First Impressions
I didn’t expect to fall into a bullet-hell trance over a pixel-art shooter set on Mars in the 1600s, but Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony isn’t your usual arcade fare. From the very beginning, it pulls you into a strange little world—a steampunk-ish British colony battling Martians and Spanish invaders on the red planet. And somehow, it all works beautifully. Initially, I loaded it up expecting a short burst of retro chaos. However, what I got was a game that made me come back night after night—trying just one more run, one more Vaunt combo, and one more exhilarating co-op session.
Gameplay That Clicks
At its core, Jamestown is a vertical shooter. Yet, the way it blends classic arcade vibes with smooth modern mechanics made me feel like I was playing something lovingly handcrafted. You collect gold from fallen enemies to power up your Vaunt meter, which transforms you into a briefly invincible laser god—if you can keep collecting fast enough.
Moreover, the ship options are excellent. I tried them all, but my favorite quickly became the Gunner: fast, precise, and perfect for dodging the mass swarms of projectiles that fill the screen like a glittery storm. Each ship has a distinct feel, and that variety made experimenting genuinely exciting.
Level Design and Difficulty
Moving on to the levels, they’re short and sweet—just five main stages and some unlockable extras—but every one of them is packed with charm. Each stage resembles a pixel-art painting in motion: crumbling Martian fortresses, fiery canyons, crystalline alien deserts.
Despite their brevity, I never felt bored running them again and again. That’s because Jamestown builds in difficulty smartly. You start on “Cadet” mode, and each time you clear a stage, it locks out the lowest difficulty, gently nudging you toward tougher tiers. Before I knew it, I was surviving on “Legendary” and even flirting with “Judgment.” Importantly, it never felt mean—just challenging in a fair and exciting way.
Co-op That Shines
Furthermore, one of the best parts? The local co-op. This game absolutely comes alive with a friend (or three) on the couch. I got my roommate to join in, and soon we were shouting, dodging, and reviving each other nonstop.
While there’s no online play—which might disappoint some—honestly, I appreciated the deliberate focus on sharing a screen. It brought back memories of old-school game nights, just with fancier explosions and tighter gameplay.
Simple Story, Strong Setting
The story is minimal, but that’s not a flaw. The worldbuilding comes through in the setting and atmosphere. You’re defending New Jamestown from Martians and Spaniards, and that’s all you really need to know. There’s no long cutscenes or deep character arcs, but somehow, it still feels like an adventure. I imagined dusty colonial journals and ancient Martian secrets between stages, and that was more fun than any forced lore dump.
Visuals: Retro Beauty Meets Modern Polish
Let’s talk visuals: this game is gorgeous. Everything’s drawn with such care, from the swirling alien skies to the massive, multi-phase bosses that dominate the screen. When I activated Vaunt and watched the screen light up with color and coins, I caught myself grinning like a kid again. It’s pure pixel joy—dynamic, expressive, and incredibly smooth. Jamestown doesn’t just imitate old arcade games; it raises the bar for what pixel art can be.
Sound and Music
And the music—wow. It’s not just good, it’s incredible. Composer Brennan Gifford created a soundtrack that blends orchestral drama with that arcade-style energy. Every stage has its own feel, and some tracks made me stop and just listen. Sound effects hit all the right retro notes too: lasers zap, coins clink, explosions boom. There’s no voice acting, which keeps things clean and immersive.
Why I Kept Coming Back
Replayability? Huge. Between the multiple ships, the difficulty tiers, bonus challenges, and the co-op madness, I kept coming back to try new loadouts or beat my high score. Even when I lost, I wanted to try again. That’s the magic for me—Jamestown makes failure feel fun and improvement feel natural.
Developer Passion You Can Feel
Final Form Games—a tiny indie team—poured their hearts into this. They launched Jamestown back in 2011 without much fanfare, but the game slowly gained a following. The soundtrack is still available free on Bandcamp (how cool is that?), and the whole project feels like a labor of love. You can feel that energy in every boss battle and every carefully animated explosion.
Final Thoughts
If you love gorgeous pixel art, fast-paced arcade action, and sharing intense gameplay with friends on the couch, Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony is a must-play. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, it respects your time, and it rewards your skill. I didn’t think I’d fall for a Martian bullet-hell fantasy, but here I am—still trying to perfect my Vaunt timing.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
A beautifully crafted shooter that honors arcade traditions while forging its own colonial-Martian legend.
Add Jamestown: Legend of the Lost Colony to your Steam collection!
