
• 2D perspective with animated backgrounds.
• You have a handy button to stand still and aim your weapon.
• Your notebook keeps tabs on tasks, indexes, encountered enemies, and characters.
• The 80s feel to the game from the music to the colours and story.
• Tight controls.
• Multiple choice encounters.
• A lot of nods to other games, shops, and locations.
• The map fills in as you explore and adds in points of interest. 
• Save points can be found, and triggering them causes a cool little animation where you sit down and play on a handheld.
• Scrap is the currency of the game and can be found by breaking boxes, shooting enemies, etc.
• Does neat little things like holding your charge shot light up a dark area.
• Health bar system, and you collect runs of food to replenish it.
• Enemies respawn over time, so you can farm scrap.
• Collect heart pieces to increase your health bar.
• There is no penalty for using the accessibility options.
• Unlock fast travel warp points.
• The animations, enemies exploding in particular, are fantastic looking.
• Your bike can be ridden and jumped off at any time, and the bike can get upgraded and stick to walls, etc.
• Ramps in the world and half pipes in particular require you to build up momentum on your bike so you can go higher. It’s really tight and offers a stable of moves and tricks to do mid-air.
• Cartridges can be earned and found. Each cartridge has a buff or an ability tied to it, and you can only have X amount equipped at one time, but you can swap them out.
• You can jump up the ladder to make it quicker. 
• Fun little bits like taking part in races for Rewards.
• Clever level design.
• I really like how the bike and its movements are incorporated into platforming.
• It is such a stylish game. 
• You owe it to yourself to sit down, play it in your handheld and put your headphones on. 

Turbo Kid Review Cons

• It can be hard to see doorways or hatches, etc.
• Cannot save when you want.
• There is no in-game achievements system. 
• Scraps can drop behind boxes.
• Has a bit of a wind-up until you feel like you can go out and do what you want and have a variety of tools.
• Long initial load time.
• Character interactions are not always ideal, and restarting races, for example, is a pain.
• At times, it can feel very empty, and you are just walking around, not doing anything.
• No touchscreen support, but then it doesn’t really need it. 

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Turbo Kid:

Official Website: 

Developer: Outerminds Inc.

Publisher: Outerminds Inc.

Store Link: 

Nintendo