This is the day you’ve been preparing for. They said it was impossible, that it was a dumb dream and you should just give up. But oh, how wrong they were. After today, they will know. Your resolve steeled and your determination peaked, you slide the hoodie of your bunny onesie over your head. You lean down to grab your trusty unicycle from the ground and hold it upright. Your most beloved, trusted companion through this adventure. Together, you’re about to make history today.
It only took five seconds for your face to meet the dirt. Your body intact but your spirit crushed, you hear the commentator’s voice soar through the stadium.
“Thankfully he can skip this level by watching a video.”
One Wheel Short of a Dirt Bike
Unicycle Legend has nothing to hide. The moment you read that title you know what you’re in for. Developer Unept describes it as “absurd one-wheeled challenges”, and that’s exactly what it is. Balance your way through progressively crazier obstacles while trying not to hit your head on the floor. It could be considered a spiritual successor to old flash games like Dirt Bike, as the goal is essentially the same: reach the end of each level without falling over. A simple enough premise.
Without Fanfare
Unicycle Legend presents itself as a retro flash-style game. Both the visual and sound design adhere to this. The graphics are blocky, similar to what you’d find in early 2000s internet games, although a lot more polished. The bright, distinctive colors make it easy to tell what’s going on at all times, and this clarity certainly helps when the game is repeatedly throwing newer and newer obstacles your way.
On the flip side, the sound design is relatively scarce. Unicycle Legend has no soundtrack, inst ead, every sound effect is completely diegetic. Most of what you’ll hear during gameplay will be the murmurs, cheers and disappointed rumblings of the crowd, with your unicycle knocking against the ground every now and then. It’s very minimalistic, but it adds to the feeling that early low-budget flash games used to elicit. Still, at least a little tune on the main menu would have been appreciated.
Casual Head Trauma
If you ever played any of the Dirt Bike games, you’ll know what Unicycle Legend is all about, but if not, here’s a quick run-down. You are riding a unicycle. Moving side to side causes you to lean over, and you must try your hardest not to lose your balance and hit your head on the ground. Each level has obstacles you have to traverse, with a goal at the end you need to touch (preferably not with your head). Whether you fail or succeed, the commentators are ready to reward your efforts with a funny quip.
While a simple premise, the game has an astonishing 120 levels to keep the player occupied. They range from simple to tricky, and many of them find a way to throw a curveball at the player by mixing up the rules. See that goal over there? Well, now it’s moving! See this straight path? Guess what, the floor is rising! Want to jump this pit? Enjoy being pelted with spiders! It’s always a surprise the first time, and once you know what you’re up against, you can try to actually beat the level.
Even so, there are stages that might actually be a bit too trying for your patience. Unicycle Legend allows you to skip levels as much as you want by watching ads. You also must watch an ad every so often after failing a level, but this isn’t very frequent. While being able to skip ahead might make the game easy, the atmosphere of the experience is overall not meant to test your skills more than you’re comfortable with. It’s a relaxing game for when you just want something silly to play, so don’t be afraid to skip a level if you’ve had your fun with it.
Unicycle Legend is not a complicated game. All you have to do is reach the goal. You can move left. You can move right. It’s the quirky controls and the tricky, often unexpected obstacles and traps that make it fun. This makes the game the perfect light-hearted way to spend your time.
Just watch out for those 8-balls.
