Hermano Review: A Perfect Platformer That's Impossible to Put Down

There's nothing better than following a gaming success story, especially when the main character of the game in question is the happiest little skeleton who ever lived (in life and death). If this is the first time you've come across the game Hermano, then you're in for a real treat. Not only does it channel the sidescrolling platformer days of the Game Boy Color and sit proudly amongst titles like Super Mario Bros. Deluxe and Rayamn, but its cutesy, non-threatening feel makes it an enjoyable play for any gamer of any ability.

Independent Spanish Studio Pat Morita bagged a 1st place award in the 2023 Game Boy Competition over on Itch.io, capturing the hearts and minds of gamers everywhere with their Day of the Dead-themed game and a tale of brotherly love that not even the grave can break. I first wrote about Hermano as one of our favorite homebrew games to play with Delta, and now in 2025, it's available to play on original hardware thanks to ModRetro, giving a new lease of life to the game (terrible joke; sorry, Nano) and a brilliant new look as well as a proper box, manual, and charm!

• Price: $39.99, £32.00
• Compatible With: ModRetro Chromatic, Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Analogue Pocket.
• Available From: ModRetro

The Bravest Skeleton In Gaming

Any character who uses their own head to thwart demons, Frankensteins, and caped Deaths complete with scythes while still smiling whenever they jump is a winner in my book. Yes, instead of playing as a living character battling the forces of the underworld in the same vein as Castlevania or DOOM, you play as Nano, a friendly little skeleton who is on a mission to save his brother from the clutches of evil.

The beginning of the game shows a small cutscene of a boy heading to a grave on the evening of the Day of the Dead to pay his respects to his brother. That little boy is Mano, and he's visiting his brother Nano in the hope of seeing him again on this most auspicious of evenings. Things go wrong, however, and before Nano can cross the divide from the spirit world to the world of the living, demons capture Mano and drag him into hell. As the little Skeleton Nano, it's your job to save Hermano and bring him back to the land of the living by traveling across 15 perilous levels!

What's In The Box?

If you've seen any of my other reviews for ModRetro's latest releases like the exceptional RPG Dragonyhm or the simple-yet-charming sidescroller Baby T-Rex, then you'll be more than familiar with the attention to detail that ModRetro put into their releases. Hermano comes with a custom box, a plastic insert tray, a full-colour manual, a translucent physical cartridge, and a charm for your handheld. You could even attach the little charm to your keys or a necklace and show off your love for Hermano anytime, anywhere!

The Manual

I've said it before and I'll say it again; having manuals in games again is incredible. Admittedly the manual for Hermano isn't as thick or imperative as in Dragonyhm, but that ritual of opening up a game, reading through the controls and the items, learning about the bonus levels, and seeing the illustrations - you just can't beat it.

And yes, collecting chillis in the four bonus levels is incredibly thrilling and makes me sweat as much as eating ten habaneros at once. Just when you think you're going to collect the final chilli, you miss your footing and fall all the way onto a spike... it's soul-destroying, but as Nano doesn't have one of those anymore, he's probably not that bothered.

It's also nice to see the 'Notes' section at the back of the booklet again; these kinds of games are all about learning patterns when certain enemies arrive and remembering the little bits that try to trip you up when you least expect it, so having the notes section there gives you a reason to jot them all down and get ahead of the game.

Ghoulish Gameplay

Let's talk about the gameplay. The controls are very simple; move left and right through levels, hit A to jump and B to throw your skull. Nano's noggin is very strong and can dispatch most enemies with one or two hits, but some enemies drop bombs that will need to be thrown in order to progress through the levels. There's a strong emphasis on jumping between platforms and dodging annoyingly-placed enemies, performing well-timed skull hits on bats and other enemies who are blocking your path to the all-important key you'll need to progress.

The levels all have the same challenge; discover the door to the next level, find the key that opens it, and stay alive long enough to get back there. As this is a Day of the Dead-inspired game, however, there are some sneaky underworld sections where gameplay literally flips on its head with Nano walking upside down and having to defy reverse gravity by landing on platforms that allow you to jump further down to new locations. It messes with your head a little bit, but that's why I love it!

I've said it up above, but the expression on Nano's face when he jumps is incredibly cute. Have you ever seen a happier character? I mean I know he's used to walking around in the underworld and none of the enemies will be a massive shock to him, but still, that's the kind of attitude I wish I could have all the time in life.

Without giving too much away, you'll move across a world map as you get closer to saving Hermano. All of the levels are brilliantly detailed and provide some exciting explorative elements when it comes to discovering different ways to scale buildings or reach new heights. You'll come across new enemies as you progress too and have to figure out how to dodge or attack them, so there's no chance of getting comfortable and switching off (see, that notes section is going to come in handy!).

Game Length

Hermano isn't the world's longest game; ModRetro say that it has an average playtime of 2 hours, but that's if you're perfect at every level every single time. There are 15 normal levels and 4 bonus levels to tackle, and I've tanked the bonus levels every time so far, so I would say it's closer to 4-5 hours of gameplay if you're playing leisurely.

It's also a game that you will pick up and play time and time again even after completing; it's the type of game that you don't resent having to play the same level again when dying because it all feels so wholesome. It's also comfortingly addictive, a little like watching the same series or trilogy of films again and again because you just can't get enough of them, which is a good job as there's no save function. So if you do turn it off, you'll have to play through the game till you get to the level you were at again!

Final Thoughts

If you haven't guessed from the main body of this article, I love everything about Hermano. It's a brilliant little game that you can't help but be hooked by. All it takes is a short cutscene at the beginning to get you fired up into saving your brother, jumping into gameplay that makes you think without completely frying your brain and forgetting about all of life's other problems for a short while.

Nano is a great little protagonist, and I'm excited to see what you all think about Hermano once you get your hands on a copy, as well as keeping an eye on what Pat Morita are up to next! Don't forget to check out ModRetro's current release catalogue, and keep an eye out for more previously unreleased or cancelled games heading your way soon!