Armored Ashura Ultimate Review
I can’t remember the last time I played a side scrolling shooter with crazy power-ups. So, I was a bit pleased when I found Armored Ashura Ultimate (yeah the name just rolls off the tongue). Honestly, I just love 2D side scrolling shooters, especially when they have crazy over the top power-ups, which made me realize that there been a 2D shooter in years or at least one that was memorable. Seriously, there hasn’t been a 2D shooter in years. So far, the only recent one that I have played is Aegis Wing, and let’s be honest, the weapons in that game were weak and it was popular only because it was free. I haven’t played Gradius in many years, and I haven’t heard anything about a new Gradius game. So here is a 2D shooter that is also free… BUT IT HAS CRAZY POWER-UPS!!!! Armored Ashura is probably going to be the closest thing to a new Graduis game. Now let’s just see if that’s a good thing.
Controls
And already we have a minor problem. To play this game you move with the mouse and click to fire. You can charge your weapon by not shooting. Simple enough, right? Well for the most part, yes. It is pretty simple. The only problem that I have with this control scheme is that your mouse moves faster than the character (who I am assuming is Ashura). When you play this game you expect the character will be keeping up with the mouse, but here, I’m not sure if I’m moving my mouse too fast or if the character is just too slow. This would’ve been better if they used the arrow keys and spacebar instead. But for the most part, mouse control scheme is at least functional.
Graphics
The graphics are pretty decent at times. I’m assuming that it was trying to go for that adult anime style. It can be a little jagged at times, but for the most part it’s ok. As for the design, I gotta say, I like how creative the enemies were. Sure some of them were… meh. But when get it right, THEY FREAKING GET IT RIGHT!!!! Some of the enemies were so creative. There are reptile people on hover boards, bikers, and even insect like ships…. Okay maybe that last one has been done a lot in the 2D shooter genre bit sill you can see effort put into it. But, if I were to gripe about something involving the graphics, I can say that I found it weird that there wasn’t much animation in the enemies. I mean whenever they shoot, you expect to see them move a shoulder or an arm, but instead they just stand there their own bullets have more animation.
Even Ashura (the guy you’re playing as) doesn’t move. If he was a ship, that would be fine, but he’s not a ship, he’s a flying human; You would expect to see a little animation from him at least. Another minor problem that I have had with the game was with the number of power-ups. Don’t get me wrong, the power-ups are fun to use, it’s just that there could’ve been more. The total number of power-ups is 4, yup just 4 (Fire, Rockets, Laser, and Shuriken). Each weapon has 3 stages of powering up, so we’re looking at 12 (technically 24, counting the power-up ASHURA form). They really could’ve added more to it, like a lightning gun or something with a chainsaw. Nitpick aside, the design is great.
Even Ashura (the guy you’re playing as) doesn’t move. If he was a ship, that would be fine, but he’s not a ship, he’s a flying human; You would expect to see a little animation from him at least. Another minor problem that I have had with the game was with the number of power-ups. Don’t get me wrong, the power-ups are fun to use, it’s just that there could’ve been more. The total number of power-ups is 4, yup just 4 (Fire, Rockets, Laser, and Shuriken). Each weapon has 3 stages of powering up, so we’re looking at 12 (technically 24, counting the power-up ASHURA form). They really could’ve added more to it, like a lightning gun or something with a chainsaw. Nitpick aside, the design is great.
Difficulty
OH MY GOD THIS GAME IS DIFFICULT! AS IT SHOULD BE!!! And I’m saying that when it’s on the CASUAL setting! The difficulty of this game has the right amount of everything you expect from a 2D shooter. Enemies have their own strategies and tactics; there are enemies that come from behind, above, and even below. Hell, the even form a wall that touches from the top of the screen to bottom of the screen. And let me tell ya, using a super charged power-up on the walls of enemies is very satisfying. Even the bosses have their own tactics. For example, the first boss may seem generic at first. “Oh it’s just a generic gun ship… oh I can already see its core”. Then you’re shooting at the ship in general and eventually: “How disappointing, I already destroyed the ship. That was eas….. huh? Wait! Why does it still have health on its health bar? Is it a glitch?” HAahahah…. NO! It fooled you into thinking you won, but really the real boss is the core itself. And not only that, but now it’ll move all over the place while firing bullets and homing missiles in every direction. So if you’re a hardcore 2D shooter fanatic, this game is for you.
So, is this game good? HELL YES IT IS!!! Is it Gradius good? Ehhhhh…. No, it could use improvements in the control department, but it did make me feel like it were the good old days when there were all those crazy but creative 2D shooters: like Perodius , U.N. Squadron, and 1943. Overall, it’s not one of the best, but still, I would recommend Armored Ashura to anyone that wants to play 2D shooter for the sake of nostalgia. And let me put it this way, I hope there’s going to be an Armored Ashura 2.
So, is this game good? HELL YES IT IS!!! Is it Gradius good? Ehhhhh…. No, it could use improvements in the control department, but it did make me feel like it were the good old days when there were all those crazy but creative 2D shooters: like Perodius , U.N. Squadron, and 1943. Overall, it’s not one of the best, but still, I would recommend Armored Ashura to anyone that wants to play 2D shooter for the sake of nostalgia. And let me put it this way, I hope there’s going to be an Armored Ashura 2.