Naturally, these range from the predictable giant almost alien-like foes to mechs and then the dreaded human-sized enemies who also have to be mechanically enhanced ninjas. Feel you have truly become one with the Moonrider? This is your test.Įach stage culminates in a boss battle which on the first attempt will usually see you using up at least one of your three (or more if collected) lives. For the masochists out there, you can even equip the “glass cannon” upgrade which turns the game into a “1 hit death” situation. They do stuff ranging from HP/MP regeneration to extending your combos. These help you decide what you want from this particular run. On the topic of the upgrades, you can equip two of them at the start of a stage. Obviously, the catch-22 with this is that you have to find that upgrade first! Fortunately, one of the stages upgrades gives you the ability to track said upgrades by marking areas with a green question mark. Finding the hidden items within its walls was particularly painful.Įach of the stages hides one or two secret upgrades that you can find in obscure sections, usually hidden by a wall you can break or a jump that looks like you can just about make it off the beaten path. In no surprise, that was the stage that featured sections dealing with water, something that I find is rarely done well in any game, and coupling it up with a maze-like structure somewhat killed the pace. While not all stages are as memorable as those mentioned, there was only really one duff level I found. My favorite stage sees you jumping from car to car to catch up with a convoy while dodging Snipers and drones with near-perfect accuracy. These range from the rather basic laboratory settings to jumping from airship to airship to catch up with an even larger airship. You’ll use all of the above techniques to traverse some deliciously devious 2D platforming stages. They can jump, wall jump with ease, wave their sword around in a 3-hit combo, use any of the handy sub-weapons, and finally dive kick from the air which is surprisingly one of the most useful bits of kit in Moonrider’s arsenal. While the default speed is walking, you can either hold the shoulder button or double-tap a direction to see them sprint off with all the gusto of Naruto. It’s more a personal preference in which stage you wish to attempt. This gives off Megaman vibes, but at least through my playthrough, there didn’t seem to be an ideal “route” through these. After clearing the first stage, it unlocks the rest, barring the final level which needs all those before it to be completed. The game is a 2D Action Platformer that sees you taking the fight to the authority over a selection of eight levels. Mix to create the perfect bowl of Ninja Action Platforming stew. You’ve got a pinch of Ninja Gaiden, a taster of Shinobi III, and just a tasty dollop of Capcom’s woefully underused Strider series here. Retro fans will quickly see the obvious inspirations for Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider in how it plays. In the nicest way possible, this game isn’t going to be remembered for the tale it told, but rather for the adventure. It’s not so much a tool to deliver character development and thought-provoking discussion. Like most “retro” games, the narrative is more window dressing and an excuse for why a cyber ninja is slicing his way through everything in its path. It’s mostly told through the intro cutscene and before the boss fights with a brief dialogue exchange before you throw hands. The narrative isn’t Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider’s strong suit. Breaking out of the lab they have been contained in, they decide to save the world by taking down the leaders of the authority and as such spark a rebellion bathed in blood. While having a steely grip on the world as we know it, they fall into the classic trap of extending themselves too far They activate the Robotic Ninja Unit known as Moonrider. The world is being controlled by an oppressive authority. Grab your sword dear reader - we are dishing out some Ninja justice. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider: could you think of a more apt name for a game inspired by 90s Ninja games? Especially one involving a robotic ninja, buckets of vengeance, and vehicle sections with a sweet motorbike? Joymasher and The Arcade Crew are back once again to deliver a slice of 16-Bit action that leans towards emulation instead of inspiration.
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