A slick lightning bolt from the past, Azure Striker Gunvolt is a 2D side-scrolling platformer in the spirit of classic Mega Man games. It stuns with that addictive retro style of “easy to pick up, difficult to master” gameplay, with a fast “tag-and-fry” combat system and optional challenges. In a cyberpunk future owned by the Sumeragi Group, people with superpowers are called Adepts. You play as Gunvolt, an Adept with the power to control electricity who uses that power to fight against Sumeragi. Gunvolt fights to keep a young girl safe from Sumeragi and its colourful squadron of mini-bosses. An extra game mode, Mighty Gunvolt is a charmingly “mis-translated” 8-bit tribute to the original Mega Man.
Don’t get the wrong idea from this downloadable indie title; top-shelf talent went into its development, thanks to designer Keiji Inafune. The game is well structured and communicates everything the player needs to know in the first few moments of play. In each level, Gunvolt’s powers let him interact with the world in a new way – moving magnetic platforms, lighting up darkened areas – and there’s plenty of replay value. A high-voltage rollercoaster that’s one of the best downloadable titles out there.
