Andro Dunos II review: Classic arcade shoot ‘em up action returns with a bang

sportskeeda.com:

Andro Dunos II brings back the classic, winning formula of shoot ‘em ups (or shmups) to the spotlight. Andro Dunos was initially launched in June 1992 by Visco and SNK Playmore for the Neo Geo MVS.

It brings gorgeous visuals, tremendous explosions, and bullet-hell gameplay, offering a reasonable challenge that ramps up over time.

While the original Andro Dunos did not stand out among the other shmups of the era, the sequel comes at a time where horizontal shoot ‘em ups are not as common. How does it hold up in 2022?

Launched initially in arcades, Andro Dunos saw a few console ports, such as Dreamcast. Now, 30 years later, the sequel comes to the Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS, PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4.

It will feel very familiar to fans of retro shmups, specifically R-Type. Fans of horizontal shooters like R-Type III, Gradius, and Darius Gaiden will love it. Instead of changing the style of the ship the player can use, there are a series of weapons to use, each with its own power, style of fire, and ultra-powerful special attack.

It's not big on the story, but that's not a big deal for a game like this. When it comes to the Andro Dunos II story, players control a starship in defense of the Earth. An unknown alien force has increased its military presence. It's up to the players to stop these alien forces once and for all.

Players expect tight controls, quality gameplay, and awesome, challenging bosses. Thankfully, Andro Dunos II delivers on all of these. It also has an amazing soundtrack courtesy of Britain's Allister Brimble.

The game starts very easy, and that’s a great thing. Games like this shouldn’t begin with just battering players. It can be ruthless later on when players have adjusted to the game. It ramps up the