High Definition Gameboy co-op action
Treasure Treasure is a PC freeware game from 2008. The Xbox 360 Live Indie game version is more or less the same game. Only notable difference seems to be the fact that the Xbox 360 version has 21 treasures where PC version has only 20. By looking at the screenshots one might mistake this to be an original Gameboy game. The gameplay also points to this retro direction with simple platform gameplay. Difference to any other platform game is the heavy cooperative puzzle element.
Game takes place in a small castle that has 21 treasures hidden behind different environmental puzzles. The objective is simple to collect all these treasure and exit, together. There is high focus on cooperative action and majority of the time the other character is required in the puzzle. Accurate timing and jumping is also required. Making some of the treasures quite deviant. Only problem I found was surrounding games few perishable items. This allowing only one chance to pull a puzzle off.
Player or players are in charge of two characters: Trixie and Troy. Both with unique abilities. Troy can push blocks and carry items but he can not jump to high. Trixie on the other hand is the opposite. She can jump much further but she can not really carry anything. In single player game character can be switched on the fly. The two player mode naturally has one player each of the characters.
Whole game takes place in a single screen. Here the camera does a clever trick when characters are not within same screen. The visuals automatically divided into two sections. This cleverly following the location. For example if Trixie is climbing up, the screen is split from the middle. If she travels around the first camera to left or right the dividing moves to left or right. Best explained with a picture
Graphically game is displayed in monochromic dot matrix style. This is simple 2D with sprites. Both characters have cute animations if left to stand still for too long. Or if they happen to be too close to an exploding bomb. Screen is surrounded by border portraying a Gameboy like feel. Sounds are only presented in a simple ambient chiptune track.
Treasure Treasure is not really long game. It can be finished by finding the exit at any point. Getting a perfect ending with all 21 items is more tricky. Which is about couple of hours of effort. This is not really a bad trade-off when you look at the meager price of 80MS points. Also game can be downloaded freely for the PC.