Mega Cat Studios just continues to knock it out of the park lately. First, it was with the Sega Genesis shmup ZPF, which took me by surprise and quickly became one of my most anticipated titles. Now, I have the opportunity to get hands-on with Echoes of the Unread, a musical platformer releasing on the NES. Gorgeous sprite work, great level design, and an interesting hook had me intrigued, but after playing it, I may need to track down an NES of my own to play this properly. It feels like the perfect complementary piece to the aging hardware, and I know I’m jumping into this Kickstarter as soon as it’s ready.

On PC and a Handheld, ‘Echoes of the Unread’ Looks and Plays Fantastically

I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm myself, so a platformer that primarily takes place in a library sounds like the perfect combination. What I didn’t know before I jumped in, however, was that this adventure would be taking me to mystical lands far and wide. During my demo time, I was only able to experience the Library and the Western-themed world. But even from these brief areas, I saw enough to get me interested and keep me interested throughout my playtime.

I took control of Rhapsody, a young woman who had lost her voice. I was a little confused at first: if she had lost her voice, how could she still talk with the eclectic cast of characters that I was encountering? But, as I would quickly find out, it wasn’t her speaking voice that was important. I set out to leave the Library that I found myself in as night finally began to fall. Jumping and moving my way around felt natural and exactly as I would have imagined it would on the actual NES hardware. Mario, who? I’m a Rhapsody guy now.

After speaking with The Janitor, I began to explore the Library even further. The Janitor was a mysterious figure. He seemed to have both my best intentions in mind while also making me a bit of a lab rat in his own twisted journey. I’m very interested to learn more about him when I jump into the full game. After exploring enough of the Library, I finally found it: my voice. That’s when I discovered why this was considered a “Musical Platformer” all along, and the world became much more exciting and intriguing to explore.

Heading Into the Wild West in ‘Echoes of the Unread’ Opened up the World Significantly

After unlocking my “Voice” once again, I was able to fire a projectile. Unlike other games of the same era, however, this wasn’t an attack. Rather, my voice unlocks new areas, activating Tuning Forks to help me solve puzzles. Hitting crystals that would activate lifts. The world was quickly starting to expand before my very eyes. After finding my first Relic Page, I was able to enter the world of the Wild West. While Echoes of the Unread is decidedly old-school, I was able to explore any of these levels in a completely non-linear fashion.

Once inside of “The Western”, I had to choose to go either left or right onto the next screen. If you decide to check this level out, I would strongly suggest going left first. I didn’t know, until much later, that the Map was just hanging out over here. Maybe my new age brain was kicking in a bit too quickly, and I automatically guessed I should be moving to the right. Regardless, using my voice as the key to solving puzzles, I quickly found a few more pages. I avoided hawks, armadillos, cacti, and even an angry Cowboy to ensure that Rhapsody got home safely. Yes, there are boss battles here, and with the quirky and fun writing, they make every character memorable.

The Cowboy was upset that I “stole” his gold coin. And rather than be rational about it, we had to have a duel. Even though he has a gun, Rhapsody is no slouch in the “Jump on their heads” battle type, and I made quick work of this gunslinging fool. After returning to the Library, I was contacted by someone. A witch, trapped within the Library, requesting I get her a magic quill.

Even Though the Demo Was Brief, ‘Echoes of the Unread’ Captured My Interest Quickly

The lore kept expanding, and so did my interest in the overarching story. While Echoes of the Unread is receiving a Kickstarter Campaign in Q2 2025, I know that I’m going to be penning down ideas of what may happen next here. And thanks to the non-linearity of the demo, I can jump back in and see what I may have missed the first time around. Rhapsody has quite the adventure ahead of her, and I’m genuinely very excited to see what it’s going to be all about by the time this story wraps up.

While I only got to explore a few levels in Echoes of the Unread, they were designed with the utmost care and attention. I needed to use my brain, alongside my brawn, to escape unscathed. Even the process of regaining health was quirky and fun. Rather than depending on pick-ups in the levels, I could stop at a water fountain and get a quick drink. Finding water bottles would increase my overall health, making Rhapsody into quite the tank.

It’s still baffling to me that consoles like the NES are still getting new games. Even roughly 40 years after their release. And from what I can see so far? Echoes of the Unread is a worthy addition to any player’s library. It’s cute, quirky, and just plain fun. I can’t wait to see what kind of adventures I get into when the final game releases.

Demo Verdict: Strongly Recommended

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If you’d like to support this Kickstarter or follow its progress, you can do so by following this link.