Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider Reviews
It must have taken a lot of guts from JoyMasher to release a linear 2D action platformer that relies on a “lives” system in 2023. The spectacle and lavish pixel art are some of the best around and it is apparent that the artists poured all their sweat, blood, and tears into every dot for Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider. They went for it and crafted what is possibly one of the greatest examples of its genre.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider succeeds more than it stumbles, providing a short but enjoyable experience.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a short, replayable, and satisfying 16-bit side-scrolling platformer. JoyMasher and The Arcade Crew nail it yet again, this time with a Mega Man meets space Shinobi that really excels at feeling like a game that released 30 years ago and was lost to time. From the look, the sound, to the controls, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a slice of heaven.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider might be a throwback to the 80s and 90s, and wears its inspirations on its sleeves, but there is a lot more to it than just nostalgia. While Moonrider has flaws, and is a very short experience, it is one worth experiencing for anyone with a fondness for classic platformers and grungy aesthetics.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is great in a lot of ways. Even if it stays almost too close to the Mega Man X formula, it still utilizes it well. The visuals and music are definite highlights that put this game apart, but it also just feels satisfying to play. The ride is over all-too-soon, but I’m happy to have taken it. It was another good challenge and we cut up tons of machines, fascists, and fascist machines along the way. More than that, I’d love to see some speedruns of this game because it looks ripe for excellent players to learn and master. If you want a decent action platformer to kick 2023 off with, you can’t go wrong with Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a game that stepped right out of the '90s. It's a fun little platformer that controls well and is a delight to play, and it evokes a remarkable amount of nostalgia for a game that is coming out in 2023. Much like Blazing Chrome, it's the closest you'll come to a new Strider game that plays like the old-school Strider. If that is what you're looking for, you'll be delighted, and if you love old-school platforming action, Moonrider offers it in spades, without the quarter-munching or rental fees.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is visceral, brutal and quite challenging – which is great. With beautiful pixel art graphics, a great soundtrack and satisfying combat, it's a must-have title for fans of the 16-bit era.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
While short and inconsistent in challenge, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a fun throwback to late 90s Japanese cyberpunk spectacle.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is an absolute triumph in 'neo-retro' game design. It boasts fluid combat with plenty of variety in environmental and enemy design and an art style that looks like it beamed straight over from the early '90s. While its overall short length might be a bit of a sticking point for some, those looking for an action title that is not only a fantastic experience but also feels like an authentically retro one will find this to be an absolute no-brainer. It's straight up one of the coolest games to kickstart 2023.
Delivers that crunchy, stylized arcade action that helped make the Genesis generation so memorable.
Each level feels unique, and goes through phases that ensure the gameplay remains interesting and engaging. And it’s all complemented by a jaw-dropping art style, which can feel a little grungy on occasion, but has some true standout set-piece moments – like the boss enemies that fill the entire screen. A CRT toggle is available for true retro enthusiasts, but we preferred to play with unfiltered, razor-sharp 4K pixels. And we loved every minute.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a great mix of ninja-themed titles that gamers may have experienced on the SNES. It has a wide variety of gameplay elements that make every stage feel fresh and new from the others. This challenging game will be a must-play for people who love ninjas and a challenge!
Vengeful Guardian Moonrider is yet another fantastic retro gaming experience from Joymasher, and it shows that the developer has really found its niche. However, with the game being way too short for it's own good, and speedrun games aren't for everyone, Vengeful Guardian Moonrider is in an awkward position. Great gameplay, great music, it's just too damned short.
There's no doubt that it's a decent way to spend a couple hours as far as action-platformers go, and fans of the genre–particularly the retro-focused kind–will get a kick out of something so clearly paying homage. For my money, though, I'd have liked to see a few twists and a bit more risk taking with such a well-worn type of video game. Falling short of being a full Moonrider, Vengeful Guardian does enough to make rolling credits worthwhile, if not much else.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider conjures the spirit of the golden age of 16-bit gaming.
Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is easy to recommend for those longing for retro platformers, but is over a bit too quick.
I can’t recommend the game to everyone, and maybe not even to most people. But I think it’s commendable in what it’s trying to do. And if you, like me, have fond memories of picking up games you knew nothing about based on weird art and a love of cyborg ninjas on motorcycles for no reason… this is the modern descendant of those, and it’s having a good go at it.
JoyMasher once again brings us a video game that will remind us of past times in all aspects, visual, sound and playable, and it does so with ease. On this occasion, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider is a platform and action game in the purest Shinobi, Strider or Hagane style, which will delight all those fans. If it is your style of play, it cannot be missing in your game library.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
We’ve had an abundance of memorable ninja games over the years, but recently, there’s been a distinct lack of robot ninja games. Thankfully, now we have Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider. After giving fans what Konami couldn’t with the excellent Contra-inspired action title Blazing Chrome, developer JoyMasher has now set their sights on new retro horizons: reviving the 2D action platformer as exemplified by classics like Shinobi and Strider. The result, Vengeful Guardian: Moonrider, is just about as loyal to the classics as one could ask for: equally demanding and satisfying, Moonrider overcomes a handful of rough edges to deliver a worthwhile, modern reinvention of old-school action.
An ode to the golden age of 16 bits, which perfectly transmits those sensations. As a game, it is a somewhat brief challenge, but very intense and varied, that tempts you to improve more and more.
Review in Spanish | Read full review