Andro Dunos 2 – Test: Maybe better than part one, maybe worse. Definitely really good!

Since I was never allowed to call a Neo Geo my own, Andro Dunos passed me by in the early nineties. After all, the horizontal shooter was released exclusively on the SNK console. All the better and also more unusual that more than 30 years later there is actually a sequel that not only runs on PC, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, but even as a 3DS module as well as for Dreamcast and Neo Geo available or can be pre-ordered is.

Given the aging platforms, it’s no surprise then that all of the action takes place in a traditional four-by-three frame, with the rest of the display being covered in a static image. Luckily, this can’t harm the pixel art when fat opponents first appear inconspicuously in the background before they zoom into the foreground from the depths of the room to show themselves in their full size. This is not new, but it is a successful journey through time into the parallax and sprite past, which Allister Brimble also accompanies with a lively soundtrack.

In terms of content, Andro Dunos 2 is a very rudimentary affair: You play the regular arcade mode and can select levels that have already been completed directly – that’s it. The number of five continues can be increased to a maximum of nine, the level of difficulty can be raised or lowered by one level and there are various presets available in terms of controls. Unfortunately, the keys cannot be freely assigned.

It does not matter anyway; Andro Dunos 2 still plays very well. As a traditional shmup, it does without the ball walls of a bullet hell shooter, but sends no less dangerous enemy formations and a few snappy bosses into the race. You have to be very careful not to lose sight of your own ship, the different colored and especially the slow-flying projectiles. I don’t even know how many times a projectile that I suspected was long past the edge of the screen has been my undoing! This goes on for seven levels, with the enemies putting pressure on you from all directions from the third level at the latest.

However, the four weapon systems of your own fighter are just made for such situations, because they each have their own combinations of guns and missiles. You can switch between these systems using the shoulder buttons and thus activate the rich straight shot, the somewhat broader salvos, the all-round fire or the variant that mainly shoots backwards. You can use extras to upgrade the system you have just selected in several stages, and even after completing each level you invest points dropped by destroyed opponents in upgrades for weapons, missiles or the shield.

The highlight, however, is the powerful Hyper Shot, as it not only increases the firepower many times over, but also partially destroys enemy projectiles. You don’t have to economize with your use, but you can activate it surprisingly often, since it charges itself very quickly. During the short cooldown period you can only use the standard version of the corresponding weapon, i.e. the one without any upgrade, but all other systems are available with their full strength.

With all of this, Andro Dunos 2 achieves two things that feel damn good: It gives you tactical options that you can use cleverly, and it makes your own ship very powerful without being overwhelmingly superior to the opponents. This mixture of challenge and dopamine release really works, which is why I like to fight for points here.

That’s why it’s all the more annoying that only the top ten high scores are only saved locally. It should have been global rankings, at least on Switch, PC and PS4. I also don’t quite understand why the points just keep counting after using a continues. You lose a good amount of money, but it is a regrettable mistake that a run without using additional lives is not at least noted in the high score table.

Andro Dunos 2 – Test Conclusion

As I said: In terms of scope and features, Andro Dunos 2 is decidedly reserved. If you don’t want to keep playing the same arcade mode to improve yourself or eventually reach 1CC, you could quickly run out of breath. If you’re looking for a mature shooter that scores with its flexible, sometimes very powerful weapon system, you’ve come to the right place. Now I can’t tell you if part two does justice to its ancestor, since I never played the predecessor. All I can say is that the late sequel does a great job of continuing the tradition of good 16-bit action!