Issue #96: Death Becomes Us
Death by Scrolling rushes onto consoles; we celebrate.
A Mini Review-ish of the Death by Scrolling Update
Not so much a “this is what we think” review, but rather a “what’s new in Death by Scrolling” review. And what we think about those things in particular. Splitting hairs, I know, but you get the point. My original Mojo review is still out there, as fresh as ever if you want a more traditional take.
So, to get on with it, what’s new in Death by Scrolling? Quite a bit as it turns out, and most importantly, you can play it on consoles now: Xbox, PS5, and – just for our Jason – Switch. More about the consoles in a bit.
What is quickly apparent is that each biome – each world – now has its own unique music track. Since the repetitive soundtrack was my only misgiving with the original release, I consider this a big win. The music is also excellent. Frantic, but pleasant, each cue suited to its biome.
And speaking of biomes, there is a brand new one for you to play, with a fresh character that belongs to it: “Lava World” and Demon Debbie. In my mind, those are the two most important additions to the game.
The long lava biomes are fiendish – fiery floors and fast-moving demons make the levels noticeably more difficult than the other worlds. Right on the line of being frustrating, without stepping over it.
Demon Debbie, meanwhile, is a colorful addition. Here’s a character that can both fly and summon a helper – a feature set that feels very different from that of the other characters. Frankly, she’s just weird enough to fit into the oeuvre of oddball Ron characters.
Neither of those is a minor addition – they downright change the game.
So, those are what I consider the biggest enhancements, but apparently, people who are “good” at these types of games have their eyes elsewhere.
Readers of my original review (all of you, natch) will undoubtedly remember (because you memorized it) that run-and-gun games typically aren’t my thing. Too stressful, with Death by Scrolling being a suitable exception to the rule. My strategy in the game is to pick up whatever weapon or power-up I find right in front of me and run like hell.
Apparently, I’m just a dirty amateur.
Based on this Steam post, real players go into Death by Scrolling with real strategies. Like, no blind power-up pick-ups or anything. For them, the biggest addition is – and I will have to take Terrible Toybox’s word on this – the power-up removal system. I’d explain to you why this is an important mechanism, but hell if I know… I just run and collect coins. A “full” stats section has been added, too, which people like – I didn’t remember there being a stats section at all. What do you want from me, a proper review? Surely there are real gaming sites out there for that.
Let’s just end on the consoles. I have no issues playing Death by Scrolling on a computer, but man, does it feel better on an Xbox hooked up to a large-screen TV. I’m not sure if the count-up embedded below is new, but since the console loads more slowly than a Mac, I noticed it for the first time:
22? Get it? You get it.
I haven’t tried the game on Switch, but I can imagine it’s an enjoyable handheld experience.
And “enjoyable” is the operative word. The original release was an excellent game – Mojo Game of the Year 2025 – and this elevates the experience even further.
Check out Death by Scrolling on these fine platforms:
– Remi
This Week’s Trivia
A quick two-and-done Death by Scrolling trivia entries for today. Our Trivia Database has a couple more for your perusal.
Boybrush is a Chad
Granted, it might be Guybrush, but… “Spoiled rich kid”? “Daddy got him the best gear”? No, that’s definitely Boybrush, and he is quite literally a Chad.
Guybrush’s Dress
Guybrush’s pink dress – with pockets – makes an appearance.
Death by Polling
OK, fine, last week’s poll wasn’t really a poll, and as you apparently prefer that we beat the drum of democracy…
Historical Moments in History
21 years ago this week, The most excellent Psychonauts was unleashed.
Merch for the People
Only the best! The Adventurer has a web store for all your apparel and decoration needs! Don the original LucasArts logo, Manny Calavera’s face, or the OG Adventurer logo, though be warned: Popularity will smack you in your face when you wear – or display – these masterpieces.
Full News Roundup
16 Apr: Death Scrolled onto Consoles: $8, come on, get a couple of ’em.
10 Apr: Death Scrolls onto Consoles: Mojo’s GotY 2025 gets the console treatment.
Last Week’s Mojole Results
It’s the game that sweeps the nation! Can you beat Mojole, our fiendishly difficult daily puzzler? Only hardcore LucasArts aficionados need apply.
09 Apr: “tomi###” – Tales of Monkey Island. In my mind, TMI makes more sense.
10 Apr: “tmi####” – Much better than ToMI.
11 Apr: “yoho###” – ... and a bottle of rum!
12 Apr: “sybil##” – ... Pandemik. An unfortunate name these days.
13 Apr: “space##” – Games like The Dig take place in space. Also, space bar.
14 Apr: “bar####” – The SCUMM Bar, for example. Also, space bar.
15 Apr: “mack###” – Mack Salmon. If you don’t know Mack Salmon you’re probably dead to us.
And for the competitive amongst you, the Mojole forum thread has gone strong for more than two years. The two juggernauts to beat: Sushi and Huz.
Your Daily Challenges
Mojole too easy? Too hard? (Probably too hard.) Here are other daily challenges to get the brain cells firing on all cylinders.
Monkey Island Frantic: A Monkey Island scene-guessing game at a frantic pace. Image updates at midnight Pacific time. Brag about your results on the Mojo Forums!
Guess That Tune: Each daily game features a clip from Monkey Island music. Guess the tune in up to 6 tries, and return each day for a new challenge! Here, too, you can post your results on Mojo Forums.
Return to Monkey Island Trivia Card Game: The card-guessing game, now in your browser.
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