Adventure of Samsara from Atari and Ilex Games is a 2D Soulslike Metroidvania take on the Atari 2600 classic on Nintendo Switch. Learn more in our Adventure of Samsara review!
Adventure of Samsara from Atari and Ilex Games is a 2D Soulslike Metroidvania take on the Atari 2600 classic on Nintendo Switch. Yes, it’s 2025, and we’re getting a reimagining of Adventure that takes it into Metroidvania territory. Atari has been on a big revival over the last handful of years, working alongside a variety of studios to bring us revamped takes on classics, complete reimaginings that take the source material and reinvent said games for a new generation, and even a beloved release that is both a history compilation and a massive video game collection that continues to grow and grow. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration is something you should definitely check out, since it’s packed with a ton of content, and it’s a release that ended up being my PlayStation Game of the Year for 2022!
This has allowed me to get a chance to review several games in the Recharged series, which applies a neon coat of paint on classic Atari releases. These have, so far, been developed by Adamvison and SneakyBox, and include Quantum: Recharged, Caverns of Mars: Recharged, Yars: Recharged, Gravitar: Recharged, Breakout: Recharged, Asteroids: Recharged, Black Widow: Recharged, Centipede: Recharged, and Missile Command: Recharged. I’ve also worked on new games that are inspired by the original Atari games from many decades ago, such as Pong sequel qomp2 from Graphite Lab, microgame mayhem experience Atari Mania from iLLOGIKA, minimalist arcade racer NeoSprint from Headless Chicken Games, cozy but spooky Haunted House from Orbit Studio, bizarre RPG PONG Quest from Chequered Ink, story-driven narrative spin Lunar Lander Beyond from Dreams Uncorporated, and even a fun Metroidvania known as Yars Rising from WayForward.
To say that I’m an Atari fan would be a bit of an understatement. I got introduced to gaming many, many years ago, thanks to a home Pong machine one of my neighbors had bought for their kids. This ignited my passion for video games, and I ended up getting an Atari 2600 as a gift from my parents when I was 6 years old. And yes, math does establish that I’m already considered old by those standards. I remember playing games on my Atari 2600 such as Pac-Man, Haunted House, Asteroids, Crystal Castles, Centipede, Yars’ Revenge, Defender, Missile Command, Space Invaders, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial… and Adventure. It’s that last game that Atari has allowed Ilex Games to take for a spin.
But before that, let’s backtrack for a bit. There was a Kickstarter campaign for a game called Tower of Samsara back in 2016, which was presented as an action adventure that, if funded, would get a PlayStation Vita release. That’s how far back this project was started. The funding goal was set at €42,000, but, unfortunately, even though it got the support of more than 600 backers, it only managed to secure a little over €13,000 in funding. It’s now 2025, and after a name change to Adventure of Samsara to tie it to Atari’s classic game, here we are with a Soulslike Metroidvania that pays homage to a game from 1982.
Adventure was originally released for the Atari 2600. As its minimalist name suggests, it’s a game in which you go on an adventure by controlling a square character who must locate the Enchanted Chalice and bring it back to the Golden Castle. You have to do this while also avoiding enemies and hazards, with dragons that have plenty of space in their stomachs to swallow you whole. There are 30 single-screen rooms presented in an almost maze-like fashion, and you’ll need to act fast as you move from room to room if you are to survive! Adventure of Samsara has been tied to Adventure with some Easter Eggs here and there that call back to the classic, as well as, you know, having Adventure right there in its name.
Once your journey begins, you’ll be taking control of your character by using the left analog stick or the D-Pad, jumping by pressing the B button, and attacking enemies by pressing the Y and X buttons. The Y button will be for light attacks, while the X button will be for heavy attacks. You can press the A button to try and parry an incoming attack with your shield, so that you can then counterattack with a powerful slash. Dash by pressing the ZR button. This button is also used to grab and climb up ledges as needed. Your dash will allow you to go through enemies and hazards while avoiding damage. You can switch between weapons by pressing the ZL button.
To interact with objects and other characters, just press up on the D-Pad when near them. You’ll collect the Lux Emitter, a lamp that you can use to light your path in dark areas, which you can use with the right analog stick. The Lux Emitter can also be used to burn necro roots, as well as to charge devices with an electromagnetic pulse. It can also be used to reconstruct ancient objects. Once you find a spell, you can cast it by pressing the L button. This will require that you spend some of your mana, which you can regain by attacking enemies.
Press the + button to open up the menu. From there, you can check out the map so that you can have a better idea of where you’ve already been and where you should be heading next. You’ll be guided on your journey by a white raven that will steer you toward your objectives. You have access to a flask that you can drink from by pressing the R button in order to heal some of your wounds. The flask will have limited uses, which you can refill by visiting a save point. The golden anvil will save your progress and allow you to respawn at the last anvil that you interacted with.
Be sure to search everywhere and pay attention to all walls, since you never know which one is hiding some treasure! You can find a special item that can boost your maximum health so that you can take more damage, or locate some Interdimensional Bootleg Tapes, which you can trade for special equipment. You can also find something that will increase your maximum mana for casting spells. As you defeat enemies, destroy objects, and open treasure chests, you’ll get to collect valuable Emerald Disks. Emerald Disks can be traded for upgrades to your weapons. You can get a 3-hit combo for your sword, increase the damage protection you get from the shield to lower physical damage, or unlock a heavy attack so that you can deal more damage.
On top of that, your gauntlet can hold upgrades that can power you up. You’ll have a limited number of slots for equipping upgrades, and will need to plan accordingly. The first one that you’ll collect is the Punk Augmentation System, which will increase the rewards obtained from smashing objects. You’ll need to work on unlocking additional slots on the gauntlet to equip other upgrades, such as the
Adventure of Samsara from Atari and Ilex Games is a 2D Soulslike Metroidvania take on the Atari 2600 classic on Nintendo Switch. Yes, it’s 2025, and we’re getting a reimagining of Adventure that takes it into Metroidvania territory. Atari has been on a big revival over the last handful of years, working alongside a variety of studios to bring us revamped takes on classics, complete reimaginings that take the source material and reinvent said games for a new generation, and even a beloved release that is both a history compilation and a massive video game collection that continues to grow and grow: Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration.
This new release pays homage and reimagines the classic Adventure, which was originally released for the Atari 2600 home console way back in 1982. While Adventure featured a minimalist presentation with a square character that you’d control as you explored 30 single-screen rooms in search of the Enchanted Chalice, Adventure of Samsara is a full-fledged adventure through a magical land in which danger lurks around every corner, wrapped within the Metroidvania formula with a dash of Soulslike thrown in for good measure. Will you be able to find the different Easter Eggs that tie this game to the original Adventure? Adventure of Samsara is out on Nintendo Switch with a $19.99 price tag.
Disclaimer
This Adventure of Samsara review is based on a Nintendo Switch copy provided by Atari.
