There’s a certain kind of game out there that is dangerous not in its content, but ability to leave its players battered and bruised in the real world. It’s not some kind of virtual reality that brings direct harm from the game, it’s simple and more timeless. It’s the old-fashioned multiplayer battle of a solid arcade game. And why might this leave a player battered and bruised? Well that all depends on who you’re playing it with and how much your actions make them want to slug you in the arm due to your excessive wins. Frobot, from Fugazo, is just such a game that encapsulates that frantic multiplayer experience that leaves everyone laughing and playfully wishing death on their friends.

But while it shares a lot with it’s old-fashioned brethren like Bomberman, Frobot is actually founded on its single player experience. Remember the original Zelda, where once you moved out of a screen in a dungeon the map slides horizontally or vertically into the next one? That’s Frobot’s style, and the elements of classic Nintendo titles are no accident. Andrew Lum the founder of Fugazo, wanted to make a Nintendo game for as long as he can remember. So when he gained the technical ability to pull it off, and a team of artists and programmers willing to follow his vision, bringing a game to WiiWare was his first thought.

Frobot’s been in development for a little over a year and is going to hit Nintendo’s download service in either June or July, “early summer.” The game’s story centers on the main character, Frobot. He’s a 70s themed robot with a mean afro and the personality of Shaft. He’s got five lady-robots who back him up and give him the power to fight. Peppered with clever puns and more 70s references than the sparkles on a disco ball, the game is all style.

In the beginning of the game, Frobot is on a mission to get back to his base. But while he’s trapped learning to use his skills (including a reflective shield, missiles, a ball of energy that can kill, mines and more), his arch-nemesis kidnaps his robo-ladies back at his home base. So when Frobot returns, his powers are stripped and he must strive to save the source of his powers.

His main tactic is a gun that can ricochet off of walls (they shoot slow enough to handle), which is controlled by the Wii-mote using a targeting reticule. This is all you’re left with after losing your robots. Running through each room of a level includes figuring out the geometry involved in taking out certain enemies, and watching out for the enemies who can shoot and ricochet right back at you. The AI is clever enough to know when it has a clear shot at you, often before you realize you can hit it. You must use your powers of logic to figure out when to blow up certain walls, when to reflect shots at button targets, and when to simply take out your enemies.

The decor of each level is a combination of tacky 70s goodness and futuristic metal, leaving a unique world in its design wake. The Wii development kit and hotel TV we played the game on didn’t do the game justice to the crisp visuals in its screenshots. The entire contrast was a bit dark and the screen wasn’t clear enough to notice some of the details in the game. I’m curious to see the game running on a proper setup, to make sure I’m not mistaken on this case.

As I mentioned, the game’s layout plays like an old Zelda dungeon, with the screen shifting to the next room as you open doors and make progress. While it doesn’t have a world map in the same vein, Frobot means more to keep the action present without the exploration. I got a taste of some of the game’s variety and the puzzles as they progress in difficulty. There are twenty five levels across five different “worlds,” and each level is made up of nine rooms (not including a boss fight). From the sections I played this seems to be a good length for a Wiiware storyline.

The boss fights are a cool moment of variety in the game. The room is larger, as though the entire picture has been zoomed out. In the particular fight I handled, it involved a series of four different catapults and a chasm I couldn’t cross; the boss was taunting me from afar. I had to lay mines on the catapults, launch them when the boss was in the right location and last but not least, trigger the mine before the boss moved out of the way. I took him down without too much trouble, and launching the mines was a lot of fun.

Andrew also took over to show me a more difficult level that involved bouncing a block onto a platform in just the right spot, and then subsequently launching the block across the room to trigger a switch. The addition of physics to a room-based adventure like this was cool to play with and should be fun come the game’s release.

After I got a serious taste of the single-player experience, Andrew and Joel Casebeer, the artist and writer, grabbed controllers and we entered into the multiplayer arena. Like I mentioned in the beginning, this is where the old fashioned experience truly shines. Before we knew it, the two developers and this member of the press were laughing, yelling, and lost in a moment that brought us back to being ten years old all over again, without the professional lines holding us back. If we’d known each other a little better, someone would have gotten punched.

In multiplayer you have full use of your arsenal, so tactics immediately come into play. Bullets are ricocheting off every surface, mines are laid in every corner, and players are popping up their shields to save their lives. I was shown no mercy, and rarely showed up on the scoreboard (despite some “how’d you do that?!?” kills).

Frobot is almost done. While Andrew and Joel made a few notes in our play through on what could still be tweaked, the game is scheduled to drop early this summer. And if their word isn’t enough, it’s got Reggie Fils-Aime’s seal approval from the time he got to spend playing the title at the conference’s official Nintendo event.