Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe Review

Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe is a weird one. From the JanduSoft and Solid Neon Games teams, it feels like a mix of Horace goes Skiing (or the more recent Horatio Goes Snowboarding if you can’t remember back to the 1980s), combined with a Katamari. Whilst that wouldn’t be overly confusing as is, it then goes and chucks some speed running in for good measure. And what’s more, those behind it reckon that ‘Hard’ mode, with a timer attached, should be seen as the way to play. 

We disagree. In fact, we think that the very first thing you should be doing as you load into Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe is to untick the ‘Hard’ mode box. From there, enjoy this rather delightful downhill roller as the cosy little game it is, something that is akin to an old-school Marble Madness. 

There’s zero setup to Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe, but it’s none the poorer for it. Instead you find yourself taking on the role of a little round alien, sitting in your ship, high above the land, surveying all beneath you. It’s a world that is rich in environment, covering various distinct biomes, full of character. But you want to ruin this world, proving that your alien race is the most superior in the galaxy. You do so by smashing up anything you can; at least within reason. 

Falling from your ship starts the process, as you dive into one of the multiple stages, each complete with various items that need smashing, as well as the odd collectible to keep you busy. Each level is vertically scrolling, with you starting at the top of the hill (the top of the stage) constantly rolling down to the end goal – a huge pink crystal. Smash that and you’ll unlock the next stage, tasked with doing pretty much the same again. 

Between your ship and that crystal is your playground. Houses need smashing, cars need crushing, bridges need taking down, as do electricity pylons, satellite arrays and more. Rolling into them with some half decent speed is all you need to achieve your goal, with explosive barrels and other items, all ready to detonate, helping aid your cause. 

But of course, there are obstacles in your way. For some reason, even though you can happily smash through a house, anything with a spike will burst your bulbous body, with the slightest, lightest touch putting an end to your all-conquering plans. That means gates, barriers and the like should be avoided, as should the odd cacti that sprouts from the ground. 

Trees will halt your progress, as you get stuck in a forest, as will the deepest of valleys, and suchlike. It’s good then that you can pull off a little backflip, helping yourself climb back up the stage, albeit extremely slowly. There’s also the occasional power-up that sees you bursting forward with speed, or sending out electro-charges to destroy anything around you. Each are just about useful enough to keep you out of trouble. 

You can also chuck on the brakes when times call for it, and we’ve found ourselves preferring to hold the B button for 99% of the time, taking our time to navigate any stage, dodging alien-bursting obstacles, intent on making it to the end of any stage slowly, but safely. Without that brake, careening forward at speed is all this little guy knows. 

Each stage is relatively short, over in mere seconds if you blast it, but they are all filled with just enough objectives to keep you on your toes, occasionally seeing you needing to replay stages; something you’ll be doing multiple times if you want to rinse Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe for everything it has. That end-of-stage pink crystal is one such collectible, whilst there are also a specific number of smashable items that also need hunting down in each stage. Throw in the power-ups, as well as the odd additional gem, and it’s easy to see how this one becomes fairly addictive. 

Crystals or gems can then be collected up, spent in an in-game store. The only reason for this is to inject some personality into Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe, kitting your little alien destroyer out with new skins, costumes and shades. None of it is essential, and none of it changes how Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe plays, but it’s a neat little addition, utilising some ‘pack opening’ to aid the excitement. 

Making your way through the stages is a relatively simple task, but should you wish to go collecting all the cosmetics, then you’ll need to 100% stages, hitting gems, smashing your objectives. And that’s where the replayability of Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe comes in. There’s certainly enough here to extend the otherwise couple of hours of playtime into greater figures. 

Should you include the ‘Hard’ mode, you know, that mode that the devs reckon is the way to play, then double or triple those hours, as you go chasing par times, speedrunning, bettering runs with each and every dive into Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe. For us, we’re much more content to keep this game as a gentle little roller; one that we could well see ourselves dipping back in, time and time again, gold starring each stage as we go. If you love the speedrunning lifestyle though, fill your running shoes… 

You may well be shocked by how good Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe is. Or at least how addictive it is for a couple of hours. With two distinct ways of playing, plenty of levels, speedrunning if you want it and some fun cosmetics to collect, this is one of the better games in the JanduSoft catalogue.

Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe: A Downhill Destruction Derby of Delight – https://www.thexboxhub.com/super-rolling-heroes-deluxe-a-downhill-destruction-derby-of-delight/

Buy Super Rolling Heroes Deluxe on Xbox – https://www.xbox.com/en-GB/games/store/super-rolling-heroes-deluxe/9NC1F3CHVDJG/0010