

Moonrider can dive-kick in any downward direction, and holy cow, is it a good dive kick. While your sword is important, the star of the show is your dive kick. This is an old-school game, so you have limited lives, but the game is generous, and if you run out of lives, you can restart from a checkpoint, many of which aren't far from actual bosses. Getting up close and attacking rapidly with your sword will deal tons of damage, but the same goes for enemies, and it's a game of kill or be killed. While it doesn't entirely feel like it, the strongest inspiration for the game seems to be the original Strider. You move right (or rarely left), jump, and slash with your laser sword. Moonrider' s a platformer, and you can pick up and play it without much trouble.

Sometimes you don't need anything more to justify a game than "rogue cyborg samurai fights evil cyborg samurais." Moonrider adheres to the designs of old-school platformers, and that means you get a handful of text cut scenes and a straightforward story. One such warrior, Moonrider, is brought online and promptly rejects the idea of being a jerk, so he sets out to defeat his fellow super soldier robots and bring peace to the world. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider tells the story of a distant future where an evil government rules over its people with the aid of robotic warriors.
#Vengeful guardian moonrider series
Blazing Chrome was a wonderful way to revisit the Contra series without technically being a Contra game, and Joymasher's new game, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a delightful take on classic games like Strider. Sometimes I miss those days, no matter how amazing some modern games are. Sometimes, that was to drag as many quarters out of your pockets as they could, and other times, they were just about working within the technology limitations of the time to make the best possible experience. It's easy to write them off as "simplistic," but that wasn't always the case. You’ll thank me.Old-school platformers were built differently. Instead, simply play Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider. It’s a strange experience to explain, but an experience I don’t think you or I should explain. An elevation to a new level, a classic of a system it’s not even for. It looks, plays and sounds like a refinement of games of the Mega Drive. Look, I’m a kid of the 90’s so this is a hard game to truly review without some level of taint. Moonrider’s basic combat flows into the zippy movement, which in turn washes between the foes and hazards the player faces. Every little aspect of their work feels like it has been wrapped with meticulous attention. Developer JoyMasher has a rich pedigree in crafting modern retro with masterclasses like Blazing Chrome and Odaluss: The Dark Call. It should come as no surprise that this is exactly what Moonrider offers. Moonrider’s ability to master the pacing and placement of level design from the period provides a platform to build a modern classic experience. Everything comes together to form the accumulation of decades of fast-paced, side-scrolling experiences into one single life form. A garnish of Mega-Man, a serving of Strider spiced with Shinobi. A true understanding of why games of those eras worked and what aspects of them continue to work. It’s less of a celebration of late 80s and early 90s side-scrollers and more of a refinement. The success of Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is in its execution. It all starts to sound like games you’ve played in the past, and that’s because you have. Each final boss unlocks a special attack that can be used at any point during the game. Seven levels, each with their own min-bosses and final boss.

Like shredded memories thrown into the air, falling back into disjointed patterns…I’ve played this before…right? Warming up those parts of my fleshy moist juice box results in the feeling I’ve been here before, but not quite in the same way. Loading up Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider felt more like a ritual than it did the start of something new.
#Vengeful guardian moonrider code
MonsterVine was supplied with a PC code for review It’s easy to find yourself caught off-guard while indulging in the pleasures of the past, or even hijacking the memories of those around you. An era of blowing into carts, slamming them into a tight gap, and hoping your developing understanding of forces and worth hasn’t betrayed you. The bright eyed boy sat before the screen, glazed with the blues, grays and mixtures of an era never even close to forgotten.
