Andro Dunos 2

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 — superficial IP notwithstanding — it manages to be so utterly exacting to arcade standards of the '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.

Andro Dunos 2 is a perfect example of how to make a true sequel to a classic game. It looks and plays the original, all the while showing off something new. It gave me that classic Neo Geo / Arcade feeling from start to finish and never felt too boring. The minor issues with controls and the lack of custom options do hurt a little, but don’t let them stop you from checking this out. If you are a fan of the original, or a fan of horizontal shooters in general, then you will enjoy what you find!

Its predecessor may have been an unremarkable release 30 years ago, but Andro Dunos II manages to execute decent gameplay variety in a well-designed shmup adventure. It allows players to choose how they want to play, and with easy upgrades and clean level design, this is a nice alternative to all the bullet hell craziness out there.

In some ways, though, the lack of those sorts of nice-to-haves almost helps with that whole nostalgic arcade vibe that Andro Dunos II so flawlessly nails. If I didn’t know better, I’d have guessed that it was actually a forgotten relic from the ’90s, and a particularly timeless one at that. For a two-person indie studio licensing a sequel to a 30-year-old game, that’s one hell of an achievement.

While not perfect, Andro Dunos 2 is an excellent revival of Visco’s 16-bit shooter series that deserves your attention. With its killer retro-inspired presentation, driving music, and plenty of exhilarating boss battles to test your mettle, it’s a game that’s easy to recommend to anyone who has a passing interest in shoot-’em-ups. If nothing else, it makes me excited to see what else publisher PixelHeart has in the works for Visco’s other IP. If the upcoming Ganryu 2 is anywhere near as good, nostalgic Neo Geo fans should be in for a treat.

Andro Dunos 2 is still a great time despite minor flaws, and a challenging one that is no pushover to one-credit.

Andro Dunos 2 does what it is asked to do: restore the arcade pleasure of the old-school shmup while making some concessions to modernity. Very short, but frenetic, difficult, but configurable, varied, the title of PixelHeart will undoubtedly leave on the floor those who are indifferent to the genre, but will undoubtedly delight fans of the franchise as of shoot'em up in general, despite some rather problematic readability issues on Switch.

Andro Dunos 2 has a lovely aesthetic and great core gameplay, but it is held back by the lack of display options and online leaderboards. Hopefully these can be addressed in potential updates.

I absolutely recommend Andro Dunos 2 for any shoot 'em up fan. It may not be the most intricate or challenging example of the genre but its tight gameplay will push you to master the many enjoyable boss fights while taking in some impressive sights along the way.

While I'm not intimately familiar with the first game, Andro Dunos II is an enjoyable shmup with a novel but intuitive weapon system. The lack of online leaderboards is unfortunate, but the core gameplay and the interesting ways in which the stages scroll and enemies weave in and out, often appearing in the background first as a warning, makes for a satisfying way to spend a few hours. With a tough boss rush, three difficulty options, and a couple other secrets to unlock, it's fairly easy to recommend this one to those who enjoy a good side-scrolling shooter, with yours truly sitting firmly in that camp. It may not be revolutionary, but Andro Dunos II plays well enough and seems a worthy successor to its original iteration.

When it comes down to it, Andro Dunos 2 is a faithful ode to a particular era of shooters that is a few options and features away from being all it can be. It’s perhaps a bit too faithful, as it can feel a little bit pedestrian at times. The mechanics are easy enough to pick up for newcomers, but require just enough strategy to apply to give more skilled players something to chew on. The lack of online leaderboards takes some of the wind out of the score attack sails, and the disappointingly minimal display options fall below expectations. Still, fans of the original and shoot-em-up fans should find enough to chew on here.