Even with all the advances in creating fully-explorable 3D worlds and photo-realistic graphics, sometimes there’s nothing better than playing a 2D 16-bit game. While somewhat of a retro novelty these days, this type of game was many people’s introduction to gaming and it’s nice to see new games are still being created in this style. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is the latest monument to 16-bit nostalgia, bringing many familiar elements of a bygone era to modern gaming. But the question to be asked any time one of these games is released is how good is the actual game once we look beyond the Sega Genesis style nostalgia.
In the future humanity is living in a dystopian society under a totalitarian government. The authoritarian government maintains order through the use of lethal super soldiers they’ve created. One such soldier, known as Moonrider, was brought online to help uphold the authoritarian state. Unfortunately for its creators, Moonrider has different ideas after a reboot doesn’t go as planned and alters its consciousness. Moonrider rejects the current state of things and goes to war against its creators and the other super soldiers.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is clearly designed by fans of late ’80s/early ’90s arcade games. It’s primarily a side scrolling action platformer with some over-the-shoulder motorcycle mayhem thrown in for good measure. Moonrider fights his way through each level with a variety of weapons against the minions of the oppressors and former fellow super soldiers. Aside from fighting off enemies, there’s a healthy does of platforming that includes bouncing between walls and hanging from the ceiling.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider has eight stages, but with the exception of the first and eighth stage, players can choose the order in which they choose to progress. In each stage there are different weapons and power module chips hidden away. Equipping different chips on Moonrider can activate a number of different effects. A few of these chips are Acrobat which allows double jump, HP Regen which restores health every few seconds and Glass Cannon that makes Moonrider die in a single hit, for players who want an extreme challenge. The different weapons add variety to the gameplay and can make boss fights a lot easier, such as the Hydroshuriken that creates a ring of shurikens around Moonrider.
A claim made by the developers about Moonrider is it hearkens to the golden age of the 16-bit era. With the 2D gameplay, pixel art graphics and synth heavy soundtrack, it’s hard to dispute this claim, but influences found in 8-bit games felt just as prominent. The brief cutscenes conjured up memories of the original Ninja Gaiden trilogy. The ability to choose the order of stages of collecting new weapons and power up chips seemed like a nod to Mega Man with the basic attack animation and branching paths in the level feeling like Strider. Several boss designs seemed like an alternate take some of the end level battles in Contra. Anyone familiar with 16-bit era is going to feel right at home with Moonrider.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a blast to play whenever a 16-bit itch arises. It doesn’t attempt to reinvent the genre, instead combining several elements of classic games to create something fresh and unique. It proudly flaunts its influences on its sleeve, but does so in a way where it comes off as an homage and not a ripoff. It’s a challenging game, but nothing a little tenacity can’t overcome, and changing the different weapon and chip loadouts can made a difference. There’s also an armor chip that reduces damage for players who aren’t looking for the most daunting challenge. The gameplay strikes the perfect balance between complex and simple, where there are enough different environmental hazards and enemy types to keep things interesting, but simple enough where it fits the bill for when some mindless action is in order. Moonrider isn’t terribly long and can be completed in about two hours for those familiar with this style of gameplay. Playing through it during the review process was a complete joy as this is one of the better attempts at recreating the magic of the 16-bit era in a modern game.
The graphics perfectly recreate the style of something that would be seen on Sega Genesis or SNES, and the optional CRT filer helps complete the retro imagery. The synth-heavy soundtrack not only recreates the feel of 16-bit music, but also is catchy in its own right with parts that were reminiscent of synthwave artists like Scandroid or The Rain Within. The controls are tight and responsive with virtually no performance issues during the review process.
Closing Comments:
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider conjures the spirit of the golden age of 16-bit gaming. Everything from the graphics to the soundtrack perfectly recreates the essence of early ’90s gaming, while the gameplay mechanics feel contemporary enough where it hits the sweet spot in blending modern with classic. The most important element that Moonrider recreated is making a modern 16-bit game that is just as fun and exciting as the titles that inspired it were back in their heyday. Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a retro-inspired title that shows just how fun a trip to a dystopian future can be.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider
