Run and gun shooters have been a genre I’ve always enjoyed, but to a limited point. They tend to be tough as nails affairs and require dead-on timing to deal out damage and killer reflexes to avoid taking it. That’s all well and good for the most part, but franchises like Contra and Metal Slug have many things going for them including tight controls and killer graphics, but mercy for the player isn’t one of them. They’re unforgiving affairs and even in modern-day remakes can be a bit tough to deal with. Modern games like Mighty Goose have made things better with things like updates for auto-fire (basically just turbo like in the 16-bit days with turbo controllers) and invincibility, but few have really baked in a blend of ease of use and versatile gameplay like Neon Inferno, even in demo form.
Slice, Dice and Blast
It’s a rare run and gun with a lot of ways to deal out damage to foes, including your usual gunfire, but here, it already has turbo baked-in. This makes things so much easier when things get intense and you can use RB to shoot into the background and deal even more damage with a short-range sword. Mega Man Zero is probably my favorite replayable Mega Man series because you have a sword to deal out a ton of risky short-range damage and also can gun folks down with the blaster, but I’ve never seen a run and gun game with a sword mechanic and Neon Inferno handles the blade masterfully. Not since Goemon Ishikawa XIII from Lupin III have I seen such delightful goofiness with a sword because if you hit Y, you’ll slash and take out foes and deflect bullets, but holding it allows you to aim said deflected bullets at a foe in an insane visual, but one that feels rewarding to pull off.
Neon Inferno provides a blend of Contra and Mega Man Zero with plentiful gunfire and swordplay
Neon-Soaked Mayhem
Having that kind of versatile play comes in handy and there’s even some motorcycle fun to be had where you can switch lanes with LB and deal out damage to foes and avoid oncoming traffic before a boss battle with frickin' air strikes in it! The demo is a single-stage affair with so much neon-soaked fun and the player can turn a CRT filter off or on to really add to the ’80s charm. There’s a lot to love about Neon Inferno already and once it gets closer to launch, we’ll be keeping a closer eye on it because this is a sure-fire winner of a game. Check out the demo onSteamASAP if you love run and guns – or just always wanted one that made the player feel more powerful and in-control.
Review: Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection
The games included in the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection aren’t always perfect, but they’re still a ton of fun to take on.
