It’s only fitting that we’re not even a week out from gettingCastle CrashersDLC, and I’m here reviewing an old-school beat ‘em up game.
Ra Ra Boom comes to us from Cincinnati, Ohio-based Gylee Games. I mention Cincinnati because it’s where I live, and it’s something I bonded with the team after originally hearing about the game atPAX East 2024.
Thecouch co-opside-scroller genre has been enjoying a resurgence as of late, something that was also evident at PAX East last year. A few years ago,Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revengegave us an excellent trip down memory lane.A new Marvel beat ‘em up gameis set to release later this year. Next year, we’re getting anew Scott Pilgrim game.
Ra Ra Boom has some stiff competition, but it’s more than up for hanging with the big boys, offering some of the most fun I’ve had playing a game in quite some time.
Be The Cheerleaders, Save The World
Ra Ra Boom’s story does an excellent job of feeling like acomic bookcome to life. Its cutscenes are portrayed through splash panels, backed by fully voiced characters. The plot is simple:you’re a group of ninja cheerleaders from space who are thrust into having to save Earth from an evil AI. Yes, it sounds exactly like the premise for a B-level limited-run comic sprint in 2025, but that’s not a bad thing.
I was thoroughly impressed with Ra Ra Boom’s story, expecting it to be nothing short of a MacGuffin designed to ferry players from one stage to another. It’s not going to take home any Pulitzer Prizes, but it’s both unsurprisingly relevant and packs a surprisingly deep, emotional punch.
Ra Ra Boom is what you’d get if you combined a comic book with the arcade beat ‘em ups of our past.
You’re more than likely not playing the game for its story; you’re playing for some local co-op goodness, and that’s something Ra Ra Boom delivers in spades. Each of the four characters is playable, and while they feel pretty similar in combat, they all have unique traits that help them stand out.
Aris is the leader of the group and plays like your generic beat ‘em up hero. Saida is a cyborg who has stronger attacks and shoots missiles. Vee can use her shield to do damage up close while sniping people from afar. Finally, there’s Ren, the ninja of the group who can unleash attacks in the blink of an eye.
In practice, all the characters play pretty similarly, as the core controls remain the same throughout. For example, despite Vee appearing like a tank, Ra Ra Boom doesn’t offer classes in that sense, so don’t think that just because she has a shield, she can take a punch better than others. What it does allow for, however, is the ability to resonate not just with each character’s style, but also the attack combos that can open up.
They Put Shoot ‘Em Up In My Beat ‘Em Up
One big way this comes into play his how Ra Ra Boom combines elements of both the beat ‘em ups and shoot ‘em ups. you may get up close and personal, dishing out attack combos while dodging incoming attacks, or you can just sit back and shoot enemies with unlimited ammo.
Despite there being a limited, simplistic moveset between the characters, the game does a good job of allowing players to experiment with a style that works best for them.
One thing that enhances this is that this is a lane-based side scroller. All of your attacks are relegated to a lane, or in some cases, with your special attack, to adjacent lanes. While you’re able to move around freely across the screen, if you’re shooting enemies, for example, they’ll only hit those in the same lane as you.
I wanted to experiment with characters that were able to dish out extra damage to those in adjacent lanes, should the opportunity arise. Spoiler alert: it does. A lot.
Ra Ra Boom is never afraid to throw several enemies your way, which means certain attack patterns or characters will work better in select situations. It’s not perfect, because sometimes I feel like I was forced to play a certain character, but it was nice to have the chance to experiment.I’m glad they feel somewhat unique, though I wish the Gylee did a little more to have each character stand out on their own.
Having said that, you shouldn’t go out there thinking it’s as hard as something like Ninja Gaiden: Ragebound. For the most part, Ra Ra Boom is on the easier side of things. Its combat and difficulty feel akin to the classic arcade beat ‘em ups of old, only without the game deciding that it wants to be overly cheap for the sole purpose of stealing quarters from your pocket.
Don’t be surprised if you find yourself dying, though, and there is a penalty if you lose all your lives. There were several circumstances during our time with the game where we would run out of lives, and it would be up to the other to save the day.
Let Me Upgrade You
One big way that Ra Ra Boom lets you handle its difficulty is by allowing you to upgrade your characters. This includes your basic stat increases, giving you more health and powerful attacks, new abilities and ranged attacks, and even the chance to pick up more items from enemies.
This is one part where the game honestly feels a little trivialized. The smartest thing to do in Ra Ra Boom is to immediately max out your Luck. This will result in more enemies dropping cogs, the currency used to purchase upgrades, and health bars.
When our Luck was at its lowest, health was hard to come by, and it made us play more cautiously. With the Luck turned all the way up, it was far easier to trust that no matter how dangerously close we got to death, there was a health bar or two (or three) waiting for us.
Now, as a counter, health and cogs primarily drop from enemies after you kill them, so engaging with them at low health can be a risky endeavour at times. For the most part, the amount of upgrades we obtained (you can pick them all up before the last level) had us feeling strong and confident.
Thankfully, the game wasn’t ever a complete walk in the park; it knew when to push your buttons, but it also sometimes rolled over. As much fun as I had playing it, I wished it challenged us more, especially since the game’s campaign can be beaten in two hours.
There’s a scoring system at the end of every level, combined with select challenges, such as not using ranged attacks, to complete, adding to the game’s difficulty and replayability.
Ra Ra Boom Has Substance and Style
One of the first things that jumped out to me with Ra Ra Boom is its presentation.
I know I mentioned it before, but it really does feel like a comic book come to life. Those splash panels look fantastic, and the in-game graphics look even better. The 2D animation is bright, vibrant, and exciting. There’s even a nice easter egg in there for us Cincinnati people that made me jump for joy.
Ra Ra Boom is a blast to play. I just wish there was a little more to the main campaign.
What stands out even more is the game’s soundtrack. I immediately asked my wife if the theme song was familiar to her, as it sounds exactly like something from her Charli XCX playlist on Spotify. Joke’s on me because it’s an original song made for the game. Still, it’s a testament to how catchy the music is. Don’t be surprised if you’re tapping your toe along to the beat as you play through the game.
Closing Comments:
Ra Ra Boom is an excellent local co-op game that’s perfect for a weekend playthrough with loved ones or friends. It’s a wonderful love letter to retro side scrollers with a modern look and feel that represents the best of indie games. While the main campaign is on the shorter side, and ultimately the game feels a little too easy at times, it’s still a fun time and well worth checking out.
