Andro Dunos 2 Review
Release date: March 25th, 2022
Developer: Just for Games/Pixel Heart
Platforms: Steam, Switch (reviewed), Dreamcast, PSN
Price: $17.99
There are indie games for everyone, and re-releases and sequels are coming out; this means games like Andro Dunos II get released. This is a fun shmup that capitalizes on the ideas of games from the 90s and has plenty to offer.
When I first started up the game, I could feel myself being transported back to the arcades. The music and the concepts, it was 1992, all over again. A quick and brief history on the series, Andro Dunos was originally a Neo Geo game from 1992, was supposed to see a Dreamcast release in 2021. But now that the IP has been acquired, gamers have gotten a sequel including a Dreamcast version from Pixelheart.
This game makes me think of Sine Mora EX or the more recent R-type Final 2 on Switch. I prefer a vertical shmup vs horizontal, something like Jamestown +. But I did find myself enjoying Andro Dunos II mostly due to the great soundtrack from Allister Brimble, the weapon options and the different stages.
Controls are tight on the Switch, and this is a must have for a game like this. Players need to be able to move a lot, although I wouldn't consider this a bullet hell shmup. The punchy sci-fi music combined with the very detailed backgrounds really serves as a way to draw gamers into the mix. Each stage has a unique style and different enemies that are themed for the stage. Boss battles are epic, the bosses while imposing, aren’t too bad once you learn their pattern,
The little fun looking ship can hold up to 4 weapons which can be upgraded with S pickups, gamers can cycle through the weapons at any time. Some of these are multi direction shots, one is a lightning beam, another is your standard blaster. These can all be powered up for a super attack which recharges but after you use it, your regular attack drops in damage. This is mitigated by switching to one of the other 4 weapons. While flying through the stages, players can also upgrade their secomcary passive weapons aka missiles and collect the purple orbs. The orbs serve as a way to upgrade the weapons between stages. Make sure to collect all 30 per stage.
Gamers will be in space, in asteroid fields, and even on planets underwater. The developer has really taken the time to transform each stage and make it interesting. This game is on par with some of the best shmups I have ever played and its very polished. Players can challenge themselves by changing the difficulty and lowering the amount of continues. This is also on 3DS and gamers can get a hpysical release for either system form VGNY https://videogamesnewyork.com/andro-dunos-2-nintendo-3ds/
Big thanks to the publisher for letting us review this
Final Score:
Pros:
Great soundtrack
Fun weapons
Feels like a 90s arcade game
Cons:
Too short
Wish I could customize my ship