Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider

Hell yes, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is exactly the kind of game I have been wanting to come out for a while. I tell you if I could go back to 1994 and show my teenage self this game, I would probably faint I would have been that excited. This is a run and gun action platformer that is made to look like something that could have been released on the SNES. It is a badass and balls to the wall game and one of the best “retro” style games I have seen in a long time.

Making The Wrong One

The story of Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is pretty cool as it has a sci-fi dystopian kind of thing going on. Basically, this authoritative regime is controlling the world with their powerful and deadly robots. They create a new ninja warrior called the Moonrider, but the Moonrider rejects his evil masters and decides to fight for what is right. It is so cheesy and cool that it is like something out of an 80s or 90s action movie and I love it!

Never Stop Moving

The gameplay here is like Contra, Gun Star Heroes, and Castlevania all rolled into one. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider plays very responsively and you always feel like you are in complete control of the character. Just a minute into the demo and you will see exactly what I am talking about. The action feels great as you shoot or attack at close range and the platforming is awesome and makes you feel like a cybernetic ninja.

Not Just A One Trick Pony

They could have just kept Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider a straightforward action game and it does what it does so well that I would have been more than ok with this. However, this is a game that has a ton of depth. You get to ride on a futuristic looking bike, take on bosses, get new chips that can give you powerful upgrades, and more. This is a game that is very deep in what you can actually do and it is all wrapped up with some core gameplay that is challenging, but it feels so great, if you die it is always because of a mistake that you made and that is all you can ask for when it comes to great gameplay.

A Step Above The SNES

While at the start of this article I said this was like a game that would have been on the SNES. The more I play of Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider the more I feel this is something that would have probably been on the Sega CD. The game looks amazing! The character sprites are some of the best that I have ever seen and I get major Contra vibes from the way the characters and enemies not just look, but move as well. It also has these epic pixel art cutscenes that I could have just imagined being on the Sega CD back in the day. The whole game is supported by a badass soundtrack that well and truly gets your blood pumping.

Pros:

• This is the best retro inspired game I have played in a long time
• The demo lets you play a very decent chunk of the game
• I love the gameplay as it is so tight and responsive
• The whole game is just so badass and fun, you will not want to stop playing

Cons:

• This is the kind of game that I hope someone like Limited Run makes a physical copy of
• I will probably end up getting this on both PC and Nintendo Switch…. maybe PS5 too!