{"id":123335,"date":"2022-03-25T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-25T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/#article-128755"},"modified":"2022-03-25T14:00:00","modified_gmt":"2022-03-25T14:00:00","slug":"review-andro-dunos-2-a-knockout-shmup-success-that-nails-the-90s-arcade-feel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/2022\/03\/25\/review-andro-dunos-2-a-knockout-shmup-success-that-nails-the-90s-arcade-feel\/","title":{"rendered":"Review: Andro Dunos 2 &#8211; A Knockout Shmup Success That Nails The &#8217;90s Arcade Feel"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"media_block\"><a href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cc34c66bbbaff\/large.jpg\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/cc34c66bbbaff\/small.jpg\" class=\"media_thumbnail\"><\/a><\/div>\n<div id>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121383\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121383\/900x.jpg\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" alt=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 1 of 5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>The recent trend of resurrecting long-ceased shoot-em-up IPs from the dead, usually when the original developer has shuffled off its electronic coil, is a welcome one. M2 revived <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/nintendo-switch\/aleste_collection\">Aleste<\/a>, Platinum Games reanimated the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/sol_cresta\">Crestas<\/a>, and now small indie outfit Picorinne Soft \u2014 comprised of brothers Ryo and Satto \u2014 has ventured a sequel to Visco\u2019s <strong>Andro Dunos<\/strong>, a largely forgotten, Hellfire-inspired Neo Geo shoot-em-up from 1992.<\/p>\n<p>Despite stellar work, Picorinne Soft\u2019s Steam, Dreamcast, and recent ex-A Arcadia releases remain relatively underground. While <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nintendolife.com\/games\/switch-eshop\/andro_dunos_2\">Andro Dunos II<\/a> carries over its forebear\u2019s ship and Hellfire-style weapon system, everything else is so vastly improved and expanded upon, that it bears only scant resemblance to the original game. It\u2019s so different, in fact, that Visco\u2019s IP seems like little more than a Trojan horse to gain them wider recognition. This, as it turns out, is an all-round win.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone who grew up with arcade games will know within the first 30 seconds that something here is very right. Your retro gaming faculties sing like a sixth-sense, recollecting ten-pence coin drops and control panel cigarette burns as stage one\u2019s wonderful indoor space city, barricaded by steel walls and zipping skyscrapers, opens up before you. Within minutes you ascend outside of its confines to a scorched-earth desert that echoes the starker element\u2019s of Zoom\u2019s <strong>Phalanx<\/strong> and Taito\u2019s <strong>Metal Black<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121377\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121377\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 2 of 5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>From there, the creativity goes supernova, using almost every shoot-em-up convention one can think of, from attacks on mobile tanks to a thrilling mothership boss rush that throws up seemingly bottomless invention. There are moments where maps flash up, showing you a route before you race through tunnels, not dissimilar to the Mega Drive\u2019s <strong>Aero Blasters<\/strong>; elsewhere, twinkling interplanetary cityscapes carpet the background before you plunge inside laser riddled techno-compounds. An ever-changing sci-fi spectacle, it completely holds its form over a reasonable difficulty curve from one blistering moment to the next, pacing itself as it drives toward increasingly epic new heights. If <strong>Gradius V<\/strong> was a 2D arcade game, it would probably be something like this.<\/p>\n<p>Initially very easy \u2014 and all the more encouraging for it \u2014 it\u2019s hard to overstate how precisely the brothers have captured the gaming traits of yesteryear. While visually a nigh-on perfect facsimile of &#8217;90s arcade software, the aesthetic is compounded by an exemplary soundtrack from Britain\u2019s Allister Brimble, who has been composing since the Amiga and Spectrum days. His punchy, spacey themes drive the adrenaline with classic chords and evocative synth in a superior fusion of Eastern design ethics and Western musical composition.<\/p>\n<p>Your little orange <strong>Jetsons<\/strong>-like craft, recalling &#8217;50s cars of the future, comes with four stock weapons that can be cycled freely. \u2018S\u2019 icons power up whichever weapon is currently in use, incrementally increasing in strength up to seven times. In the event of a death, conversely, weapon power is decreased by a value of one. There are also missile and shield icons that bolster the power of your secondary weapons and defensive options.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121384\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121384\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 3 of 5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>During play, blue orbs dropped by destroyed enemies can be swept up before floating off-screen. Collecting all 30 orbs in a stage allows a total of three upgrades to be applied during the between-stage interval. While the mechanics seem simple on the surface, one soon realises that there\u2019s a carefully structured economy at play that boasts a wealth of experimental freedom. This is tied expertly and exactingly to the crafting of the stages, their enemies and threats.<\/p>\n<p>Choosing which weapons suit you best and focussing on powering them up is a common first instinct, although ultimately it\u2019s a race to get your entire arsenal maxed out as quickly as possible. This can be done in a variety of ways, from focussing on a single forerunner to spreading your upgrades evenly across the board. Integral to all of this, is each weapon\u2019s ability to go hyper in four unique expulsions, blasting out a few seconds of heavy-duty firepower before dropping into a brief recharge period where your shot is temporarily reduced in power \u2014 a small penalty for otherwise unlimited usage. To combat this, you can switch to any of the other three weapons instead, placing emphasis on cycling your arms with the shoulder buttons.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121381\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121381\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 4 of 5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>Not only is each weapon unique \u2014 some firing behind, some touting power over range \u2014 but so are their hyper attributes. Learning to use the right weapon at the right time becomes integral from around stage five onward, with many hyper attacks helping to clear threats from above and below, wiping out busy boss attacks, and even nullifying incoming bullets. Timing, of course, is key.<\/p>\n<p>As you learn the early stages and their bosses, it\u2019s hugely fun to map out your strategies, snatch all those blue orbs, and let rip at giant enemies and popcorn fleets with your hyper attacks. The controls are taut and tactile, and the horizontal format allows plenty of room to breathe and manoeuvre. It feels great to juggle everything in tandem, unleashing hell on alien hordes to Brimble\u2019s fantastic toe-tapping themes.<\/p>\n<p>Bosses are particularly inventive too, impressively dwarfing, with multiple destructible parts and a vast library of exciting attacks to navigate. Whether facing off against monstrous aquatic nemeses or bomb spraying destroyers, there\u2019s rarely a dull moment.<\/p>\n<p>There are plenty of continues available, but if you\u2019re playing it &#8216;properly&#8217; you should really only be using one. That said, continues obviously enable you to reach subsequent stages and then have them added to the practice mode\u2019s roster: an all important feature in combating the increasing difficulty curve.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"picture embed\"><a title=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\" href=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121376\/large.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"lazy\" src=\"image\/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA5MDAgNTA2Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" width=\"900\" height=\"506\" data-original=\"https:\/\/images.nintendolife.com\/screenshots\/121376\/900x.jpg\" alt=\"Andro Dunos 2 Review - Screenshot 5 of 5\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Docked)<\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p>While Andros Dunos II resembles long lost arcade-era magnificence, there are still a few imperfections. It\u2019s bit weighty at ten stages, especially when non-bullet hell shoot-em-ups generally cap at eight. It\u2019s only one-player \u2014 so no teaming up \u2014 and the lack of scanline filters is disappointing, especially in a game that looks and feels this arcade accurate. Elsewhere, being able to change or even turn off the random stock wallpapers would have been nice, and you aren\u2019t able to stretch the display either, but that\u2019s probably for the best.<\/p>\n<p>The worst of it is the inability to remap the shoulder buttons, hampering one\u2019s ability to use different controllers. For example, with &#8216;L&#8217; and &#8216;R&#8217; permanently locked for weapon cycling, you may well find yourself performing finger-gymnastics on an arcade stick, depending on its layout. This would be less of an issue if weapon cycling wasn\u2019t so integral and didn\u2019t require such regular use, but as it stands it\u2019s a small but rather limiting oversight.<\/p>\n<p>Minor gripes aside, if someone told you Andro Dunos II was a long lost relic of a bygone era rather than a 2022 release \u2014 and a salient example of the genre with it \u2014 you would honestly be none the wiser. To that end, it will likely be far better regarded 30 years from now than Visco\u2019s original title.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"conclusion\">\n<h2 class=\"heading\">Conclusion<\/h2>\n<p>Andro Dunos II is a resounding success. That a small indie developer can bat alongside the likes of M2 and Platinum and, honestly, with greater overall success, is always uplifting. Further inspiring, is how \u2014 superficial IP notwithstanding \u2014 it manages to be so utterly exacting to arcade standards of the &#8217;90s, and at the same time feel breathtakingly original. Its craftsmanship, from weapon negotiations and experimentation, to the way each stage is cleverly built to aid a variety of approaches and play styles, is top notch. Andro Dunos II looks good, sounds great, and plays wonderfully.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Captured on Nintendo Switch (Handheld\/Undocked) The recent trend of resurrecting long-ceased shoot-em-up IPs from the dead, usually when the original developer has shuffled off its electronic coil, is a welcome one. M2 revived Aleste, Platinum Games reanimated the Crestas, and now small indie outfit Picorinne Soft \u2014 comprised of brothers Ryo and Satto \u2014 has [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-123335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nintendo-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sickgaming.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}