Inspired by just about every intense action arcade game of years past, playing Maldita Castilla from indie developer Locomalito is a bit like booting up a decades old computer and running one of those old chestnuts that punish you with extreme difficulty. In this case it's not quite as punishing, but the look and feel of an old school Ghosts 'n' Goblins-like experience is definitely there. Don't get too caught up in the nostalgia, though, as you've got a world stuffed with demons to cleanse!

Two moves keep you alive in Maldita Castilla: jumping, and attacking. Enemies dig in from below, drop out of the sky, climb out of doorways and pop out of all sorts of places, ready to chip away at your health. It usually doesn't take too many hits to dispose of these foes, but since you're a bit fragile to start with, you can't afford mistakes. Fortunately, Maldita Castilla offers a handful of unique weapons to use (which you can throw up and down as well) along with helper items like a shield or an attack fairy. It's a far cry from being invincible, but you'll take every bump you can get.

Maldita Castilla is a fairly short romp through the countryside, offering up around an hour of gameplay with a few different endings to uncover. There's no save function, though, so get comfy and prepare to abandon your distracted, multitasking gaming habits. The setting and creatures are steeped in medieval European mythology, and you're going to want to appreciate every pixel of that artwork while you're getting your head gnawed on by a gigantic flying human-headed worm.

Windows:
Get the free full version

Mac OS X:
Not available.
Try Boot Camp or Parallels or CrossOver Games.